Cnotes 2016 NCAA Basketball News-Trends-Picks !

[CNOTES]

Tuesday's Tip Sheet
February 6, 2017


If you are a big fan of betting on SEC college basketball, Tuesday night’s early schedule offers up a trio of action involving the top three teams in this conference. Right out of the gate, Alabama will be on the road against the No. 19 South Carolina Gamecocks. The No. 17 Florida Gators will be on the road against Georgia a bit later that night while at the same time the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats play host to LSU.


Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 19 South Carolina Gamecocks (SEC Network, 6:30 p.m. ET)


Opening Odds: South Carolina – 8 ½


Betting Matchup


The Crimson Tide has dropped their last two games with a 87-68 road loss to Arkansas as 3 ½-point underdogs followed by Saturday’s 82-77 loss to rival Auburn at home as seven-point favorites. They are now just 3-6 against the spread in their last nine games. Freshman forward Braxton Key posted 17 points in the loss to the Tigers and senior guard Corban Collins matched that same total off the bench. Alabama (13-9 SU, 9-11 ATS) has scored 71 points or more in three of its last five games as opposed to a season average of 69.4 points per game.


South Carolina (19-4 SU, 11-10 ATS) is holding down the lead in the SEC standings at 9-1 SU in conference play; however it has failed to cover in four of its last seven games. The total went OVER 132 points in Saturday’s tight 77-75 victory against Georgia as an eight-point home favorite and it has gone OVER in four of its last five games. Sophomore guard PJ Dozier continues to lead the Gamecocks in scoring with 14.1 PPG and he led the way against the Bulldogs with a game-high 21 points.


Betting Trends


-- The Crimson Tide are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a SU loss and the total has gone OVER in their last four road games.


-- The Gamecocks have covered in seven of their last 10 Tuesday games and the total has stayed UNDER in seven of their last 10 home games.


-- The home team in thus matchup is 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in three of those five games.


No. 17 Florida Gators at Georgia Bulldogs (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET)


Opening Odds: Florida -5 ½


Betting Matchup


The Gators remain just one game off the pace in the SEC at 8-2 SU as part of an overall record of 18-5 (14-8 ATS). They have won their last four games both SU and ATS with Saturday’s 88-66 romp over Kentucky as slight 1 ½-point home favorites. The total stayed UNDER 161 against the Wildcats and it has stayed UNDER in four of Florida’s last six games. Senior guard Kasey Hill put up a career-high 21 points in Saturday’s win while going 8-for-16 from the field. Florida has exceeded its 79.7 PPG scoring average for the fourth-straight game.


Georgia’s loss to South Carolina was its fourth in its last five games SU, but with the cover it is 6-2 ATS in its last eight contests. The total has gone OVER in five of the Bulldogs (13-10 SU, 11-9 ATS) last seven games. Junior forward Yante Maten leads the team in both points (19.7) and rebounds (7.4) and he has scored 20 or more points in three of his last four starts. Georgia is averaging 72.5 PPG, but it has given up an average of 76 points over its last four games.


Betting Trends


-- The Gators have covered ATS in four of their last five road games and the total has gone OVER in 11 of their last 14 games played on the road.


-- The Bulldogs are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games against a team with a SU winning record on the road. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last seven Tuesday games.


-- The favorite in this conference tilt has covered in five of the last seven meetings and the total has gone OVER or ended as a PUSH in six of the last eight meetings in Georgia. Florida won the first meeting this season 80-76 in overtime as an 11-point home favorite.

LSU Tigers at No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET)


Opening Odds: Kentucky -23 ½


Betting Matchup

The Tigers (9-13 SU, 8-13 ATS) have just one SU win in SEC play and that came all the way back on Jan. 4 against Missouri. Their current SU losing streak reached nine games with Saturday’s 85-73 loss to Texas A&M at home as six-point underdogs. The total has gone OVER in 12 of LSU’s last 14 games. Defensively, this team is ranked near the bottom of Division I basketball with a points-allowed average of 81.2 points verse a scoring average of 74.6 PPG.


Kentucky will look to quickly regroup after falling one game off the pace in the SEC regular-season title race with Saturday’s lopsided loss. The Wildcats are 8-2 in conference play as part of an overall record of 18-5 (12-11 ATS). They have failed to cover in seven of their last eight games and the total has stayed UNDER in three of their last four outings. Freshman guard Malik Monk was the only Kentucky starter in double figures (11 points) in Saturday’s loss, but another freshman guard De’Aaron Fox added 19 points off the bench after missing his previous start.

Betting Trends


-- The Tigers are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games and the total has gone OVER in eight of their last 10 games following a SU loss.


-- The Wildcats are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a SU loss and the total has gone OVER in four of their last five games played on Tuesday.


-- Head-to-head in this SEC tilt, the home team is a perfect 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings and the total has gone OVER in six of the last seven games between the two.

 

[CNOTES]

Top 25 Capsules
February 6, 2017


MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) Frank Mason III had 21 points, Josh Jackson added 18 despite dealing with foul trouble, and No. 3 Kansas bounced back from a rare home loss to hold off Kansas State 74-71 on Monday night.


The Jayhawks (21-3, 9-2 Big 12) beat the Wildcats (16-8, 5-6) for the fifth straight time and the 19th time in 22 meetings, though it was just as nip-and-tuck as their meeting in Lawrence.


The game was tied 63-all with 2:50 left when Kansas ripped off six quick points, but the Wildcats kept hanging around. D.J. Johnson hit three of four foul shots down the stretch, and Kamau Stokes hit a 3-pointer from the wing to get within 72-69 with 19.2 seconds to go.


Devonte Graham calmly hit two more free throws to put the game away.


Dean Wade led the Wildcats with 20 points. Stokes added 16 points and eight boards, Johnson had 14 points and Wesley Iwundu contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds.


No. 12 VIRGINIA 71, No. 4 LOUISVILLE 55

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - London Perrantes scored 18 points and Virginia used a 22-5 run to begin the second half and beat short-handed Louisville.


Isaiah Wilkins added 13 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for the Cavaliers 18-5, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). The victory gave Virginia four consecutive victories against the Cardinals, including a sweep of the season series, and moved them into a tie with No. 14 Florida State for second place in the conference.


Freshman V.J. King scored a career-high 24 points for the Cardinals (19-5, 7-4), whose three-game winning streak was snapped. Donovan Mitchell added 16.


The Cardinals were without their second- and third-leading scorers, with guard Quentin Snider (12.1 ppg) out with a hip flexor and forward Deng Adel (11.1 ppg) and center Mangok Mathiang (7.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg) suspended for missing curfew Saturday. Reserve guard Tony Hicks also missed the game with a broken bone in his hand.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Crimson Tide (13-9) at Gamecocks (19-4)
Date: February 07, 2017 6:30 PM EDT

South Carolina leads the SEC and has the appearance of being a no-doubt NCAA Tournament team.


Just don't let Gamecocks coach Frank Martin hear you say that out loud.


The late-season collapse of last season remains too fresh to fully bury and the team that started it is next on the slate when No. 19 South Carolina hosts Alabama on Tuesday.


The Gamecocks started 15-0 last season and seemed intent on eliminating an NCAA Tournament drought that stretches back to 2004. But then they visited Alabama and the Crimson Tide whipped them in every facet of the game while recording a 73-50 win.


Alabama wasn't shy about celebrating that it had knocked South Carolina from the ranks of the unbeaten and Gamecocks senior guard Duane Notice hasn't forgotten.


"They beat us pretty bad at their home place in front of everybody -- they're dancing and stuff like that," Notice said at Monday's press conference. "That kind of stuck with us."


That beating was the first of nine losses for South Carolina and it began reputation and resume hits that eventually derailed the Gamecocks out of the NCAA Tournament. Two losses to Georgia over the final three games -- including in South Carolina's first game of the SEC tourney -- knocked the Gamecocks to the NIT.


The memory of that free fall isn't going to dissipate even though first-place South Carolina (19-4, 9-1) has won four straight contests and holds a one-game lead over Florida and Kentucky in the SEC race.


That's why Martin walks a fine line about residing in first place now and the unforeseen collapse of last season.


"They lived it last year," Martin said. "I'm not going to say we didn't handle things right, but we went through things last year. I think those guys who were here last year really, really learned a lot from the month of February last year.


"We can't sit around and look at conference standings and say, 'We're on top, let's hold on for dear life.' We start worrying about that, then we're not controlling what need to control, which is our approach every single day."


Alabama (13-9, 6-4) dropped consecutive games to Arkansas and Auburn and desperately needs a big win for its own NCAA Tournament resume.


The Crimson Tide are 12-0 when holding teams to 62 or fewer points and 1-9 when they allow more than 62. That has coach Avery Johnson professing that defense will be the key against the Gamecocks, who rank eighth in scoring defense (61.5) and lead the country in 3-point percentage defense (26.3).


"They are well coached and play hard on the defense end," Johnson said at Monday's press conference. "They are one of the best defensive teams in the country. They try to disrupt your offense quite a bit so it's going to be very important to take care of the ball and finds ways to generate some offense and get some easy baskets."


Freshman forward Braxton Key leads the Crimson Tide in scoring (12.1) and rebounding (6.0), while freshman guard Dazon Ingram (10.2) is the only other player in double digits.


South Carolina senior guard Sindarius Thornwell is having a standout campaign and leads the squad in scoring (19.1), rebounding (6.9) and steals (40). Sophomore guard PJ Dozier averages 14.1 points and Notice contributes 10.5 per game.


The Gamecocks have fared well at home against the Crimson Tide, winning seven of the past eight meetings.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hoyas (13-11) at Wildcats (22-2)
Date: February 07, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Villanova's starting lineup looked a little odd Saturday night in what wound up as a 13-point victory over St. John's.


Eric Paschall started in place of Kris Jenkins, the hero of last year's national championship game with a game-winning 3-pointer to defeat North Carolina. Jenkins entered the lineup slightly more than three minutes into the game.


Coach Jay Wright said that it wasn't a teaching point, rather just a change of pace to shake Jenkins out of a shooting drought.


Jenkins responded with 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. After the win, Wright said the senior leader would start as usual when Georgetown visits the Wildcats at The Pavilion on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET.


"That's just how we want Kris to play," Wright said. "It says he had four assists but I thought there were more. He was awesome."


This will only be the Hoyas' third appearance at Villanova's on-campus arena and the first since 2006.


The second-ranked Wildcats (22-2, 9-2 Big East) have a program-best 47 straight wins at The Pavilion, their cozy 6,500-seat arena. Villanova, which moved up two spots in the latest Top 25 poll, also has home games remaining here this season against Butler and Creighton.


In its last game, Villanova rolled to a 32-9 start and defeated the Red Storm to sweep all four home games at the Wells Fargo Center. Preseason National Player of the Year candidate Josh Hart led the way with 26 points. Hart is only one of three players in program history to register at least 1,600 points, 700 rebounds and 225 assists. The other two are Kerry Kittles and Harold Pressley.


"I was really proud of the start we had tonight (Saturday)," Wright said. "We had good practices, the guys were really focused and dialed into the scouting report. It was a good start."


Georgetown will enter this Big East battle with a 13-11 overall record and 4-7 in the Big East. The Hoyas had a three-game winning streak snapped with a heartbreaking 68-66 overtime loss to Seton Hall Saturday at Verizon Center.


Junior guard L.J. Peak had 18 points, seven assists and five rebounds while guard Rodney Pryor added 13 points and five rebounds to lead the Hoyas. Forward Akoy Agau compiled seven points, 11 rebounds and a career-high five blocked shots.


It wasn't quite enough to pull out a victory.


"I thought it was definitely physical, but I think we held our own," Agau told reporters after the loss. "We made some mistakes that we will have to go back and look at -- watch film and fix and move on. I think we were right there but there are just a couple of things that we did wrong at the end that cost us the game. So just going back and looking at those things and fixing it."


Georgetown must improve on its 1-for-19 shooting from beyond the arc if harbors any hope of upsetting the Wildcats.


"I don't know what the biggest factor is," Hoyas coach John Thompson III said of the loss to the Pirates. "Clearly, 1-for-19 is not good. We've got some guys, when you're not shooting the ball well, you have to do other things, not just dwell on that 3-point shooting. But clearly, 1-for-19 plays a part in it."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Gators (18-5) at Bulldogs (13-10)
Date: February 07, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

Remember how the Southeastern Conference basketball race was supposed to be Kentucky and the other 14 schools, flailing away to no avail as they tried to match the Wildcats?


With a month left in the regular season, that storyline has been wadded up and thrown away like an 8x11 sheet of paper. That sort of describes how No. 17 Florida treated Kentucky Saturday night in an 88-66 rout that propelled the Gators into a second-place tie with the Wildcats, a game behind South Carolina.


It was the capper to a four-game stretch surpassed by no one in the nation, not even top-ranked Gonzaga. Florida has outscored its outmatched opposition by a combined 128 points, making serious commitments to defense and rebounding.


Now comes the potentially tricky part, as the Gators (18-5, 8-2) visit Georgia for the quintessential trap game on Tuesday at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga.


That would be the same Bulldog team that took Florida to overtime on Jan. 14 before the Gators escaped with an 80-76 win. The same Georgia team that has lost four SEC games in a row and would love nothing more than an upset of one of its biggest rivals.


In short, this figures to be a hungry group of Bulldogs, and it would behoove Florida to use the same formula that's propelled it into SEC regular season title contention.


"We've been a different team defensively these last four games, though it helps that shots are going in at the rate they're going in," Gators coach Mike White said. "But they made a commitment to going back and defending like they're capable of."


Since a puzzling home loss to Vanderbilt Jan. 21, after which Florida players and coaches convened a stern team meeting, it's held opponents to 34.7 percent field goal shooting and outrebounded them by a mind-boggling average of 17 per game.


In the win over Kentucky, which fielded its usual cast of five-star recruits, the Gators grabbed 54 rebounds to the Wildcats' 29. The final margin represented Florida's biggest win in the series' 90-year history and Kentucky's worst loss as a top 10 team in 25 years.


"I told our guys, 'Hey, beating Kentucky is great. They're one of the best teams in the country, but we are too,'" White said. "We were locked in."


Georgia (13-10, 4-6) nearly did what Florida did to Kentucky, leading late in regulation before the Wildcats forced overtime and won 90-81 on Jan. 31. The Bulldogs then ate a 77-75 defeat Saturday at South Carolina in a game featuring no less than 18 lead changes.


Forward/center Yante Maten is averaging 19.7 points and 7.4 rebounds for Georgia, and should earn Player of the Year consideration in the SEC despite his team's mediocre record.


How good has Maten been? He's on the watch lists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given to the nation's top center, and the Karl Malone Award that goes to the top power forward.


"I consider myself a basketball player," he said on a recent teleconference. "Wherever they want to try to put my game in, that's really up to them. But I just play basketball how I play basketball."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Terrapins (20-3) at Nittany Lions (12-12)
Date: February 07, 2017 6:00 PM EDT

After falling out of first place in the Big 10 Conference over the weekend, No. 21 Maryland is probably happy to play Tuesday night at conference rival Penn State.


Sounds weird, until one considers the Terrapins (20-3, 8-2) are one of only two teams in college basketball to own an undefeated record on neutral or road courts. They're 8-0 away from the Xfinity Center, a mark surpassed only by No. 1 Gonzaga at 11-0.


And the Nittany Lions (12-12, 4-7) don't exactly offer an intimidating home-court edge at Bryce Jordan Center, either. They're coming off a Saturday home loss to Rutgers, which prior to that game hadn't won a Big 10 road game in its 2 1/2 seasons in the conference.


But Maryland coach Mark Turgeon isn't marking this one up in the win column just yet.


"We have to bounce back," he said. "It's a quick turnaround on the road. If the next one is close, we have to figure out how to get it done. We're used to winning close games, not losing."


The Terrapins fell 73-72 to Purdue Saturday in College Park despite holding the Boilermakers to 38 percent shooting and getting a big game from their best player, junior point guard Melo Trimble. He finished with 22 points and five assists, sinking 14-of-15 free throws to pass the late Len Bias for second in school history for made foul shots.


But Maryland did all its scoring at the line the last eight minutes and the inability to connect from the field ultimately cost it.


"We couldn't make a jump shot," Turgeon said. "They were sitting on a lot of our plays. They scouted us well. I wished I could have helped us more. I wish I could have gotten us a layup. You have to get some second-chance points sometimes when things are going that way."


Meanwhile, Penn State has followed up a promising start in conference play, which included a neutral-court win over Michigan State at the Palestra and a comeback win over Minnesota when the Golden Gophers were ranked 24th, by losing five of its last six.


Last week's defeats were particularly excruciating. There was a 110-102 triple-overtime setback Wednesday night at Indiana, followed by a 70-68 loss to a Rutgers team that entered the day with one conference victory.


The Nittany Lions will try to counter the individual brilliance of Trimble by creating points off turnovers and hitting some 3-pointers. No Big 10 team forces more miscues per game than the 15.5 that Penn State generates, and no individual steals the ball more than Josh Reaves at 2.3 per game.


Leading scorer Shep Garner (13.0 ppg) and Payton Banks are tied for the conference lead with 63 3-pointers. Tony Carr is tallying a team-high 13.3 ppg in conference games and doled out 14 assists at Indiana, tied for second best in school history.


"We need to be able to respond better. Our younger guys are giving us everything they have right now," Nittany Lions coach Patrick Chambers said.


This is the only meeting between the teams this season. The Terrapins have won the first three Big 10 matchups by a total of 15 points.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Tigers (9-13) at Wildcats (18-5)
Date: February 07, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- No. 15 Kentucky, which dropped seven spots in the AP Top 25 poll after a blowout loss at Florida on Saturday, looks to get back on track Tuesday when LSU comes to Rupp Arena.


Kentucky (18-5, 8-2 SEC) has lost three of its last four games, falling into a tie for second place in the league standings. LSU (9-13, 1-9) is riding a nine-game losing streak and is tied with Missouri for last place.


For Kentucky, coach John Calipari says the issues are defense and taking cae of the ball.


"We were the low-turnover team in the country three weeks ago," Calipari said. "Now, we're 16, 17 a game, and we're giving up probably five breakout layups because of that.


"It's casual play. The hardest play versus the easiest play, cute versus tough. It's those things. It's not that we're not good handlers. I got three good guards and have a couple off the bench. Our big guys are good with the ball. For the year, our assist-to-turnover ratio is outstanding, until the last games. You talk about it, and sometimes you gotta get hit in the mouth a couple times to say, 'I really gotta start doing this.' But if we're going to be what we need to be, it's gotta start with defense."


Over the last seven games, Kentucky is averaging 14.8 turnovers. In the seven games before that the Wildcats averaged 8.8.


Another issue, the coach says, is the youth of his team. Kentucky has four freshmen and a sophomore in the starting lineup.


"We've got guys, if they're not playing well offensively then they don't play well defensively," Calipari said. "If they miss a free throw, miss a shot, turn it over, it's like they can't get away from it. So we're working on it."


Poor offense has caused Kentucky's assist-to-turnover ratio to take a serious hit. Over the last seven games, the Wildcats are averaging 14.4 assists to 14.8 turnovers. In the previous seven games, it was 15.7 to 8.8.


"We came in this morning and had a great film session with the guys," Kentucky assistant coach Tony Barber said. "We showed them where we did some good things and showed them where we did some things that cost us on different possessions that could've changed the way the outcome of the game went."


Kentucky is led by freshman guard Malik Monk at 21.9 points per game. Next comes freshman guard De'Aaron Fox at 16.0, sophomore guard Isaiah Briscoe at 14.0 and freshman forward Bam Adebayo at 13.0 points and a team best 6.8 rebounds.


LSU is led by sophomore guard Antonio Blakeney at 15.6 points per game. Junior forward Duop Reath averages 13.5, and sophomore guard Brandon Sampson, 11.0. Victor Craig, who was averaging 10.5 points and a team-best 7.6 rebounds, was dismissed Dec. 29 for violation of team rules.


LSU is coming off Saturday's 85-73 loss at home to Texas A&M. The Tigers got off to a good start in that game, grabbing an early 11-6 lead.


"Early when we started off our offense, we were running the weave," LSU coach Johnny Jones said, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "We were getting into the clock a little bit, and I thought we executed at a good level. We had good looks. We had good shots. When we didn't and shots didn't go down, we were effective in terms of getting back defensively and getting some stops."


However, LSU could not continue the early pace, and has not won a game since beating Missouri on Jan. 4.


The Wildcats average 90.2 points per game, third best in the nation. LSU scores 74.6 per game while giving up 81.2.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bulldogs (18-5) at Golden Eagles (15-8)
Date: February 07, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- The Marquette Golden Eagles don't need to be reminded of what happened the last time they faced off against now-No. 22 Butler.


Up by 18 at intermission on Jan. 16 at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Marquette allowed 63 second-half points before ultimately dropping an 88-80 decision.


With the Bulldogs slated to visit Milwaukee Tuesday night for a rematch at the Bradley Center, the Golden Eagles are still a bit upset with their previous performance.


"It gives us confidence and that's what we need," redshirt junior Andrew Rowsey told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We're a confident team. We need to be confident going into Tuesday because we owe them something from last time we played at Hinkle."


Marquette snapped a two-game losing streak Saturday at DePaul behind seven blocks from Luke Fischer, 22 points on just eight shots from Rowsey and 41 points from the Golden Eagles' bench.


"It was important for us to get a win," said Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski, whose team shot 57.7 percent from the floor and 63 percent from beyond the arc. "This is a big win and to win on the road in conference, they're all big."


Since that loss, Marquette has gone 3-2 with victories over then-No. 7 Creighton and No. 1 Villanova. Butler, meanwhile, has gone 2-2 with back-to-back losses to Georgetown and Creighton.


The Bulldogs remained in both Top 25 polls despite those losses and while they're a virtual lock for the NCAA Tournament, they're looking to finish the regular season strong and avoid having to take part in a play-in game on the first night of the Big East Tournament.


Currently, the Bulldogs sit in fourth place in the Big East, but just 2 1/2 games separate Butler and Seton Hall, the No. 7 team, with Marquette and St. Johns sandwiched in between.


Two of the Bulldogs' next three games come against those teams.


"Obviously, every league game is important and a grind, especially when so many teams have the postseason in play," Butler coach Chris Holtmann said. "Having said that, I need to do a better job keeping our players focused on the continual task of our own daily improvement, above all else.


"This is a unique and fun journey that many in this group haven't been on before."


Butler has been off for a week, allowing Holtmann's group to regroup and rest up for this stretch run. Fatigue may have been a factor in those two losses as the Bulldogs allowed Georgetown to shoot 64 percent and Creighton 56 percent.


"I just think from our seniors, we need more out of that group," Holtmann said. "I've got do a better of job of giving them opportunities for that.


"I go back to last year's group. Everybody was panicking when we were 3-6. And I never panicked because I knew we had Kellen Dunham, Roosevelt Jones and Austin Etherington. All they cared about was winning and getting better every day. In February, that really showed. In March, that shows itself."

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Tuesday, February 7

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ALABAMA (13 - 9) at S CAROLINA (19 - 4) - 2/7/2017, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
S CAROLINA is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
S CAROLINA is 66-91 ATS (-34.1 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
S CAROLINA is 58-89 ATS (-39.9 Units) in February games since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
ALABAMA is 3-1 against the spread versus S CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
S CAROLINA is 2-2 straight up against ALABAMA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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LSU (9 - 13) at KENTUCKY (18 - 5) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LSU is 19-33 ATS (-17.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LSU is 19-33 ATS (-17.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
LSU is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LSU is 12-24 ATS (-14.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
LSU is 2-1 against the spread versus KENTUCKY over the last 3 seasons
KENTUCKY is 2-1 straight up against LSU over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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N ILLINOIS (14 - 9) at BUFFALO (11 - 12) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
N ILLINOIS is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 2 seasons.
N ILLINOIS is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
N ILLINOIS is 41-24 ATS (+14.6 Units) in road games in February games since 1997.
N ILLINOIS is 57-33 ATS (+20.7 Units) after scoring 80 points or more since 1997.
N ILLINOIS is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.
N ILLINOIS is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 2-0 against the spread versus N ILLINOIS over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 2-0 straight up against N ILLINOIS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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FLORIDA (18 - 5) at GEORGIA (13 - 10) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGIA is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) as an underdog this season.
GEORGIA is 31-18 ATS (+11.2 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGIA is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) as a favorite this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
GEORGIA is 2-2 against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 3-1 straight up against GEORGIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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PRINCETON (12 - 6) at PENNSYLVANIA (7 - 11) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PRINCETON is 20-36 ATS (-19.6 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1997.
PENNSYLVANIA is 90-127 ATS (-49.7 Units) in all home games since 1997.
PENNSYLVANIA is 90-127 ATS (-49.7 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
PENNSYLVANIA is 33-52 ATS (-24.2 Units) in home games in February games since 1997.
PENNSYLVANIA is 51-74 ATS (-30.4 Units) in home games after a conference game since 1997.
PENNSYLVANIA is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
PENNSYLVANIA is 3-2 against the spread versus PRINCETON over the last 3 seasons
PRINCETON is 5-0 straight up against PENNSYLVANIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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BOWLING GREEN (10 - 13) at KENT ST (13 - 10) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOWLING GREEN is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
KENT ST is 3-2 against the spread versus BOWLING GREEN over the last 3 seasons
KENT ST is 3-2 straight up against BOWLING GREEN over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


C MICHIGAN (15 - 8) at OHIO U (14 - 7) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
C MICHIGAN is 78-105 ATS (-37.5 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
OHIO U is 140-105 ATS (+24.5 Units) in all home games since 1997.
OHIO U is 140-105 ATS (+24.5 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
OHIO U is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
C MICHIGAN is 2-1 against the spread versus OHIO U over the last 3 seasons
C MICHIGAN is 3-0 straight up against OHIO U over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


E MICHIGAN (13 - 10) at TOLEDO (11 - 12) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E MICHIGAN is 152-191 ATS (-58.1 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
TOLEDO is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.
TOLEDO is 28-47 ATS (-23.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
E MICHIGAN is 4-2 against the spread versus TOLEDO over the last 3 seasons
E MICHIGAN is 4-2 straight up against TOLEDO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


BALL ST (15 - 8) at AKRON (19 - 4) - 2/7/2017, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BALL ST is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) after allowing 80 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
AKRON is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
AKRON is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
AKRON is 2-0 against the spread versus BALL ST over the last 3 seasons
AKRON is 2-0 straight up against BALL ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


W MICHIGAN (7 - 15) at MIAMI OHIO (9 - 14) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W MICHIGAN is 26-43 ATS (-21.3 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI OHIO is 1-1 against the spread versus W MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI OHIO is 1-1 straight up against W MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


RHODE ISLAND (15 - 7) at MASSACHUSETTS (12 - 11) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
RHODE ISLAND is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
RHODE ISLAND is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MASSACHUSETTS is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) in a home game where the total is 145 to 149.5 since 1997.
MASSACHUSETTS is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) against conference opponents this season.
MASSACHUSETTS is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MASSACHUSETTS is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) after allowing 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
MASSACHUSETTS is 3-3 against the spread versus RHODE ISLAND over the last 3 seasons
MASSACHUSETTS is 3-3 straight up against RHODE ISLAND over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


WAKE FOREST (14 - 9) at NOTRE DAME (17 - 7) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WAKE FOREST is 74-112 ATS (-49.2 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
WAKE FOREST is 71-109 ATS (-48.9 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
WAKE FOREST is 56-81 ATS (-33.1 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1997.
WAKE FOREST is 105-140 ATS (-49.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
WAKE FOREST is 114-148 ATS (-48.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
NOTRE DAME is 3-0 against the spread versus WAKE FOREST over the last 3 seasons
NOTRE DAME is 3-0 straight up against WAKE FOREST over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MARYLAND (20 - 3) at PENN ST (12 - 12) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MARYLAND is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in all games this season.
MARYLAND is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in all lined games this season.
MARYLAND is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games this season.
MARYLAND is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road lined games this season.
MARYLAND is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) against conference opponents this season.
MARYLAND is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) after a conference game this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
PENN ST is 2-1 against the spread versus MARYLAND over the last 3 seasons
MARYLAND is 3-0 straight up against PENN ST over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


GEORGETOWN (13 - 11) at VILLANOVA (22 - 2) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGETOWN is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) in all games this season.
GEORGETOWN is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) in all lined games this season.
GEORGETOWN is 166-210 ATS (-65.0 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
VILLANOVA is 56-38 ATS (+14.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 56-38 ATS (+14.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 54-37 ATS (+13.3 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 44-26 ATS (+15.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 20-41 ATS (-25.1 Units) after failing to cover the spread in 3 or more consecutive games since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
GEORGETOWN is 3-2 against the spread versus VILLANOVA over the last 3 seasons
VILLANOVA is 4-1 straight up against GEORGETOWN over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


TULSA (12 - 10) at MEMPHIS (17 - 7) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 48-30 ATS (+15.0 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent since 1997.
MEMPHIS is 150-105 ATS (+34.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
TULSA is 126-93 ATS (+23.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
TULSA is 3-2 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
TULSA is 3-2 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SYRACUSE (15 - 9) at CLEMSON (13 - 9) - 2/7/2017, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
CLEMSON is 2-0 against the spread versus SYRACUSE over the last 3 seasons
CLEMSON is 2-0 straight up against SYRACUSE over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


ILLINOIS (13 - 11) at NORTHWESTERN (18 - 5) - 2/7/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ILLINOIS is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
ILLINOIS is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights over the last 3 seasons.
ILLINOIS is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
NORTHWESTERN is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all games this season.
NORTHWESTERN is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all lined games this season.
NORTHWESTERN is 66-45 ATS (+16.5 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 since 1997.
NORTHWESTERN is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
NORTHWESTERN is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ILLINOIS is 38-21 ATS (+14.9 Units) in road games in February games since 1997.
NORTHWESTERN is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in home games when playing with 5 or 6 days rest since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
ILLINOIS is 3-0 against the spread versus NORTHWESTERN over the last 3 seasons
ILLINOIS is 2-1 straight up against NORTHWESTERN over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


ST JOSEPHS (10 - 12) at DAYTON (17 - 5) - 2/7/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DAYTON is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) in all games this season.
DAYTON is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) in all lined games this season.
DAYTON is 53-34 ATS (+15.6 Units) in home games after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
ST JOSEPHS is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ST JOSEPHS is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
ST JOSEPHS is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ST JOSEPHS is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1997.
ST JOSEPHS is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
ST JOSEPHS is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games off a loss against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
ST JOSEPHS is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
ST JOSEPHS is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
ST JOSEPHS is 3-0 against the spread versus DAYTON over the last 3 seasons
ST JOSEPHS is 2-1 straight up against DAYTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


ILLINOIS ST (19 - 5) at DRAKE (7 - 17) - 2/7/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DRAKE is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DRAKE is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
ILLINOIS ST is 3-2 against the spread versus DRAKE over the last 3 seasons
ILLINOIS ST is 5-0 straight up against DRAKE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


VANDERBILT (11 - 12) at ARKANSAS (17 - 6) - 2/7/2017, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARKANSAS is 57-37 ATS (+16.3 Units) in home games off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
ARKANSAS is 3-0 against the spread versus VANDERBILT over the last 3 seasons
ARKANSAS is 3-0 straight up against VANDERBILT over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MISSISSIPPI ST (14 - 8) at AUBURN (15 - 8) - 2/7/2017, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
MISSISSIPPI ST is 2-1 against the spread versus AUBURN over the last 3 seasons
MISSISSIPPI ST is 2-1 straight up against AUBURN over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


UTAH ST (11 - 12) at COLORADO ST (15 - 9) - 2/7/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH ST is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO ST is 2-2 against the spread versus UTAH ST over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO ST is 2-2 straight up against UTAH ST over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


BUTLER (18 - 5) at MARQUETTE (15 - 8) - 2/7/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUTLER is 51-34 ATS (+13.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
BUTLER is 51-34 ATS (+13.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
BUTLER is 94-67 ATS (+20.3 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
BUTLER is 27-12 ATS (+13.8 Units) in road games when playing with 5 or 6 days rest since 1997.
BUTLER is 207-160 ATS (+31.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
MARQUETTE is 17-31 ATS (-17.1 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
MARQUETTE is 17-31 ATS (-17.1 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
MARQUETTE is 5-18 ATS (-14.8 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
MARQUETTE is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
MARQUETTE is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
BUTLER is 4-1 against the spread versus MARQUETTE over the last 3 seasons
BUTLER is 4-1 straight up against MARQUETTE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


TEXAS TECH (16 - 7) at TCU (16 - 7) - 2/7/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS TECH is 129-175 ATS (-63.5 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 88-119 ATS (-42.9 Units) in road games since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 88-119 ATS (-42.9 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 77-111 ATS (-45.1 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 76-109 ATS (-43.9 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
TCU is 98-138 ATS (-53.8 Units) in all home games since 1997.
TCU is 98-138 ATS (-53.8 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
TCU is 147-185 ATS (-56.5 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
TCU is 59-87 ATS (-36.7 Units) in home games after a conference game since 1997.
TCU is 159-211 ATS (-73.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
TCU is 98-135 ATS (-50.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
TCU is 4-2 against the spread versus TEXAS TECH over the last 3 seasons
TCU is 3-3 straight up against TEXAS TECH over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


IOWA ST (14 - 8) at TEXAS (9 - 14) - 2/7/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IOWA ST is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) as a road favorite of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.
TEXAS is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.
TEXAS is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 3-2 against the spread versus IOWA ST over the last 3 seasons
IOWA ST is 5-1 straight up against TEXAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MICHIGAN ST (14 - 9) at MICHIGAN (14 - 9) - 2/7/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MICHIGAN ST is 55-39 ATS (+12.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 55-39 ATS (+12.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 202-161 ATS (+24.9 Units) after a conference game since 1997.
MICHIGAN ST is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 27-16 ATS (+9.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN is 4-11 ATS (-8.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
MICHIGAN is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
MICHIGAN ST is 3-1 against the spread versus MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
MICHIGAN ST is 4-0 straight up against MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SAN DIEGO ST (13 - 9) at SAN JOSE ST (11 - 10) - 2/7/2017, 11:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE ST is 96-130 ATS (-47.0 Units) in all home games since 1997.
SAN JOSE ST is 96-130 ATS (-47.0 Units) in home lined games since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE ST is 2-2 against the spread versus SAN DIEGO ST over the last 3 seasons
SAN DIEGO ST is 4-0 straight up against SAN JOSE ST over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SIENA (10 - 14) at IONA (16 - 8) - 2/7/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SIENA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
IONA is 60-87 ATS (-35.7 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
IONA is 16-40 ATS (-28.0 Units) in home games in February games since 1997.
IONA is 53-77 ATS (-31.7 Units) in home games after a conference game since 1997.
IONA is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) in home games off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
IONA is 4-3 against the spread versus SIENA over the last 3 seasons
IONA is 6-1 straight up against SIENA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Tuesday, February 7


Siena @ Iona

Game 761-762
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Siena
55.856
Iona
56.585
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Iona
by 1
147
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Iona
by 6 1/2
153
Dunkel Pick:
Siena
(+6 1/2); Under

San Diego St @ San Jose St

Game 759-760
February 7, 2017 @ 11:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego St
64.070
San Jose St
53.677
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego St
by 10 1/2
146
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Diego St
by 6 1/2
137
Dunkel Pick:
San Diego St
(-6 1/2); Over

Michigan State @ Michigan

Game 757-758
February 7, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Michigan State
69.098
Michigan
69.188
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Michigan State
Even
145
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Michigan
by 4
145
Dunkel Pick:
Michigan State
(+4); Over

Iowa State @ Texas

Game 755-756
February 7, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Iowa State
65.444
Texas
72.057
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 6 1/2
134
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Iowa State
by 3
140
Dunkel Pick:
Texas
(+3); Under

Texas Tech @ TCU

Game 753-754
February 7, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas Tech
70.014
TCU
65.867
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas Tech
by 4
147
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
TCU
by 3 1/2
137 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Texas Tech
(+3 1/2); Over

Butler @ Marquette

Game 751-752
February 7, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Butler
65.544
Marquette
72.013
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Marquette
by 6 1/2
146
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Marquette
by 1 1/2
156 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Marquette
(-1 1/2); Under

Utah State @ Colorado State

Game 749-750
February 7, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah State
59.271
Colorado State
60.894
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado State
by 1 1/2
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado State
by 5 1/2
138 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Utah State
(+5 1/2); Over

Mississippi State @ Auburn

Game 747-748
February 7, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Mississippi State
61.050
Auburn
68.597
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Auburn
by 7 1/2
150
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Auburn
by 5
158
Dunkel Pick:
Auburn
(-5); Under

Vanderbilt @ Arkansas

Game 745-746
February 7, 2017 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vanderbilt
60.720
Arkansas
72.121
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arkansas
by 11 1/2
141
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arkansas
by 4
154
Dunkel Pick:
Arkansas
(-4); Under

Illinois State @ Drake

Game 743-744
February 7, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Illinois State
66.512
Drake
50.550
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Illinois State
by 16
132
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Illinois State
by 8
139
Dunkel Pick:
Illinois State
(-8); Under

St Joseph's @ Dayton

Game 741-742
February 7, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St Joseph's
53.543
Dayton
72.937
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dayton
by 19 1/2
139
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dayton
by 14 1/2
135
Dunkel Pick:
Dayton
(-14 1/2); Over

Illinois @ Northwestern

Game 739-740
February 7, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Illinois
65.785
Northwestern
67.670
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Northwestern
by 2
142
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Northwestern
by 6
132
Dunkel Pick:
Illinois
(+6); Over

Syracuse @ Clemson

Game 737-738
February 7, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Syracuse
70.279
Clemson
65.654
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Syracuse
by 4 1/2
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Clemson
by 3 1/2
146 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Syracuse
(+3 1/2); Over

Tulsa @ Memphis

Game 735-736
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tulsa
54.918
Memphis
66.847
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Memphis
by 12
152
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Memphis
by 7
141 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Memphis
(-7); Over

Georgetown @ Villanova

Game 733-734
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Georgetown
70.468
Villanova
76.084
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Villanova
by 5 1/2
139
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Villanova
by 13 1/2
142
Dunkel Pick:
Georgetown
(+13 1/2); Under

Maryland @ Penn State

Game 731-732
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Maryland
64.197
Penn State
68.647
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Penn State
by 4 1/2
129
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Maryland
by 3 1/2
143 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Penn State
(+3 1/2); Under

Wake Forest @ Notre Dame

Game 729-730
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Wake Forest
63.064
Notre Dame
77.583
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Notre Dame
by 14 1/2
142
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Notre Dame
by 6 1/2
162
Dunkel Pick:
Notre Dame
(-6 1/2); Under

Rhode Island @ Massachusetts

Game 727-728
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Rhode Island
65.598
Massachusetts
56.997
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Rhode Island
by 8 1/2
136
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Rhode Island
by 5 1/2
145
Dunkel Pick:
Rhode Island
(-5 1/2); Under

Western Michigan @ Miami-OH

Game 725-726
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Western Michigan
47.643
Miami-OH
55.776
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami-OH
by 8
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Western Michigan
by 1 1/2
152 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Miami-OH
(+1 1/2); Over

Ball State @ Akron

Game 723-724
February 7, 2017 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ball State
51.779
Akron
59.362
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Akron
by 7 1/2
167
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Akron
by 9 1/2
160
Dunkel Pick:
Ball State
(+9 1/2); Over

Eastern Michigan @ Toledo

Game 721-722
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Eastern Michigan
53.890
Toledo
54.183
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Eastern Michigan
Even
142
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toledo
by 2 1/2
151 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Eastern Michigan
(+2 1/2); Under

Central Michigan @ Ohio

Game 719-720
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Central Michigan
52.753
Ohio
63.379
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ohio
by 10 1/2
161
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ohio
by 8 1/2
172 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Ohio
(-8 1/2); Under

Bowling Green @ Kent State

Game 717-718
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Bowling Green
54.451
Kent State
53.494
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Bowling Green
by 1
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kent State
by 8 1/2
150
Dunkel Pick:
Bowling Green
(+8 1/2); Over

Princeton @ Pennsylvania

Game 715-716
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Princeton
57.752
Pennsylvania
59.869
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pennsylvania
by 2
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Princeton
by 6 1/2
132 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Pennsylvania
(+6 1/2); Over

Florida @ Georgia

Game 713-714
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Florida
73.755
Georgia
72.051
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 1 1/2
129
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
by 5 1/2
139
Dunkel Pick:
Georgia
(+5 1/2); Under

Northern Illinois @ Buffalo

Game 711-712
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Northern Illinois
59.867
Buffalo
60.234
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Northern Illinois
Even
151
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Buffalo
by 6
143
Dunkel Pick:
Northern Illinois
(+6); Over

LSU @ Kentucky

Game 709-710
February 7, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LSU
55.479
Kentucky
72.545
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kentucky
by 17
156
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kentucky
by 25 1/2
175 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LSU
(+25 1/2); Under

Alabama @ South Carolina

Game 707-708
February 7, 2017 @ 6:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Alabama
60.718
South Carolina
75.275
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
South Carolina
by 14 1/2
146
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Alabama
by 6 1/2
128 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
South Carolina
(-6 1/2); Over

 

[CNOTES]

Profitable day for NCAAB home teams on Monday.


Home Teams: 9-2-1 ATS (81.82%)


Home Faves: 7-2 ATS (77.78%)


Home Dogs: 2-0-1 ATS (100%)

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAB

Tuesday, February 7

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday’s NCAAB Game of the Day: Butler at Marquette
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After winning seven of eight to rise to the top of the Big East, the Bulldogs suffered consecutive home losses to Georgetown and Creighton.

Butler Bulldogs at Marquette Golden Eagles (-1.5, 154.5)

Marquette was able to stop an ill-timed two-game losing streak last time out, and now No. 21 Butler will try to do the same when it visits the Golden Eagles for a Big East affair Tuesday night. After winning seven of eight to rise to the top of the Big East, the Bulldogs suffered consecutive home losses to Georgetown and Creighton, and coach Chris Holtmann seems to be searching for some leadership.

"I just think from our seniors, we need more out of that group," Holtmann told the media after the 76-67 loss to the Bluejays last Tuesday. "I've got do a better of job of giving them opportunities for that." Some of that leadership was evident when Butler stormed back from an 18-point deficit in the second half to beat Marquette 88-80 on Jan. 16. The Golden Eagles snapped a two-game slide with a 92-79 win at DePaul on Saturday, the sixth time in Big East play that they've scored at least 80 points. The nation's second-ranked 3-point shooting unit entering Monday (42.6 percent) made 14 of its 22 attempts - five by reserve guard Andrew Rowsey - against the Blue Demons.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

LINE HISTORY: A couple of books opened Marquette as one-point favorites over their visiting, ranked opponent from Butler, however, early Tuesday that line was bumped up to -1.5. The total hit the board at 154.5 and has yet to move. Check out the complete line history here.

INJURY REPORT:

Bulldogs - No injuries to report.

Golden Eagles - No injuries to report.

POWER RANKINGS: Butler (-13.3) - Marquette (-4.4) + home court (-3) = Butler -6

ABOUT BUTLER (18-5 SU, 13-8 ATS, 9-10-2 O/U): While Holtmann looks for upperclassmen to step up, he continues to receive solid play from freshman guard Kamar Baldwin, who is averaging 12.5 points in Big East play after scoring a team-high 14 versus Creighton. Leading scorers Kelan Martin (16.3) and Andrew Chrabascz (11.2) were a combined 8-for-25 from the floor and 1-for-9 from 3-point distance. Martin also had four of the team's 13 turnovers, their highest total since Jan. 1.

ABOUT MARQUETTE (15-8 SU, 12-11 ATS, 13-10 O/U): Rowsey has scored at least 21 points in three straight games while making 12-of-20 from 3-point range. The surge has pushed his scoring average to 11.0, making the Golden Eagles one of two teams in the country - along with UCLA - with at least six players in double figures. Freshman Markus Howard, who had a personal-best 26 points against Butler last month, and senior Jajuan Johnson lead the way with 12 points a game.

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 7-1-1 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up loss.
* Golden Eagles are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
* Over is 4-1 in Bulldogs last 5 games as a road underdog.
* Over is 6-1 in Golden Eagles last 7 games as a home favorite of 0.5-6.5.
* Bulldogs are 6-1-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 56 percent of users are siding with the road underdog Butler Bulldogs and at the time of publication for this preview there were no picks on the total.

 

[CNOTES]

TOP 25 BEST BETS:


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


MD at PSU 06:00 PM


PSU +4.0


U 142.0


ALA at SCAR 06:30 PM


SCAR -7.5


O 130.0


GTWN at VILL 07:00 PM


GTWN +14.5

U 142.5


FLA at UGA 07:00 PM


UGA +6.0


U 139.0


LSU at UK 07:00 PM


LSU +24.5


U 172.0


BUT at MARQ 09:00 PM


MARQ -1.5


U 152.5

 

[CNOTES]

BEST OF THE REST:


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


BALL at AKR 06:00 PM


BALL +9.0


O 156.0


EMU at TOL 07:00 PM


EMU +2.5


U 153.0


NIU at BUFF 07:00 PM


NIU +5.5


O 141.5


URI at MASS 07:00 PM


URI -5.5


U 145.0


CMU at OHIO 07:00 PM


OHIO -8.5


U 170.0


WAKE at ND 07:00 PM


ND -6.5


U 158.5


PRIN at PENN 07:00 PM


PENN +6.0


O 135.0


SIE at IONA 07:00 PM


SIE +5.5


U 153.5


BGSU at KENT 07:00 PM


BGSU +8.0


O 152.0


TLSA at MEM 07:00 PM


MEM -8.0


O 140.5


WMU at M-OH 07:00 PM


M-OH +2.0


O 147.5


SYR at CLEM 08:00 PM


SYR +4.0


O 144.5


ILL at NW 08:00 PM


ILL +5.5


O 133.0


JOES at DAY 08:00 PM

DAY -14.5


O 135.0


ILST at DRKE 08:00 PM


ILST -7.0


U 140.5


VAN at ARK 08:30 PM


ARK -4.0


U 151.5


MSST at AUB 09:00 PM


AUB -5.0


U 156.0


MSU at MICH 09:00 PM


MSU +5.0


O 135.5


USU at CSU 09:00 PM


USU +5.5


O 140.5


TTU at TCU 09:00 PM


TTU +2.5


O 139.0


ISU at TEX 09:00 PM


TEX +3.0


O 143.5


SDSU at SJSU 11:00 PM


SDSU -7.5


O 136.5

 

[CNOTES]

Top 25 Capsules
February 7, 2017


VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) Josh Hart scored 25 points and No. 2 Villanova held off a late Georgetown run in a 75-64 victory Tuesday night.


With Hart on a second-half scoreless skid, the Hoyas (13-12, 4-8 Big East) sliced a 17-point deficit to two and had the Wildcats reeling at the Pavilion. L.J. Peak buried a 3 and Rodney Pryor hit a jumper to key a 17-4 run that pulled the Hoyas to 60-58 with 3:49 left.


The Hoyas, swept by Villanova in three games last season, seemed poised to pull off the upset they needed to try and make a run at the NCAA Tournament.


The Hoyas just couldn't stop Hart in the clutch. Hart, a national player of the year candidate, scored 17 points in the first half and missed his first seven shots in the second. But he buried a 3 to make it a seven-point lead and turned a steal into a layup that made it 70-60 and sent the crowd into a frenzy.


The Wildcats (23-2, 10-2) held on and won the 79th game in the series between these decades-long rivals.


Peak led Georgetown with 21 points and Pryor had 20.


---


No. 15 KENTUCKY 92, LSU 85


LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Wenyen Gabriel scored a career-high 23 points and Malik Monk also had 23 for Kentucky.


The Wildcats (19-5, 9-2 Southeastern Conference) won for just the second time in five games and had to withstand the Tigers' late rally that got them within 91-85 with 14 seconds remaining. Monk's free throw with 8 seconds left sealed a win that followed Kentucky's 22-point loss at No. 17 Florida on Saturday.


Gabriel provided the initial offensive boost and finished 7 of 11 from the field including three 3-pointers to beat his previous career best of 15. He also grabbed eight rebounds, including three offensive, as Kentucky controlled the boards 40-26.


Monk bounced back from an 11-point outing to make 8 of 15 from the field with four 3s. De'Aaron Fox had 16 points and Isaiah Briscoe 14 for Kentucky.


Antonio Blakeney had a season-high 31 points and Brandon Sampson added 17 for the Tigers (9-14, 1-10), who have lost 10 straight for the first time since 2011.


---


No. 17 FLORIDA 72, GEORGIA 60


ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - Chris Chiozza scored 15 points and Florida recovered after blowing a 16-point lead.


Kasey Hill had 12 points for Florida (19-5, 9-2 Southeastern Conference), which has won five straight.


Yante Maten led Georgia (13-11, 4-7) with 19 points. The Bulldogs suffered their third straight loss, each to a ranked opponent.


Consecutive 3-pointers by Devin Robinson and Justin Leon helped Florida stretch the advantage to 30-14.


---


ALABAMA 90, No. 19 SOUTH CAROLINA 86, 4OT


COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Riley Norris scored six of his 11 points in the fourth and final overtime, including the go-ahead free throws with 56 seconds left, and Alabama overcame a career night by South Carolina's Sindarius Thornwell.


Thornwell finished with career highs of 44 points and 21 rebounds. He made 25 free throws, surpassing LSU great ''Pistol'' Pete Maravich's mark of 21 in a Southeastern Conference game. But it was not enough for South Carolina (19-5, 9-2).


Alabama (14-9, 7-4) had a 17-point lead in the first half and a 12-point edge with less than 5 minutes to go, watching the Gamecocks rally back to force the extra periods.


Avery Johnson Jr. and Ar'Mond Davis had career highs of 23 points and 19 points for Alabama, which beat a ranked SEC opponent on the road for the first time since winning at No. 4 Mississippi State, 77-73, on Feb. 21, 2004.


---


PENN ST. 70, No. 21 MARYLAND 64


STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Lamar Stevens scored 16 of his 25 points in the second half for Penn State.


Tony Carr added 14 points and Mike Watkins had 10 for the Nittany Lions (13-12, 5-7 Big Ten) who snapped a two-game skid and beat their fourth Top 25 opponent since last February.


Justin Jackson and Kevin Huerter scored 12 points each and Melo Trimble added 11 for the Terrapins (20-4, 8-3) who lost their second in a row.


The Nittany Lions played stingy defense early and led for all but 1:48 and by as many as 14 points with 9:59 remaining.


---


No. 22 BUTLER 68, MARQUETTE 65


MILWAUKEE (AP) - Andrew Chrabascz scored 13 of his 21 points in the second half and Avery Woodson scored 17 points in his first start in more than three weeks for Butler.


The Bulldogs (19-5, 8-4 Big East) snapped a two-game losing streak after tweaking their starting lineup, with regulars Tyler Lewis and Kelan Martin coming off the bench. Kethan Savage joined Woodson in the starting lineup.


Chrabascz followed two free throws with a layup with 49 seconds left to give Butler an eight-point lead.


Markus Howard had 19 points for Marquette (15-9, 6-6), including a 3 with 1 second left. But the Golden Eagles couldn't force a turnover on the ensuing inbounds pass for one last shot.

 

[CNOTES]

Wednesday’s six-pack


— Alabama 90, South Carolina 86 4OT— Gamecocks were 3-30 from floor in first half, missing their last 17 shots of the half. Tide was 22-33 on foul line. Sindarius Thornwell was 25-33 on the foul line, BY HIMSELF- he had 44 points and 21 rebounds, but was 9-25 from floor.


— Siena 81, Iona 79- Saints trailed by double digits in second half.


— Penn State 70, Maryland 64— Young Terps lose their second game in a row.


— Michigan 86, Michigan State 57— Game was 55-29 at the half. Wow.


— Central Michigan 97, Ohio U 87— Marcus Keene had 41, his 5th game this season of 40+ points.


— Syracuse 82, Clemson 81— Orangemen hit a 3 from the right corner at the buzzer.


********************


Wednesday’s List of 13: Mid-week musings


13) Betting handle on the Super Bowl in Las Vegas was $138.5M; hard to believe that sports betting won’t be legal everywhere in this country before too long.


If you care about such things, Vegas books made over $10M profit on that $138.5M handle.


12) Falcons hired Steve Sarkisian as its new OC, meaning Alabama will soon have its third OC of 2017, probably before Presidents’ Day.


Alabama got to the national title game with freshman Jalen Hurts at QB, but Hurts isn’t a good passer; Crimson Tide signed two freshman QB’s- that could be a contentious situation for the guy who winds up as the offensive coordinator- that guy will be Saban’s 6th OC in his ten years as Alabama’s head coach.


11) LSU football coach Ed Orgeron has himself a problem; after Signing Day, he demoted an assistant coach who was a prime recruiter in the talent-rich New Orleans area and now the HS coaches there are organizing a boycott of the LSU program. No bueno.


The assistant who was demoted has since bolted to Texas Tech.


10) Sam Vecenie covers basketball for The Sporting News; he knows his stuff. Of his top 16 prospects for the NBA Draft, 13 are college freshmen, three are foreign kids. This is part of why handicapping college basketball has gotten a lot harder: the best players are less dependable.


So the 13 best college basketball players this season were in high school LY; how many of them already have one foot in the NBA, and could care less about college? Maybe all, maybe none, but it is probably in middle somewhere. You think Ben Simmons cared about making the NCAA’s last season?


Used to be that high-level teams with lot of juniors/seniors were teams to focus on; now those kids are suspects, not good enough to move up to the next level. The most talented teams are also the least mature.


9) Friend of mine sent me some message boards from Kentucky/Louisville fans Monday; damn, those people are harsh!!! Lot of negativity- their basketball teams are really good.


As another friend of mine likes to say, “We’re with you win or tie, but we’re not crazy about tie.”


8) Kyle Shanahan’s hiring in San Francisco makes the Shanahans the 7th father/son head coaching combo in the NFL; the other 6?


Phillips-Shula-Nolan-Mora-Ryan-Fassel


Shanahan, by the way, will have control of the 53-man roster.


7) NHL’s Boston Bruins fired coach Claude Julien, kind of a gutless day to do it, with the victory parade for the Patriots burying hockey news in Wednesday’s papers.


Julien was 419-246 as Bruins’ coach; he won the Stanley Cup in 2011, lost in Finals two years later. He didn’t suddenly get stupid; the front office has done a cruddy job and Julien is the fall guy for that. He won’t be out of work long, if he doesn’t want to be.


6) Guy named Sports Dude on Twitter (@GSWahooFalcons) grew up in Cleveland, was born in Atlanta, lives in Oakland. Roots for Indians-Warriors-Falcons. Been a rough year for the man.


5) There are rumors that UConn may bolt the AAC to go the Big East for basketball next year, if they can find a landing spot for their football program. What they really need are healthy players; the AAC is a good enough league.


4) Timing is everything in life: Baylor hired a new football coach, because of a sex scandal that was overlooked by the previous coaching staff- the new football coach brought a strength coach in with him from Temple. Baylor football is trying to start over and remake is image.


In the history of bad timing, with people screaming at Baylor over the behavior of its players, it wasn’t good when the strength coach got busted in a prostitution sting over the weekend. The guy got fired immediately, even though his charge was only a Class B misdemeanor. One of the most expensive Class B misdemeanors ever.


3) DeMarcus Cousins got his 15th/16th technical fouls of the season Monday night; he gets an automatic one-game suspension for Wednesday’s game with Boston. Very talented player, but Cousins hurts himself with outbursts of anger directed towards the officials.


2) Kind of funny listening to people whine about the overtime rules in the NFL, when they had no idea what the rules were until Sunday night. Some people just like to complain.


1— Surprising fact: over the last five years, Baltimore Orioles are winningest team in the American League- they’ve outplayed their preseason projections by 14 games a year during that time. Not sure what he makes, but Buck Showalter is underpaid.

 

[CNOTES]

Wednesday’s games


Ole Miss won four of its last five games; they’re 4-0 as SEC road underdogs, with road losses by 7-11 at Florida/So Carolina (3-2SU on SEC road). Tennessee won three of last four games, is 1-1 as a home favorite, beating Miss State/Kentucky in last two home games. Ole Miss won three in row, six of last seven games with Tennessee; they beat Vols 80-69 in first meeting this year, despite going 1-14 on arc, 27-42 on foul line (Vols were 13-24 on line). Rebels won two last three visits to Knoxville. SEC home favorites of 7 or less points are 11-20 vs spread.


Baylor lost its last two games by total of 7 points after a 20-1 start; Bears are 3-2 on Big X road, with losses at West Va/Kansas. Oklahoma State won/covered its last four games; they won as an 11-point dog at West Va Saturday. Cowboys are 1-3 at home in Big X, with only win by 13 over TCU. Baylor outscored OSU 22-11 on foul line in 61-57 home win over the Cowboys Jan 7, Bears’ 3rd straight series win (by 12-4-4 points). Baylor is 3-2 in its last five trips to Stillwater. Big X road favorites of 3 or less points are 5-3 against the spread.


Providence lost three of last four games, is 3-2 as a road underdog (2-4 SU) with road losses by 26-17-1-10 points. Seton Hall lost five of last seven games, is 2-1 as a home favorite (3-1 SU) with home wins by 3-31-13 points, with loss to Butler. Hall lost 65-61 at Providence Jan 14 in teams’ first meeting this year; Pirates won last three series games, by 9-26-4 points, but Friars won three of last our visits here. Seton Hall turns ball over 20.4% of time in Big East, shoots only 60.6% on line. Big East home favorites of 7 or less points are 5-9-1 vs spread.


Cincinnati won its last 14 games; their last loss was Dec 10 to Butler. Bearcats are 3-2 as road favorites, with wins by 6-9-9-17-2 points on AAC road. Central Florida lost four of its last five games, is 5-1 at home in AAC, 1-1 as a home underdog, with only home loss by 5 to SMU. Knights turn ball over 23.5% of time in AAC games. Cincinnati is 6-0 vs UCF in AAC games, winning two meetings here, by 18-23 points. Favorites covered last three series games. Double digit home favorites are 6-11-1 vs spread in AAC games.


Miami won three of its last four games; they’re 3-2 at home in ACC, 1-3 as a home favorite, with home wins by 18-1-15 points, with losses to Notre Dame/Florida St. Dogs are 4-1 vs spread in their home games. Virginia Tech is 1-3 as a road dog, losing away games by 26-15-19-31 points, with a 82-81 win at Clemson. Miami won six of its last seven games with Tech, winning last two played here, by 24-16 points- they also beat Hokies in last two ACC tourneys. ACC home favorites of 8 or less points are 17-10 against the spread.


Oklahoma had only 12 turnovers, shot 56% inside arc in 89-87 upset win at West Virginia on jan 18; WVU was just 7-25 on arc. Sooners won four of last five series games, winning last four here by 13-10-19-2 points. Oklahoma lost its last five games overall (1-4 vs spread); they’re 1-4 at home in Big X, with only win over Texas Tech. West Virginia split its last six games; they’re 3-2 on Big X road, losing at Texas Tech/K-State. Oklahoma is just 16-60 on arc in its last three games. Big X road favorites are 7-6 against the spread.


Iowa won/covered its last three games; they’re 0-4 as a Big 14 road underdog, losing away games by 22-3-35-12 points- they won by 20 at Rutgers, in a pick ‘em game. Minnesota lost five of last six games, is 1-2 as a home favorite, with only home win in four tries by 10 over Ohio State. Gophers are shooting only 43.4% inside arc in league games. Iowa won six of last nine games with Minnesota; Hawkeyes lost five of last seven visits to Twin Cities. Single digit home favorites are 23-20 vs spread in Big 14 games this season.


VCU won its last four games, winning in OT in Olean Saturday after St Bonaventure students stormed court before game was over. Rams are 2-3 as road favorites, winning away games by 9-7-6 points, with losses at Davidson/Fordham, is 3-1 at home in A-14, with only loss by 7 to Richmond. VCU thrashed George Washington 85-55 in first meeting Jan 11; they scored 1.33 pts/possession while GW was 2-16 on arc. Rams won six of last seven series games, winning by 13-4 points in last two meetings here. A-14 road favorites of 5 or less points are 3-5.


Underdogs are 4-1 SU/5-0 ATS in Fresno State’s road games; they’re 2-0 vs spread as an underdog, with only win at Nevada. Wyoming is 2-2 as a home favorite, 3-2 SU at home, losing to Nevada/Boise- their home wins are by 12-1-8 points. Fresno won its last four games with Wyoming, winning first meting this year 85-70, in foulfest where teams took combined 68 foul shots. Bulldogs won their last two visits here, by 5-4 points. Mountain West road teams are 10-7 against the spread in games where spread was 2 or less points.


Cal-Davis won eight of its last ten games overall; they’re 3-0 in Big West home games, winning by 26-4-9 points; Aggies are 1-1 as a home favorite. Davis won three of last four games with Cal State-Fullerton, winning last three played here, by 8-6-5 points. Fullerton won its last two games; they split four Big West road games, are 1-2 as road underdogs, losing away games by 20-11 points, with wins at Cal Poly/UCSB. Titans are turning ball over 22.7% of time in league games. Big West home favorites of 7 or less points are 6-15 vs spread this season.


California won three in row, six of last seven games; they’re 2-2 on Pac-12 road, with underdog covering three of the four games (Cal is 0-1 as a road favorite). Bears lost at UCLA/Oregon, won at USC/OSU. Arizona State covered four of last five games; they’re 2-2 at home, losing to Utah/Wazzu, beating Colorado/Washington. Cal was 11-25 on arc, beat ASU 81-65 at home Jan 1, Bears’ third straight series win. Cal lost three of last four visits to Tempe, but won 68-65 here LY. Pac-12 road favorites of 3 or less points are 1-3 vs spread.


Morehead State won/covered five of its last six games; they’re 3-1 as home favorite, with wins by 10-8-2-26 points, with only loss to Belmont. Murray State lost three of last four games, is 3-2 on OVC road, with losses at Tennessee Tech/Austin Peay by total of seven points. Murray won seven of last eight games with Morehead; teams split pair of meetings in last two OVC tourneys. Racers won last three visits here, by 6-6-5 points. Morehead leads OVC, making 40.4% of its 3’s in league play. OVC home favorites of less than 4 points are 4-8 vs spread this season.


Fort Wayne lost four of its last six games, is 2-2 as a home favorite, winning Summit home tilts by 11-4-30 points, with loss to Western Illinois. South Dakota won three of last four games, is 3-2 as a Summit road underdog, losing away games by 1-10-8 points, with wins at No Dakota St, Denver. IPFW was 3-0 vs South Dakota LY, winning by 20-13-16 points; Coyotes lost four of last five visits here, losing by 5-2-6-20 points. Coyotes are best team in Summit at getting to foul line. Summit League home favorites of 6+ points are 9-5 vs spread.

 

[CNOTES]

Wednesday's Tip Sheet
February 7, 2017



**Baylor at Oklahoma State**


-- Oklahoma State (15-8 straight up, 11-6 against the spread) is one of the nation’s hottest teams, winning five in a row both SU and ATS after losing its first six Big 12 contests. Three of the five wins during this surge have come by double-digit margins, while the last two came on the road at Oklahoma (68-66) and at West Virginia (82-75).


-- I was all over Brad Underwood’s first team in Stillwater on Saturday when it went to Morgantown and won an 82-75 decision over the Mountaineers as a 10.5-point road underdog. The 157 combined points dipped ‘under’ the 165-point total. Jeffrey Carroll scored 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 makes from downtown. Jawun Evans hit 6-of-7 attempts from both the field and the free-throw line in an 18-point effort. Evans had five assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals. Phil Forte was also in double figures with 13 points thanks to 8-of-8 shooting from the charity stripe. OSU hit 25-of-40 shots from the field (62.5%), 8-of-13 (61.5%) from 3-point range and 24-of-27 from the line (88.9%).


-- Oklahoma State owns an 8-3 SU record and a 3-3 ATS mark at home this season.


-- Evans is the catalyst for Oklahoma St., pacing the team in scoring (18.3 points per game), assists (5.4 APG) and steals (2.0 SPG). Carroll (17.3 PPG) is averaging 7.1 RPG and is shooting 56.2 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from long distance.


-- OSU is No. 21 at KenPom.com and No. 27 in the RPI Rankings. The Cowboys have just one defeat to an opponent outside of the RPI’s Top 42, falling 82-79 at Texas. They have three wins over the RPI Top 50, beating TCU (89-76) and Arkansas (99-71) at home, in addition to the aforementioned win at WVU. OSU also has Top-100 wins at Wichita State (93-76), at Texas Tech (83-64) and vs. Georgetown (97-70) on a neutral floor.


-- Baylor (20-3 SU, 10-8 ATS) has been the nation’s biggest surprise, racing out to a 20-1 start before dropping its last two games. Since losing its first game at West Virginia on Jan. 10 after being tabbed as the nation’s No. 1 team for the first time in school history, the Bears had responded nicely with a five-game winning streak. But that ended last Wednesday in a 73-68 loss at Kansas, though they did take the cash as 6.5-point road underdogs.


-- Baylor lost again Saturday at home when Kansas State captured a 56-54 win as a seven-point road underdog. Bruce Weber’s team led by 15 at halftime and by as many as 18 in the second half before a furious rally by Balor sliced the deficit to one in the final minute. K-State’s D.J. Johnson missed a pair of free throws with his team up by one late, but he pulled down a defensive rebound off a Baylor miss with 10 seconds remaining. After getting fouled, he made 1-of-2 at the stripe to extend the lead to two. The Bears had three shots to tie in the final seconds, but Johnson blocked Johnathan Motley’s attempt with one tick left. Motley had 17 points and 14 rebounds in defeat. The Bears shot a season-low 38.9 percent from the field and had 16 turnovers compared to only 12 assists.


-- Motley has enjoyed a dynamite senior campaign, leading Baylor in scoring (16.2 PPG) and rebounding (9.8 RPG). Manu Lecomte (12.3 PPG) is dishing out a team-best 4.3 APG while draining 42.2 percent of his launches from 3-point land. Jo Lual-Acuil (9.9 PPG) leads the Bears in blocked shots (62) and field-goal percentage (58.2%) while pulling down 7.1 RPG.


-- Baylor has won four of six road assignments both SU and ATS.


-- Baylor is No. 9 at KenPom.com, No. 1 in the RPI and No. 6 in the Associated Press’s Top 25. Scott Drew’s team is 3-1 vs. RPI Top-25 opponents, 9-3 vs. Top-50 foes and 12-3 against the Top 100. The Bears’ best road wins are at Kansas State, at TCU and at Ole Miss. They also have neutral-court scalps of VCU, Michigan State and Louisville, in addition to home triumphs vs. Oregon, Xavier, Iowa State and Oklahoma State.


-- Baylor is ranked seventh in the country in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 61.4 PPG. The Bears are ninth in field-goal percentage defense (38.6%). Credit Lual-Acuil’s rim protection for those numbers.


-- When these teams met in Waco on Jan. 7, Baylor captured a 61-57 win as a 12-point home favorite. The 118 combined points was a thunder ‘under’ with the total closing at 151. Wainright led the Bears with 17 points, while Motley contributed 13 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots. In the losing effort, Forte scored 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from behind the arc. Carroll added 14 points and five rebounds, but Evans was limited to 24 minutes of playing time due to foul trouble. Evans went 2-of-12 from the field finished with eight points and five assists.


-- As of early Tuesday night, several offshore books had Oklahoma St. listed as a one-point home favorite.


-- The ‘over’ is 10-7-1 overall for the Cowboys, 5-0-1 in their home outings.


-- The ‘under’ is 11-6-1 overall for the Bears, going 3-3 in their road games. They’ve seen the ‘under’ go 4-1 in their last five contests.


-- Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPNU.


**Stanford at Arizona**

-- As of early Tuesday night, several shops had Arizona (21-3 SU, 12-10-2 ATS) installed as a 13.5-point home ‘chalk.’ The Wildcats have been double-digit home favorites in all 12 of their games at the McKale Center,


-- Arizona is in a first-place tie with Oregon atop the Pac-12 standings after losing Saturday to the Ducks in Eugene. Both schools are 10-1 in league play, two games ahead of both USC and UCLA. Oregon smashed the Wildcats from start to finish in an 85-58 win as a four-point home favorite. Dana Altman’s team led by 20 at intermission thanks to lights-out shooting. The Ducks made 65.2 percent from the field, 64.0 percent from 3-point land and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line. Rawle Alkins scored a team-high 16 points for the Wildcats.


-- Sean Miller’s team is undefeated in 12 home games with a 4-6-2 spread record.


-- Arizona is tied for eighth with Florida is the RPI Rankings. Miller’s bunch is 1-3 against the Top 25, 4-3 versus the Top 50 and 7-3 against the Top 100. The Wildcats’ best wins have come at UCLA, at USC, at California and at Stanford. They also have neutral-court victories over Michigan St. and Texas A&M.


-- Before falling to Oregon, Arizona’s losses had come on a neutral court vs. Butler (69-65) and vs. Gonzaga (69-62).


-- Arizona is led by Lauri Markkanen, a 6’11” freshman from Finland. Markkanen leads the Wildcats in scoring (15.9 PPG), rebounding (7.5 RPG), 3-point shooting (48.7%) and free-throw shooting (85.4%). Since coming off of a suspension, Allonzo Trier has played in the last five games. The sophomore guard is averaging 14.2 PPG and has a 15/4 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Dusan Ristic and Alkins are both averaging 11.8 PPG.


-- Stanford (12-11 SU, 10-12 ATS) is in a three-way tie for seventh place in the Pac-12 with a 4-7 mark in conference action. The Cardinal has limped to a 1-6 SU record and a 3-4 ATS mark in seven road assignments.


-- Stanford halted a three-game losing streak both SU and ATS by capturing an 81-75 win over Utah as a 2.5-point home underdog Saturday in Palo Alto. Junior forward Reid Travis was the catalyst for the Cardinal, producing 26 points, five rebounds and three steals while burying 11-of-15 attempts from the field. Dorian Pickens and Robert Cartwright (5/1 assists-to-turnovers ratio) added 14 points apiece.


-- Stanford has been an underdog 11 times, compiling a 4-7 spread record with two outright wins against Utah and Seton Hall on a neutral floor. However, the Cardinal is 2-1 ATS in three games as a double-digit ‘dog.


-- After missing all but eight games last season due to an injury, Travis has averaged 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting at a 56.7 percent clip from the field. Pickens (12.3 PPG) is the only other Cardinal scoring in double figures.


-- Stanford is No. 68 in the RPI, going winless in six games versus Top-25 foes. The Cardinal is 1-8 against the Top 50 and 2-9 vs. the Top 100.


-- When these long-time league rivals met in Palo Alto on New Year’s Day, Arizona dealt out woodshed treatment in the form of a 91-52 beatdown as a 6.5-point road favorite. Alkins led the way with 19 points and seven boards, while Ristic finished with 16 points. Travis (11 points, eight rebounds) fouled out after playing just 25 minutes.


-- The ‘under’ is 13-9 overall for Stanford, 5-2 in its road contests.


-- The ‘under’ is 12-11-2 for the Wildcats, 6-6 in their home games.


-- The ‘over’ is 5-1 in the last six head-to-head meetings between these schools.


-- Fox Sports 1 will have the telecast at 11:00 p.m. Eastern.

 

[CNOTES]

Trends to Watch - Wednesday
February 7, 2017

Tip Sheets and Betting Guides

Sooner State Showdowns


Oklahoma and Oklahoma State play host to a pair of Top 15 teams on Wednesday night. The Sooners will square off against West Virginia, and they're holding steady as nine-point underdogs. These two sides met in Morgantown on Jan. 18, and it was the Sooner coming away with an 89-87 overtime victory as 16 1/2-point 'dogs, cashing +1100 on the moneyline. That Sooners win came on the heels of an impressive nine-point win against Texas Tech, and it appeared the Sooners might be turning around their season. However, they dropped a tough overtime game at home against Iowa State, and then have proceeded to lose five in a row since.


West Virginia is trying to wash the sour taste out of their mouth after being upended by OK State over the weekend, 82-75, also in Morgantown. In fact, the Mountaineers have looked rather ordinary lately with a 3-3 SU record over their past six games while going 3-7 ATS over their past 10 outings. The good news for West Virginia is that the Sooners are 0-4 ATS in their past four against teams with a winning mark, but Oklahoma is 4-1 ATS in their past five home games against the Mountaineers.


Speaking of those Cowboys, their game aginst Baylor opened as a pick 'em, and OK State is now favored by one as of Tuesday afternoon. The last time these sides met Jan. 7 in Waco, it was the Bears coming away with a narrow four-point victory, while the Cowboys easily covered a 12-point number. The Bears are 14-3-1 ATS in their past 18 games on the road, but just 3-7 ATS in their past 10 games overall. OK State has covered five in a row, and they rise to the occasion against good teams, going 4-0 ATS in their past four against teams with a winning straight-up mark. OK State is also 3-1-2 ATS inthe past six in this series, with the home team 14-5-2 ATS in the past 21 in the series.


Seminole Revival


Florida State appears to have righted the ship after a rough three rough road games from Jan. 14-28. They got untracked with a 75-57 win at Miami-Florida last Wednesday, and followed that win up with a 48-point throttling of Clemson on Super Bowl Sunday, taking out some pent-up frustrations. They will play host to a Jekyll and Hyde team from North Carolina State, with good wins at Duke and at home against Virginia Tech, but non-competitive games at Louisville and North Carolina.


The Wolfpack come in on a three-game losing streak, and they're just 2-7 ATS over their past nine outings. N.C. State is also 1-5 ATS on the road this season, and 1-6 ATS away from home if you count neutral-site courts. For FSU, home is where the heart is - and the money. They're 4-1-1 ATS in their past six in Tallahassee, including impressive wins over Duke, Louisville, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. N.C. State, on the other hand, is 1-6 ATS in their past seven road games, 1-4 ATS in their past five against teams with a winning overall mark. However, the Pack are 8-3 ATS in their past 11 trips to Tallahassee, and the road team has covered in 10 of the past 14. The underdog is also 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings with the 'over' cashing in 10 of the past 14.


Big Ten Desperation

Ohio State will play host to Rutgers, and Vegas has the Buckeyes installed as 10-point favorites. The Buckeyes are just 3-4 ATS as double-digit favorites this season, including a stunning straight-up loss to Florida Atlantic back on Dec. 6 in non-confernce play. The Buckeyes have been a little hard to figure lately, losing games that were supposed to be close at Iowa and home to Maryland, but then winning on the road in Michigan as 9 1/2-point underdogs. The Scarlet Knights have dropped 10 of their past 12 overall, and they're just 4-8 ATS during the span. As double-digit 'dogs this season they are 3-3 ATS. The best trend for Rutgers is the 'under', cashing in 10 of their past 13 outings.


Minnesota will host Iowa in the other Big Ten battle, and the Gophers cannot afford any additional losses if it wants to make a case to the NCAA Tournament selection committee. The Gophers are in a precarious position at 16-7, especially with a 4-6 record inside the conference. In fact, the Hawkeyes have been much better in league play at 6-5, so this will be a grind. The Gophers are favored by 7 1/2 points, but they're just 2-4 ATS over their past six games, and 2-3 ATS in their past five at home. The Hawkeyes enter play with three straight-up wins and covers in a row, although they're just 1-4 SU/ATS in their past five games away from Iowa City. The Hawks are 4-1 ATS in their past five trips to the Twin Cities, and the underdog has cashed in four straight in this series.

Angry Cats

Arizona will look to get back on track against Stanford at 11 p.m. ET in the desert. The Wildcats were demolished at Oregon over the weekend by 27 points, obviously their worst loss of the season. Arizona has hit a rough patch for bettors, too, going 1-3 ATS over the past four outings. The last time these teams met on the farm, the Wildcats stomped the Cardinal by a 91-52 score on New Year's Day as the 'over' cashed. It was Arizona's sixth consecutive cover in the series, too. The 'over' is 4-0 in the past four meetings in Arizona, and 5-1 in the past six in this series.


The Cardinal have been a bit unconsistent this season, but one thing is very consistent - losing away from home. They're just 1-6 SU on the road this season, and 2-3 ATS in five road league games. Their past two road losses in conference have been by an average of 14.0 points. And Stanford is just 8-21 ATS in their past 29 games on the road over the past couple of season, and they're 5-12 ATS in their past 17 against teams with a straight-up winning mark.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Blue Demons (8-15) at Musketeers (17-6)
Date: February 08, 2017 6:30 PM EDT

CINCINNATI -- Since losing dynamic point guard Edmond Sumner to a season-ending ACL injury, No. 24 Xavier has won two straight games including a signature road victory at Creighton.


Without Sumner, the Musketeers are riding the coattails of junior guard Trevon Bluiett, who's been carrying them for most of the season.


Bluiett earned Big East Conference player of the week honors for the second straight week after averaging 20 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in wins over Seton Hall and Creighton.


Despite playing on a sore ankle, Bluiett scored 16 points including a pair of clutch 3-pointers in the win over the then-No. 22 Bluejays.


"We're smart with him in practice, doing reps where the ankle really isn't at risk," said Xavier head coach Chris Mack. "Where he is Tuesday versus where he was five or six days ago, is a lot better."


Bluiett and Xavier (17-6, 7-3 Big East) face DePaul on Wednesday night at Cintas Center, looking to extend its winning streak to four games heading into Saturday's showdown with league-leading Villanova.


"They're a good team, they have good players," said Mack of the Blue Demons. "It's a big challenge. It's a Big East game. It's the next game on our schedule."


The Musketeers' NCAA Tournament resume is strong with a top-10 RPI and strength of schedule. But, XU's roster is thin with zero margin for error injury-wise.


J.P. Macura was moved into the backup point guard role behind freshman Quentin Goodin who has averaged 11.5 points and six assists since taking for Sumner.


Sharp-shooting big man Kaiser Gates also has been doing a little bit of everything for the Musketeers with a team-high 8.7 rebounds.


With plenty of quality Big East wins for the taking in the final month, Xavier can ill-afford to stumble against the struggling Blue Demons at home.


The Musketeers lead the series against the Blue Demons 9-8, including a 5-1 mark since the two teams became Big East rivals. But, DePaul has proven itself to be a tough out at times this season, losing by just three points at top-ranked Villanova and taking Butler to overtime at home.


"Those were one-possession games they could've won," said Mack.


DePaul has been looking for scoring options outside its top two scorers Eli Cain and Billy Garrett Jr. One possible solution to that issue could be junior transfer forward Tre'Darius McCallum.


McCallum went 4-of-7 from 3-point range and scored a career-high 21 points in a loss to Marquette this past weekend.


"Tre has done as good of a job as anyone can possibly do of coming from a junior college and meshing with a team and finding his place," Blue Demons head coach Dave Leitao said. "Usually it takes a guy almost a full year to get adjusted, so I've got nothing but credit to give to him. His attitude, the way he plays the game."


It's a tall order for any team to face the Musketeers at Cintas Center where they've won 17 of the past 18 games and 26 of 28. Over the past five years, Xavier is 227-32 at Cintas giving it the fifth-best home winning percentage among Division I schools.