TWO BIG NAME PROGRAMS FACE OFF IN FINAL FOUR: MICHIGAN VS. SYRACUSE

by ANDY MORRISSEY

When: Saturday, April 6^th, 8:49 PM

Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Line: Michigan -2

Line Movement

Matchup: The two 4 seeds come in hot off of big wins as Michigan destroyed Florida in the Elite 8 and Syracuse held Marquette to 39 points as the Orange’s 2-3 zone continues to cause struggles for opposing teams. Michigan is 4-0 ATS in the tournament so far, while Syracuse is 3-1 ATS the past 4 games. Michigan likes to play fast break basketball and push the tempo, and shoot 3’s in transition, while Syracuse makes teams use the entire shot clock as they sit in their zone. Contrasting styles will lead to a great final four matchup.

Why Syracuse Covers: The Orange are playing great basketball at the right time, as they look to continue their tournament run with a spot in the National Championship game Monday. They are led by their stellar sophomore point guard Michael Carter-Williams who leads the 2-3 zone with his 6-6 frame and long wingspan. He averages 12.1 points per game and also averages 7.4 assists per game.  Shooters C.J Fair and James Southerland can be deadly if left open from 3 point territory. Fair is the team’s leading scorer with 14.4 points per game and he shoots 50% from 3- point land, while Southerland averages 13.9 points per game and shoots 41.6% from downtown. If the Orange continue to play strong defense and hit their open shots look for them to not only cover the 2 point spread but win the game straight up.

Why Michigan Covers: Michigan is led by their stud point guard and National Player of the Year Trey Burke, he had the biggest shot in the tournament against Kansas which sent the game to overtime where the Wolverines came back and won. He averages 18.8 points per game and 6.8 assists per game and only 2.2 turnovers per game. The wolverines go as he go and look for him to have another big game as he seems to perform better on the national stage. Freshman Mitch McGary has been stellar this tournament and is a hard worker both on defense and on the glass. He can cause matchup issues in the middle of the zone and has the opportunity to get a lot of second chance points against Syracuse’s zone. He has really come on in the tournament and look for his run of good play to continue. The X-factor in this game will be freshman Nik Stauskas he is a shooter and can make Syracuse pay for playing zone. He went 6 for 6 from behind the 3 point line against Florida and he shoots 45% from beyond the arc and will have open looks on Saturday. With Burke penetrating the zone and kicking out to Stauskas for 3 point looks and McGary cleaning up the misses and long rebounds the Wolverines have a good shot of beating Syracuse and their zone defense.

Prediction: Michigan -2. Michigan has the perfect formula for beating Syracuse’s 2-3 zone which has given teams headaches all tournament long. Burke can penetrate the zone and feed McGary in the paint or find open shooters who can knock down open 3’s. Michigan likes to run and could easily beat Syracuse’s zone down the floor and have fast break points. Michigan will dictate the tempo and pace of the game and will be in control of the game. The Wolverines will easily cover the 2 point spread and play in the title game on Monday.

Sources: ESPN, Covers

NIT SHOWDOWN: #2 MARYLAND VS. #1 ALABAMA

by JEFF ALLEN

ACC/SEC conference bragging rights are on the line as Maryland and Alabama meet in the NIT on Tuesday.

Check out Line Movement for this game.

Alabama is coming off a game where beat defending champion #4 Stanford 66-54 on Saturday – in large part due to their smothering defense. Alongside their tough defense, they controlled the pace of the game, pulling as far as 15 points ahead at one point. The key to the Alabama-Stanford game was how often and how well Alabama shot from the free throw line: 22 of 26 compared to Stanford’s 8 of 9.

Maryland shot down Denver last Thursday 65-52, ending the game on a 23-4 run. Maryland had the shooting advantage, shooting 5.8 percent better than Denver. Sophomore wingman Dez Wells had a great game, putting up 19 points. Despite going 3-7 on the road this year, Maryland lost several big games in overtime that they very likely could of won (against Florida State, Virginia and #5 Miami). The Terps were also 3-2 when playing at a neutral site – losing to both Kentucky and North Carolina by only 3 points.

Betting Information

Maryland is 23-12 straight up, 15-11-2 against the spread and 9-7 Over on the year. Alabama is 22-12 SU, 15-15 against the total and 16-4 Under on the year.

Extra Game Details

The Kiplinger Out-of-State Ranking has Maryland ranked much higher than Alabama (#6 vs. #89)

Maryland has recruited 14 McDonald’s All-Americans out of high school compared to 10 by Alabama.

Maryland has more experienced players than Alabama (15,018 minutes played vs. 13,094 minutes played).

Maryland’s rebounding leader (Alex Len, 255 rebounds) has more rebounds than Alabama’s (Rodney Cooper, 142 rebounds).

The Oddsfather’s Injury Report

Source: Sports Chat Place, Bleacher Report

NCAA TOURNAMENT SECOND ROUND BETTING: MISSOURI VS. COLORADO STATE

by JEFF ALLEN SPORTS

Missouri looks to put last year’s stunning upset to 15^th-seeded Norfolk State to rest when it faces Colorado State in an NCAA Tournament 8-9 game on Thursday night.

Line: Missouri -3, Total: 142.5

ATS Information

The ninth-seeded Tigers didn’t match the 30 wins they put up entering the tournament a year ago, but they’re still a well-balanced veteran team. They have dropped two of their past three, SU, despite being favored each time, and were just 6-10 SU away from home on the season. And while Colorado State enters having won three of four SU, the Rams have failed to cover in their past three games and have lost five in a row SU (1-4 ATS) as an underdog.

Missouri couldn’t quite duplicate last season’s success despite a move from the Big 12 to the weaker SEC. After shooting 39.8% behind the arc a year ago, the team shot just 34.0% this season. And after featuring a deep rotation of scorers on the perimeter in 2011-12, they couldn’t find a consistent outside threat this season. PG Phil Pressey (11.6 PPG, 7.1 APG) has struggled to shoot all year (37.6% FG, 31.6% threes), especially on the road (36.1% FG, 27.5% threes). The Tigers did feature a more conventional frontcourt this season though, with PF Laurence Bowers (14.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG) coming off a redshirt year and C Alex Oriakhi (11.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) transferring from Connecticut. Slashing wing Keion Bell (11.1 PPG, 52.8% FG), a transfer from Pepperdine, had some moments in February (five 20-point performances in nine games that month) but really cooled off since then, going for a total of seven points on 2-for-10 FG and 0-for-5 from three over two SEC Tournament games. And head coach Frank Haith has just one NCAA Tournament win in his eight seasons as a head coach with both Missouri and Miami-FL.

Colorado State is arguably the best rebounding team in the tournament, finishing second in the nation in offensive rebounding rate and first in keeping opponents off the offensive glass. Unlike a lot of mid-major programs, the Rams have an elite big man in Colton Iverson (14.7 PPG on 60% FG, 9.8 RPG), a 6-foot-10, 260-pound transfer from Minnesota who had 24 points and 16 boards in the Mountain West Tournament semifinal loss at UNLV. The Rams are efficient offensively thanks to the second chance points, but like Missouri CSU doesn’t shoot well from the perimeter, hitting just 33.2% of its threes on the season. Senior combo guard Wes Eikmeier (12.7 PPG) led the team in shot attempts for a second straight season, but made just 37.6% FG. He managed to get to the line with regularity over his past three games, where he’s an excellent free-throw shooter (90.2% on the season, 21-for-22 in past 3 games). That allowed him to score 17.0 PPG despite making just 31.7% FG.

Source: Statfox

BIG TEN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT – CHAMPIONSHIP: WISCONSIN VS. OHIO STATE

by JEFF ALLEN SPORTS

Two of the best defensive teams in the country will play for the Big Ten Championship on Sunday when No. 10 Ohio State battles No. 22 Wisconsin.

Line: Ohio State -1, Total: 117

The Badgers defense has been outstanding in this tournament so far, holding both No. 6 Michigan (75.2 PPG) and No. 2 Indiana (80.8 PPG) to less than 60 points. Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s erratic offense has been solid in the two victories with 68.0 PPG on 44.3% FG and 15-of-40 threes (38%). The Buckeyes have also clamped down on teams all season, especially lately where they have limited opponents to a paltry 54.1 PPG during their current seven-game SU win streak (6-1 ATS). This stellar defense has been vital, as the offense has reached 70 points just once in the past six games. These schools are meeting for the third time this season, splitting the first two contests with each team winning in its home building. OSU took the first meeting on Jan. 29 by a 58-49 score, but Wisconsin returned the favor with a 71-49 blowout in Madison. Since 2006, these schools have split 16 meetings evenly (8-8 SU) with Ohio State holding a slight 9-7 ATS advantage during this stretch.

Wisconsin has struggled outside of Madison this season with a record of 8-7 SU (5-9-1 ATS), but the team has played well since the start of February with a 9-3 SU (7-4-1 ATS) mark. The Badgers have gotten contributions from all their key players during their Big Ten Tournament run. PF Ryan Evans has 14.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 5.0 APG and 2.0 BPG in the two victories, while SG Ben Brust has 13.0 PPG (6-of-12 threes) and 5.5 PPG in Chicago. C Jared Berggren has 9.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 2.5 BPG, making all four of his shots in Saturday’s victory, and SF Sam Dekker bounced back from an 0-for-4 day against Michigan with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting versus Indiana. All four players have also been heard from in the season series with Ohio State, as Brust had 15 points (6-of-11 FG) and 11 rebounds in the Feb. 17 win, and Evans had nine points and five boards in that victory, which was a huge improvement from his 1-for-10 shooting night in Columbus on Jan. 29. Berggren performed well in both games with 11 points and nine boards in the road loss, and 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in the home win. Decker had just five points at OSU, but chipped in 13 points in the most recent meeting.

Since losing badly at Wisconsin on Feb. 17, Ohio State hasn’t dropped a single game, winning its seven straight contests by an average score of 67 to 54, with the only non-cover during this run coming in a 10-point win at 10.5-point underdog Northwestern. The Buckeyes are 9-5 SU (8-6 ATS) in non-home games this season, but have gone 6-2 SU in their past eight road/neutral games. PF Deshaun Thomas has been a scoring machine with 14+ points in each of his past 13 games, averaging 19.0 PPG during this stretch, and 17.5 PPG in the Big Ten Tournament. This run started with 25 points against Wisconsin on Jan. 29 and continued with 18 points in Madison on Feb. 17. PG Aaron Craft is coming off a sensational effort in Saturday’s semifinal win with 20 points (9-of-13 FG), nine assists, four steals and just two turnovers. He also had a strong game at home versus the Badgers (13 points, seven rebounds), but made just 2-of-9 shots for four points at Wisconsin last month. SG Lenzelle Smith Jr. continues to misfire this month with just 5.3 PPG on 9-of-30 FG (1-of-8 threes) in the three games. He hasn’t done much against the Badgers this season either, scoring only 5.5 PPG on 4-of-8 shooting. SF Sam Thompson hadn’t scored in double-digits in any of his team’s five straight wins before exploding on Friday for a career-best 19 points on 8-of-9 FG (3-of-4 threes). He followed that up with eight points on Saturday. Although he was held scoreless (0-for-1 FG) in the win over the Badgers, he contributed 10 points on 5-of-7 FG in the February defeat.

Source: Statfox

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: CHARLESTON VS. DAVIDSON

by JEFF ALLEN SPORTS

After surviving a scare in the conference semifinals, top-seeded Davidson tries to advance to the NCAA Tournament when it faces Charleston on Monday night in the Southern Conference Championship Game.

Tip-off: Monday, 7:00 p.m. ET

Line: Davidson -7

The third-seeded Cougars advanced to the finals with a pair of eight-points wins over Western Carolina and Elon, giving them three straight victories (SU and ATS) to start off March, a nice turnaround after seven straight ATS defeats to end February. The Wildcats had little trouble in Saturday’s quarterfinals, beating Georgia Southern by an 86-59 score, but nearly lost to 16-point underdog Appalachian State in Sunday’s semifinal action, prevailing 65-62 when a last-second, three-point attempt for the Mountaineers was off the mark. That gave Davidson its 16th straight SU victory (8-7-1 ATS). This series has been tight since 2009 with both teams going 5-5 SU against each other with Charleston holding the 6-4 ATS advantage. But the Wildcats took both meetings this season rather easily, winning 77-68 at home on Jan. 19, and 75-59 at Charleston on Feb. 14.

Charleston has held opponents to 57.5 PPG during its four-game win streak, but after limiting Elon to 19 first-half points on Sunday, the Phoenix tallied 41 points in the second half. Luckily for the Cougars, they shot lights-out in the semifinal victory, nailing 46% FG, 41% threes (7-of-17) and 83% free throws. Senior PG Andrew Lawrence (13.1 PPG, 3.9 APG) led the way with 19 points (5-for-10 FG, 7-for-9 FT), while junior PF Willis Hall (7.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG) went for 16 points and 10 rebounds. Neither player has enjoyed success versus Davidson this season though, as Lawrence shot 10-of-30 FG with seven turnovers in the two losses, while Hall scored just seven points in a combined 42 minutes in the season series. The only other double-digit scorer for this team is sophomore SG Anthony Stitt (10.9 PPG, 3.3 APG) who made just 2-of-9 shots in Sunday’s win, and is 4-for-18 against the Wildcats this season, including an 0-for-8 night on the road. But Charleston might be best served pounding the ball inside like it did on Jan. 19 against Davidson when frontcourt players C Adjehi Baru (9.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG) and F Anthony Thomas (8.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG) each had 13 points on a combined 12-of-18 FG (67%).

Davidson has eight players that log at least 20 MPG, but the main two scorers are senior PF Jake Cohen (14.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and junior SF De’Mon Brooks (13.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG) who both shoot better than 49% from the floor and 78% from the free-throw line. The duo combined for 33 points (13-of-23 FG) in Sunday’s semifinal win over Appalachian State. Cohen completely destroyed the Cougars in their most recent meeting on Feb. 14, scoring 32 points (13-of-24 FG) and registering four blocks on the defensive end. Senior PG Nick Cochran (10.1 PPG, 3.3 APG) also played well that day with 14 points (3-of-4 threes) and five assists. Cochran took just three shots in Sunday’s win, but pitched in with five assists and two steals. Junior swingman Chris Czerapowicz (9.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG) has been great from three-point range (56-for-140, 40%) and has a healthy 11.8 PPG and 5.8 RPG in his past four contests. He did very little versus Charleston this season though, scoring a total of nine points on 4-of-14 shooting.

Source: Statfox

GEORGETOWN LOOKING FOR 12 WINS IN A ROW AS THEY TRAVEL TO VILLANOVA

by JEFF ALLEN SPORTS

Winners of 11 in a row, No. 5 Georgetown heads to Villanova as slight underdogs Wednesday night.

Line: Villanova -1, Total: 122 (Line Movement)

While the Hoyas have been one of the hottest teams in college basketball lately with 11 straight wins, the Wildcats have struggled in their past couple. With an overtime loss to Pittsburgh Sunday, Villanova has now lost two in a row. But the ‘Cats have won five of their past six home games. These two teams met once last season, and the Hoyas cruised at home en route to a 67-46 win, holding ‘Nova to 14-of-50 (28%) shooting. Georgetown is 9-1-1 ATS during its 11-game winning streak, including 4-0 ATS as underdogs. Overall, the Hoyas are 6-1 ATS on the road. Although the Wildcats have also been a tremendous bet this year (18-9 ATS overall and 11-6 ATS in the Big East), Georgetown has also owned the series between the two teams, going 3-0 SU and ATS in the last three meetings.

Injury Report

Containing Georgetown begins with addressing PF Otto Porter (16.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG) who has quickly emerged into a National Player of the Year candidate with his hot play. He’s averaging 27.7 PPG (58% FG), 7.0 RPG and 3.3 SPG in his past three games, playing all but one minute of those three games, even though one of them went into double overtime. Despite his 6-foot-8 frame, he’s a deft shooter (47% threes) and that has only improved over his hot spell where he’s hit 9-of-16 from beyond the arc. Last year, Porter made just his second career start against Villanova and scored a team-high 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, also adding six boards. G Markel Starks (12.2 PPG, 2.9 APG) paces the backcourt as the team’s only double-digit scorer with Greg Whittington (12.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG) still out, though they haven’t missed him much, as their entire hot streak has been without him.

Unlike the Hoyas, Villanova doesn’t have one dominating scorer. But sophomore PF JayVaughn Pinkston (12.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG) has consistently been there, scoring double-digits in eight consecutive games. He’s joined down low by C Mouphtaou Yarou (9.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG) who has a big 6-foot-10 frame and will be key to helping guard Porter across the court. Freshman PG Ryan Arcidiacono (12.2 PPG, 3.4 APG) paces the backcourt and is averaging 17.8 PPG over the team’s past five contests. He hit 5-of-8 threes in the team’s double OT loss to Pittsburgh and is making 2.2 threes per game this season. Lengthy 6-foot-6 SG Darrun Hilliard (11.4 PPG) joins him in the backcourt, though Hilliard has struggled in the team’s two recent losses with 8.5 PPG on 3-of-17 shooting.

Source: Statfox

REVENGE ALERT: ARKANSAS (18-11) VS. MISSOURI (21-8)

by JEFF ALLEN SPORTS

After the Razorbacks eked out a two-point win against Missouri last month, the Tigers will look to get their revenge in their final home game of the season.

Line: Missouri -9.5, Total: 152 (Track Line Changes for the Game)

Missouri is the second-best rebounding team in the nation (41.3 RPG) and outrebounded Arkansas 47-31 when the teams first met on Feb. 16, but the Razorbacks scored the final four points of the game, in the contest’s last 19 seconds, to squeak out the 73-71 win, giving Mike Anderson his first win over the school he once coached. Since then, Arkansas has gone 2-2 both SU and ATS, most recently cruising past Kentucky for a 13-point win on Saturday. The Tigers have gone 3-1 SU (2-2 ATS) since that game, falling at Kentucky, but putting up 89.5 PPG in two straight wins over South Carolina and LSU. The Razorbacks are 5-3 ATS as underdogs this season, including 3-0 ATS as double-digit underdogs. Given the way they were able to play Missouri last time, they certainly have the ability to make this a close game. But the Tigers are a perfect 16-0 SU and 12-3 ATS since the start of last season after back-to-back, double-digit wins.

PF Marshawn Powell led Arkansas in the first meeting between the two teams, scoring 24 points (8-of-19 FG) without recording a turnover. Powell (14.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG) is a threat to score anywhere on the court and is averaging 16.0 PPG and 8.5 RPG in his past two contests. PG BJ Young (15.2 PPG, 3.5 APG) leads the Razorbacks in scoring and is the only other double-digit scorer on the team. Young also had a big game against the Tigers last month, dropping 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting while adding five assists, five rebounds, but also five turnovers. But since that meeting, Young has struggled shooting the ball with just 7.0 PPG on 11-of- 42 FG (26%) and 0-for-10 threes. In the two road games during this slump, he’s gone 2-for-19 from the floor and 0-for-8 from downtown. Junior SF Coty Clarke (7.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG) was the only other Arkansas player to score more than five points against Missouri, tallying 13 points (4-of-6 FG), seven rebounds and two steals. Clark also had a monster game in Saturday’s win over Kentucky with 14 points (4-of-5 FG, 6-of-7 FT), 12 rebounds, six assists and three steals.

SG Keion Bell (11.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG) had a career game against Arkansas, leading the Tigers with 25 points on a near-perfect 9-of-11 shooting and 7-of-8 from the line. He also added eight boards in the loss before fouling out. But he was the only starter to reach double figures in the contest for head coach Frank Haith, a surprise given the team has a whopping six players who average double-digit points. PF Laurence Bowers (14.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG) leads that effort and is coming off a big double-double, recording 23 points and 10 rebounds against LSU. He was dreadful in the first meeting against the Razorbacks though, going 1-for-10 from the field for just two points. The starting backcourt of PG Phil Pressey (12.1 PPG, 7.1 APG) and SG Jabari Brown (14.0 PPG) were just as bad in the loss, going a combined 4-for-19 from the field (1-of-9 threes). PF Alex Oriakhi (11.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG) scored seven points, but added 11 boards in the game. Oriakhi has found his scoring touch lately, with 17.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG and 2.0 BPG in his past three games. He also has two double-doubles in that span. Reserve G Earnest Ross (10.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG) was a rare bright spot against Arkansas, going for 16 points (7-of-12 FG) and nine boards, and he could be the necessary spark plug in this matchup too.

Source: Statfox

REVENGE AND CHAMPIONSHIPS: #5 MIAMI-FL VS. #3DUKE

by LUCAS COMBS

When: Saturday, March 2^nd at 3PM PT

Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Raleigh, North Carolina

Line: -6.5 Duke

Total: 135.5

Line Movement

The Match-Up

Saturday, the Duke Blue Devils will be looking to devour that cold dish we like to call revenge, while the Miami Hurricanes will be looking to secure an outright ACC title in the rowdy confines of Cameron Indoor. Duke was defeated Thursday by the Virginia Cavaliers, 73-68. Seth Curry had 28 points in the loss. Miami got a bounce back win versus Virginia Tech Wednesday, 80-65. The win came after a disappointing loss to Wake Forest last Saturday. Miami’s Shane Larkin had 22 points and 6 assists in the win over the Hokies.

The Blue Devils will look to do some bouncing back of their own; not only from the Virginia loss suffered on Thursday, but a January 23^rd drubbing in Miami at the hands of the Hurricanes, 63-90.

Betting Information

Against the spread, the Miami Hurricanes are 15-7-2 ATS (5-4-2 ATS on the road). The Hurricanes are 0-3-2 ATS in their last 5 games this season.

Duke, meanwhile, is 15-13 ATS overall (7-7 ATS at home). The Blue Devils are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games and 1-6-2 ATS in the last 9 games versus the Hurricanes.

Concerning the total, Miami is 14-7-1 Under overall (7-4 Under on the road). The total, however, has gone Over in 4 of the last 5 games on the road for Miami and Over in 6 of the last 7 games on the road versus the Duke Blue Devils.

Duke is 15-12 Over overall (7-6 Under at home). The total has gone Over in 9 of the last 13 games and Over in 4 of the last 5 home games for the Blue Devils.

Blue Baby Whine

Is little Coach K a poor sport? Affirmative.

After suffering the loss to Virginia on Thursday, Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski was ‘irate’ about the Cavalier fans storming the court,

“Look, do you know how close you are to. … Just put yourself in the position of one of our players or coaches. I’m not saying any fan did this, but the potential is there all the time for a fan to just go up to you and say, ‘Coach you’re a [expletive],’ or push you or hit you. And what do you do? What if you did something? That would be the story. We deserve that type of protection.”

You do deserve that type of protection Mike? This coming from the Coach of a school who has the most blatantly disrespectful basketball student section in the country. Remember when your students shouted “How’s your Grandma” at NC State’s Tyler Lewis Grandmother died? Where was your petulant vernacular then? Speak up Mike, I can’t hear you. Oh, it’s about student safety, not about the fact that you are a sore loser. How about this Coach K, since you are feeling all entitled – You name me 10 instances when an athlete got seriously hurt from fans rushing the court (Heck, name me 5) and then I’ll stop calling you a sore loser and a whiny, entitled baby, okay?

What was that Coach K?

Injury Report

Source: LA Times, Sports Illustrated

MEET VIRGINIA: #3 DUKE BLUE DEVILS VS. THE VIRGINIA CAVALIERS

by LUCAS COMBS

When: Thursday, February 28th at 6PM PT

Where: John Paul Jones Arena, Virginia

Line: Pick Em’

Total: 129

Line Movement

The Match-Up

The Duke Blue Devils will meet Virginia Thursday in a game that will likely go down to the wire. Tony Bennett’s Virginia Cavaliers know how to play defense (4th in the nation in points allowed). Duke (8th in the nation in scoring), led by Mason Plumlee (17.5 ppg, 10.7 rpg), will have to be at the top of their game if the Blue Devils want to come out with a road victory. 

Virginia could use a win against a top 10 team to pad their NCAA Tournament resume. The Cavaliers are led by Juniors Joe Harris (16.6 ppg) and Akil Mitchell (12.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg).

Duke has won 9 of the last 10 games versus Virginia straight up.

Betting Information

Against the spread, Virginia is an impressive 12-2-1 ATS at home (16-8-1 ATS overall). Duke meanwhile, is 15-12 ATS (3-5 ATS on the road).

Virginia is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games.  

Concerning the total, the Cavaliers are 5-3 Over in home games (10-7 Over overall) and the Blue Devils are 5-3 Over in road games (14-12 Over overall).

The total has gone Over in 6 of the last 7 games for Virginia.

Meet Virginia

The Cavaliers tend to go a little bit under the radar in the college basketball world. Head Coach Tony Bennett doesn’t seem to mind. The Cavaliers aren’t flashy. They like to play slow, grinding basketball that is predicated on great defense (4th in the NCAA in points allowed) and good shot selection. Thursday, the college basketball world may come to know a little bit more about Bennett’s squad when Duke meets Virginia.

Injury Report

Source: Daily Press

CINCINNATI BEARCATS (19-7) AT CONNECTICUT HUSKIES (17-7)

by ODDSFATHER STAFF

Big East Foes coming off losses as home favorites will meet on Thursday night in Hartford when Connecticut hosts Cincinnati.

Line: Cincinnati -1, Total: 127

NCAA Basketball Matchup

The Bearcats lost their third game in four tries (SU and ATS) on Friday, with all three defeats coming against underdogs (Providence, Pittsburgh and Georgetown). The Huskies had won five of six (4-2 ATS) before its 70-61 home loss to Villanova on Saturday. Although UConn is 6-3 (SU and ATS) against Cincinnati since 2006, the Bearcats have won outright as underdogs in each of their past two trips to Connecticut, by 3 as a 6.5-point underdog last season and by 12 when they were getting 7 points in 2010. Despite their struggles at home this season (2-10 ATS), the Bearcats are 19-9 SU and 21-7 ATS (75%) in road/neutral court games over the past two seasons, including 8-2 (SU and ATS) this season. Plus, they’re 12-1 ATS (+10.9 Units) in non-home games after failing to cover the spread in their previous game over the past two seasons, and 11-1 ATS in non home-games when playing only their second games in 8 days in this same timeframe.

Cincinnati doesn’t quite score 70 points per game (69.8 PPG), but has outscored opponents by 11.3 PPG thanks to a defense that allows just 58.5 PPG on 38.1% FG (29.9% threes). The Bearcats have a lot more muscle down low in this game than UConn does, as they boast a stellar +7.4 RPG margin and block 6.42 shots per game, the seventh-most in the nation. But like the Huskies, Cincy’s top three scorers are all guards — Sean Kilpatrick (18.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG), Cashmere Wright (13.3 PPG, 3.4 APG) and JaQuon Parker (11.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG). Kilpatrick has been misfiring all season (42% FG, 33% threes), and has been especially cold in the team’s past three losses, making just 13-of-42 shots (31%) and 4-of-24 threes. In last year’s win at then-No. 11 UConn, Kilpatrick scored 16 points including the game-winning three with 2.7 seconds left, but made just 5-of-15 FG that day. Wright was much more efficient in that win with 13 points on 5-of-6 FG (3-of-4 threes) plus five assists, while Parker came off the bench to tally 12 points and four rebounds in just 20 minutes of action. Wright shoots a strong 37% from three-point range, but has been downright horrible over his past six games, making just 19-of-81 FG (23%) and 10-of-49 threes (20%). Parker has come on strong though, with 17.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG in the past two contests. Junior PF Titus Rubles (6.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG) leads the team in rebounding, but he needs to take better shots, and he’s made just 32% FG this season, including 4-for-37 (11%) from downtown.

Injuries

Connecticut’s offense revolves around its three-guard set, scoring 70.6 PPG with a stellar 75% clip from the free-throw line. The Huskies outshoot their opponents 45% FG to 40% FG on the season, and don’t commit many turnovers (12.0 TOPG). They are a horrible rebounding team though (minus-4.5 RPG margin), and don’t shoot particularly well from downtown either (34.3% threes). Guards Shabazz Napier (16.3 PPG, 4.7 APG) and Ryan Boatright (15.4 PPG, 4.2 APG) were both outstanding in last Wednesday’s upset win over then-No. 6 Syracuse, combining for 27 points (9-of-16 FG), 11 assists and five steals. But in Saturday’s loss to Villanova, the duo scored a combined six points on 3-of-15 FG (0-for-7 threes) and committed 10 turnovers (five each). Boatright did not play against Cincinnati last season, but Napier kept his team in that meeting with 27 points (10-of-19 FG), seven assists, five rebounds and two steals. Napier has been playing tenacious defense lately with 13 steals over his past five games (2.6 per game), putting him at 2.04 SPG for the season. Freshman SG Omar Calhoun (11.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG) has really stepped up his offense in the past four contests with 15.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG. He has also made 78% of his free throws this season, including 9-of-9 in Saturday’s loss. Sophomore SF DeAndre Daniels (10.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG) provides the bulk of scoring in the frontcourt, and is coming off a strong game against ‘Nova with 13 points on 6-of-8 FG while pulling down four rebounds.

Source: Statfox

NCAA HOOPS: 15-6 ILLINOIS VS. 17-4 MICHIGAN ST.

by ODDSFATHER STAFF

Losers of six of their past nine game, Illini will look for a season-defining win as they travel to East Lansing and take on No. 13 Michigan State Thursday night.

Line: Michigan State -8, Total: 134

The Illinois offense has struggled immensely lately, scoring just 60.6 PPG on 38% FG in its past five games, going 1-4 (SU and ATS) in this span. Despite these struggles, the Fighting Illini have shown a knack for pulling out big wins, having already taken down then-No. 8 Ohio State and then-No. 10 Gonzaga on the road. Tom Izzo’s Spartans are 6-1 SU (5-2 ATS) in their past seven games and also own a win over the Buckeyes. His crew is the only team in the nation that has taken down Kansas, currently ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll. Despite its struggles lately, Illinois is 6-2-1 ATS in its past nine games at Michigan State and 2-0-1 ATS in the past three trips to East Lansing. Although the Fighting Illini are a woeful 2-6 ATS at home, they are 7-3 SU (5-5 ATS) in non-home games while the Spartans are 4-5 ATS at home. Given that this should be a very low-scoring affair, and that Illinois has proven to have the talent to hang with ranked teams, there’s no reason this game shouldn’t be very close.

NCAA Basketball Matchup

These two teams met just once last season, and the Fighting Illini grinded out a 42-41 win at home. SG Brandon Paul was the only Illinois player to provide a significant contribution, scoring 18 points with nine rebounds and five assists. This year again, Paul (17.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.9 APG) is the heart and soul of the offense. He’s been the key in their two major upsets this year, scoring 19 against Ohio State and 35 against Gonzaga. But he’s made just 5-of-24 FG (1-of-10 threes) in his past two road games. Senior SG D.J. Richardson (11.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG) joins him in the backcourt and is just two games removed from scoring 30 points against Nebraska on 9-of-14 shooting, including 6-of-9 from deep. Overall this season, he’s averaging 2.3 threes per game but makes just 32% of hit long-range tries. Sophomore PG Tracy Abrams (11.3 PPG, 3.2 APG) rounds out the double-digit scorers for this guard-oriented team. He needs to improve his shot though, taking 3.0 threes per game and making just 28.1% of these attempts. Abrams also has a weak ratio of 67 assists and 60 turnovers this season. Six-foot-11 C Nnanna Egwu (6.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG) is the team’s top rebounder, grabbing 10 boards in each of his past two games, but isn’t really a threat on the offensive end, as is the case with most of this frontcourt.

College Basketball Injuries

Branden Dawson was the only Spartans player to make it into double figures in last year’s loss in Champaign, scoring 12 points with 13 rebounds (7 offensive) in his 28 minutes of action. The 6-foot-6 swingman is averaging a modest 10.6 PPG and 6.7 RPG this season, but in his past two games, he has 15.0 PPG and 10.5 RPG, making 13-of-24 FG (54%). Six-foot-1 PG Keith Appling (13.5 PPG, 4.1 APG, 3.4 RPG) runs the offense but needs to bounce back after scoring just three points in 19 minutes in Sunday’s 75-70 loss at Indiana, in which he fouled out. He needs to be on the floor for this team to win games and turning it over four times and recording zero assists, as he did against the Hoosiers, won’t cut it. And against Illinois last season, Appling shot a dreadful 1-of-11 FG with more turnovers (5) than points (4). Freshman G Gary Harris (12.7 PPG) is also key to this backcourt, hitting 40% threes this season (34-for-85), including 5-of-10 from long range in his 21-point performance against Indiana. Down low, watch out for C Adreian Payne (9.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG) to throw around his 6-foot-10 frame. He’s made 61% of his FG tries this season and has 13.6 PPG in his past five games, scoring at least 14 points in four of these contests. Senior C Derrick Nix (9.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG) has just 5.0 PPG in his past two contests, but had six assists, five rebounds and two steals in Sunday’s loss to Indiana.

Sources: Statfox, ESPN

KANSAS TRAVELS TO WEST VIRGINIA AS BIG FAVORITES

by DAVID THE MAVEN CHICOTSKY

Kansas has won 17 straight games with their defensive-minded approach. They take on a West Virginia team that’s lost 4 out of their last 5 games straight up.

LINE MOVEMENT

Kansas travels to West Virginia as 8 point road favorites. West Virginia better get used to the treatment they receive on the court, as this is their first year in the Big 12 and this should be the first of many smack-downs they receive.

GAME MATCHUP

Kansas hasn’t just been beating teams over their 17-game win streak; they’ve been crushing them by almost 20 points on average. Standout senior Jayhawk Jeff Withey is on the short list of the best shot blockers in NCAA basketball – averaging 4.3 blocks per game. Will he play in the NBA? With his 7 foot, 235 pound size and the ability to shoot up to 80% from the free-throw line he’s a lock to go early in the upcoming NBA draft.

What about West Virginia?

I haven’t mentioned West Virginia much because they are largely forgettable. They’re a mediocre 9-10 straight up and 2-4 in the Big 12. They’ve lost 2 out of their last 3 games vs. Purdue and Oklahoma St. by a combined 41 points. Let’s just say they’re better at football than basketball. Taking nothing away from the student athletes that are busting their balls to get it done for their school.

#3 ranked Kansas has beat some serious teams: winning against #11 Kansas State 59-55, wiping the floor 61-44 vs. always tough Baylor and they beat down #7 Ohio State 74-66 on the road. 9 points is a a lot of wood to lay, but my view on this game is if you’re betting it you should be all over Kansas. If this was being played in Kansas the line would be as high as 11 to 14 points.

The real low-down, my take at least.

It’s big for West Virginia to be at home, but it’s heavily factored into the price. Just look what Kansas did to 13-5 Oklahoma last game, beating them 67-54 by hitting 7 out of 17 tre’s from behind the arc. They’re just all around solid: putting up 15 assists, 8 steals, 35 rebounds and 6 blocked shots. And let me tell you, 9-10 West Virginia is no 13-5 Oklahoma.

Extra betting info

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