STATSYSTEMS SPORTS NCAAB REPORT
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28th 2015
INFORMATION WORTH BETTING ON EACH DAY
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***** Saturday, 2/28/15 NCAA College Basketball Knowledge *****
(ALL RESULTS ATS) - Against The Spread - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every day during the 2014-15 NCAA College Basketball season we will analyze all of your daily basketball action, featuring all our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups. Content contained in this report remains exclusive private property of StatSystemsSports.net. Database information may not be reused or disseminated in any form without express written consent of the publisher.
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Saturday's Notebook
•VCU/Dayton are two of four teams tied atop Atlantic 10. VCU is 4-4 in its last eight games after 17-3 start; they won three of last four games, but lost to local rival Richmond Wednesday in double OT; four of last six Ram games were decided by 6 or less points. Dayton won four of last five games but lost four of last five road games they're 2-1 as road dogs, losing away games by 17-2-1-10 points, A-10 home favorites of 7 or less points are 16-17 versus spread.
•Syracuse isn't going to postseason; this is their last "big" game- they lost 80-72 (+7) at home to Duke two weeks ago, game Orange led by 11 in 1st half- they were +6 (15-9) in turnovers. Syracuse is 4-5 in last nine games, 3-2 as ACC underdog, with road losses by 13-10-6 (4-3 SU). Duke won last eight games, with six of the eight by 8 or less points and two of last three in OT- they're 2-4 versus spread in last six games. ACC home favorites of 8+ points are 13-21 versus spread.
•Georgetown (-7) trounced St John's 79-57 at home 11 days ago; Hoyas held Johnnies to 32.9% from floor- they've won last three games overall, allowing 62.3 ppg. Red Storm won its last six home games, won four of last five overall; they're 2-3 as Big East dogs. Hoyas won five of last six road games, are 3-6 as Big East favorites. Georgetown is holding teams to 41.5% inside arc, best in league. Big East home teams are 9-13 versus spread in games with spread of less than 4 points.
•Four of last five Miami games were decided by 4 or less points; they had 18-point lead on Florida State with 4:52 left last game, but kid on FSU scored 30 points in 4:52 and Hurricanes won 81-77. Miami won its last three home games, three of last four overall; 0-2 as a home dog. Carolina is 3-4 in last seven games, winning last two by 29-12 they lost three of last four road games. ACC home teams are 13-11 versus spread in games with spread of 4 or less points.
•Villanova (-9) beat Xavier 88-75 at home Jan 14, making 15-34 from arc in game they led 45-27 at half. Wildcats won/covered last nine in a row, winning last three by 26-11-28 points- they're 5-2 as road favorites, winning last four road games by 13-6-3-11 points. Xavier is 3-4 in its last seven games, splitting last four at home. Villanova has outside shot at a 1-seed in NCAAs but would need to win out thru Big East tourney for that. Big East home underdogs are 11-9 against spread.
•LSU (+6) won 75-71 at Ole Miss Jan 14, in brickfest where teams made 11-43 from arc. Tigers won three of last four games but split last four at home-- they covered three of last four as home favorites. Ole Miss won its last four road games, with last three by 7 or less points; they're 3-1 as road underdog. LSU is 9-6 in SEC despite turning ball over 20.5% of the time. Last six Rebel games were decided by 7 or less points. SEC home favorites of 5 or less points are 10-20-1 versus spread.
•Northern Iowa(+1.5) spanked Wichita State 70-54 at home Jan 31, shooting 58% inside arc, 5-7 on arc in game they led by 13 at half. UNI won its last 16 games, covering all four games as a dog this season. Wichita won its last seven games (6-1 vs. spread) since UNI loss; they're 5-3 as home favorites, winning last seven at by 11+ points. Shockers are 34-1 in Missouri Valley Conference the last two years; this is chance to avenge the only loss. MVC home favorites of 5 or less points are 8-11-1 versus spread.
•James Madison/Hofstracould be intriguing 4-5 matchup in CAA tourney next Saturday; Dukes (+10.5) won 69-63 at Hofstra Jan 24, making 8-16 on arc in game they trailed by 12 at half. JMU won five of last six games, is 2-4 as home favorite, winning last two at home by 4-7 points. Hofstra won five of last seven games, winning last three road games, scoring 82.3 ppg- they're 0-2 as conference underdogs. CAA home underdogs of less than 5 points are 3-9 versus spread.
•Arkansaswon pair of OT games with Kentucky LY; in first game both teams took 40+ FTs. Razorbacks' flight to Lexington got off to late start Friday due to weather concerns. Arkansas hasn't lost this year when forcing 15+ turnovers; they force TOs 24.2% of time, but can they score enough to set up press? Hogs won last seven games they're 3-0 as SEC underdogs. Kentucky is 3-4 as home favorite, winning last four home games by 11+ points. SEC double home favorites are 8-13 versus spread.
•Baylor(+3.5) jumped out to 30-9 lead, coasted to 87-69 win over West Virginia three weeks ago, going 25-35 on foul line. Bears won six of their last eight games, six of last seven at home- they covered four of last five home games, but they did lose to Kansas/Oklahoma State at home. Big 12 home favorites of 6 or less points are 14-16 versus spread. Mountaineers are 2-2 as road underdogs, losing away games by 27-19-20 points, winning at TCU/Texas Tech/Kansas State.
•Tulsais tied with SMU for #1 seed in AAC, which matters less in this league, with tourney at neutral site. Hurricane won 15 of last 17 games, is 6-1 on AAC road, losing last road trip by 25 at Connecticut. Memphis (+4) lost 73-55 at Tulsa Jan 21; they were -11 in turnovers in game that was 56-28 with 10:05 left. Tigers lost two of last three at home, are 3-3 as a home favorite- they won three of last four overall. AAC home favorites of 5 or less points are 11-3-1 versus spread.
•Arizona (-5.5) crushed Utah 69-51 Jan 17, outrebounding them 40-21 in game where Utes made 9-19 from arc and still lost by 18. Arizona won last five games (4-1 vs. spread), covering six of eight as road favorite, with losses in Corvallis/Tempe. Utah was up 41-9 at half over ASU Thursday; they're 7-0 at home in league and can tie Arizona for first with win here. Pac-12 home teams are 10-15 in games where spread was less than four.
•Eastern Washington is game ahead of Montana/NAU in Big Sky, tied for first with Sacramento; Eagles (+1) won 75-69 at Montana Feb 5, making 56% of 2's, 11-24 of 3's (Montana was 13-24),, scoring 1.22 ppp. Grizzlies had 5-game win streak snapped by a double OT loss at Idaho Thursday; they're 4-3 on Big Sky road, 2-1 as road underdogs. Eastern is 2-5 as the home favorite their last three home games were decided by 3 points or less. Big Sky home favorites of 6+ points are 12-20-1 versus spread.
•Situational Trends of The Day
--SYRACUSE is 15-1 ATS (+13.9 Units) in road games off an upset win as a road underdog since 1997.
The average score was SYRACUSE 75.6, OPPONENT 65.2.
--IUPU-FT WAYNE is 10-0 OVER (+10.0 Units) in home games after covering 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was IUPU-FT WAYNE 85.0, OPPONENT 74.0.
--SE MISSOURI ST is 3-14 (-26.5 Units) against the money line after a game where they made 88% of their free throws or better since 1997.
The average score was SE MISSOURI ST 67.3, OPPONENT 73.6.
--DAVIDSON is 10-0 (+10.0 Units) against the 1rst half line after 3 straight games forcing opponent to commit 14 or less turnovers this season.
The average score was DAVIDSON 40.5, OPPONENT 30.9.
--FLORIDA ST is 11-0 UNDER (+11.0 Units) the 1rst half total after 5 straight games forcing opponent to commit 14 or less turnovers this season.
The average score was FLORIDA ST 26.5, OPPONENT 28.8.
•Matchup Trends of The Day
--OAKLAND is 14-2 ATS (+11.8 Units) versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game this season.
The average score was OAKLAND 73.9, OPPONENT 73.2.
--N CAROLINA is 13-0 OVER (+13.0 Units) when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 80%) after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was N CAROLINA 79.5, OPPONENT 78.7.
--WRIGHT ST is 1-12 (-17.5 Units) against the money line versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game this season.
The average score was WRIGHT ST 62.4, OPPONENT 71.0.
--CAL DAVIS is 15-3 (+11.7 Units) against the 1rst half line versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game this season.
The average score was CAL DAVIS 33.8, OPPONENT 29.3.
--CLEMSON is 16-1 UNDER (+14.9 Units) the 1rst half total versus poor 3 point shooting teams - making <=31% of their attempts after 15+ games since 1997.
The average score was CLEMSON 30.2, OPPONENT 26.7.
•Situational Analysis of The Day
--Play On - Underdogs of 2 to 3.5 points versus the first half line (GEORGE WASHINGTON) - revenging a close loss versus opponent of 3 points or less, after failing to cover 5 or 6 of their last 7 games versus the spread against opponent hot team - covering 12 or more of their last 15 against the spread.
(25-2 since 1997.) (92.6%, +22.8 units. Rating = 5*)
The average first half line posted in these games was: Opponent favored by 3.5
The average first half score in these games was: Team 31.5, Opponent 29.2 (Average first half point differential = +2.3)
The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (8-1).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (15-1).
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Five Teams to Watch
Expert Handicapper Jude Ravo
If you may recall in early November, I selected five teams right here on these pages that would be invited to the 2015 NCAA Tournament that didn’t receive a bid to the event in 2014. It turns out that four of those five schools will be going to the “Big Dance” this March.
•Minnesota (17-12 SU, 11-14-1 ATS)
Let's start out with the one that won't go to the dance unless they win conference tournament. Minnesota pulled off a nice road victory versus the Spartans earlier this week but it’s too little too later. The Golden Gophers lost too many close games and couldn't win on the road. This team will go back to the NIT where they won last year. Head coach Richard Pitino really thought he had the team that would be playing with his Dad's Louisville team this year. Instead expect another repeat performance in the NIT.
•Arkansas (23-5 SU, 14-13-0 ATS)
I predicted the Razorbacks to be a No. 5 or No 7 seed but they look more like a No. 4 at this point. Arkansas is ranked fifth nationally in assists at 17 per game, which is led by point guard Rashad Madden’s 2:1 assist/turnover ratio. Power forward Bobby Portis has been incredible, averaging almost a double-double (18 PPG, 8 RPG). The Razorbacks are averaging 80 points per game, which is ranked ninth nationally. I believe they’re the only team that can give Kentucky a scare in the SEC. This is a team that no one wants to play and the tempo of head coach Mike Anderson is tough to stop. They have 10 players notching at least 10 minutes per game, which will help in the tournament. The defense averages close to eight steals per game, which creates extra possessions.
•Utah (22-5 SU, 18-7-1 ATS)
I had them easily making the tourney this year and that was an understatement. They are even better then I projected. They should earn a No. 2 or No. 3 seed in a couple weeks. Led by NBA prospect Delon Wright, they tout the sixth best shooting percentage (50%) in the nation. The Utes also have talented veterans and a lot of depth in the front court, which has helped them hold opponents to 55 points per game, ranked eighth nationally. They won't beat themselves. You have to bring your 'A' game to beat this team. This team has played 11 guys and they do everything well. Head coach Larry Krystkowiak is no Rick Majerus but this team has brought back the memories of past Utah teams that have played in the Final Four.
•Maryland (23-5 SU, 10-14-1 ATS)
In November, I said they will sneak into the tournament. No sneaking here! After knocking off Wisconsin this past Tuesday at home, the Terrapins will most likely earn a No. 3 seed come Selection Sunday. Freshman PG Melo Trimble has been as good as advertised and then some. He is impossible to cover defensively and can shoot lights out if forced into a zone. The combination of senior Dez Wells and Trimble make this a team that will reach the Sweet 16 this March. Jake Layman a six-foot-nine swing man is a versatile player that gives Maryland diversity on offense and defense. When you add sharp shooting G Jared Nickens into the mix, this deep team has the ability to make a solid tournament run.
•Southern Methodist (23-5 SU, 13-9-3 ATS)
Head coach Larry Brown will get the last laugh here. Snubbed by last year’s selection committee this team walks in easy to this year’s dance. Junior PG Nic Moore leads an experienced team that can play well on both sides of the ball. The Mustangs made sure they played better opponents outside conference this year. It's better to be 23-5 and lose to Arkansas, Gonzaga, and Indiana then be 26-2 and play nobody. Look for them to be a No. 5 or No. 6 seed in this year’s tournament. Of the five teams mentioned above, I believe Arkansas could go the deepest come tourney time! The Razorbacks are currently listed as an 80/1 betting choice to win the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Sportsbook.ag.
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Saturday's Early Tips
Systems Analyst James Vogel
•Northern Iowa @ Wichita State
Wichita State (26-3 straight up, 15-11-1 against the spread) is unbeaten in 14 home games with a 6-5-1 spread record. The Shockers have won seven in a row and are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six contests. Gregg Marshall's team is off of Wednesday's 63-53 win over Indiana State as a nine-point road favorite. Darius Carter torched the Sycamores for 20 points and 11 rebounds on 8-of-12 shooting from the field. Fred VanVleet finished with 15 points, five assists and four rebounds, while Tekele Cotton had 12 points, six boards and handed out three dimes.
Ron Baker had one of his worst games of the season, making just 1-of-11 from the field and 1-of-4 from the free-throw line. He scored a season-low three points. Baker is averaging 15.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He's making 40.5 percent of his attempts from 3-point range and has a 64/35 assists to turnovers ratio. Baker also has 35 steals through 29 games. VanVleet averages 12.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, while dishing out 154 assists compared to just 49 turnovers. He has a team-high 53 steals.
Northern Iowa (27-2 SU, 16-8-3 ATS) hasn't tasted defeat since New Year's Day when it lost a 52-49 decision at Evansville in its Missouri Valley Conference opener. Ben Jacobsen's club has won 16 in a row since then and it is 10-2-3 ATS in its last 15 contests. NIU is off a 68-57 win over Evansville on Wednesday, but it failed to cover for the first time since Jan. 21 as a 12-point home 'chalk.' Deon Mitchell was the catalyst with 17 points, four assists and a pair of steals. Seth Tuttle added 10 points and eight rebounds.
The Panthers are led by Tuttle, who averages team-highs in scoring (15.6 points per game), assists (3.2 APG), rebounds (6.6 RPG), field-goal percentage (62.7%) and blocked shots (0.7 BPG). Northern Iowa is 18th in the RPI Rankings, going 1-1 versus the Top 50 and 7-1 against the Top 100. The Panthers' best win was over Wichita State in the first meeting.
Wichita State is Northern 14 in the RPI with a 1-2 record against the Top 50 and a 6-3 ledger versus the Top 100. The Shockers' best wins are over Tulsa, Seton Hall and Alabama. They have a neutral-court triumph over Memphis. In addition to the loss at Northern Iowa, Wichita State lost at Utah (69-68) and fell on a neutral court against George Washington (60-54).
When these MVC adversaries collided in Cedar Falls on Jan. 31, Northern Iowa collected a 70-54 win as a two-point home underdog. Tuttle enjoyed a monster performance, tallying 29 points and seven rebounds on 9-of-13 shooting from the field. Wes Washpun chipped in with 16 points, three boards, three assists and two steals. In the losing effort, VanVleet had a team-best 18 points. However, VanVleet and Ron Baker combined to make just 7-of-22 shots from the floor.
The 'over' is 13-12-1 overall for the Shockers, but the 'under' is 6-4 in their home games. The 'over' is 12-11-3 overall for the Panthers. As of late Friday afternoon, one offshore book had the Shockers favored by six. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 PM Eastern on ESPN.
•Arkansas @ Kentucky
For the first time since the mid-1990s when Nolan Richardson and Rick Pitino were roaming the sidelines at Kentucky and Arkansas, the Wildcats and Razorbacks are the top dogs in the SEC. And that's how it should be because these are the two best hoops programs in the league. Of course, Billy Donovan has been the reason that Florida has shared top status in the league with UK for much of the last two decades. The other reason was the dismissal of Richardson, who led the Hogs to the 1994 national title. Since his firing in 2002, Arkansas has won only one NCAA Tournament game.
But my point is this: Arkansas should be the second-best basketball program in the Southeastern Conference. In terms of tradition, facilities and fan support, the Razorbacks are second only to Kentucky in college basketball. At least that's how it should be and is this year, as Mike Anderson is about to take the Razorbacks to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in his four-year tenure.
Since failing to cover the spread in five consecutive games, Kentucky (28-0 SU, 14-13-1 ATS) has gone 3-0-1 ATS in its last four games. The Wildcats went to The Hump in Starkville on Wednesday night and captured a 74-56 win over Mississippi State as 18-point road 'chalk.' Trey Lyles led the way with 18 points and six rebounds. Aaron Harrison added 16 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 12 points, 10 boards and a pair of blocked shots. John Calipari's team has won all 17 of its games at Rupp Arena while posting an 8-9 spread record.
Arkansas (23-5 SU, 14-13 ATS) has won three in a row and four of the last five head-to-head meetings with UK both SU and ATS. The Razorbacks swept the season series last year with a pair of overtime wins over the Wildcats. At Rupp on Feb. 27, Anderson's squad won a 71-67 decision as a 10-point underdog. Michael Qualls led the way with 14 points. Arkansas is led by sophomore power forward Bobby Portis, who leads the team in scoring (17.6 PPG), rebounding (8.5 RPG), field-goal percentage (56.4%) and blocked shots (1.6 BPG). Portis is probably the favorite to win SEC Player of the Year honors.
The Hogs have won seven in a row since losing a heartbreaker at Florida on Jan. 31, but it has failed to cover the number in three consecutive outings. The Hogs won an 81-75 decision over Texas A&M on Tuesday, but they disappointed their backers by blowing a 20-point lead and getting back-doored as 7.5-point home favorites. Portis scored a team-best 22 points, while Rashad Madden had 11 points, five board and five assists. Arkansas has been a road underdog five times this year, producing a 4-1 spread record with three outright wins at Ole Miss, at SMU and at Georgia.
Kentucky is ranked No. 1 in the RPI with 10 wins over the Top 50 and 15 victories over Top-100 foes. Arkansas is No. 19 in the RPI, going 5-2 against the Top 50 and 8-5 versus the Top 100. The Razorbacks' best win of the year came at Southern Methodist and they also have quality road wins at Georgia and at Ole Miss.
The 'under' is 17-11 overall for UK, 11-6 in its home games. However, the 'over' is on a 7-2 run in the Wildcats' last seven games. The 'over' is 14-12 overall for Arkansas, but it has seen the 'over' go 7-3 in its last 10 games. The 'over' is 6-3-1 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings between these SEC rivals. One offshore had UK favored by 15 as of late Friday afternoon. CBS will have the telecast at 4:00 PM Eastern.
•Bonus Nuggets
-- After serving a three-game suspension, Dorian Finney-Smith will return to the lineup Saturday for Florida's home game vs. Tennessee. Michael Frazier II, UF's leading scorer, has missed five straight games with a high-ankle sprain. He's getting close to returning and is considered 'questionable' against the Volunteers. Eli Carter (8.2 PPG) missed practice Thursday and has a strep throat for the second time this season. Carter is also 'questionable.'
-- Florida was favored by six late Friday afternoon. The Gators are an abysmal 4-8 ATS in 12 games as home favorites this year. Billy Donovan will be gunning for his 500th career win for the third straight game. He would become the second-youngest coach in NCAA history (behind only Bobby Knight's pace) to reach the 500-win mark.
-- Alabama guard Ricky Tarrant (13.1 PPG) has been ruled 'out' for the rest of the season. The transfer from Tulane suffered a leg injury against Florida and will undergo season-ending surgery.
-- Drexel suffered a crushing blow this week when star Damion Lee was ruled out for the rest of the year with a broken hand. Lee was averaging 21.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
-- Houston's L.J. Rose (9.8 PPG, 5.3 APG) will miss the rest of the year with a foot injury.
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Saturday's Late Tips
Systems Analyst Larry Hertner
This Saturday night’s schedule in men’s college basketball features a threesome of teams in action that have serious aspirations of much bigger things come the month of March. First, the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils will play host to Syracuse in an ACC clash before two teams vying for the Pac-12 regular season title square-off against each other when No. 7 Arizona goes on the road to face No. 13 Utah. To close things out in the nightcap, we head out to the West Coast Conference where Brigham Young will go on the road to tangle with No. 3 Gonzaga.
Syracuse vs. Duke
ESPN, 7:00 PM EST
Opening Odds: Duke -14 ½
The Orange come into this matchup fresh-off this past Tuesday’s impressive 65-60 upset of Notre Dame as 8 ½-point road underdogs. They are now 5-2-1 against the spread this season when closing as underdogs. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five games. Senior forward Rakeem Christmas continues to lead the way with 18.1 points and 9.3 rebounds a game. Syracuse is averaging 69.2 points per game and shooting 44 percent from the field.
Duke needed overtime to get past Virginia Tech 91-86 this past Wednesday as a heavy 15 ½-point road favorite. The Blue Devils are now an even 5-5 ATS while alternating wins and losses in their last 10 games. The total has gone OVER in their last four contests. They remain the fifth-highest scoring team in the nation with 81 PPG and they are ranked third in shooting the ball with a 50.2 field goal percentage. Freshman sensation Jahlil Okafor leads Duke in both points (18.4) and rebounds (9.4) per game.
•Betting Trends
-- The Orange are 7-18-2 ATS in their last 27 conference games and they are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games following a SU win. The total has stayed UNDER in 13 of their last 19 games following an ATS win.
-- The Blue Devils are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following an ATS loss and they have gone 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 games played on Saturday. The total has gone OVER in 12 of their last 14 home games.
-- Duke has won two of three meetings since Syracuse joined the ACC last season including an 80-72 victory on Feb. 14 this year as a 7 ½-point road favorite. The Blue Devils are 2-0-1 ATS and the total has gone OVER in two of the three games.
Arizona vs. Utah
ESPN, 9:00 PM EST
Opening Odds: Utah -2
Arizona rolled over Colorado 82-54 this past Thursday as a nine-point road favorite to improve to 13-2 SU in conference play. The Wildcats have gone a profitable 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games and the total has gone OVER in four of their last six outings. Four of five starters scored in double figures against the Buffaloes led by freshman forward Stanley Johnson’s 15 points. He leads the Wildcats in scoring this season with 14.2 PPG and, as a team, Arizona is averaging 75.8 PPG while shooting a highly effective 49.1 percent from the field.
The Utes stayed right on Arizona’s tail in the Pac-12 title race with an 83-41 romp against Arizona State as 12-point home favorites this past Thursday. This followed a stunning 69-58 loss to Oregon last Sunday as 4 ½-point favorites on the road. They are now 5-2 ATS in their last seven contests and the total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five games. Utah is averaging 73 PPG and it is shooting an impressive 49.5 percent from the field. Senior guard Delon Wright has led the way with 14.2 PPG.
•Betting Trends
-- The Wildcats are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games and they are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last seven games following an ATS win.
-- The Utes are 21-5 ATS in their last 26 games played on Saturday and they are 35-13-3 ATS in their last 51 games following a SU win. The total has gone OVER in 10 of their last 14 home games.
-- The road team in this conference clash has gone 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in three of the last four games. Arizona has won the last 10 meetings SU and it has a 6-4 edge ATS during this winning streak.
Brigham Young vs. Gonzaga
ESPN2, 10:00 PM EST
Opening Odds: Gonzaga -12
BYU brings a five-game winning streak both SU and ATS into this matchup following Thursday’s 82-69 victory against Portland as a 2 ½-point road favorite. The total has now stayed UNDER in the Cougars last four contests. Senior guard Tyler Haws has been a force this season with a team-high 22.3 points while shooting 47.6 percent from the field. The Cougars have an additional trio of players averaging 13 PPG as the top scoring team in the nation with 84.4 PPG. Defensively, they are well down the list after allowing an average of 72.4 PPG to their opponents.
The Bulldogs continue to roll to a West Coast regular season title with a perfect 17-0 SU record in conference play, but they are just 4-5 ATS in their last nine games. Gonzaga did cover a huge 17-point spread this past Thursday with a 59-39 victory at home against San Diego. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five games. The Bulldogs are another team that can light-up the scoreboard with 79 PPG and they are the top shooting team in the nation with a lights-out 52.7 field goal percentage. Junior forward Kyle Wiltjer has had the hottest hand with 17 PPG.
•Betting Trends
-- The Cougars have covered in their last four games following a SU win and they are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games on the road. The total has gone OVER in six of their last seven road games.
-- The Bulldogs are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games and they are 13-6-2 ATS in their last 21 games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five games played at home.
-- Head-to-head in this matchup, the home team has gone 8-1-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in the last five meetings at Gonzaga. The Bulldogs won the first meeting this season 87-80 while covering as five-point road favorites. The total went OVER the closing 149 ½-point line after staying UNDER in the previous seven meetings.
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