Saturday 2/21/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Balmoral: Saturday 2/21 Analysis
By Jeremey Day

DRF HARNESS

Race 9 - $15,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

Best Bet (4 - 7 / $11.60): I AM BONASERA (7th)

Spot Play: CRANKIN’ IT UP (8th)


Race 1

(3) EARTHLY DESIRE mare has been sharp and gets a post edge on her main rivals. (7) ROCK N KILO has been facing better and is one of few threats to the top choice. (5) BABYSHOEBUYER went from awesome to empty last out but does get a big driver change.

Race 2

(6) DIXIE'S BOY three-year-old has a ton of ability and should be much sharper second start after the break. (7) SKYWAY BRENLIN is capable of pacing a big mile and just needs a smooth trip for a piece. (3) WALKING TALL gelding makes his third start back off a long layoff and is probably primed for a better effort.

Race 3

(4) WINGS mare was razor sharp last out drawing off against the same group. (7) RYLEIGH'S LILLY was much better the start prior and could threaten with that type of effort. (3) STATE STREET LIZ has yet to get it rolling in the new year but could be in line for an ideal trip up close.

Race 4

(2) FAMILY SPIRIT N eleven-year-old pacer comes off a nice qualifier and could be the sleeper in the race. (5) WESTERN SLAMMER gelding went a big effort last out against a better group. (6) AJ GET'S THE MONEY has been racing gamely and will be blasting for position early.

Race 5

In an inconsistent field full of question marks (3) SHIFTTANEXTGEAR was intentionally taken off the gate last out and should be ready for a much better effort second start back off the long layoff. (5) ARLO GRAM is probably the horse to beat against a very weak bunch. (7) PHANTASM three-year-old colt needed his last start and should be closer turning for home.

Race 6

(7) CARDINAL WIND has burned cash in two straight coming up small late. The 4-year-old trotter faces a very soft bunch. (1) A LOCAL BAND was the driver's pick and wasn't far off from the top choice last out; threat. (3) MUSCULAR YANKEE is one of few with upside in the race and appears to be getting better with every start.

Race 7

(1) IAM BONASERA circled the field for fun last week and will do it again if he stays pacing; fires late. (3) REAL WINNER put in a sneaky sharp effort last out and could hit the ticket at a price. (2) WASHINGTON HANOVER the driver opted elsewhere but the pacer has been racing gamely.

Race 8

(1) CRANKIN' IT UP takes a huge drop in class and makes his third start back off a layoff; big chance. (6) MONOPOLY MAN gelding is racing better than his lines indicate and should offer a decent price. (7) REJOICEANDBEGLAD has been competitive at this level but needs a smooth trip.

Race 9

(4) BEST MAN HANOVER has been given two lackadaisical drives off the layoff. However when the connections say go, the pacer is sitting on a huge effort. (5) FORT SILKY raced big off the layoff last out and should have more to offer. (2) MAJOR MONET classy gelding is capable of a good effort but is best used underneath.

Race 10

(9) TOUCH THE ROCK owns all the back class and could offer nice value from the far outside. (3) RICKY BOBBIE bumps up in class but has been competitive at this level. (4) ALEQUASH HOTSPUR has been knocking on the door against similar; threat.

Race 11

(9) STAR CHASER gelding makes his second start off the layoff and closed big ground late last out. (6) JO JO SPUR has always been tough at the bottom level; fires late. (5) BET ON HIM could be better from off the pace and just needs to stay pacing for a piece.

Race 12

(6) FLYING ROCKET four-year-old looks to be much the best with a similar effort to his last start against better. (4) MEADOWBROOK SMASON gelding owns a decent burst of speed but would need more to hit the top spot. (5) TRIGGERHAPPY HERO has not won in quite some time but is capable of jumping up with a big effort at a price.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Woodbine Harness: Saturday 2/21 Analysis
By Garnet Barnsdale

DRF HARNESS

Race 4 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

EARLY $1 PICK 4:

6 / 2,4,5,7,9 / 5,7,9 / 2,4,8 = $45

MEET STATS: 70 - 198 / $391.70 BEST BETS: 9 - 19 / $38.10

SPOT PLAYS: 5 - 18 / $54.10

Best Bet: POWER MOVE (8th)

Spot Play: AMERICAN GI (11th)


Race 1

(5) WAZZUP WAZZUP had some serious issues with the track last week which caused him to make several uncharacteristic breaks. He can make amends tonight if the track is in decent shape. He does not like it wet. (2) BILBO HANOVER used a monster 3rd quarter brush to open up an insurmountable lead. He has missed time since that mile though; mixed signals from him. (3) SING FOR ME GEORGE was picked off late after setting the pace but is more effective as a closer and will likely revert to that style here.

Race 2

(5) NORTHERN VICTORY stayed in and encountered traffic issues in the stretch last week. He is far more likely to get his trip here starting from the 5-hole; top call. (2) WATKINS came first-up and was only overtaken very late by the one he provided cover for. He is in top shape now and must be respected. (6) EXEMPLAR produced two huge wins after switching to the Moreau barn and another wouldn't be a big surprise.

Race 3

(1) ARTISTIC FUSION had her 2015 win streak snapped last week but was digging hard at the wire and will likely leave closer and make her own luck here in the Ontario Girls Final. (7) JAKARDEZ has shown improvement every start for a cagey barn and could make some noise here at a huge price. (10) BET YA got the jump on the choice last week and hung on bravely to keep her at bay. The 10-hole may be her undoing here, though.

Race 4

(6) HIT AND GIGGLE A dropped into this class and was moved powerfully to the front by Henry in the third 1/4 and drove away impressively. He can take another here using similar tactics. (8) I SCOOT SAM continues to enter at the higher claiming price and draws outside again which sometimes hinders his late charge due to too much traffic in front of him. Your call. (9) JOSHUA MY BOY was beaten handily by the choice but claimed. He is likely firing again when the gate leaves, the question is: how long will he be on front?

Race 5

(2) MMS LUCKY BOY couldn't get to the dominant winner but maintained his sharpness with a good late charge and is likely to get speed to chase down and some good flow to follow here; top call. (5) CRACKER ZACK has been getting closer and this drop in class may be all he needs to find the winner's circle; beware. (4) PAPER BACKED LINDY got too far back last time but still finished with his good late zip and likely gets a favorable trip here. Keep him on your pick 4 tickets.

Race 6

(9) THUNDER STEELER returns from a short break for Waxman and judging by his latest qualifier, he's ready to go right away here. (7) SUMMER CAMP shipped in and looked good winning off a 6-month break. The step up in class isn't that great for this sharp gelding. (5) The Rev finally broke a long winless skein but has shown improvement in his last few and is a threat to repeat.

Race 7

Something tells us there is going to be way more action in the final of the Ontario Boys than in the preliminary legs and based on that estimate we'll call (4) PL HOOFHEARTED to come and mow them all down late in a big upset. He should be able to produce his best now in his third start over the track. (2) NIRVANA SEELSTER has been unbeatable in this series up to this point but has faced zero pressure on the lead. That changes here. (8) RAMBLINGAMBLINMAN is another that can benefit from some dueling up front and is not out of the question for the win.

Race 8

(4) POWER MOVE lived up to his name first time in Moreau's barn and should take another here back in the same class. (2) EW FISHER has been sharp all winter here and showed a new dimension last week closing from way back to fall just short to a class-dropping winner. He looks like the only real danger to the choice. (6) HOUSE OF CASH finished with some good late trot for third in the same dash as the one above and is logical for a minor award again here.

Race 9

(6) HOPE FOR PADDY had a useful comeback race and may be able to chase all of these mares down late with the expected mid-race action in front of her setting things up. (2) WAASMULA continues to be snake bitten but has been sharp as a tack all winter and is sure to be there on the money again. (7) RUBIS PRESCOTT stepped up and upset most of these last week. There are fewer more consistent performers than her on this circuit so don't let her go at a big price again.

Race 10

(2) NICKLE BAG is in phenomenal form at the present time and tough to go against, even with a speedy newcomer in the field; top call. (3) MUSSELSFRMBRUSSELS came close to nailing the choice last time but had his perfect cover to follow and still couldn't get him. That exacta stands a good chance of repeating here. (6) ULTIMATE BEACHBOY ships in off a couple of big miles at The Meadowlands and joins the Menary stable. He'll have his hands full with the choice, however.

Race 11

(3) AMERICAN GI missed 5 weeks prior to his penultimate start and inexplicably took a ton of action at the windows and predictably showed little. Last week, back on a 7-day rotation he showed some late life and tonight's the night we expect to see more, likely at a much better price. (2) CONFLICT DIAMOND went a big trip on a track rated 3 seconds slow in the London Preferred last out. That translates into contender vs. this group. (8) MCKINNEY put up solid fractions and held on bravely a class lower last week. He looks like a different horse right now and should not be underestimated. (7) SPARKY MARK was overtaken in the 3rd quarter and kept chugging for a share. He has the speed to take these a long way but others figure higher. (9) STOMPIN TOM CREEK went a long mile and hung in there well. He's been sharp for a long time now and could better this placing.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Meadowlands: Saturday 2/21 Analysis
By Derick Giwner

DRF HARNESS

Race 1 - $30,000 Guaranteed Pick Five Pool

Race 3 - $25,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

Race 7 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

MEET STATS: 103 - 411 / $588.30 BEST BETS: 11 - 34 / $39.60

Best Bet: JL CRUZE (2nd)

Spot Play: CAVIART LUCA (9th)


Race 1

(5) BIG CITY JEWEL was a solid second behind a good one in National Seelster. Ray Remmen trainee seems ready to win. (7) LILYS REAL BOY seems fast enough and should improve with Pierce jumping in the bike. (2) MYSTICAL DALI had no chance last time after chasing a slow pace; Gingras drives. (1) CHUCARO ACERO BC makes his U.S. debut after compiling a 18-for18 record in Argentina. I’m not sure I saw enough to back him on top.

Race 2

(2) JL CRUZE almost caught (1) OPULENT YANKEE despite that one setting some soft fractions. I’d expect driver John Campbell to get more aggressive and take charge. The latter looks like a clear second best and comes with a pair of decent entry mates. (4) WALK THE WALK has won two straight but needs to step up his game.

Race 3

(5) CAPOZZO faces weaker foes and adds Gingras; two great angles. (6) DREAMLANDS ART was used to the front on a night where speed wasn’t exactly killing it. I’d give him a second chance. (1) SWEET BEACH came off the bench with a nice effort and could improve.

Race 4

(8) IDEAL MAGIC had been racing well on the lead but came from behind and closed well. Four-year-old remains sharp and only needs a live trip. You have to like that Brett Miller chose off #6, who won last week, to drive here. (1) ROCK OUT was super last Saturday. If he brings that effort again the race is over. (4) SIR CARY’S Z TAM is clearly in form. Can he handle this class?

Race 5

(1) NATIONAL SEELSTER was a very professional winner last week and remains undefeated; again. (8) COASTER has proven versatile and could improve in start two for Burke. (3) ROOSTER RABBIT has stepped up before but needs the right trip for that to happen again.

Race 6

(4) REDISCOVERY took another step forward in round two of the Sonsam. He’ll be a great price again and perhaps he is ready to get over the hump. (6) ROCKEYED OPTIMIST couldn’t have raced any better than he did last week, coming first-over and charging home in 25 4/5. He is the one to beat. (3) MAJOR UPTREND is going for the series sweep; obvious player.

Race 7

(3) PANCHESTER UNITED raced okay from post 10 last week and now enters the Burke barn. (8) URGENT ACTION is a classy 8-year-old that could easily step up in this spot. (1) K-LEES SHAKENBAKE scored in this class a week ago and is always dangerous if in striking position. (5) SALEVSTER STALLION draws better this time around.

Race 8

(9) LONEWOLF CURRIER went a nice mile in defeat last time. The outside post hurts tonight, but perhaps that will help to provide a better price. (3) BRICK BAZOOKA looks awful on paper, but this is a big class break and he is first-time Burke. (6) PEACHYS PISTOL gets a major driver change to Brett Miller.

Race 9

I loved the qualifier from (8) CAVIART LUCA on February 12. He bided his time and absolutely pounced on the leaders while full of pace. He’ll need to drop a few seconds tonight but has proven he can go in the 1:51 range needed to win. (4) OK GORGEOUS was hopelessly trapped last week while loaded with pace and everyone saw it. Expect a short price. (5) VICTORY AT LAST raced well on the engine in his debut for the Burke barn; can show more. (6) CLASSIC ART closed reasonably well most recently.

Race 10

(6) DIAMOND SAID dropped and popped with a big effort in the preliminary round of this mini claiming series. Gelding shouldn’t miss a beat in his new barn. (4) OUTA MY HEAD has won two straight in this class; very dangerous. (10) EXPLODENT has enough early speed to overcome the bad draw; exotics at least.

Race 11

(5) WITCH DALI had an off night last week, but I still believe she is the best of this bunch and the price should be higher this time around. (4) EMPRESS DEO goes for the series sweep after surprising to some extent in both preliminary legs. (1) SOUTHWIND SERENITY seems to be getting better each time out in 2015.

Race 12

(8) WIGGLE IT JIGGLEIT was spectacular besting older foes in the Sonsam last time. If he brings anything close to that effort these foes will be nowhere near him at the wire. (2) REVENGE SHARK was very good in his most recent qualifier. Three-year-old showed some promise at Lexington last year. (3) SHADOW RECRUIT got in the win column in his second start for Burke, but this is a much tougher spot.

Race 13

(2) STALLONE BLUE CHIP doesn’t win very often but faces an abysmal group in the finale. I have to think that he’ll find a way to win. (3) SLIP has some legitimate trip excuses in all three starts this year. There is a reasonable chance that this 9-year-old can get trainer Jessica Roegner off the Meadowlands schneid. (5) HILARIOUS HALO gets a better post to work with and has proven he can go a big mile at times. (10) HERE COMES SWIFTY should get a piece despite the bad post.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yonkers: Saturday 2/21 Analysis
By Matt Rose

DRF HARNESS

MEET STATS: 38 - 119 / $181.90 BEST BETS: 6 - 10 / $20.70

Best Bet: SANTANNA ONE (4th)

Spot Play: HANG TEN (12th)


Race 1

(3) BURKENTINE HANOVER gets some class and post relief tonight and he's got a decent history here. (1) SPINARAMA also drops, draws best and driver Siegelman should get very aggressive from this spot. (2) TWIN B HOLLISTER should be saving ground and he should have something left for the finish.

Race 2

(5) O'SUNDLAND was dead-game in defeat from the eight hole upon dropping to this more realistic level; Stalbaum will be firing to the front and will look to take these the distance. (1) HI HO STEVERINO lands all the way inside and he figures to sit the trip. (4) TAURANGA was aggressively handled upon arrival and despite tiring it was an encouraging effort.

Race 3

(5) IN COMMANDO has paced evenly in three local efforts versus better after shipping from Canada; Mark Ford trainee could be ready for more tonight. (1) IDEAL FASHION stormed home versus lesser just five days ago, now he draws best; big threat. (2) LAWGIVER HANOVER was turned away while uncovered into a rated pace the other day; Vallee can sit here and shake free with pace.

Race 4

(2) SANTANNA ONE raced well last out for a share. Tonight he returns to Bartlett, lands another good post and seems a touch better than these. (1) GOOD DAY MATE doesn't win all that often but he's perfectly capable of being right there at the wire. (6) POP COP tries Sears tonight off a couple of uninvolved efforts; watch the board for some clues with this one.

Race 5

(4) ATOCHIA returns locally and makes his second start since 2013. Remember, he was the Levy champ a few seasons ago. (6) TWIN B FAMOUS won't pass horses late but he does have sharp early speed which can land him in a good spot. (1) PANONGAHELA inherits the rail spot with the early stratch of Eighteen and he should be able to hang around for a share.

Race 6

(2) MCERLEAN was a razor-sharp winner last out and from this inside spot he should be well within striking range again. (1) MICHAEL'S POWER has all the controlling speed in here and he lands the best draw. (8) TAKE IT BACK TERRY is stuck outside yet again, totally devoid of any luck in this open draw. Sharp sort should be able to pass some rivals for a share.

Race 7

(3) CLASSIC GENT was a bit overmatched in his last two versus Open types; gelding gets some needed class relief and he's reunited with Dube. (4) KIWI IDEAL N was a solid runner-up last out after a rugged uncovered try; import is capable of taking all here. (2) LIFE UP FRONT finally put it all back together last out and he's got the back class.

Race 8

(1) HOLDINGALLTHECARDS tackles tougher but he lands the coveted rail spot again and he's sharp enough to handle these. (6) WARRAWEE NEEDY has a ton of early speed at his disposal but he may face some early opposition. (3) AMERICAN RAGE has two wins and a second in his last three and he clearly fits here.

Race 9

(3) THE LADIES MAN was much better last out and the Burke trainee should be close up throughout in this tough-to-figure event. (4) DONAU steps up off three very sharp efforts. (5) I FOUND MY BEACH is clearly a speed threat but he's gonna have to dig in late.

Race 10

(6) P H SUPERCAM was aggressively handled from the eight hole and almost lasted the distance; Bamond trainee has maintained his edge so far in 2015 and he's the one to beat despite the outside post. (1) MICKEY HANOVER gave way weakly from the pocket last out with no excuse and he will look to rebound here. (5) BAD BOY MATT acclimated nicely with a second place effort to Mcerlean.

Race 11

(4) HEEZ ORL BLACK N has quickly proven that he belongs with these Saturday night types and he can take this with any sort of live steer from Vallee. (2) TALKING BLUES is back up in class off a sharp score. (3) SOURCE OF PRIDE has failed to get involved in his last two after beating lesser but he gets post relief tonight.

Race 12

(4) HANG TEN has been in tough spots in his last three but has finished those races decently enough to hint that he's still sharp; this looks like a very realistic spot tonight. (1) SOMETHINGINTHEWIND gets class and post relief in his second 2015 start. (5) VALIDUS DEO moves in a couple of spots and could be a late threat.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Saturday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Aqueduct (8th) Jubilant Vision, 3-1
(9th) Ice Wagon, 5-1

Charles Town (1st) Clean Heir, 6-1
(4th) Flashy Humor, 3-1


Delta Downs (6th) Kissin Star, 5-1
(8th) Golden Legs, 6-1


Fair Grounds (2nd) Medal of Courage, 6-1
(3rd) Time Catcher, 8-1


Golden Gate Fields (6th) Articulate, 5-1
(8th) Quick and Silver, 7-2

Gulfstream Park (3rd) Face of Winner, 6-1
(12th) Tweet Kitten, 6-1

Hawthorne (1st) Royal Seven, 5-1
(9th) Teachem Ruler, 5-1


Laurel Park (2nd) Real Justice, 3-1
(8th) Jammin With Jamie, 3-1


Mahoning Valley (4th) Artic Cat, 6-1
(7th) Barnsvlle Shamrock, 8-1


Oaklawn Park (7th) Mr. Tickle, 7-2
(9th) Escalate, 4-1


Parx Racing (3rd) Rock n' Roll Diva, 6-1
(7th) Derby Gold, 7-2


Penn National (2nd) Bright Monba, 10-1
(8th) Silectico, 4-1

Sam Houston (8th) Moon Bling, 6-1
(10th) Gaelico, 6-1


Santa Anita (6th) Lady Asano, 3-1
(7th) Courageous Call, 3-1

Sunland Park (7th) She Devil, 5-1
(8th) Polish Project, 4-1


Tampa Bay Downs (2nd) Rising Tigress, 5-1
(8th) Evenanangelcanrun, 4-1

Turf Paradise (4th) Silver Terrace, 4-1
(8th) Paradise High, 4-1


Turfway Park (1st) Vanilla Man, 8-1
(9th) Reason to Medal, 4-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Soccer EPL Best Bets - Week 25
By Toby Maxtone-Smith

With 13 matches to go in the English Premier League Chelsea remain firm favourites to win their fifth English crown. They are 1/8 for the title ahead of 7/1 Manchester City. In the race for the top 4, Arsenal (2/5) and Manchester United (4/9) lead the way, though Southampton, Liverpool and Spurs are all given decent chances by the bookmakers. The three promoted sides, Leicester, Burnley and QPR are the three favourites for relegation, and there are five other sides all still in trouble.

Chelsea secured a valuable 1-1 draw away to PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday and look strong favourites to progress to the quarter-finals. In the Europa League, there were wins for Liverpool and Everton, while Tottenham drew with Fiorentina. Let's handicap Week 25 of the Premier League.

The Banker: Arsenal to win at Crystal Palace at 5/6

Arsenal’s away form has suffered slightly this year, but after a run of seven wins in their last nine they look an attractive bet to win at Crystal Palace at a shade of odds-on. Arsenal are still unbeaten against sides in the bottom half of the table, illustrating that their strength is in cleaning up against the little teams while struggling against the big boys. While Crystal Palace relied heavily on their home form last year, this year they have taken more points on the road. The Eagles have taken just 12 of their 27 points at Selhurst Park. They are more comfortable as a team on the counter-attack, and this shows in their poor home form and good away record. Arsenal will not be overly worried enough by their midweek Champions League tie with Monaco to rest players, and a full-strength Gunners team should have more than enough to overcome Palace.

The Solid Bet: Aston Villa to beat Stoke City at 17/10

Having scored just 12 goals all year and sitting in 18th place, Villa have rarely been an appealing price this season. That changes this weekend as they take on Stoke at Villa Park. The game is new manager Tim Sherwood’s first league fixture, and there is a sense of optimism around the club after the sacking of Paul Lambert, who led the club through two and a half dour years. Villa’s performances this year have often deserved more than the end result, and I expect to see an upturn in the Birmingham club’s results. Stoke are mid-table as always, but come into this game with a raft of injuries: Jonathan Walters, Stephen Ireland, captain Ryan Shawcross, Marc Wilson, Bojan Krkic and others are all out leaving the Potters miles below full strength. This could be telling, and 17/10 on Villa looks a good bet.

The Outsider: Liverpool to win at Southampton at 2/1

Liverpool are playing arguably the best football in the Premier League apart from Chelsea at the moment, and should not be 2/1 away to Southampton. The Reds have won six and drawn two of their last eight, while Southampton have scored just once in their last three games and lie four points ahead of their opponents on Sunday. Raheem Sterling has been on fire for Liverpool recently, while Mario Balotelli is showing signs of coming into form, and the performances of Emre Can have been excellent. Southampton are still a strong defensive unit, but with the recent struggles of Graziano Pelle they do not look too strong a proposition for an improving Liverpool back-line. I would have Liverpool a lot closer to the 6/4 you can find on Southampton, and could not discourage siding with the Reds at 2/1 here.

The First Goalscorer: Oscar for Chelsea vs Burnley at 6/1

Chelsea meet Burnley in a battle of the haves and the have-nots, and while there is little point in getting on Chelsea at 1/5, there may be some value in backing attacking midfielder Oscar to break the deadlock at Stamford Bridge. The Brazilian was rested for Chelsea’s Champions League game, and will be fresh for his likely return here. He has scored six league goals this year, five of which were the first of the game. With Diego Costa not quite hitting his form from the start of the year, there is not too much competition in this market, and Oscar tends to score a lot of his goals against the weaker sides in the division. 6/1 is a fair bet on him to score first.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB Conference Notebook
By Bruce Marshall

Following is our annual mid-February look at the major "board" conferences and their chances of sending multiple entries to the NCAA Tournament.

As always, we have divided the teams into three categories--Solid, Looking Good, and Bubble.

Solid is self-explanatory.

Looking Good teams can expect an NCAA invitation as long as they don't slump badly in the next few weeks.

Bubble teams, however, remain at the mercy of the Tourney Committee, and desperately need every win to keep their Big Dance hopes alive.

Keep in mind that nearly every Division I team can qualify for an automatic Big Dance berth by winning its conference tournament.

Also included below are conference tourney sites and dates; Conference Power Rankings (thru Feb. 18); and last year's postseason participants, including NCAA, NIT, CBI, and CIT action.

AMERICAN
Solid...SMU
Looking Good...Tulsa, Temple
Bubble...Cincinnati
Conference Power Rating-8th
Notes...Tourney March 12-15 at XL Center, Hartford, CT. Last year...NCAA-4 (UConn-Champs, Louisville*-Sweet 16, Memphis-3rd round, Cincinnati-2nd round); NIT-1 (SMU-Runner-up). *-Louisville has since moved to the ACC. At the moment, defending NCAA champ UConn, along with another Big Dance regular, Memphis, have to scramble just to get on the bubble.

ACC
Solid...Virginia, Duke, Notre Dame, Louisville, North Carolina
Bubble...Miami-Florida, NC State, Pitt, Clemson
Conference Power Rating-3rd
Notes...Tourney March 10-14 at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC. Last year...NCAA-6 (Virginia-Sweet 16, Syracuse-3rd round, North Carolina-3rd round, Pitt-3rd round, Duke-2nd round, NC State-2nd round); NIT-2 (Clemson-Semifinals, Florida State-Semifinals). Note...In wake of an ongoing NCAA investigation, Syracuse has self-imposed a ban and will be ineligible for postseason competition, including the ACC Tourney.

ATLANTIC TEN
Solid...Virginia Commonwealth
Looking Good...Dayton
Bubble...Rhode Island, Davidson, George Washington
Conference-7th
Notes...Tourney March 11-15 at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY. Last year...NCAA-6 (Dayton-Elite Eight, Saint Louis-3rd round, Virginia Commonwealth-2nd round, St. Joseph's-2nd round, George Washington-2nd round, UMass-2nd round). At the moment, Rhode Island likely lands on safe side of Big Dance cut line.

BIG EAST
Solid...Villanova, Butler, Providence, Georgetown
Bubble...St. John's, Xavier, Seton Hall
Conference-2nd
Notes...Tourney March 11-14 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY. Last year...NCAA-4 (Villanova-3rd round, Creighton-3rd round, Providence-2nd round, Xavier-First round). Seton Hall, projected into the NCAA Tourney field as recently as two weeks ago, now appears in danger of falling off the bubble after five straight defeats.

BIG TEN
Solid...Wisconsin, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State
Looking Good...Purdue, Indiana
Bubble...Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota
Conference-4th
Notes...Tourney March 11-15 at United Center, Chicago, IL. Last year...NCAA-6 (Wisconsin-Final Four, Michigan-Elite Eight, Michigan State-Elite Eight, Nebraska-Second round, Ohio State-2nd round, Iowa-First round); NIT-2 (Minnesota-Champs, Illinois-2nd round); CBI-Penn State (2nd round). With five losses in a row, fading Michigan has fallen off of the Big Dance bubble in the past two weeks.

BIG 12
Solid...Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa State, West Virginia, Baylor
Looking Good...Oklahoma State, Texas.
Conference-1st
Notes...Tourney March 11-14 at Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO. Last year...NCAA-7 (Baylor-Sweet 16, Iowa State-Sweet 16, Kansas-3rd round, Texas-3rd round, Kansas State-2nd round, Oklahoma-2nd round, Oklahoma State-2nd round); NIT-1 (West Virginia). The Big 12 is likely to qualify seven of its ten reps for the Big Dance for a second year in a row.

BIG WEST
Conference tourney champ will be only Big Dance rep.
Conference-13th
Notes...Tourney March 12-14 at Honda Center, Anaheim, CA, home of the NHL Ducks. Last year...NCAA-1 (Cal Poly-2nd round); NIT-1 (UC Irvine). Note that sub-.500 Cal Poly won the Big West Tourney last season before beating Texas Southern in the NCAA First Four at Dayton.

COLONIAL
Conference tourney champ will be only Big Dance rep.
Notes...Tourney March 6-9 at Royal Farms Baltimore Arena, Baltimore, MD. Conference-19th. Last year...NCAA-1 (Delaware-2nd round); CIT-1 (Towson-Quarterfinals). Last year, the tourney moved to the Baltimore Arena (built in 1962 and former home court of the NBA Baltimore Bullets in the days it was called the Baltimore Civic Center) after a long run at the Richmond Coliseum.

CONFERENCE USA
Bubble...Louisiana Tech, UTEP, Old Dominion, Western Kentucky
Conference-17th
Notes...Tourney March 11-14 at Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, Birmingham, AL (not the home court of UAB, which plays at Gene Bartow Arena). Last year...NCAA-1 (Tulsa*-2nd round); NIT-2 (La Tech-Quarterfinals, Southern Miss-Quarterfinals); CIT-1 (East Carolina). *-Tulsa is now a member of the American Athletic. In wake of NCAA investigation, Southern Miss has imposed its own postseason ban and will not participate in the C-USA Tourney.

HORIZON
Bubble...Valparaiso, UW-Green Bay
Conference-15th
Notes...Tourney first round March 4 at campus sites; quarters and semis March 6-7 at top-seeded team; Final March 10 at home of highest-remaining seed. Last year...NCAA-1 (Milwaukee-2nd round); NIT-1 (Green Bay); CIT-3 (Wright State-2nd round, Cleveland State, Detroit). Milwaukee is postseason-ineligible due to APR penalties.

MID-AMERICAN
Bubble...Central Michigan
Conference-10th
Notes...Tourney first round March 9 at campus sites; quarters, semis, and Final March 11-14 at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH. Last year...NCAA-1 (Western Michigan-2nd round); NIT-1 (Toledo); CIT-3 (Ohio-3rd round, Eastern Michigan-2nd round, Akron).

MISSOURI VALLEY
Solid...Northern Iowa, Wichita State
Bubble...Evansville
Conference-11th
Notes...Tourney ("Arch Madness") March 5-8 at Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO. Last year...NCAA-1 (Wichita State-3rd round); NIT-1 (Indiana State); CBI-1 (Illinois State-Semifinals); CIT-1 (Missouri State).

MOUNTAIN WEST
Solid...San Diego State
Looking Good...Colorado State
Bubble...Boise State, Wyoming
Conference-12th
Notes...Tourney March 11-14 at Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV (home court of UNLV). Last year...NCAA-2 (San Diego State-Sweet 16, New Mexico-2nd round); CBI-2 (Fresno State-Runner-up, Wyoming). Note that San Jose State will be ineligible for conference tourney due to APR penalties.

PAC 12
Solid...Arizona, Utah
Bubble...Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Cal
Conference-5th
Notes...Tourney March 11-14 at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV.Last year...NCAA-6 (Arizona-Elite Eight, Stanford-Sweet 16, UCLA-Sweet 16, Oregon-3rd round, Arizona State-2nd round, Colorado-2nd round); NIT-2 (Cal-Quarterfinals, Utah); CBI-1 (Oregon State).

SEC
Solid...Kentucky, Arkansas
Looking Good...Ole Miss, LSU
Bubble...Georgia, Texas A&M
Conference-6th
Notes...Tourney March 11-15 at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN (home of the NHL Predators). Last year...NCAA-3 (Kentucky-Runner-up, Florida-Final Four, Tennessee-Sweet 16); NIT-4 (Arkansas-2nd round, Georgia-2nd round, LSU-2nd round, Missouri-2nd round); CBI-1 (Texas A&M-2nd round).

SUN BELT
Bubble...Georgia Southern
Conference-20th
Notes...Tourney March 12-15 at Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, LA. Last year...NCAA-1 (UL-Lafayette-2nd round); NIT-1 (Georgia State).

WEST COAST
Solid...Gonzaga
Bubble...BYU, Saint Mary's
Conference-9th
Notes...Tourney March 5-10 at Orleans Hotel Arena, Las Vegas, NV. Last year...NCAA-2 (Gonzaga-3rd round, BYU-2nd round); NIT-2 (Saint Mary's-2nd round, San Francisco); CIT-2 (Pacific-Semifinals, San Diego-Quarterfinals).

"BRACKETOLOGY" UPDATE...

Within the next week, we'll have another complete "Bracketology" breakdown. In the meantime, however, we offer an updated seeding list as of midweek.

1-Kentucky, Virginia, Gonzaga, Duke
2-Wisconsin, Villanova, Arizona, Kansas
3-Notre Dame, Utah, Northern Iowa, Arkansas
4-Wichita State, Maryland, Louisville, Oklahoma
5-Iowa State, Butler, VCU, SMU
6-Baylor, Providence, North Carolina, West Virginia
7-Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, San Diego State
8-Indiana, Georgetown, Ole Miss, Dayton
9-Colorado State, Temple, LSU, Purdue
10-Texas, Oregon, Miami-Fla, Tulsa
11-Cincinnati, Georgia, Iowa, La Tech
12-Valparaiso, Wofford, *Stanford, *Rhode Island, *Texas A&M, *St. John's
13-Central Michigan, Georgia Southern, Murray State, Harvard
14-UC Davis, Eastern Washington, Stephen F. Austin, Iona
15-UNC-Wilmington, High Point, NC Central, South Dakota State
16-FGCU, New Mexico State, *Albany, *Bucknell, *St. Francis (NY), *Texas Southern

*-Projected play-in game participants

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's Big 12 Tip Sheet
By David Schwab

The Big 12 goes six deep in nationally ranked teams based on the AP’s latest Top 25 and the competition for the regular season title is about as heated as it gets with three games separating all six teams. This Saturday’s slate features a pair of matchups that could be a potential trap game for two of these title contenders. No. 20 Baylor will kick things off at home against Kansas State in a 1:00 p.m. (ET) tip followed closely by No. 14 Iowa State on the road against Texas at 2:00 p.m ET.

Kansas State Wildcats at No. 20 Baylor Bears (ESPNU, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Baylor -11

Kansas State got off to a promising 4-1 SU start in conference play, but it has now lost seven of its last nine contests while going 3-4 ATS in its last seven games. The Wildcats are coming off a 69-55 loss to TCU this past Wednesday as 3 ½-point road underdogs. The total went OVER the 119 ½-point closing line after staying UNDER in six of their previous seven outings. Kansas State is averaging 63.7 points per game, but it has only exceeded that total once in its last seven games. Senior forward Nino Williams scored 14 points while pulling down 10 rebounds in the losing cause against the Horned Frogs.

The Bears snapped a two-game skid both SU and ATS with a 54-49 victory against Texas Tech this past Tuesday, but they failed to cover as 8 ½-point road favorites. They are now 8-6 ATS on the year when closing as favorites and the total has stayed UNDER in their last two games. Baylor is scoring an average of 69.2 PPG and it is ranked fourth in the nation in rebounds with 40.7 a game. A pair of junior forwards have led the way with Taurean Prince averaging 13 PPG and Rico Gathers pulling down 11.1 rebounds a game. The Bears are holding opponents to 59.4 points on the other end of the court.

Betting Trends

-- The Wildcats are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games as underdogs and they are 4-2 ATS in their last six games on the road. The total has stayed UNDER in 16 of their last 21 games following a SU loss.

-- The Bears are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 home games against a team with a SU losing record on the road and they are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six Saturday games. The total has gone OVER in four of their last five home games.

-- The underdog in this series is 14-6-1 ATS in the last 21 meetings and the total has gone OVER in five of the last seven meetings in Baylor. Kansas State won the first meeting this season 63-61 as a two-point home favorite to end as a PUSH.

No. 14 Iowa State Cyclones vs. Texas Longhorns (ESPN2, 2:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Texas -3

The Cyclones are now just one game off the pace in the Big 12 standings with a 3-1 record both SU and ATS in their last four games. The total has stayed UNDER in three of the four contests. This past Wednesday, they beat Oklahoma State 70-65 as two-point underdogs on the road. Junior forward Jameel McKay led the way against the Cowboys with a game-high 17 points while pulling down 14 rebounds and senior forward Dustin Hogue added 14 points and seven rebounds in the winning cause. Iowa State is averaging 79.6 PPG and it is shooting an effective 48.7 percent from the field.

Texas is coming off a hard-fought 71-69 loss to Oklahoma as a 6 ½-point road underdog this past Tuesday to snap a SU three-game winning streak. This evened its mark to 4-4 ATS in its last eight games. The total has now gone OVER in five of the Longhorns last eight outings. They are still below .500 in conference play at 6-7 SU behind an offense that is averaging 68.5 PPG and shooting 44 percent from the field. Texas has four players scoring in double figures led by sophomore guard Isaiah Taylor’s 12.8 PPG. Taylor has been struggling as of late with a total of just 17 points in his last three games.

Betting Trends

-- The Cyclones have failed to cover in three of their last four road games, but they are 5-1 ATS in their last six games played on a Saturday. The total has gone OVER in four of their last five games on the road.

-- The Longhorns are just 4-9 ATS in their last 13 Saturday games and they have failed to cover in five of their last seven home games. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last seven games at home.

-- The home team in this matchup has covered in four of the last five meetings and the total has gone OVER in seven of the last nine meetings in Texas. Iowa State won the first meeting this season 89-86 on Jan. 26, but it could not cover as a five-point home favorite.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards

**UCLA at Arizona**

-- Arizona (23-3 straight up, 16-10 against the spread) has won three in a row both SU and ATS, including Thursday's 87-57 win over Southern Cal as a 24-point home favorite. All five starters were in double figures led by Kaleb Tarczewski, who had 15 points and nine rebounds. Stanley Johnson added 13 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.

-- One offshore betting shop had Arizona installed as a 14-point home favorite late Friday afternoon.

-- Arizona is undefeated in 14 home games with a 10-4 spread record.

-- Johnson leads Sean Miller's team in scoring (14.5 points per game) and rebounding (6.7 RPG).

-- After dropping a 68-66 decision Wednesday night at Arizona St., UCLA (16-11 SU, 13-14 ATS) finds itself in dire need of a victory in Tucson to keep alive its chances of garnering an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins are 45th in the RPI Rankings with a 1-5 record against the RPI Top 50. However, we should note that the one victory came over Utah (RPI: 9) and all five defeats came against foes in the Top 15. Then again, we should note that all five of those setbacks came by double-digit margins, including losses by 39 and 32 points to Kentucky and Utah, respectively.

-- To its credit, UCLA does have five wins over teams RPI 50-100 to give it a 6-10 record against the Top 100. The Bruins' only loss to an opponent outside of the Top 100 was a 62-56 loss at Colorado (RPI: 115).

-- Steve Alford's squad has won five of its last seven games, hooking up its backers at a 6-1 ATS clip.

-- Arizona is seventh in the RPI thanks to a 3-0 record against the Top 50. The Wildcats are 13-2 versus the Top 100. They have losses at Oregon St., at Arizona Stateand at UNLV.

-- UCLA has been a road underdog seven times, struggling to a 2-5 spread record with one outright win at Stanford.

-- The 'under' is 17-9 overall for UCLA, 8-1 in its nine road assignments. The 'under' is on an 8-1 roll in the Bruins' last nine games.

-- The 'under' is 14-12 overall for Arizona, 8-6 in its home games.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**Gonzaga at Saint Mary's**

-- Gonzaga (27-1 SU, 12-11-2 ATS) appears destined to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if it can win out through the finals of the WCC Tournament. However, a loss in this spot could put that in jeopardy. One offshore book had Gonzaga favored by 7.5 points late Friday afternoon.

-- Gonzaga failed to cover the spread for the fourth time in five games Thursday when it won an 86-74 decision at Pacific as a 17-point home favorite. Kyle Wiltjer stole the show with a career-high 45 points on 15-of-22 shooting from the field, 7-of-10 from 3-point range and 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. The Kentucky transfer also had six rebounds and four assists compared to just one turnover. Gary Bell Jr. was also in double figures with 12 points. Kevin Pangos dished out eight assists.

-- Wiltjer is averaging a team-best 17.4 points per game and is making 54.9 percent of his shot from the field, 47.2 percent from beyond the arc and 81.2 percent from the free-throw line. He averages 5.5 rebounds per game and has a 54/28 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Pangos is scoring at a 12.0 PPG clip, draining 45.9 percent of his attempts from distance. The senior guard has a stellar 138/39 assists-to-turnovers ratio.

-- Saint Mary's (20-6 SU, 17-6-1 ATS) has won 14 of its 17 home games while going 10-4-1 ATS. Since losing at BYU on Feb. 12, the Gaels have won back-to-back games both SU and ATS, including Thursday's 68-51 win over Portland as six-point home 'chalk.' Kerry Carter scored a game-high 21 points by making 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-6 from downtown. Aaron Bright added 16 points and Brad Waldow finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Waldow produced those numbers despite playing for only 23 minutes due to foul trouble.

-- Waldow averages team-highs in scoring (19.7 PPG), rebounding (9.1 RPG), field-goal percentage (57.3%) and blocked shots (0.7 BPG).

-- Mark Few's team is eighth in the RPI Rankings, posting a 4-1 record against Top-50 opponents and a 7-1 mark versus Top-100 foes. The Bulldogs' only loss of the season was a 66-63 decision at Arizona (RPI: 7). They own home scalps of SMU (RPI: 18), Saint Mary's and Memphis. In addition, the 'Zags beat Georgia and StateJohn's on a neutral court and have road wins at UCLA and at BYU.

-- Saint Mary's is 2-2 ATS with one outright win over Creighton in four games as an underdog. This is the first home underdog situation of the season for Randy Bennett's squad.

-- Saints Mary's is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games.

-- When these teams met in Spokane on Jan. 22, Gonzaga won its seventh straight head-to-head meeting over Saint Mary's. In addition, the Bulldogs covered the number for the sixth straight time against the Gaels. They won by a 68-47 count as 15-point home favorites behind 14 points and five assists from Pangos. Waldow had 14 points and seven boards in the losing effort.

-- The 'over' is 14-9-2 overall for Gonzaga, 7-3 in its road assignments.

-- The 'under' is 11-7-1 overall for Saint Mary's, 5-4-1 in its home games.

-- The 'under' has cashed in six straight meetings between these WCC adversaries.

-- ESPN2 will provide the broadcast at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.'s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Louisville starting guard Chris Jones (13.6 PPG, 3.7 APG) has been reinstated after a one-game suspension caused him to miss Wednesday's loss at Syracuse. Jones is expected to play in Saturday's home game vs. Miami.

-- Marquette's Matt Carlino (14.5 PPG) has missed three straight games due to a concussion. He is a question mark for Saturday's home game vs. Villanova.

-- Alabama's second-leading scorer Ricky Tarrant has been ruled 'out' for Saturday's home game vs. Georgia. Tarrant (13.1 PPG) will miss his seventh straight game with a leg injury sustained in a loss vs. Florida.

-- Georgia is hoping to get starting guard J.J. Frazier back for its trip to Tuscaloosa. Frazier missed Tuesday's home loss to South Carolina due to a fracture orbital bone and a concussion sustained in last Saturday's home loss to Auburn. Frazier was 'questionable' as of late Friday afternoon.

-- Boise Stateguards Mikey Thompson and Montigo Alford will return from three-game suspensions Saturday when Leon Rice's team faces Nevada.

-- The 'under' is on a 14-2 run in Clemson's last 16 games with a total. The Tigers might be without Jaron Blossomgame for Saturday's game at Duke. Blossomgame, the Tigers' leading scorer (12.9 PPG) and rebounder (8.1 RPG), is 'questionable' with a foot injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's Top Action

FLORIDA GATORS (13-13) at LSU TIGERS (18-8)

Pete Maravich Assembly Center – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Tip-off: Saturday, 1:00 p.m. ET
Line: Tigers -5.5

The Gators look to get back over .500 with a win in Baton Rouge over LSU Saturday.

Florida is coming off of a 50-47 win over Vanderbilt as a 5-point home favorite on Wednesday. It was the Gators’ first victory in five games and they are now 2-4 ATS in their past six as well. This Florida offense is miserable, failing to score 70+ in seven straight games. They rarely ever come through with a great performance on that end of the floor, so they’ll need to play excellent defense against LSU. The Tigers, meanwhile, are coming off of a 68-62 loss as 2.5-point underdogs at Texas A&M on Tuesday.

LSU beat the Gators in Florida earlier in the season, winning 79-61 as an 11-point road underdog. Prior to that win for the Tigers, Florida had won six straight games SU against LSU. The Gators have won in their last two games at Pete Maravich Assembly Center, but they have failed to cover in three of their past four games in Baton Rouge. The Gators are just 6-7 SU and ATS versus SEC opponents this season, and they’re also a lousy 2-7-2 ATS when coming off of a SU win. LSU, meanwhile, is 7-6 SU and 7-5-1 ATS versus the SEC this season and 6-1 SU and 4-1-1 ATS when coming off of a SU loss.

G Michael Frazier II (Ankle), F Dorian Finney-Smith (Suspension), G Dillon Graham (Personal), C John Egbunu (Eligibility), G Brandone Francis (Academics) and G DeVon Walker (Knee) are all out indefinitely or for the season. LSU is not currently dealing with any injuries.

Florida barely came away with a home victory over Vanderbilt on Wednesday, but they’ll still be satisfied to come away from that night at .500. At this point in the year, the Gators are playing for NIT eligibility and it will be tough with off the court problems derailing this team. Florida has been horrible offensively this season, averaging just 64.8 PPG (242nd in NCAA) on 43.7% shooting (174th in NCAA). They don’t have many scoring options and where they are able to give teams trouble is on the defensive end. The Gators allow just 59.4 PPG (23rd in NCAA) and do so by getting into the passing lanes, averaging 7.6 SPG (51st in NCAA).

With the team depleted by injuries, F Devin Robinson (5.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG) is a guy who will really need to play well. Robinson had 12 points and six rebounds against Vanderbilt, but he has been very inconsistent recently. After a 14-point performance against Ole Miss three games ago, Robinson was in foul trouble and didn’t score a point against Texas A&M the following game. He’ll need to find a way to stay on the court and provide some offense for this team.

G Kasey Hill (7.2 PPG, 4.5 APG) will also need to play well going forward. Hill had just three points and five assists in 30 minutes against Vanderbilt and that followed up a game in which he had no points and 10 assists in a win over Texas A&M. While his distributing has been excellent, the team needs him to start finding the bottom of the net.

C Jon Horford (6.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG) is one of the few starters who is still playing for Florida at this point in the season. He had just four points and three rebounds against LSU in the last meeting between these teams and will need to play well defensively against what is a dominant frontcourt for the Tigers.

G Eli Carter (8.6 PPG) followed up a 22-point performance against A&M with just six points (2-for-9 FG, 0-for-5 3PT) against Vanderbilt. Carter has been miserable from behind the arc this season (30% FG), but he is a better shooter than his stats give him credit for. He’ll need to start making some shots for this team if they are going to find themselves playing in any respectable postseason tournament this year.

The Tigers have one of the better offenses in the nation, scoring 73.7 PPG (42nd in NCAA) on 45.7% shooting (76th in NCAA). Defensively, however, they have struggled in allowing 67.3 PPG (203rd in NCAA) despite 6.4 BPG (6th in NCAA) and 7.5 SPG (53rd in NCAA). The Tigers have a very winnable game against Florida in this one and have a great chance to regroup after their loss to Texas A&M.

F Jarrell Martin (15.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.2 SPG) has been one of the most consistent players for this LSU team this year. Martin fouled out against Texas A&M, but he had 13 points and six rebounds before exiting and had 22 points in a win over Florida early in the season. If he can stay out of foul trouble, he should be able to really hurt the Gators with his ability to score both from midrange and around the basket.

F Jordan Mickey (16.7 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.8 BPG) was awful against Texas A&M last game, finishing with just six points and four rebounds in 34 minutes. He did, however, dominate Florida in their last meeting with 14 points, 14 rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes. Jon Horford has size inside, but he doesn’t have the speed or athleticism to really guard Mickey. The Tigers will need to feed him the ball often in this game.

G Tim Quarterman (11.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 SPG) is a guy that can really fill up the stat sheet. He had 15 points, eight assists, five rebounds and a steal against the Gators last meeting and his length at the guard position really gave Florida issues. He’ll need to keep attacking the rim and getting into passing lanes for this team.

G Keith Hornsby (12.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.2 SPG) is LSU’s best shooter from behind the arc (37% 3PT). He had 15 points (6-for-12 FG, 3-for-6 3PT) and two steals against Florida last meeting and will need to knock down his open shots in this one as well.

MIAMI HURRICANES (17-9) at LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (20-6)

KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, KY
Tip-off: Saturday, 2:00 p.m. ET
Line: Cardinals -9

No. 12 Louisville looks to stop their free-fall and prevent a three game losing skid when they host Miami on Saturday.

Louisville, losers of two of its past three, is a mess right now. Coach Rick Pitino’s crew has lost their last two games, both to inferior squads (at home versus NC State and on the road at Syracuse). The Cardinals were without G Chris Jones (13.6 PPG, 3.7 APG, 2.0 SPG) against Syracuse due to a suspension from Pitino, but local reports have Jones pegged to play versus the Hurricanes.

Miami has had an up-and-down year to this point, unable to put together a consistent stretch of conference wins. The Hurricanes do have a modest two-game run with victories over ACC bottom-feeders Boston College, and Virginia Tech. The Boston College game, especially – as a double overtime victory on the road (after being delayed due to weather) – may be a positive turning point in the Hurricanes’ season.

Louisville and Miami have already met this season, with the Cardinals picking up a 63-55 win on Feb. 3 in Coral Gables (covering the 4.5-point spread). Jones was huge in that matchup, racking up 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and a season-high six steals. Miami really struggled to just 34% FG in that matchup as only one player shot over 50% on the entire squad. Historically, Miami has never beaten or covered against Louisville in this series’ limited recent history (only 3 meetings since 2005).

Louisville has been mediocre ATS this season at 10-14-1, and even worse at home (5-10-1 ATS), while Miami is 4-4 ATS on the road. Something has to give with the total of this game, though, as while Miami has gone Over in nine of their previous 11 road games, Louisville has gone Under in eight of their last 10 home games.

Miami has shown that they can play up to the level of competition this season with top-25 wins over then-No. 8 Florida, and at No. 4 Duke. They also took No. 2, Virginia, down to the wire in two overtimes, before losing 89-80 (and being the only team to break the 80 point mark against the Cavaliers in the process). Lately, however, the Hurricanes look like a middling lower-tier conference team, having gone .500 in conference play since Jan. 17.

It should be no surprise that behind this drop in production has been a severe dip in play from team leader, G Angel Rodriguez (12.6 PPG, 4.6 APG, 2.0 SPG), as Rodriguez’s numbers in the 10-game span from Jan. 17th to now are putrid (8.5 PPG, 23% FG, 19% 3PT). Miami has been held together due to consistent scoring from G Sheldon McClellan (14.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.5 threes/gm on 38% 3PT), and an uptick in play from sophomore G Davon Reed (7.4 PPG) who’s averaged 11.4 PPG and is hot from the field (58% FG, 55% 3PT – 2.2 threes/gm) since working his way into a major role on offense (26+ minutes per game) – coincidentally, exactly when Rodriguez started to tail off in production. Getting all three backcourt weapons to mesh cohesively is a must for Coach Jim Larranaga if the Hurricanes cling to any realistic at-large NCAA hopes.

The rock for Miami all season has been their man in the middle, C Tonye Jekiri (8.5 PPG, 10.4 RPG – 1st in ACC, 14th in NCAA). The seven-footer is a legitimate candidate for All-ACC honors as one of the most improved players in the country. Reed and Jekiri led the Hurricanes in their eight point loss earlier in the month to Louisville, as Jekiri posted a double-double and Reed almost had a perfect night from the field (7-8 FG; 5-6 threes) for a team-high 19 points. Rodriguez struggled mightily with Louisville’s press and fouled out with only six points and one assist for the game.

Miami is a much better offensive team on the road, oddly enough (73 PPG – 19th in NCAA in road PPG) and their strong assist-to-turnover ratio (1.36, 20th in NCAA) bodes well against the aggressive Louisville press. If they can handle the press and set themselves up for open threes (35.9% of Miami points come from beyond the arc, 31st in NCAA) the Hurricanes will have a great chance at kicking Louisville while they’re down.

It may be just another game in February, but given the Cardinals’ recent play, this game is as close to a must-win February game as there is. The last 10 days might’ve been Coach Rick Pitino’s worst at the helm of Louisiville: A loss, as a 10.5-point home favorite, to mediocre North Carolina State, compounded by the second suspension this season of starting senior guard, Jones, and then another loss at Syracuse (a squad that Louisville had owned, historically) brings us to this game against middle-of-the-pack Miami.

The woes for Louisville start on offense, where the numbers say they’re decent (71.1 PPG, 84th in NCAA) their recent play says otherwise. Louisville hasn’t broken 68 points since January (five games) and is averaging 60.6 PPG in that span. The underlying issue with the lack of offense is that Louisville relies on their defense to turn into offense. Through Jan. 31 Louisville had a streak (to start the season) of 16 straight games with 12+ turnovers forced, and their season average of 14.2 TO/G is still good for 42nd in the nation. That said, they’re only forcing turnovers at a shockingly-low (for Louisville) rate of 10.2/game in ACC play, good for a four-way tie for 13th place in the conference.

This is not historically indicative of a Rick Pitino coached squad. Left without transition buckets to feast on and Louisville’s poor perimeter shooting really hurts them (32% 3PT, 14th ACC), see F Wayne Blackshear (10.5 PPG, 1.6 threes/gm) and his 0-0-0 line (points, rebounds, assists) in the recent loss to Syracuse ? a game Louisville desperately needed Blackshear’s outside shooting against Syracuse’s zone - for no further explanation as to the lack of depth in Louisville’s offensive attack.

The Cardinals are blessed with the inside-outside duo of G Terry Rozier (18 PPG, 5.5 RPG 44% FG) and F Montrezl Harrell (15.4 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 58% FG), but those two alone can’t carry this offense to respectability, as the effective return of Jones will go a long way to determining the outcome of this game. In Jones’ stead, sophomore G Quentin Snider (2.5 PPG) provided a season-high 13 points and hit three triples in the loss at the Carrier Dome.

Coach Pitino also has to be encouraged by the recent play of F Chinanu Onuaku (3.4 PPG, 1.5 BPG) who went for eight points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks on Wednesday night.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College basketball Top 25 Saturday betting cheat sheet

Saturday's college basketball slate has plenty of wagering options for NCAA hoop heads. We look at the biggest and best matchups featuring Top 25 teams with our NCAAB betting cheat sheet.


Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at (16) North Carolina Tar Heels

*Georgia Tech G Chris Bolden, who had started seven straight games before the Clemson contest, has been suspended indefinitely for what coach Brian Gregory termed, “not adhering to the expectations of our program.”

*The Tar Heels’ frontcourt is red hot: Brice Johnson is 23-of-35 from the field in his past three games, averaging 19 points per contest, while Kennedy Meeks is 14-of-18 from the field in his past two games.

(17) Oklahoma Sooners at Texas Tech Red Raiders

*No team has shot above 50 percent against Oklahoma this season and five of the last seven opponents have shot less than 40 percent.

*If the Red Raiders want to be competitive they will need t do better than their 21.2 shooting percentage they had against Oklahoma in their last game.

Minnesota Golden Gophers at (4) Wisconsin Badgers

*The Golden Gophers gave up 6.32 makes from 3-point range per game before Indiana drained 18-of-32 and Northwestern nailed 15-of-32 from behind the arc.

*The Badgers lead the nation in least turnovers (7.4) and fouls (12.9) per game to go along with an offense that shoots 48 percent.

Kansas State Wildcats at (20) Baylor Bears

*Coach Bruce Weber has sounded off on his players, who have seem uninterested at times lately, this week. "When guys won’t compete and battle and come to practice every day.… You can’t just come once in a while and think you are going to be a great college player. You have to bring it every day.”

*Baylor is 2nd nationally with a +9.7 average rebound margin, 3rd with 15.3 offensive rebounds per game and 4th with 40.7 total boards per game.

(22) West Virginia Mountaineers at (24) Oklahoma State Cowboys

*Phil Forte III and teammate Anthony Hickey Jr. lead the Big 12 in steals (2.08); West Virginia G Jevon Carter is third (1.85).

*Le'Bryan Nash and Phil Forte III account for 49.4 percent of the Cowboys offense this season.

(14) Iowa State Cyclones at Texas Longhorns

*The Cyclones are coming off just their third road victory of the season. “You get the monkey off your back a little bit,” Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters. “We’ve had three really good road wins: Iowa, West Virginia and now Oklahoma State.”

*Miles Turner is averaging 11.5 points and a team-leading 6.6 rebounds, and his 74 blocks are the main reason why the Longhorns lead the nation in blocked shots per game (7.73).

Miami Hurricanes at (12) Louisville Cardinals

*Miami is 8-2 when playing in front of a crowd that is 75 percent of the arena’s capacity, with one loss at sold-out No. 12 Notre Dame and one at home. Miami is 6-6 when the crowd is less than 75 percent capacity.

*“What’s stopping us from being a very good basketball team – the last three years we’ve been one of the most feared defensive teams in the nation with steals, turnovers. We’ve just been void of both," coach Rick Pitino told reporters.

(19) Butler Bulldogs at Xavier Musketeers

*Butler will be without F Andrew Chrabascz, the Bulldogs' third leading scorer, for two to four weeks after undergoing surgery on his right hand.

*It seems that Xavier may have some issues to deal with if they want to make an impact. “We've handled adversity a lot better than we've handled success,” coach Chris Mack said. “That was my message to our team quickly in the locker room.”

(6) Villanova Wildcats at Marquette Golden Eagles

*When the Wildcats convert seven or more 3-pointers in a contest in 2014-15, they are 17-1 SU (.938).

*Marquette 6-11 C Luke Fischer plays 28.3 minutes but has grabbed more than six rebounds only twice in 17 games.

Bradley Braves at (11) Northern Iowa Panthers

*Only seven teams in the nation score fewer points per game than do the Braves, who average 57.7 - including 55.9 in conference play.

*The Panthers strengths are their shooting ability - they are tied for 12th in the nation at 48.7 percent - and their No. 4 ranked defense, which has limited their opponents to 54.3 points per contest.

TCU Horned Frogs at (8) Kansas Jayhawks

*By holding K-State to only 15 first half points, TCU has now held two league foes to 15 or fewer points in the opening frame.

*Seventeen of Kansas’ victories during its 21-game home winning streak have come by double figures.

(10) Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Boston College Eagles

*"We are definitely making defense a mission for us," said Notre Dame's Austin Torres. "When we put up 80-plus points, we're not going to lose many games. It's on the defensive end to get the stops and get the defensive rebounds."

*Boston College's ACC Player of the Year candidate is carrying a massive load on many fronts, playing all but two minutes over the five-game hot stretch, which includes a double-overtime loss to Miami on Monday.

Clemson Tigers at (5) Duke Blue Devils

*The Tigers have lost three of their last four games, including a 63-52 loss to Georgia Tech on Monday.

*After spraining his ankle against UNC, Jahlil Okafor looks like he will play against Clemson. “We’ll see what happens – sometimes you can play the night of the game because of the adrenaline and everything’s moving,” Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters. “We’ll see if he’s going to be ready for Saturday.”

(17) Arkansas Razorbacks at Mississippi State Bulldogs

*Arkansas ranks second in the SEC, hitting 36.5 percent of its 3-point attempts, and its 183 3-pointers as a team also ranks second in the league.

*The Bulldogs have a very balanced attack — with four players averaging between 9.1 and 10.4 points led by Roquez Johnson — but MSU shoots just 42.7 percent from the floor and averages only 62 points as a team.

Auburn Tigers at (1) Kentucky Wildcats

*Auburn is experiencing a transition season under first-year coach Bruce Pearl, and it isn’t always pretty “There are a lot of great teams in this league,” coach Pearl told reporters. “We’re not scaring anybody.”

*Kentucky is not fooling themselves, they know they are hunted men. "We as players just have to know that it is going to be tough everywhere we go,” center Willie Cauley-Stein told reporters. “Especially now, we have this huge target on our back, (and) the country wants us to lose -- they want to see us lose.”

UCLA Bruins at (7) Arizona Wildcats

*Depth has been an issue for UCLA this season. After two Bruins fouled out against Arizona State, UCLA blew a double-digit lead thanks to only having eight scholarship players.

*The Wildcats, who have won 35 straight games at home, are tied for the lead in the conference with a big showdown against co-leader Utah on the horizon.

(2) Gonzaga Bulldogs at St. Mary's Gaels

*Gonzaga has won 20 straight conference games dating to last Feb. 23 at San Diego, a run that includes three double-digit victories over the Gaels.

*Gaels' Aaron Bright is averaging 15.5 points over his last two games after a nine-game stretch in which he never surpassed 13 points.

(25) San Diego State Aztecs at San Jose Spartans

*The Aztecs are 48-1 in their last 49 games against schools from California.

*The Spartans have dropped 15-straight games against D1 schools and coach Dave Wohcik knows it sucks. “I've never gone through anything like this, in all my years,” coach Dave Wojcik told reporters. “But it's like I tell the kids. That's life. It's not fair sometimes. It's going to throw a curveball at you. But you have to continue on.”

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College Basketball: Streaks, Tips, Notes -

Villanova at Marquette February 21, 02:30 EST

Wildcats (24-2, 18-7 ATS) picking up a seventh straight victory Monday defeating Seton Hall hit the road Saturday for a Big East tilt against Marquette Golden Eagles (11-14, 13-12 ATS). Far too much talent on this Villanova team that has set the pace in the Big East posting an 11-2 (10-3 ATS) record behind 74.7 points/game. Darrun Hilliard (14.3 PPG) the teams spark leads six players netting nine or more points/contest. On the other side it's been a rough campaign for Marquette who net 66.1 per/game. The Golden Eagles enter ridding a 1-8 (3-6 ATS) skid in Big East play giving them a 3-10 (5-8 ATS) mark within the conference. Villanova crushing Marquette 70-52 as 14 point favorites when they collided earlier will sweep the season series as they improve the current 4-0 SU/ATS stretch vs Golden Eagles and 9-3 run the past twelve meetings (7-4-1 ATS).


Auburn at Kentucky February 21, 07:00 EST

Top-ranked Wildcats' continue to roll along beating Tennessee 66-48 as 13.5 point road favorite Tuesday upping the mark to a school-record 26-0 (13-13 ATS) and 13-0 (5-8 ATS) in the SEC. Not difficult to make a case for Kentucky with it's second-ranked scoring defense (51.7 PPG) and top ranked field-goal defense (33.9%). Kentucky simply playing at a different level than everyone else will remain the only undefeated team in the country when all-said and done. Cali's Cats have owned this series (15-0, 9-5-1 ATS) including 7-0 (3-3-1 ATS) when running the hardwood at Rupp Arena. Auburn 0-6 (1-5 ATS) netting 60 or less in SEC play consider laying the points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Horned Frogs in tough spot'

TCU upending Oklahoma State 70-55 last Saturday picked up its first winning streak in the Big 12 Wednesday as they beat Kansas State 69-55 moving Horned Frogs record to 5-44 (16-33 ATS) since joining the Big 12 back in 2012. Horned Frogs may be feeling pretty good about themselves but the high will be short lived as they head to Lawrence for a clash with Jayhawks. Bill Self's troops will be extremely focused after being upended in West Virginia last time out. Kansas on a 20-0 (14-4-2 ATS) home stretch, 15-0 (11-2-1 ATS) streak on Allen Fieldhouse hardwood vs a conference opponent, 9-0 SU/ATS streak following a loss the previous effort, Horned Frogs 1-23 (10-14 ATS) in Big 12 road games the numbers point towards Kansas getting the job done.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Pitt (-3) beat Syracuse 83-77 at home Feb 7, rallying back from 10-point deficit in first half. Panthers are 3-5 in last eight games, 2-2 as road dogs; four of their five road losses are by 12+ points. Syracuse is 3-4 in its last seven games, beating Louisville team this week playing without its PG; Orange are 2-7 as ACC favorites, 1-4 at home. Pitt is worst defensive team in ACC. Syracuse forces turnovers 18.8% of time, best in the ACC. ACC home favorites of 5 or less points are 9-6 vs spread.

UMass had six-game win streak snapped at URI last game; they're 5-2 on A-14 road, losing by 6 at St Joe's, 1 at URI. UMass lost two of three vs VCU in A-14, with home side winning both regular season meetings, Rams winning in league tourney in '13. VCU won last two games by 13-20 points with Graham back in lineup; they're 2-4 as home faves, with three of four home wins by 15+ points. A-14 double digit home favorites are 10-8-1 vs spread.

Bowling Green won four of its last five games, covered eight of last ten; they're 5-2 as home faves, with all five MAC home wins by 10+ points. Buffalo lost three of last four games, four of last six on road; they're 1-1-1 as MAC road dogs, losing away games by 10-11-2-3 points. Falcons are forcing turnovers 21.1% of time; Buffalo is playing fastest tempo but they can't shoot, making 27.4% from arc. MAC home teams are 14-10-1 in games where spread was less than four points.

Butler (-3) beat Xavier 88-76 at home Jan 10, going 32-42 on line while Xavier was 19-25; Bulldogs trailed by hoop with 14:10 left but scored 32 points in last 10:00 of game. Butler won six of last seven games is 4-2 on Big East road with four of last five away games decided by 4 points or less. Xavier beat crosstown rival Cincinnati by hoop last game; they won three of last four games, are 4-3 as home faves. Big East home favorites of 4 or less points are 6-9 vs spread.

Louisville PG Jones is back after one-game banishment; Cards lost by 10 at Syracuse in his absence, have lost three of last four games- they won 63-55 (-4.5) at Miami Feb 3, game they never trailed. Louisville is 2-4 as home favorites; three of four home wins were by 10+. Underdogs are 6-0 vs spread in Miami's ACC road games; 'canes are 3-0 as road underdogs, with no road losses by more than five points. ACC home favorites of 8+ points are 10-16 vs spread.

Oklahoma State lost last two games by 15-5 points, are 4-2 as favorites at home, but they lost two of last three at home. West Virginia is 2-3 in last five games after Monday's upset of Kansas; they lost three of last four road games, are 1-2 as road dogs (favorites covered four of their five road games). Mountaineers force turnovers 26.9% of time, best in Big X, but if you break pressure, they're not very good. Big X home favorites of 7 or less points are 19-14 vs spread.

Iowa State (-5) beat Texas 89-86 at home Jan 26, as Longhorns rallied in last 8:08 from a 21-point deficit to cover spread, hitting 10-22 from arc. State outscored them 25-10 on foul line. Cyclones lost four of last five on road, are 5-2 in last seven overall, 3-2 as road dogs- home side covered five of their last six games. Texas won three of its last four games, is 2-4 as home favorite, just 3-3 SU. Faves are 12-7 vs spread in Big X games with spread of 3 or less points.

UTEP (-8.5) squashed Tex-San Antonio 73-55 on road Jan 17, forcing 20 turnovers (+5), shooting 57% inside arc. Miners won last six games, are 3-3 as home favorites, with three double digit wins. UTSA won three of last four games, is 4-1 as road underdog, with only two road losses by 9-15 points. Underdogs covered Roadrunners' last seven games. UTEP won its last five home games. C-USA double digit home favorites are 6-14.

UCLA's last three road games were all decided by 2 points each; Bruins are 2-6 on Pac-12 road, with only wins at USC/Stanford, but they're 3-1 in last four games with Arizona, beating Wildcats in last two conference tourneys (LY's final). Arizona won its last three games by 27-25-30 since they got upset at Arizona State; Wildcats are 10-3 vs spread in Pac-12, 5-1 as home favorites, with all six home wins by 14+ points. Pac-12 double digit home favorites are 11-4-2 vs spread.

Cal-Davis' only Big West loss was 84-76 (+3.5) at Hawai'i Jan 22, when Aggies turned ball over 24 times (-15) in game where teams combined to make 19-37 from arc. Rainbows had 18 steals in 70-possession game. Big West home favorites of 4+ points are 10-12-1 vs spread. Davis is 3-1-1 as home favorite; they're 6-0 since Hawai'i loss, but have only one home win by more than six points. Hawai'i is 3-2 in last five games, 2-2 as road underdog, with losses by 4-15-1-15 on foreign soil.

St Mary's needs to beat Gonzaga to get on bubble; they lost at Gonzaga 68-47 (+14) in first meeting Jan 22. Zags pulled away from 27-21 lead at half; they're won 20 games in row, are 0-5 vs spread in last five games on road, winning away games by 7-12-12-2-17-14-11-10 points. Gaels won five of last seven games, are 7-1 at home, losing to Pepperdine by 5 in a game they led by 11 in first half. WCC home dogs of 8 or less points are 8-12 against the spread.

Noth Dakota State won six of last seven games since 77-71 loss Jan 24 in Fort Wayne, when Mastodons scored 1.22 ppp, making 58% of its shots inside arc. Bison are 4-3 as home favorites, winning home games by 6-3-13-7-7-24-9 points. Fort Wayne won/covered its last seven games, is 3-1 as road underdog, losing away games by 6-4-29- they won last three road games. Summit home faves of 5 or less points are 7-11 against the spread.

Eastern Washington leads by game in race for #1 seed and home court for Big Sky tournament; Eagles won seven of last eight games; last three all were decided by 3 or less points- they're 1-0 as Big Sky dog. Northern Arizona won six of last seven games, is 6-1-1 vs spread in their last eight games. Lumberjacks are 2-3-1 as home favorites, but covered last two in wins by 25-7 points. Big Sky home teams are 10-21 vs spread in games with spread of 3 or less points.

 

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Saturday's six-pack

Six of the best minor league prospects of the Detroit Tigers.........

1) Steven Moya, OF-- Got eight ABs in the majors last season.

2) Buck Farmer, P-- Jumped from A ball to majors LY; not sure why.

5) Hernan Perez, 2B/SS-- Signed for $237,000 when he was 16.

6) James McCann C-- Hit .295 in AAA last season.

13) Kyle Lobstein, P-- Got six starts with the big club last season.

16) Drew Verhagen, P-- Another in long line of Vanderbilt pitchers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NEWSLETTER College Basketball Prediction From Robert Ferringo

Take St. John’s (-8) over Seton Hall (12 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 14)
Seton Hall will also continue to cash tickets – for those betting against them. The Pirates season has come completely off the rails. There has been in-fighting, players quitting the team, calls of racism, and now a suspension to their leading scorer for punching a Villanova player in the face. Seton Hall is a dumpster fire right now. St. John’s will not have sympathy. They just got crushed at Georgetown and they need some good things to happen fast or else they’ll be slotted in the NIT again. The Red Storm have been much better at home this year, and since this is a regional rivalry game I can see them pouring it on the weakened Pirates. St. John’s just needs this game more, and they are in a better position to get it.



NEWSLETTER College Basketball Prediction From Strike Point Sports

Take Oklahoma State over West Virginia (2 p.m., Saturday, February 21)
We see Oklahoma State taking care of business at home in Stillwater over West Virginia. The Mountaineers are coming off a Big Monday upset over Kansas, but there is no rest in the Big 12 and this is a good fade opportunity in their next game. WVU has lost all three of its road conference games against ranked teams, and I see the Pokes being another tough out for Bob Huggins’ squad. OSU has won three of their four league games at home vs. ranked opposition. They get the edge over West Virginia this afternoon. Take them at home, and also make sure to subscribe to our full Saturday card as well!



NEWSLETTER NHL Hockey Prediction From Doc’s Sports

Take OVER 5.5 Anaheim at Edmonton (7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 21)
Goals shouldn’t be hard to come by on Saturday night in Edmonton as the Oilers take on the Ducks. Edmonton allows the second most goals per game in the league at 3.31 per contest, ahead of only the lowly Buffalo Sabres. Anaheim is also in the bottom half at 2.72 per game, and relies more on their offensive attack to win hockey games. With the Oilers losing interest this season, it stands to reason they will be involved in more up-and-down type of games with little defensive intensity on the ice. These clubs have also been involved in some high-scoring affairs over the years, and Saturday night should really be no different. The over is the right side in the Ducks/Oilers matchup on Saturday night.



NEWSLETTER College Basketball Prediction From Allen *******

Take Old Dominion (-1.5) over Louisiana Tech (2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 21)
I like Old Dominion on Saturday. They need this win more than Tech does. ODU lost both games on the road last weekend, but they have been great at home this year. At one point this team was in the Top 25, so they have a lot of talent. They are one of the best defensive teams in the country (No. 15 at just 58.1 points per game allowed), and they will control this tempo. Louisiana Tech is at its best when it can get out and run. ODU will frustrate them. The Monarchs have won every game they have played at home this year (14-0), and they are undervalued right now because of their 1-9 ATS slide. But the books will not have a strong number on this game. ODU is going to take the cash and get a big Conference USA winner here.