Saturday's NCAA Tournament Second Round betting preview
Saturday's South Region Second Round betting preview
No. 11 Wichita State opened as 2.5-point favorites, despite going up agianst No. 3 Miami.
No. 11 Wichita State Shockers at No. 3 Miami Hurricanes (+2, 131.5)
Game to be played at Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, RI
Two of the most experienced and productive backcourt duos in the nation meet when third-seeded Miami (Fla.) takes on No. 11 seed Wichita State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday in Providence, R.I. Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez combined for 44 points in Miami’s first-round South Region win while Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet have led the Shockers to a pair of victories.
Rodriguez scored 24 as the Hurricanes survived with a 79-72 victory over Buffalo on Thursday, and the 5-11 point guard’s block ignited a decisive run. “That’s the beauty of this team,” Rodriguez told reporters. “We just need one little thing to get us going, and we found it on the defensive end.” VanVleet and Baker were freshmen when Wichita State reached the Final Four in 2013, and they have been on the floor together for 118 games in four seasons -- emerging victorious in 105 of them. The seniors combined for 29 points in Thursday’s 65-55 first-round win over Arizona.
TV: 12:10 p.m. ET, CBS
LINE HISTORY: Despite being an 11-seed, books are giving lots of respect to the hot Shockers, opening them as 2.5-point faves over the 3-seed Hurricanes from Miami. The line has come back to Miami a bit, now sitting at Wichita State -2. The total hasn't moved from the opening number 131.5. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT WICHITA STATE (26-8, 20-12 ATS, 13-18-1 O/U): The Shockers got a strong effort from their bench again Thursday as guard Conner Frankamp and forward Markis McDuffie each scored 10. “It’s going to take more than me and (Baker) to be able to get these wins,” VanVleet told reporters, “and the last two games we’ve been able to do that, so give these guys a ton of credit.” Baker averages 14.1 points overall while VanVleet is the only other player in double figures (12.2) and he dishes out 5.6 assists per contest.
ABOUT MIAMI (26-7, 18-13-1 ATS, 16-16 O/U): Rodriguez scored at least 17 in four of the last six games and drained three 3-pointers in three of the past five while McClellan, a 50-percent shooter overall, is scoring 18 per game in the last five outings. Davon Reed (11.2) and Ja’Quan Newton (11.1) support McClellan (15.9) and Rodriguez (12.1) on the perimeter for the Hurricanes, who are 5-2 in their last seven. Senior center Tonye Jekiri (7.9 points, 8.8 rebounds) is the key to Miami’s defense with 126 career blocks – sixth all time at Miami.
TRENDS:
* Wichita State is 4-0 ATS in its last four non-conference games.
* Miami is 0-4 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Under is 4-0-1 in Wichita State's last five games overall.
* Over is 6-0 in Miami's last six neutral site games.
No. 9 Connecticut Huskies vs. No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks (-8, 140)
Game to be played at Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IO
There are seven games on Kevin Ollie’s NCAA Tournament head-coaching résumé, and the Connecticut coach still has yet to taste defeat. That run, though, will face a serious test Saturday when the ninth-seeded Huskies take on the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, Kansas, in a second-round South Region contest in Des Moines, Iowa.
Much like 2014, when Ollie guided UConn to the national championship as a seventh seed, the current Huskies are on a late-season roll while winning five straight, including a 3-0 run to win the American Athletic Conference tournament title and a 74-67 comeback victory over eighth-seeded Colorado in Thursday’s NCAA tourney first round. “Coaching is overrated,” Ollie said Thursday in his post-game news conference. “I want to have a great relationship with my guys, so I can push them and demand everything I possibly can out of them. They've done a beautiful job.” Kansas enters Saturday’s contest on a 15-game roll after, as expected, routing 16th-seeded Austin Peay 105-79 on Thursday. “I don't think our guys have felt pressure from being the No. 1 seed,” Kansas coach Bill Self told the media afterward. “... But I don't think it's to the point that (we) need to validate anything anymore. I think what you gotta do, is you gotta play hungry and you gotta play aggressive and you gotta play loose – and you can't let other people play well.”
TV: 7:45 p.m. ET, CBS
LINE HISTORY: The overall No. 1 seed Jayhawks opened as 8-point faves over the streaking Huskies and the line hasn't moved since. The total has been bet up one point from 139 to 140. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT CONNECTICUT (25-10, 17-13-1 ATS, 14-16-1 O/U): The Huskies got off to a sluggish start against Colorado, falling behind 33-22 late in the opening half, but they turned things around with tight defense and a 22-of-23 performance from the free-throw line to outscore Colorado 52-34 the rest of the way. Guards Rodney Purvis (19 points), Daniel Hamilton (17) and Sterling Gibbs (12) combined for 48 points in the win and are joined by forward Shonn Miller to give the team a quartet of leading scorers averaging between 12 and 12.7 points per game. In the meantime, defense (opponents are shooting only 38.3 percent from the floor) and free-throw shooting (UConn’s 79.3 percentage is tops in the nation) have been huge for the Huskies all season.
ABOUT KANSAS (31-4, 22-11 ATS, 13-19-1 O/U): The Jayhawks haven’t lost since an 85-72 defeat at Iowa State on Jan. 25, and are averaging 85.3 points over their last six outings, including their 3-0 run to the Big 12 tournament title. And with Kansas jumping ahead of Austin Peay early Thursday, the Jayhawks were able to get their bench heavily involved, and reserve swingman Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk wound up leading the team with a career-high 23 points. Senior forward Perry Ellis chipped in 21 points and leads the team with his 16.8 average while guards Wayne Selden Jr. (13.3), Frank Mason III (13.0) and Devonte’ Graham (11.4) also are averaging double digits for the Jayhawks, who rank in the top 10 nationally in field-goal (49.7) and 3-point (42.5) percentage.
TRENDS:
* Connecticut is 5-0 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Kansas is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games overall.
* Over is 10-2 in Connecticut's last 12 games versus Big 12 opponents.
* Over is 4-1-1 in Kansas' last six games overall.
Saturday's West Region Second Round betting preview
Can Yale pull off their second upset of the tournament in their rematch with Duke.
No. 12 Yale Bulldogs vs. No. 4 Duke Blue Devils (-6, 146)
Game to be played at Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, RI
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has won more NCAA Tournament games than any coach in history, while Yale is coming off its first ever NCAA Tournament victory. They’ll both try to add to those disparate totals when the fourth-seeded Blue Devils face the No. 12 seed Bulldogs in the second round of the West Region on Saturday in Providence, R.I.
It’s a rare postseason rematch, as the Blue Devils pulled away for an 80-61 home win over the Bulldogs on Nov. 25, but Duke star Grayson Allen isn’t putting much stock into the first meeting. “It’s tough to really look at that game at all just because both teams are so different now,” Allen told reporters. “It’s really like two different seasons from then to us playing them now. … They’re a completely different team since then, and we’ve grown as well.” Yale has won 18 of its last 19, including a 79-75 upset of No. 5 seed Baylor on Thursday, and is in the midst of its winningest season since 1906-07. The Blue Devils stumbled down the stretch, losing three of their last five regular-season games before going 1-1 in the ACC tournament, but they withstood a challenge from No. 13 seed UNC Wilmington in a 93-85 victory Thursday.
TV: 2:40 p.m. ET, CBS
LINE HISTORY: Duke opened as 6-point favorites over the tournament's first Cinderella, Yale and the line hasn't moved off that number. The total also hasn't moved off the opening number of 146. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT YALE (23-6, 12-6-2 ATS, 12-8 O/U): The Bulldogs boast the Ivy League Player of the Year in senior forward Justin Sears (15.9 points, 7.4 rebounds) and another pair of first-team all-conference performers in senior forward Brandon Sherrod (12.4 points, 7.0 rebounds) and sophomore guard Makai Mason (16.3 points). Yale has been excellent on the boards all season and continued that trend against Baylor – improving to 20-2 when winning the rebounding battle – but will have a tougher time on the glass against the Blue Devils’ size up front. The Bulldogs also have a knack for getting to the foul line, averaging nearly 12 free-throw attempts per game, and will likely need to do so often to pull off a second straight upset.
ABOUT DUKE (24-10, 13-18-2 ATS, 15-18 O/U): The Blue Devils struggled with injuries for much of the year, including the loss of senior big man Amile Jefferson, but their young stars might be emerging at the right time to make a deep run. Allen (21.6 points), freshman Brandon Ingram (16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds) and 7-footer Marshall Plumlee (8.6 points, 8.6 rebounds) each topped 20 points against UNC Wilmington. Plumlee put up 23 points on 9-of-10 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds Thursday, and the Blue Devils need him to again take advantage inside against an undersized Yale team.
TRENDS:
* Yale is 10-3-1 ATS in its last 14 games (where a spread was posted).
* Duke is 0-6 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Yale's last five games following an ATS win.
* Over is 5-0 in Duke's last five non-conference games.
Saturday's East Region Second round betting preview
Jamal Murray and Kentucky are red hot, covering the spread in six straight games. They're 3-point faves vs. long-time rivals Indiana.
No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers vs. No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats (-3, 155)
Game to be played at Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IO
As far as second-round NCAA Tournament matchups go, it doesn't get much better than Kentucky versus Indiana. The storied programs square off Saturday at Des Moines, Iowa, where the fourth-seeded Wildcats and fifth-seeded Hoosiers aim to build off impressive opening-round victories.
This is the first matchup between the teams since the 2011-12 season, when Indiana upset Kentucky at the buzzer in the regular season before the Wildcats got their revenge in the Sweet 16. “It’s a rivalry because of the history of it, because of the proximity of the two states,” Hoosiers coach Tom Crean told reporters, “but (also) because the two basketball teams have been good when it’s been at its best.” This encounter will pit the Hoosiers' senior backcourt against the young, talented guards of the Wildcats. Of course, things don't get any easier for the winner of this game, which likely will face East Region No. 1 seed North Carolina (or potentially ninth-seeded Providence).
TV: 5:15 p.m. ET, CBS
LINE HISTORY: Kentucky opened as 3-point favorites in this Second Round matchup and the line hasn't moved off that number. The total has been bet down one point from 156 to 155. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT INDIANA (26-7, 18-15 ATS, 16-17 O/U): Senior point guard Yogi Ferrell is the undisputed leader for Indiana, which shot nearly 65 percent from the field and went 10-of-16 from the 3-point line in a resounding 99-74 victory over 12th-seeded Chattanooga in Thursday's opener. Ferrell led the way with 20 points and 10 assists, while the role players who stepped up included freshman OG Anunoby, who scored 14 points and is averaging 13.5 points on 12-of-13 shooting in his last two games. The bulk of Kentucky's frontcourt players are veterans, putting additional pressure on Indiana freshman Thomas Bryant (11.6 points, 5.7 rebounds) and junior Troy Williams (13.0, 6.0) to hold their own in the paint.
ABOUT KENTUCKY (27-8, 19-16 ATS, 19-15-1 O/U): The Wildcats trounced No. 13 seed Stony Brook, 85-57, behind Jamal Murray's 19 points and a solid 13-point, 11-rebound effort from fellow freshman Isaiah Briscoe. The other primary member of Kentucky's backcourt is Tyler Ulis, the SEC Player of the Year who chipped in 10 points and seven assists against Stony Brook, although it was his lowest-scoring game in more than two months. The Wildcats set an NCAA Tournament record with 15 blocks on Thursday, including six by up-and-down freshman Skal Labissiere and two by senior mainstay Alex Poythress.
TRENDS:
* Indiana is 5-1 ATS in its last six non-conference games.
* Kentucky is 6-0 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Over is 20-7 in Indiana's last 27 non-conference games.
* Over is 6-0 in Kentucky's last six versus Big Ten opponents.
No. 9 Providence Friars vs, No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels (-9.5, 151)
Game to be played at PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
Top-seeded North Carolina will look for a sharper effort when it takes on No. 9 seed Providence in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night in Raleigh, N.C. The Tar Heels only led 16th-seeded FGCU by one at halftime before pulling away for an 83-67 victory Thursday in the opening round of the East Regional to extend their winning streak to six.
“We definitely built some momentum in the ACC Tournament, and then we kind of went backward here,” North Carolina forward Brice Johnson told reporters Thursday. “We can definitely get back to where we were. We just have to come back with a different mindset.” Johnson did his part in the victory with 18 points, seven rebounds and eight blocks and will face a difficult challenge inside against Providence’s Ben Bentil, who led the Big East in scoring. The Friars survived 40.3 percent shooting and edged USC 70-69 on Rodney Bullock’s layup with 1.5 seconds left in Thursday’s first round. Providence coach Ed Cooley told reporters it will be a “David-and-Goliath situation” against the Tar Heels, but he added that, “anything, as you can see, can happen in March.”
TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, TBS
LINE HISTORY: The No. 1 ranked Tar Heels opened as 9.5-point home favorites and have yet to move off that number. The total also hasn't moved since opening at 151. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT PROVIDENCE (24-10, 18-15 ATS, 19-14 O/U): Guard Kris Dunn battled foul trouble that limited him to 27 minutes, but scored 16 against USC and will need a big effort against North Carolina’s talented backcourt. Dunn averages 16 points, 6.3 assists and 2.5 steals while the 6-9 Bentil scores 21.1 per game after pouring in 19 on 7-of-21 shooting Thursday. Bullock (11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds) has strung together two big games in a row, scoring 34 total on 13-of-22 shooting – 6-of-9 from 3-point range -- and grabbing 17 rebounds.
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (29-6, 16-18-1 ATS, 18/17 O/U): The Tar Heels have held 26 straight opponents to under 45 percent shooting from the field but must have a better defensive effort than Thursday if they are to win a championship. Offense is not a concern for North Carolina, which averages 82.3 points with six players registering at least nine per contest. Johnson averages 16.6 points and 10.5 rebounds while Joel Berry II scores 12.7 per game – 16.3 in the last four – and fellow guards Justin Jackson (12.1) and Marcus Paige (12.0) also contribute.
TRENDS:
* Providence is 5-1 ATS in its last six games overall.
* North Carolina is 4-1 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Providence's last five NCAA Tournament games.
* Over is 6-0 in North Carolina's last six non-conference games.
Saturday's Midwest Region Second Round betting preview
Can Arkansas-Little Rock make it two upsets in a row when they take on Iowa State. The Trojans are 6.5-point pups.
No. 12 Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans vs. No. 4 Iowa State Cyclones (-6.5, 145)
Game to be played at Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
No. 12 seed Arkansas-Little Rock pulled off one of the first upsets of the NCAA Tournament and Thursday and will try to rip off another when it faces No. 4 seed Iowa State in the second round on Saturday in Denver. Senior guard Josh Hagins played the hero for the Trojans in the opener and will try to keep up with a Cyclones squad that dropped 94 points in their first-round win.
Hagins buried a tying 3-pointer from just in front of half court to force overtime against Purdue and banked in a layup to force a second overtime as Arkansas-Little Rock squeezed out an 85-83 win. “We're a fantastic team,” Hagins told reporters. “We're a bunch of guys that like to fight. That's the bottom line, man. We didn't come here to kind of show up and be happy to be here. We're here to win. We really believe in ourselves and we're here to win.” Iowa State lost in its opening round NCAA Tournament game last season to No. 14 seed UAB and was determined not to make that mistake again. The Cyclones put all five starters in double figures, led by Georges Niang’s 28 points, and jumped out to a big lead en route to a 13-point win over Iona.
TV: 6:10 p.m. ET, TNT
LINE HISTORY: Iowa State has opened as 6.5-point faves over upset minded Arkansas-Little Rock and the line hasn't moved since. The total has been bet down one point from 146 to 145. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK (30-4, 20-10 ATS, 11-19 O/U): The Trojans were down by 13 points with 3 1/2 minutes left in regulation on Thursday before Hagins took over and finished with a career-high 31 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals. Arkansas-Little Rock sailed through the Sun Belt during the regular season and is united in its belief that it can make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. “We're not done yet,” Trojans coach Chris Beard told reporters. “I've always thought there's different kinds of teams that go to tournaments. Teams that are happy to be in the tournament and teams that go to try to win the tournament. That's kind of our objective right now. We think we have a team that can advance in this tournament.”
ABOUT IOWA STATE (22-11, 16-13-1 ATS, 14-15-1 O/U): The Cyclones got over the mental hurdle of last year’s early exit and look like a stronger team than the one that came into the Tournament off back-to-back losses thanks to the health of guard Monte Morris. The junior strained the AC joint in his right shoulder during the regular-season finale and went 1-of-9 from the field in the opening loss of the Big 12 tournament against Oklahoma but was 7-of-12 in 37 minutes on Thursday. “Now you got the pressure to go to the Sweet 16,” Iowa State coach Steve Prohm told reporters. “There's a constant pressure in this business. But you want to be at jobs where there's pressures and expectations or really what are you coaching for and what are you playing for?”
TRENDS:
* Arkansas-Little Rock is 4-0 ATS in its last four neutral site games, but 0-5 ATS in its last five versus Big 12 opponents.
* Iowa State is 4-1 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Arkansas-Little Rock's last five neutral site games.
* Over is 5-1 in Iowa State's last six NCAA Tournament games.
No. 8 Butler Bulldogs vs. No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers (-7.5, 130)
Game to be played at PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
Virginia was knocked out in the Round of 32 in last season's NCAA Tournament, a fate it hopes to avoid when it meets No. 9 seed Butler on Saturday in a Midwest Region affair in Raleigh, N.C. The top-seeded Cavaliers shook off a slow start - and a scare when coach Tony Bennett fainted just before halftime before returning to coach the second half - to rout Hampton 81-45 in Thursday's first round.
They shot 55 percent, made 12 3-pointers and turned the ball over only five times in their most lopsided win since the season-opener against Morgan State. "It just started with ... getting into the paint, having our bigs be aggressive down low and just finishing down low," London Perrantes - who scored all 12 of his points on four 3-pointers - told reporters. "It opened up for us around the 3-point line." The Bulldogs also worked past some early issues to take control and knock off Texas Tech 71-61. They are seeking their first Sweet 16 berth since 2011, when they were national runners-up for the second straight time.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, TBS
LINE HISTORY: No. 1 seed Virginia opened as seven-point favorites and have been bet up to -7.5. It no surprise with defensive-minded Virginia involved, the total has been bet down two points from 132 to 130. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT BUTLER (22-10, 17-14-1 ATS, 16-14-1 O/U): Kellen Dunham scored 23 points and Kelan Martin had 11 in the final eight-plus minutes in the win over the Red Raiders. Tyler Wideman also hit double digits with 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting while Andrew Chrabascz chipped in 13 for the Bulldogs, who have won at least one game in nine of their last 10 tournament appearances. To keep pace with the Cavaliers, Butler may need more from senior forward Roosevelt Jones, who has a total of nine points on 2-of-17 shooting over his last two games.
ABOUT VIRGINIA (27-7, 18-14 ATS, 12-20 O/U): Senior forward Anthony Gill was seen praying with one hand on his coach's shoulders after the brief collapse on the sidelines, and later joked that he had been the one to heal Bennett. The Cavaliers are getting used to Gill stepping up in postseason play, as he has now scored in double figures in five of six career NCAA Tournament games while some of the other big names around him have struggled. Marial Shayok provided a boost Thursday with 10 points off the bench and he has reached that mark in two of his last three games after 11 straight single-digit efforts.
TRENDS:
* Butler is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games overall.
* Virginia is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games overall.
* Under is 4-0 in Butler's last four non-conference games.
* Under is 6-1 in Virginia's last seven non-conference games.
No. 11 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 3 Utah Utes (Pick, 140)
Game to be played at Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
Third-seeded Utah meets No. 11 seed Gonzaga on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Denver in a Midwest Region contest featuring a pair of sophomore big men at the top of their games. Seven-footer Jakob Poeltl, the Pac-12 Player of the Year, recorded 16 points and 18 rebounds in the Utes' 80-69 victory over Fresno State on Thursday while 6-11 Domantas Sabonis registered 21 and 16 in a 68-52 triumph over Seton Hall.
Utah also boasts a backcourt featuring senior Brandon Taylor and junior Lorenzo Bonam, who combined for 33 points Thursday with Taylor also providing six assists and four steals. The teams are loaded with experience as the Utes reached the Sweet 16 last season while the Bulldogs made it to the Elite Eight before losing to eventual national champion Duke. Gonzaga is appearing in its 18th consecutive NCAA Tournament - fourth-longest behind Kansas (26), Duke (21) and Michigan State (19) - and is coming off its eighth straight first-round victory, matching the Jayhawks for the longest current run. ''This group of guys, as well as the guys before them, have just done an unbelievable job of making streaks that just seemed impossible when you look back at them,'' Bulldogs coach Mark Few told reporters.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, TNT
LINE HISTORY: Despite this being a matchup between a 3-seed and an 11-seed the line has opened at a Pick'em. The total has been bet up one points from 139 to 140. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT GONZAGA (27-7, 16-15-1 ATS, 16-16 O/U): Senior forward Kyle Wiltjer (20.5 points per game) is the highest scorer on either team and leads four Bulldogs in double figures. Sabonis (17.5 points) is seventh nationally at 11.7 rebounds while senior Eric McClellan (10.5 points) - the West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year - and freshman Josh Perkins (10.2) add scoring punch out of the backcourt. Senior guard Kyle Dranginis (6.6 points, 4.4 rebounds) adds veteran leadership while sophomore guard Silas Melson (6.8 points) also contributes.
ABOUT UTAH (27-8, 17-15-1 ATS, 19-13-1 O/U): Poeltl (team highs of 17.6 points and 9.2 rebounds) receives support down low from sophomore forward Kyle Kuzma (10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds), who could be the top candidate to help slow down Wiltjer. Senior forward Jordan Loveridge (11.9 points) scored 16 versus Fresno State while Bonam (10.1 points, 3.1 assists) and Taylor (9.8, 3.9) are the Utes' other top scorers. Coach Larry Krystkowiak uses an eight-man rotation that averages at least 13 minutes and includes senior forward Dakarai Tucker (5.3 points).
TRENDS:
* Gonzaga is 6-0 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Utah is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games overall.
* Under is 6-1 in Gonzaga's last seven non-conference games.
* Over is 4-0 in Utah's last four games overall.
