Conference Tournament Betting Previews
ACC Conference Tournament Semifinals Betting Preview
Notre Dame beat the Tar Heels in the only matchup between the two teams this season, 80-76 at home on Feb. 6.
It's on to the semifinals in the Atlantic Coast Conference as all of the top four seeds have advanced to Friday's matchups. North Carolina (1) will take on Notre Dame (4) and Virginia (2) will tangle with Miami (3).
Tournament to be played at Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (-7.5, 156.5)
* The Fighting Irish roared back from 16 points down in the second half Thursday to upend the Blue Devils 84-79 in overtime, keeping their hopes alive for a second consecutive ACC title. “Our life was flashing before our very eyes,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey told the media after the comeback. Forward Zach Auguste put on a monster performance with a career-high 22 rebounds to go with 19 points. Notre Dame beat the Tar Heels in the only matchup between the two teams this season, 80-76 at home on Feb. 6, and rallied from a nine-point deficit to defeat North Carolina 90-82 in the conference title game last March.
* North Carolina may not have impressed people despite winning 25 of its first 31 games, but the Tar Heels raced to Friday’s ACC semifinal thanks to a superb second half Thursday against Pittsburgh. “In the second half, I think we got better ball movement than we did in the first half,” guard Joel Berry II told reporters after scoring 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting, teaming with forward Brice Johnson (19 points, 10 rebounds) to pull away in the final 15 minutes of Thursday's 88-71 triumph.
Betting Stats:
Notre Dame - 21-10 SU, 14-14-1 ATS, 15-14 O/U
North Carolina - 26-6 SU, 14-17-1 ATS, 17-15 O/U
Trends:
* Fighting Irish are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Underdog is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
* Under is 4-1 in Fighting Irish last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 5-1 in Tar Heels last 6 Friday games.
Miami Hurricanes vs. Virginia Cavaliers (OFF)
* The 11th-ranked Hurricanes built a big lead and held off a rally to beat Virginia Tech 88-82 in the quarterfinals Thursday as Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez combined for 40 points. The teams split a pair of meetings during the regular season, with each winning at home. McClellan and Rodriguez are looking to put together big runs in their final chance in the ACC tournament while Davon Reed also is stepping up with at least 17 points in four of his last five games.
* Fourth-ranked Virginia pulled away for a 72-52 victory over Georgia Tech in Thursday’s quarterfinals as ACC Player of the Year Malcolm Brogdon poured in 26 points and moved into 11th place on the program’s all-time list with 1,713. The Cavaliers have reached three straight semifinals for the first time since 1993-95 and won the title in 2014. While Brogdon and fellow senior Anthony Gill (13.5 points, 6.2 rebounds) do their thing consistently, London Perrantes plays just as big a role.
Betting Stats:
Miami - 25-6 SU, 18-11-1 ATS, 14-16 O/U
Virginia - 25-6 SU, 16-13 ATS, 11-18 O/U
Trends:
* Favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Virginia is 4-0 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Under is 10-1 in Virginia's last 11 games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
AAC Tournament Quarterfinal Betting Preview
Orlando will be rockin' as the AAC features their strongest teams in a Friday quadruple-header.
The AAC has a very busy day scheduled for Friday. The conference quarterfinals start early and end late, featuring some very interesting matchups with Cincinnati (4) vs. UConn (5) as the best looking battle on paper.
Tournament to be played at Amway Center, Orlando, Florida.
South Florida vs. Temple (-11, OFF)
* The Bulls rode strong efforts from Angel Nunez (19 points, 11 rebounds) and Chris Perry (18 points) in the win over the Pirates, snapping a three-game slide in the process. They played the Owls twice during the regular season, losing by seven points and 12 points as they could not stop Quenton DeCosey (career-high 30 points) in the first meeting and could not contain Jaylen Bond (18 points, 14 rebounds) in the second matchup.
* The Owls won their final three games in the regular season and are projected to be in the NCAA Tournament field - albeit barely. "I am sure any of us in this league would say we need to do our best and win games to get in the NCAA Tournament," Fran Dunphy, the league's Coach of the Year, told the media this week. Temple's strength is its defense, as it allows 67.3 points - 69th-best in the nation - and has given up 62 or fewer in each of its last three games.
Betting Stats:
South Florida - 8-24 SU, 15-12 ATS, 16-11 O/U
Temple - 20-10 SU, 16-12 ATS, 13-14-1 O/U
Trends:
* Bulls are 13-4-1 ATS in their last 18 Friday games.
* Owls are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
* Over is 5-0 in Bulls last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Under is 5-0 in Owls last 5 vs. American Athletic Conference.
Connecticut Huskies vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (-1, 124)
* Daniel Hamilton earned second-team All-AAC honors after leading the Huskies in rebounding (8.7) and assists (4.8) this season and was a double-figure scorer (11.6). But even Hamilton's play has slipped a bit down the stretch and he did not start the second half of UConn's finale, a 67-46 win over UCF.
* Sophomore forward Gary Clark leads the Bearcats with seven double-doubles on the season but he has struggled mightily in the final games of the season. Clark, who was named the conference's defensive player of the year, is 0-for-14 from the field in his last two games, and 0-for-24 since making his first two field-goal attempts on Feb. 27 against East Carolina.
Betting Stats:
Connecticut - 21-10 SU, 13-13-1 ATS, 11-15-1 O/U
Cincinnati - 22-9 SU, 12-15 ATS, 9-17-1 O/U
Trends:
* Huskies are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Bearcats are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 4-0-1 in Huskies last 5 games after allowing less than 50 points in their previous game.
* Under is 4-0 in Bearcats last 4 vs. American Athletic Conference.
Tulane Green Wave vs. Houston Cougars (OFF)* Louis Dabney leads the Green Wave with 14.5 points per game after scoring 13 in the 65-63 win against UCF. Malik Morgan nearly recorded a double-double Thursday and chips in 12.6 points while Dylan Osetkowski adds 11.2 points and 8.4 rebounds. Cameron Reynolds (6.5 points) added 12 points off the bench in the first round, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with three minutes left.
* Rob Gray Jr. - the league's leading scorer at 16.3 per game - is averaging 12.4 points off the bench since returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him for four games. Forwards Damyean Dotson (13.8 points, 6.9 rebounds) and Devonta Pollard (13.9, 5.7) are each averaging 17.8 points while scoring in double figures in nine consecutive games (Dotson has gone 10 straight).
Betting Stats:
Tulane - 11-21 SU, 10-15-1 ATS, 14-12 O/U
Houston - 22-8 SU, 15-9-1 ATS, 13-11-1 O/U
Trends:
* Green Wave are 0-7-1 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Cougars are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. American Athletic Conference.
* Under is 5-0 in Green Wave last 5 Friday games.
* Over is 5-1 in Cougars last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.
Memphis Tigers vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (-3, 153)
* With the end of his collegiate career in sight, Shaq Goodwin is doing all he can to keep Memphis alive and kicking with wins. He had 28 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in the Tigers' win over Tulsa Feb. 28, then had 17 points and a game-high eight boards in a rout of East Carolina on Sunday. "We know what we have to do in order to get to the NCAA Tournament, and that's win every game."
* The Golden Hurricane has won six of eight heading into the tournament, though many believe Frank Haith's squad needs to pick up a couple of victories to assure itself of a place in the NCAA Tournament. To get that, the duo of James Woodard (15.8 points) and Shaquille Harrison (14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists) will need to come up big against an explosive Memphis squad.
Betting Stats:
Memphis - 17-14 SU, 11-17 ATS, 14-14 O/U
Tulsa - 20-10 SU, 14-12-3 ATS, 16-13 O/U
Trends:
* Tigers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Golden Hurricane are 0-6-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.
* Over is 6-0 in Tigers last 6 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings.
Big 12 Tournament Semifinals Betting Preview
Kansas has won seven straight vs. Baylor, including 66-60 and 102-74 wins during the regular season.
Baylor advanced to Friday with an upset (based on conference seeding only) over the Texas Longhorns and they have the unlucky task of meeting Kansas in the semifinals.
Tournament to be played at Sprint Center, Kansas City, Mo.
Baylor Bears vs. Kansas Jayhawks (-5.5, 145)
* After Thursday’s 75-61 quarterfinal win over fourth-seeded Texas, Baylor coach Scott Drew said he expects it to be even more challenging this time around against Kansas, which owns the top field-goal percentage defense in the conference at 39.6 percent. “I think (Kansas’ defense) has been consistent, and that's why they've been where have been at,” Drew said in his post-game news conference. “And I think a couple of years past, they had some teams that were mostly on the offensive end, but didn't consistently guard as well as this team is doing. They really make you work for everything.”
* The Jayhawks shot 57.1 percent from the floor against Kansas State, marking the eighth game they’ve shot 50 percent or better during their 12-game win streak. All-Big 12 first-team forward Perry Ellis scored a team-high 21 points, giving him three straight contests with at least 20. Aside from Ellis’ team-leading 16.6 points per outing, guards Frank Mason III (13.5), Wayne Selden Jr. (13.1) and Devonte’ Graham (11.2) also are averaging double digits.
Betting Stats:
Baylor - 22-10 SU, 11-14-1 ATS, 15-11 O/U
Kansas - 28-4 SU, 20-10 ATS, 11-18-1 O/U
Trends:
* Bears are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Friday games.
* Jayhawks are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games overall.
* Under is 7-1 in Bears last 8 neutral site games.
* Under is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings.
Oklahoma Sooners vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (OFF)
* Second-seeded West Virginia never trailed Thursday in dispatching the 10th-seeded Horned Frogs and wound up shooting 55.6 percent from the field, including 11-of-24 from 3-point range, to end its 0-for-the-Big-12-Tournament skid at three games. Devin Williams, a second-team All-Big 12 selection, notched his conference-leading 14th double-double Thursday, scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 rebounds to pace the rout.
* Oklahoma swept the regular-season series, including a 76-62 win in Morgantown on Feb. 20. The Sooners advanced with a 79-76 win Thursday night over 19th-ranked and sixth-seeded Iowa State, the two-time defending Big 12 tourney champions, as Buddy Hield, the conference player of the year, poured in 39 points. Hield hit 14-of-21 shots, draining all nine of his free throws and grabbing nine rebounds while notching his 10th 30-point contest of the season and setting the program’s Big 12 Tournament single-game scoring record.
Betting Stats:
Oklahoma - 25-6 SU, 12-17 ATS, 13-16 O/U
West Virginia - 25-7 SU, 19-10 ATS, 13-15-1 O/U
Trends:
* Oklahoma is 1-6 ATS in their last seven games following a ATS loss.
* West Virginia is 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.
* Under is 9-0 in Oklahoma's last nine games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in the last five games.
Big East Conference Tournament Semifinals Betting Preview
Villanova and Providence split the season series, creating rubber game when the teams meet Friday at MSG.
Top seed Villanova easily handled a vastly outmatched Georgetown team in the quarterfinals and will draw the scrappy Providence Friers on Friday.
Tournament to be played at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Providence Friars vs. Villanova Wildcats (-9, 140)
* Ben Bentil scored a career-high 38 points on 16-of-24 shooting, adding eight rebounds and two blocks to a scoring performance that ranks as the second-highest in the history of the Big East tournament. The sophomore forward will certainly be a handful for Villanova, which prides itself on defense but often uses three- and four-guard lineups to create mismatches in its favor.
* Josh Hart led Villanova with 25 points on Thursday and is two wins from leading the Wildcats to the Big East tournament title for the second straight season. While Hart and the Villanova guards are the driving force behind the team's success, Daniel Ochefu may be the player the Wildcats can least afford to lose. The 6-11 senior center, who came into the tournament averaging 10.3 points and 8.1 rebounds, tweaked a lingering ankle injury against Georgetown and was limited to 13 minutes in that contest, leaving his status for the rest of the tournament in doubt.
Betting Stats:
Providence - 23-9 SU, 17-14 ATS, 18-13 O/U
Villanova - 28-4 SU, 15-15-1 ATS, 16-14-1 O/U
Trends:
* Friars are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 neutral site games.
* Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 16-5 in Friars last 21 neutral site games.
* Over is 7-0 in Wildcats last 7 overall.
Seton Hall Pirates vs. Xavier Musketeers (OFF)
* Isaiah Whitehead recorded 24 points to go along with 12 rebounds and six assists as the Pirates outlasted Creighton 81-73 on Thursday. Khadeen Carrington, who was held to seven points in Seton Hall's 90-81 win over Xavier on Feb. 28, hit five 3-pointers en route to a career-high 27 points to help the Pirates to their ninth win in 11 games. The Xavier Musketeers will be wary of Desi Rodriguez, who topped the 20-point mark in both meetings this season and posted career highs of 27 points and 12 rebounds in the victory late last month.
* Trevon Bluiett struggled through a difficult postseason for Xavier last March, but the surging sophomore is off to a great start this time around. The All-Big East First Team selection had no issues standing out in Thursday's 90-72 quarterfinal win over Marquette by scoring 24 points and going 5-of-8 from 3-point range. Coach Chris Mack's squad has scored at least 85 points in eight of its last nine victories as contributions come from all over. "Offensively, I thought our guys really shared the ball, but that's nothing new," Mack told reporters on Thursday.
Betting Stats:
Seton Hall - 21-9 SU, 16-13-1 ATS, 16-12-1 O/U
Xavier - 22-9 SU, 16-14 ATS, 18-12 O/U
Trends:
* Pirates are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 vs. Big East.
* Musketeers are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.
* Over is 4-0 in Pirates last 4 vs. Big East.
* Over is 6-0 in Musketeers last 6 vs. Big East.
Big Ten Conference Tournament Quarterfinals Betting Preview
Second-ranked Michigan St. looks to continue its recent domination in the Big Ten Tournament when it takes on No. 7 seed Ohio St. in the quarterfinal Friday.
There are bubble teams all over the place in the Big Ten quarterfinal matchups. Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska, and Ohio State all feel that they need to win this entire event in order to get in to the Big Dance. Friday should be lots of fun in Indianapolis.
Tournament to be played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Michigan Wolverines vs. Indiana Hoosiers (-7, 144)
* Zak Irvin knocked down a 15-foot jumper with 3.3 seconds remaining in overtime to lift Michigan past Northwestern 72-70 in the second round Thursday. The Wolverines have won at least one Big Ten Tournament game in each of the last 10 years, which is the longest active streak in the conference. Michigan is still on the wrong side of the bubble according to most prognosticators and will likely need to upset Indiana to avoid missing the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year.
* Indiana has scored at least 80 points in five of its last seven wins and hopes to continue its hot shooting as it vies for its first Big Ten Tournament title since the tourney's inception in 1998. Yogi Ferrell was named to the All-Big Ten first team after averaging 17.1 points and 5.5 assists per game during the regular season while Max Bielfeldt, who spent the previous three years at Michigan, earned Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year honors after averaging eight points and 4.5 rebounds.
Betting Stats:
Michigan - 21-11 SU, 15-15 ATS, 19-10-1 O/U
Indiana - 25-6 SU, 17-14 ATS, 15-16 O/U
Trends:
* Wolverines are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Hoosiers are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 5-0 in Wolverines last 5 Friday games.
* Over is 4-1 in Hoosiers last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Purdue Boilermakers (-11, 139)
* Illinois, which routed Minnesota 85-52 in an opening-round victory Wednesday behind a tournament-record 14 3-pointers, stunned Iowa 68-66 on Thursday on Malcolm Hill's go-ahead jumper with just over a minute remaining after the Illini blew an 11-point advantage in 98 seconds. The win was only Illinois' second in eight tries against ranked foes this season but improved the school's record in the tournament as a double-digit seed to 8-2.
* The Boilermakers rank third in the league in scoring defense (64.9), but averaged 82 points and shot 56.9 percent over their final four games, including 62.2 percent - the best mark in 11 seasons under coach Matt Painter - in Sunday's 91-80 win over Wisconsin. First-team all-conference selection A.J. Hammons (14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks) became the second straight Purdue player to win the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award, giving the program seven recipients of the honor in the last 14 years.
Betting Stats:
Illinois - 15-18 SU, 14-14-3 ATS, 15-15-1 O/U
Purdue - 24-7 SU, 15-11-1 ATS, 14-13 O/U
Trends:
* Fighting Illini are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Friday games.
* Boilermakers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
* Under is 9-1-1 in Fighting Illini last 11 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 4-0 in Boilermakers last 4 vs. Big Ten.
Ohio St Buckeyes vs. Michigan St Spartans (OFF)
* Ohio State overturned a three-point halftime deficit to beat Penn State 79-75 in the second round of the tournament Thursday. The Buckeyes have won 15 of their last 18 Big Ten Tournament games and hope to keep their NCAA Tournament dreams alive by beating the Spartans for the first time this season after losing both meetings in February. Ohio State has struggled recently against Michigan State, dropping the last four games in the series, including a 76-67 setback in the quarterfinal stage of last year's tournament.
* Michigan State is firing on all cylinders with wins in 10 of its last 11 games, including four straight victories by an average margin of 24 points to finish the regular season. Senior forward Denzel Valentine was named the USA Today National Player of the Year and earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors after averaging 19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists during the regular season.
Betting Stats:
Ohio St - 20-12 SU, 16-14-1 ATS, 16-15 O/U
Michigan St - 26-5 SU, 21-9 ATS, 16-14 O/U
Trends:
* Buckeyes are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 neutral site games.
* Spartans are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 vs. Big Ten.
* Over is 6-1 in Buckeyes last 7 games following a ATS loss.
* Buckeyes are 0-5 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Maryland Terrapins (OFF)
* The Cornhuskers knocked off Rutgers in the first round and upset sixth-seeded Wisconsin 70-58 on Thursday with a second straight 20-point performance by Shavon Shields. Nebraska, which held Wisconsin to 30.2 percent shooting, lost five straight to end the regular season. Shields is averaging 21.6 points in five games since returning from a concussion that forced him to miss four straight contests.
* The 15th-ranked Terrapins lost four of their last six games in conference play, including a humbling 80-62 defeat at Indiana on Sunday, but have had four days to rest. Melo Trimble, who was named to the Big Ten Second Team, scored 20 points in the 75-70 victory over Nebraska on Feb. 3. The Terrapins must improve on the defensive end in the postseason after allowing 80 or more points in three of their last four contests.
Betting Stats:
Nebraska - 16-17 SU, 16-12 ATS, 16-11-1 O/U
Maryland - 24-7 SU, 13-16-1 ATS, 11-18-1 O/U
Trends:
* Nebraska is 4-0 ATS in its last founr neutral site games.
* Maryland is 1-4-1 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Under is 6-1 in Nebraska's last seven games versus a team with a winning percentage above .600.
* Over is 3-0-1 in Maryland's last four neutral site games.
Pac-12 Conference Tournament Semifinals Betting Preview
Oregon and Arizona have developed one of the hottest rivalries in the Pac-12 and they'll continue it Friday when the top-seeded Ducks meet the No. 4 Wildcats.
It's time for the final four teams from the PAC-12 conference to tussle in Vegas. The MGM Grand Garden Arena will be rockin' as Oregon (1) takes on Arizona (4) and
Tournament to be played at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV.
Arizona Wildcats vs. Oregon Ducks (OFF)
* A big difference for the Wildcats in their rematch against Oregon will be the presence of freshman wing Allonzo Trier, who missed the earlier meeting against the Ducks with a broken hand. Trier came into the tournament third on the team in scoring at 14.6 points and then put up 23 points against Colorado. Arizona shooting guard Gabe York will also earn a lot of attention after scoring 18 points in the home loss to the Ducks, converting 4-of-9 from 3-point range.
* Dillon Brooks also played well when these teams met in January, scoring 24 points to lead all scorers. He hasn't shot the ball as well over the last three weeks, but the Ducks have plenty of other options, most notably fellow 6-6 wing Elgin Cook, who joined Chris Boucher with 19 points in Thursday's win against Colorado. Tyler Dorsey is also playing well of late, but the Ducks are hoping to get more from their bench and top reserve Dwayne Benjamin, who scored 15 points against Arizona earlier this season, but has reached double figures in three of 11 games since.
Betting Stats:
Arizona - 25-7 SU, 16-16 ATS, 21-11 O/U
Oregon - 26-6 SU, 17-12 ATS, 12-17 O/U
Trends:
* Wildcats are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Ducks are 12-1 ATS in their last 13 Friday games.
* Over is 6-0 in Wildcats last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 5-0 in Ducks last 5 vs. Pacific-12.
California Golden Bears vs. Utah Utes (OFF)
* The Bears led the Pac-12 in scoring defense at 66.2 points per game and boast one of the league’s top backcourts in Tyrone Wallace, Jordan Mathews and Jabari Bird, who made five 3-pointers and scored 20 points in the quarterfinal win over the Beavers. Jaylen Brown, who was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, scored 27 points against Utah on Jan. 27 but was held to eight on 1-of-6 shooting on Thursday. Cal is the league’s worst foul-shooting squad, and its woes continued against the Beavers as Rabb was 3-of-10 and the team finished 19-of-32.
* The last Pac-12 Player of the Year to win the conference’s tournament title was UCLA’s Kevin Love in 2008, but Utah's Jakob Poeltl is close to adding his name to the list. Poeltl’s next obstacle comes Friday as the second-seeded Utes face No. 3 seed California in the semifinals at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Poeltl recorded 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists to help Utah post an 80-72 win over seventh-seeded USC in Thursday’s quarterfinals, while Ivan Rabb tallied 21 points and 15 boards as Cal held off sixth-seeded Oregon State 76-68.
Betting Stats:
California - 23-9 SU, 18-13-1 ATS, 15-17 O/U
Utah - 25-7 SU, 15-14-1 ATS, 16-13-1 O/U
Trends:
* Golden Bears are 7-0-1 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Utes are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 8-2 in Golden Bears last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 4-0 in Utes last 4 neutral site games.
SEC Conference Tournament Quarterfinals Betting Preview
Kentucky won the two regular-season meetings over Alabama by an average of 20.5 points.
The SEC rolls on to the quarterfinals Friday afternoon in Nashville. The crowd favorite Tennessee Vols will continue their Cinderella run as they, of course, must win the conference tournament in order to get a spot in the NCAA Tournament after a horrible regular season. Ben Simmons and the LSU Tigers are up next.
Tournament to be played at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
Florida Gators vs. Texas A&M Aggies (-4, 140)
* The Gators are excellent defensively, which they showed by holding a potent Arkansas team to its fourth-lowest point total of the season. Forward Dorian Finney-Smith (15 points, 8.2 rebounds) leads a trio of players who average double-digit scoring, but it was reserve Kasey Hill (8.3 points) who led the way against the Razorbacks with 18 points. Center John Egbunu (11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds) was able to play through a torn ligament in his thumb to collect eight points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench Thursday, and his presence will be critical to the Gators’ chances of upsetting the Aggies.
* The Aggies’ length on the wings makes them a difficult matchup for anyone, as 6-7 swingmen Jalen Jones (15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds) and Danuel House (15.3 points, 4.8 rebounds) provide a difficult one-two punch to guard. Freshman center Tyler Davis (11.2 points, 6.0 rebounds) is another tough defensive assignment in the post, and point guard Alex Caruso (7.8 points, 5.1 assists) is an excellent distributor who can score when needed.
Betting Stats:
Florida - 19-13 SU, 15-14-1 ATS, 16-14 O/U
Texas A&M - 24-7 SU, 13-11-2 ATS, 10-16 O/U
Trends:
* Gators are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Aggies are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. Southeastern.
* Under is 4-0 in Gators last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Gators are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
Tennessee Volunteers vs. Louisiana State Tigers (OFF)
* The Volunteers were the surprise of the day Thursday, upsetting No. 5 seed Vanderbilt 67-65 despite playing without leading scorer Kevin Punter Jr. due to a season-ending foot injury. With Punter sidelined, the Volunteers needed someone to step up at the offensive end, and sophomore guard Detrick Mostella has answered the call with 35 points in the first two games of the tournament. Armani Moore (12.4 points, 7.7 rebounds) and Robert Hubbs III (10.3 points) also scored in double figures against Vanderbilt and continue to be Tennessee’s most consistent offensive players without Punter on the floor.
* LSU also will be without one of its top players, as senior guard Keith Hornsby had a season-ending procedure for an internal injury. The Tigers hope to avoid bowing out in the quarterfinals for a second consecutive year after losing to No. 13 seed Auburn in overtime in their first game of the tournament a year ago. The Volunteers clobbered the visiting Tigers 81-65 on Feb. 20 before losing their final four regular-season contests.
Betting Stats:
Tennessee - 15-18 SU, 16-15-1 ATS, 12-17-3 O/U
Louisiana State - 18-13 SU, 10-18 ATS, 12-16 O/U
Trends:
* Volunteers are 1-7-1 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up win.
* Tigers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 Friday games.
* Under is 6-0 in Volunteers last 6 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 5-1 in Tigers last 6 games following a straight up loss.
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Kentucky Wildcats (OFF)
* Alabama committed only nine turnovers in its mild upset over seventh-seeded Ole Miss, and senior guard Retin Obasohan scored all 17 of his points in the second half. Obasohan averages a team-best 17.7 points and also leads the Crimson Tide with 44 steals. The late-season slide has the Crimson Tide well aware that they need to win the SEC tourney to make the NCAA Tournament, and they got off to a strong start with 12 3-pointers and a season-best 12 blocked shots in the victory over the Rebels.
* Second-seeded Kentucky has won three SEC titles in John Calipari's previous six seasons as coach and looks to take a step toward another when it meets 10th-seeded Alabama in Friday's conference tournament quarterfinals at Nashville, Tenn. Kentucky sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis headlines the club after averaging 16.6 points and 7.4 assists while winning SEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Betting Stats:
Alabama - 18-13 SU, 15-14 ATS, 13-16 O/U
Kentucky - 23-8 SU, 15-16 ATS, 16-14-1 O/U
Trends:
* Crimson Tide are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. Southeastern.
* Wildcats are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Friday games.
* Under is 4-1 in Crimson Tide last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 4-1 in Wildcats last 5 games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game.
Georgia Bulldogs vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (OFF)
* J.J. Frazier has posted four 20-point outings during his six-game hot stretch, and he leads the Bulldogs in scoring (16.8) and assists (4.3). Frazier (73) and senior guard Kenny Gaines (79) have combined for 152 of the Bulldogs' 194 3-pointers and the two players combined for 39 points in Georgia's recent 74-72 road win at South Carolina. Sophomore forward Yante Maten is strong in the interior with averages of 16 points and a team-best eight rebounds while Gaines (13.4) and senior guard Charles Mann (10.5) also average in double digits.
* South Carolina figures it has done enough to reach the NCAA Tournament, but that also complicates the decision on whether or not to play leading scorer Michael Carrera when the third-seeded Gamecocks face sixth-seeded Georgia in Friday's SEC Tournament quarterfinals in Nashville, Tenn. Carrera missed the regular-season finale against Arkansas with a hip injury, and the senior forward is hoping to be fit enough to play against the Bulldogs, who defeated South Carolina twice in the regular season. Carrera, a senior forward, averages 14.5 points and a team-leading 7.7 rebounds, and coach Frank Martin expects to be challenged by the feisty leader if he opts to rest him.
Betting Stats:
Georgia - 14-16 SU, 17-10 ATS, 14-13 O/U
South Carolina - 17-12 SU, 16-13 ATS, 16-13 O/U
Trends:
* Bulldogs are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. Southeastern.
* Gamecocks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games.
* Over is 6-0 in Bulldogs last 6 vs. Southeastern.
* Under is 7-1 in Gamecocks last 8 Friday games.
