NCAAB
Thursday, February 9
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Fullcourt Report: College hoops betting news and notes
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ACC
Florida State sits tied atop the ACC standings with a 7-1 conference record. The Seminoles are in first place along with North Carolina, who they handed a whopping 33-point (90-57) loss to a few weeks back.
Florida State has been a strong defensive team in recent years has maintained that level this season. But the Noles' biggest improvement has come on the offensive end. One of the main reasons for that has been the addition of Ian Miller, who became eligible right around Christmas.
“He’s meant an awful lot to our team and I’d say he has as much to do with our turnaround as anybody,” FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton told reporters.
The Seminoles are 6-2 ATS in conference play, including a perfect 3-0 ATS as underdogs.
Big Ten
Penn State has certainly been through the ringer over the last six months. And the basketball team hasn’t been much better, with an overall losing record and a dismal 2-9 mark in conference play.
However, the Nittany Lions have been a tough out on their home court in conference play. While they are just 2-3 SU, they are a money-making 4-1 ATS as underdogs at home.
Penn State has one of the best players in the Big Ten with guard Tim Frazier averaging 18.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game.
Big 12
Texas has played in a lot of close games recently. Nine of the Longhorns’ 11 conference games have been decided by single digits. Texas’ six league losses have come by an average of just five points per game.
The Longhorns had lost five of their previous six games before defeating Texas Tech on Saturday and rival Texas A&M Monday night. Texas is an extremely young team with six of its nine rotation players in their first year.
The Longhorns are just 3-7-1 ATS in conference play, including a dismal 0-6 ATS as favorites. Texas is 3-1-1 ATS as an underdog in conference play, and considering its knack for playing in close games, its ATS success should hold firm.
Big East
Seton Hall got off to a fast start this season, with the Pirates opening 15-2 SU. However, things have been rough lately. Seton Hall has lost its last six games, while going just 1-5 ATS in the process.
The Pirates played their last game without their best player, Herb Pope, who is dealing with a rib injury. Seton Hall needs a healthy Pope on the court in order to correct its offensive woes. Over their last five games, the Pirates are averaging just 55 points on 31.6 percent shooting – 24.8 percent from 3-point land.
Seton Hall is 6-3 ATS on its home court, and if Pope returns to health, the Pirates may turn things around against the spread if they become undervalued after the recent poor results.
Pac-12
UCLA forward Travis Wear suffered a high ankle sprain in the Bruins’ 71-69 loss at Washington last Thursday night. That’s not good for a thin UCLA team that plays just a seven-man rotation.
Wear was the Bruins’ second-leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 11.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Ironically, UCLA won its first game outside of the state of California this season on Saturday without Wear on the court. The Bruins beat Washington State 63-60.
Luckily for UCLA, it plays three consecutive home games before hitting the road for three games to close out February. UCLA is a perfect 4-0 ATS at home in conference play, but keep an eye on Wear’s status as he is an integral part of the Bruins’ success.
SEC
Mississippi State has three terrific players in Arnett Moultrie, Dee Bost, and Rodney Hood. All three of those guys average over 11 points per game. But they also average over 34 minutes per game because the Bulldogs have been playing the majority of the season with little depth on their bench.
However, that’s about to change as key reserves Shaun Smith and Deville Smith have come back from their injuries. Mississippi State was a pointspread machine from mid November to late December, when it went 8-2 ATS. But since the rotation was shortened, the Bulldogs have gone just 2-7 ATS, including a 2-6 ATS mark in conference play.
Mississippi State may become undervalued because of its recent play, and with the reserves back in the mix, the Bulldogs may get back to covering spreads.