jeff benton
Jeff Benton SATURDAY'S ACTION
30 Dime college basketball release on UNLV plus the points at Louisville in one of just two matahups today between Top 25 teams. The Rebels are a 3½-point road underdog both here in Vegas and offshore. As alweays, be sure to shop around and get the best of the number.
10 Dime college basketball release on Providence minus the points vs. Alabama in a non-conference battle. The Friars are a 5- to 5½-point home favorite both here in Vegas and offshore. Again, be sure to shop around and find the best value avaidable.
UNLV
Those of you who were with me Wednesday know that I played against Louisville that night when it hosted San Francisco because I thought the Cardinals would be looking ahead to this double-revenge showdown against UNLV. And I was right … for a half, anyway, as Louisville went to the locker room with just a 25-24 lead over San Francisco. Then the Cardinals returned to the floor and played lock-down defense for the final 20 minutes, outscored the Dons 36-11 and won 61-35, pushing as a 26-point favorite.
It turns out the look-ahead game was played here in Vegas on Wednesday night, as UNLV squeaked past Boise State 75-72 as a 16-point favorite in a gym several miles from their regular home court. Oddly, the Rebels played the exact opposite game against the Broncos that Louisville played against San Francisco. They jumped out to leads of 15-0 and 22-4 and were still up 16 points with less than four minutes to go before letting off the gas pedal and barely holding on.
Regardless, both these teams enter this contest undefeated – UNLV at 9-0 and Louisville at 7-0. Thing is, only one of these teams is for real, and it’s not Rick Pitino’s crew.
As I detailed in my analysis Wednesday, the Cardinals have been feasting on cupcakes all season long, and they’ve done so entirely at home (Louisville hasn’t so much as played a neutral-site contest yet!). To review: Since opening the season with an 88-73 win over Butler (which is 4-4 and has proven to be a fraud), here’s the list of the Cardinals’ victims: Jackson State, Chattanooga, Marshall, Florida International, South Alabama and San Francisco. And, again, every single one of those contests was played in Louisville’s new gym.
Now, I’m not saying that UNLV’s 9-0 record isn’t the product of facing some weak opponents (U.C. Riverside, Southeastern Louisiana, Murray State, Illinois State and Nevada). However, the Rebels have played (and beaten) four quality foes in Wisconsin, Tulsa, Virginia Tech and Boise State (Boise was 6-1 prior to Wednesday’s game). Also, because the National Finals Rodeo kicks UNLV out of its home arena every December, the Rebels have played six straight games away from the Thomas & Mack Center (four at neutral sites, two true road games).
Translation: UNLV’s 9-0 record is WAY more impressive than Louisville’s 7-0 mark. And that means what the Rebels’ statistics (78.2 ppg, 53.3 percent shooting on offense; 60 ppg, 36.9 percent shooting on defense) look much better than the Cardinals’ (83.7 ppg, 46.4 percent on offense; 58.4 ppg, 34.5 percent on defense).
UNLV has an extremely deep team with nine guys averaging at least 15 minutes of court time per game. Those nine players average between 5.1 points and 14.6 points per game, and all but one of those nine guys is shooting at least 45 percent from the field (six of the nine are hitting at least 50 percent of their shots!). By comparison, the Cardinals are extremely top heavy, with four players averaging between 11.1 and 11.6 points per game, with the two scoring leaders – Preston Knowles (11.3 ppg) and Mike Marra (11.6 ppg) – shooting just 34.2 percent and 37.3 percent, respectively.
Yes, this is an early start for the Rebels (9 a.m. West Coast time), but the team traveled to Louisville on Thursday and thus will have had a full 36 hours to adjust to the time change. Plus, coach Lon Kruger is as good as there is in the college game, and he’ll have his experienced, savvy squad ready to roll from the opening tip – just as he did the last two years against Louisville. That’s right, UNLV has scored consecutive upsets of the Cardinals, winning 56-55 as a 13½-point road underdog on New Year’s Eve 2008, then proved it wasn’t a fluke last November, winning 76-71 at home as a 2½-point pup.
The fact this line is what it is should prove to you that UNLV is the superior squad – especially when you recall that the Rebels haven’t played a home game since Nov. 20 and have gone from Vegas to Illinois State to Reno to Vegas to Louisville since the calendar flipped to December! And the Rebels have been outstanding against the number as a visitor (10-3 ATS last 13 on the highway). Meanwhile Louisville is 4-1-1 ATS in its lined games this season (all at home), but it is 12-28-2 ATS in its last 42 home games against opponents with a winning road record.
Bottom line: With wins over Wisconsin, Tulsa and Virginia Tech, UNLV has proven its mettle in the first month of the season. Conversely, Louisville has proven absolutely nothing, and now that the Cardinals finally face a quality opponent, it will become crystal clear that Rick Pitino’s very young squad is a fraud.
UNLV rolls, 75-68.
PROVIDENCE
Alabama has left Tuscaloosa four times this season (three neutral-site games against Seton Hall, Iowa and St. Peters; one true roadie at Purdue last Saturday). The results: Four losses, four non-covers, including a 66-47 beat-down at Purdue a week ago. Sort of offsets a 4-0 home record, doesn’t it? Especially when, that home mark was built against patsies like Florida A&M, Troy, Alabama A&M and South Alabama!!
Meanwhile, Providence is a perfect 8-0 at home, and even though you can question the Friars’ competition (only one of those eight wins came against a well-known opponent, and that was rival Rhode Island), you can’t argue with the fact that six of the eight wins were by 13 points or more. And the Friars have averaged nearly 81 ppg at home while outrebounding foes 41.2 to 30.5.
Providence did see its five-game winning streak snapped in Wednesday’s 88-86 loss at Boston College, but the Friars covered easily as a seven-point underdog, giving them three consecutive spread-covers after a 1-4 ATS start to the campaign. As for Alabama’s pointspread trends, it’s all ugly: 1-5 overall, 1-5 against winning teams, 1-5-2 on Saturday, 1-5 after a SU loss and 2-5 versus Big East squads.
Finally, this is a huge revenge game for Providence, too, as it went to Tuscaloosa last year as a 5½-point underdog and blew a four-point halftime lead, losing 84-75 in overtime. The difference? The Friars committed 14 turnovers and forced only eight. Well, Alabama has totaled 47 turnovers in its last three games away from home, one of the reasons the Tide scored just 47, 49 and 47 points in those three contests (despite being BIG favorites in two of those games).
All Friars in this one!
Jeff Benton SATURDAY'S ACTION
30 Dime college basketball release on UNLV plus the points at Louisville in one of just two matahups today between Top 25 teams. The Rebels are a 3½-point road underdog both here in Vegas and offshore. As alweays, be sure to shop around and get the best of the number.
10 Dime college basketball release on Providence minus the points vs. Alabama in a non-conference battle. The Friars are a 5- to 5½-point home favorite both here in Vegas and offshore. Again, be sure to shop around and find the best value avaidable.
UNLV
Those of you who were with me Wednesday know that I played against Louisville that night when it hosted San Francisco because I thought the Cardinals would be looking ahead to this double-revenge showdown against UNLV. And I was right … for a half, anyway, as Louisville went to the locker room with just a 25-24 lead over San Francisco. Then the Cardinals returned to the floor and played lock-down defense for the final 20 minutes, outscored the Dons 36-11 and won 61-35, pushing as a 26-point favorite.
It turns out the look-ahead game was played here in Vegas on Wednesday night, as UNLV squeaked past Boise State 75-72 as a 16-point favorite in a gym several miles from their regular home court. Oddly, the Rebels played the exact opposite game against the Broncos that Louisville played against San Francisco. They jumped out to leads of 15-0 and 22-4 and were still up 16 points with less than four minutes to go before letting off the gas pedal and barely holding on.
Regardless, both these teams enter this contest undefeated – UNLV at 9-0 and Louisville at 7-0. Thing is, only one of these teams is for real, and it’s not Rick Pitino’s crew.
As I detailed in my analysis Wednesday, the Cardinals have been feasting on cupcakes all season long, and they’ve done so entirely at home (Louisville hasn’t so much as played a neutral-site contest yet!). To review: Since opening the season with an 88-73 win over Butler (which is 4-4 and has proven to be a fraud), here’s the list of the Cardinals’ victims: Jackson State, Chattanooga, Marshall, Florida International, South Alabama and San Francisco. And, again, every single one of those contests was played in Louisville’s new gym.
Now, I’m not saying that UNLV’s 9-0 record isn’t the product of facing some weak opponents (U.C. Riverside, Southeastern Louisiana, Murray State, Illinois State and Nevada). However, the Rebels have played (and beaten) four quality foes in Wisconsin, Tulsa, Virginia Tech and Boise State (Boise was 6-1 prior to Wednesday’s game). Also, because the National Finals Rodeo kicks UNLV out of its home arena every December, the Rebels have played six straight games away from the Thomas & Mack Center (four at neutral sites, two true road games).
Translation: UNLV’s 9-0 record is WAY more impressive than Louisville’s 7-0 mark. And that means what the Rebels’ statistics (78.2 ppg, 53.3 percent shooting on offense; 60 ppg, 36.9 percent shooting on defense) look much better than the Cardinals’ (83.7 ppg, 46.4 percent on offense; 58.4 ppg, 34.5 percent on defense).
UNLV has an extremely deep team with nine guys averaging at least 15 minutes of court time per game. Those nine players average between 5.1 points and 14.6 points per game, and all but one of those nine guys is shooting at least 45 percent from the field (six of the nine are hitting at least 50 percent of their shots!). By comparison, the Cardinals are extremely top heavy, with four players averaging between 11.1 and 11.6 points per game, with the two scoring leaders – Preston Knowles (11.3 ppg) and Mike Marra (11.6 ppg) – shooting just 34.2 percent and 37.3 percent, respectively.
Yes, this is an early start for the Rebels (9 a.m. West Coast time), but the team traveled to Louisville on Thursday and thus will have had a full 36 hours to adjust to the time change. Plus, coach Lon Kruger is as good as there is in the college game, and he’ll have his experienced, savvy squad ready to roll from the opening tip – just as he did the last two years against Louisville. That’s right, UNLV has scored consecutive upsets of the Cardinals, winning 56-55 as a 13½-point road underdog on New Year’s Eve 2008, then proved it wasn’t a fluke last November, winning 76-71 at home as a 2½-point pup.
The fact this line is what it is should prove to you that UNLV is the superior squad – especially when you recall that the Rebels haven’t played a home game since Nov. 20 and have gone from Vegas to Illinois State to Reno to Vegas to Louisville since the calendar flipped to December! And the Rebels have been outstanding against the number as a visitor (10-3 ATS last 13 on the highway). Meanwhile Louisville is 4-1-1 ATS in its lined games this season (all at home), but it is 12-28-2 ATS in its last 42 home games against opponents with a winning road record.
Bottom line: With wins over Wisconsin, Tulsa and Virginia Tech, UNLV has proven its mettle in the first month of the season. Conversely, Louisville has proven absolutely nothing, and now that the Cardinals finally face a quality opponent, it will become crystal clear that Rick Pitino’s very young squad is a fraud.
UNLV rolls, 75-68.
PROVIDENCE
Alabama has left Tuscaloosa four times this season (three neutral-site games against Seton Hall, Iowa and St. Peters; one true roadie at Purdue last Saturday). The results: Four losses, four non-covers, including a 66-47 beat-down at Purdue a week ago. Sort of offsets a 4-0 home record, doesn’t it? Especially when, that home mark was built against patsies like Florida A&M, Troy, Alabama A&M and South Alabama!!
Meanwhile, Providence is a perfect 8-0 at home, and even though you can question the Friars’ competition (only one of those eight wins came against a well-known opponent, and that was rival Rhode Island), you can’t argue with the fact that six of the eight wins were by 13 points or more. And the Friars have averaged nearly 81 ppg at home while outrebounding foes 41.2 to 30.5.
Providence did see its five-game winning streak snapped in Wednesday’s 88-86 loss at Boston College, but the Friars covered easily as a seven-point underdog, giving them three consecutive spread-covers after a 1-4 ATS start to the campaign. As for Alabama’s pointspread trends, it’s all ugly: 1-5 overall, 1-5 against winning teams, 1-5-2 on Saturday, 1-5 after a SU loss and 2-5 versus Big East squads.
Finally, this is a huge revenge game for Providence, too, as it went to Tuscaloosa last year as a 5½-point underdog and blew a four-point halftime lead, losing 84-75 in overtime. The difference? The Friars committed 14 turnovers and forced only eight. Well, Alabama has totaled 47 turnovers in its last three games away from home, one of the reasons the Tide scored just 47, 49 and 47 points in those three contests (despite being BIG favorites in two of those games).
All Friars in this one!
