Sunday 1/25/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Home-Home Series'

Here's an NBA situation that doesn’t pop up too often during the season but given the numbers it’s amassed taking the time to pay attention can pay off handsomely for the NBA handicapper. The exact situation we look for are teams playing the second of a home-home regular season series. So far, this season the favorite in the second of these home-home tilts have cashed at a 60% clip posting a 6-3-1 record against the betting line. Absolutely nothing wrong with cashing 60% of tickets. However we can improve the hit rate to 80% (4-1 ATS) if we focus solely on a road favorite in the second game. Given the hot/cold nature of any betting trend a bigger sample size is always needed to give more confidence to a particular situation. Since 2012 the favorite is 29-23-2 ATS (53.7%) with road chalks 12-4 ATS (75%). In a nut shell, 'What-2-Watch-4' is a road favorite in the second game of a home-home series. As always best of luck this NBA season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Trends

1:00 PM
MIAMI vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games on the road
Miami is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Chicago's last 21 games at home
Chicago is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games at home

See more trends!
JANUARY 25, 3:30 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cleveland's last 8 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Cleveland's last 17 games

6:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. PHOENIX
LA Clippers are 3-11 SU in their last 14 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
LA Clippers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Phoenix's last 16 games
Phoenix is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games

6:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games when playing Minnesota
Atlanta is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota

6:00 PM
DALLAS vs. NEW ORLEANS
Dallas is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Dallas is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
New Orleans is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Dallas
New Orleans is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas

6:00 PM
INDIANA vs. ORLANDO
Indiana is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Orlando is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Milwaukee is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
San Antonio is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. TORONTO
Detroit is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Detroit is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Detroit

8:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. DENVER
Washington is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Denver
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Washington's last 22 games when playing Denver
Denver is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Denver is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
Boston is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Golden State is 10-1-1 ATS in its last 12 games

9:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. LA LAKERS
Houston is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games
LA Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games when playing Houston
LA Lakers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Houston

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB Tournament Forecast
By The SportsBoss

2015 NCAA Tournament – Projected Field thru action on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015.

This is our first installment of bracketology for the 2015 NCAA Tournament and comes a couple weeks into conference play.

Before jumping into this season’s breakdown let’s take a look back at last year’s first installment which we published on Jan. 8, 2014 did very well projecting the field, especially considering how early it was posted.

The one area we struggled some were the smaller conferences: there were 22 conferences that received one bid & we only projected 10 of the 22 correct – that area of a bracketology is clearly the toughest.

After those 22 teams are accounted for we are left with 46 open bids & we nailed 36 of those 46 – here are more details on the 10 we missed (teams in italic & bold we included in our projection but they missed field):

SMU: in our “first five out” category meaning they narrowly missed our field
St. Joseph’s: earned the A10 automatic bid
Florida State: missed field
Georgetown: missed field
Providence: earned the Big East automatic bid
Minnesota: missed field
Stanford: in our “first five out” category
California: in our “first five out” category
Missouri: missed field
Arkansas: missed field
BYU: in our “first five out” category

To summarize four of our “first five out” teams wound up earning a bid; two teams earned their conference’s automatic bid otherwise there is a good chance they would have missed field; and five teams we projected in did not earn a bid.

Considering this projection was posted 2 months in advance of Selection Sunday those results are excellent – add in fact that our final bracketology of last year only missed on one team & this exercise proves valuable.

Now that we have some context on last year let’s jump into the 2015 projection! Below we breakdown each conference into three buckets initially (with a fourth bucket “life support” coming in February as the picture continues to sort itself out):

1) Automatic Bid
2) Looking Good - teams highly likely to play well enough in the regular season to earn a bid
3) Need Wins - teams that are firmly on the bubble and will need to play well to close their season

**Teams are listed in the s-curve order I see them now within conference**
**For this edition, to add some more color to each team I will include their SBPI ranking through action on Thursday January 22. For one bid leagues I will also show the SBPI ranking of the 2nd team in the conference to give a feel for their competition**

**Last key to remember when looking this over – I always lean towards INCLUDING teams in my breakdown that have any shot at earning a bid; some listed are extreme longshots but I would prefer including any potential candidates vs. adding them later out of blue. Leveraging that idea further I will lean towards keeping teams in say “Need Wins” versus moving them up to “Looking Good” till I feel certain they are a lock to earn a bid – do not want to slide teams down levels, only up. Many teams are closer to being left off completely versus moving up a level at this point in the season**

America East: Stony Brook #77 (Albany #201)

American Athletic: Cincinnati #47
Looking Good: SMU #53
Need Wins: Tulsa #47, Temple #56, UConn #100, Memphis #131

Atlantic Ten: VCU #8
Need Wins: Davidson #41, Dayton #75, George Washington #54, Rhode Island #74

ACC: Virginia #11
Looking Good: Duke #7, North Carolina #17, Louisville #14, Notre Dame #174
Need Wins: Miami #59, NC State #24, Syracuse #78, Pittsburgh #70

Atlantic Sun: North Florida #136 (Northern Kentucky #191)

Big 12: Kansas #2
Looking Good: Iowa State #30, Oklahoma #23, Texas #35\
Need Wins: West Virginia #16, Baylor #9, Oklahoma State #18, Kansas St. #60

Big East: Villanova #4
Looking Good: Butler #3, Providence #19, Georgetown #26
Need Wins: Seton Hall #38, Xavier #15, St. John’s #64

Big Sky: Eastern Washington #170 (Northern Arizona #127)

Big South: Gardner-Webb #101 (Coastal Carolina #113)

Big Ten: Wisconsin #13
Looking Good: Indiana #82, Maryland #52
Need Wins: Michigan State #31, Iowa #29, Ohio State #36, Illinois #40, Michigan #58, Nebraska #132, Minnesota #42

Big West: Long Beach State #81 (UCSB #62)

Colonial: William & Mary #109 (Hofstra #165)

Conference USA: Old Dominion #61 (Western Kentucky #55)
If OLD DOMINION does not win their conference tournament they would still BE ALIVE to earn an at-large bid. The Monarchs have gone 2-0 vs. Top 50 RPI teams including a win over LSU on a neutral court & a home win over VCU.

Horizon: Cleveland State #57 (Green Bay #90)

Ivy: Yale #28 (Harvard #68)

MAAC: Iona #146 (Canisius #175)

MAC: Buffalo #85 (Toledo #79)

MEAC: North Carolina Central #95 (Norfolk State #163)

Missouri Valley : Wichita State #6
If WICHITA STATE does not win their conference tournament they would still RECEIVE a bid, thus taking a spot away from the at-large field.
Need Wins: Northern Iowa #86

Mountain West: San Diego State #22
Need Wins: Colorado State #71

Northeast: St. Francis NY #159 (St. Francis PA #158)

Ohio Valley: Murray State #123 (Morehead State #84)

Pac 12: Arizona #5
Looking Good: Utah #12
Need Wins: Stanford #25, Washington #143, Oregon State #108, UCLA #32, Oregon #106

Patriot: Colgate #183 (Holy Cross #142)

SEC: Kentucky #1
Looking Good: Arkansas #27
Need Wins: Georgia #39, LSU #103, Tennessee #96, Texas A&M #44, Ole Miss #43, Alabama #51, South Carolina #34, Florida #20

Southern: Wofford #98 (Chattanooga #125)

Southland: Stephen F. Austin #69 (Sam Houston State #111)

SWAC: Texas Southern #179 (Southern #189)

Summit: Oral Roberts #120 (South Dakota State #152)

Sun Belt: Georgia Southern #114 (Georgia State #122)

West Coast: Gonzaga #10
If GONZAGA does not win their conference tournament they would still RECEIVE a bid, thus taking one away from the current at-large pool.
Need Wins: BYU #21, St Mary’s #48

WAC: New Mexico State #91 (Chicago State #190)

FIELD: 68

AUTOMATIC BIDS: 32

Looking Good: 15

Currently I project 47 of the 68 bids are earned.

Need Wins: 43

That leaves 43 teams that are in the mix for 21 open bids.

Keep in mind however that DOES NOT include the upsets we will see during Conference Tournament week where teams that are LOCKS from smaller conferences lose a game in their conference tournament and hence use an at-large bid on themselves.

For the remaining 21 open bids this is the way I see it currently, which will obviously be very fluid (listed in conference alphabetical order applying s-curve within conference):

Davidson
Dayton
Miami, Fla
NC State
Syracuse (last five IN)
West Virginia
Baylor
Oklahoma State (last five IN)
Seton Hall
Xavier (last five IN)
St. John’s (last five IN)
Michigan State
Iowa
Ohio State
Northern Iowa
Colorado State (last five IN)
Stanford
Washington
Georgia
LSU
BYU

FIRST FIVE OUT – alphabetical order by conference:

George Washington
Illinois
Michigan
Oregon State
UCLA

Multiple bid conferences (total of 47 bids in 11 conferences; 21 single bid conferences = 68 bids):

ACC (8)
B12 (7)
BE (7)
B10 (6)
P12 (4)
SEC (4)
A10 (3)
AAC (2)
MWC (2)
MVC (2)
WCC (2)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB Duke travels to St. John's

DUKE BLUE DEVILS (16-2) at ST. JOHN'S RED STORM (13-5)

Tip-off: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. ET
Line: Duke -6

Mike Krzyzewski tries to win his 1,000th game as a collegiate coach on Sunday when his No. 5 Duke team visits St. John's.

Krzyzewski picked up wins 998 and 999 in the previous eight days with impressive double-digit victories at Louisville (63-52) last Saturday and versus Pittsburgh (79-65) on Monday. This followed a stunning two-game losing skid where the Blue Devils lost by 12 points at NC State and by 16 points at home to Miami.

The Red Storm opened the season with 11 wins in their first 12 games, but have dropped four of their past six contests SU. They did beat Marquette 60-57 on Wednesday but failed to cover the 6.5-point spread, to fall to 1-5 ATS in the past six games.

These schools have played 14 times since 1999, with Duke holding a commanding 11-3 SU advantage, but the Red Storm are an impressive 10-4 ATS in these games, including four straight ATS wins. These teams last met three seasons ago in Durham where the Blue Devils won 83-76 but didn't come close to covering the 18-point spread.

Duke is 14-1 SU (8-7 ATS) after an SU win this season, but it just 2-6 ATS on 3+ days rest. On the other hand, St. John's is 6-3-1 ATS after an SU win and 6-3 ATS with at least three days' rest this season.

Duke remains one of the top offenses in college basketball, ranking among the top-20 teams (through Thursday) in scoring (81.8 PPG, 10th in NCAA), shooting (50.0% FG, 6th in nation) and Ast/TO ratio (1.41, 18th in NCAA). This club also rebounds very well with a +7.0 RPG margin and makes 7.6 threes per game on a strong 37.4% clip. Their defense is also respectable with 63.7 PPG allowed on 42.1% FG.

The best player on the team -- and maybe the best in the country -- is freshman C Jahlil Okafor (18.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG) who has scored in double-figures in all 18 games. He has also grabbed at least six rebounds in 16-of-18 contests, but is coming off a season-low three boards in 28 minutes versus Pittsburgh on Monday. Although Okafor makes only 59% FT for the season, he has done a much better job at the line this month with a 69% FT clip (34-49). PF Amile Jefferson (8.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG) has been a beast on the boards in his past four games with 9.0 RPG to go along with 11.3 PPG. This duo will have to remain strong inside against the talented shot-blockers for St. John's.

Duke's backcourt has also been great this season, as freshman PG Tyus Jones (10.1 PPG, 5.1 APG), broke out of a slump in a big way with 16.0 PPG and 6.0 APG in his past two games. For the season, Jones carries an impressive 3.0 Ast/TO ratio and shoots 37% from three-point land. SG Quinn Cook (14.2 PPG, 3.4 APG) is also a great long-range shooter (38% FG), but he has been ice-cold in the past two games with 9.0 PPG on 5-of-19 FG and 3-of-15 threes.

St. John's has a quality offense that scores 71.1 PPG on 44.4% FG, but the club's real strength is on defense; especially the interior. The Red Storm average 6.9 blocks per game (5th in NCAA through Thursday) and 8.7 steals per game (T-14th in nation through Thursday) while holding opponents to a mere 38.5% FG (32nd in NCAA through Thursday). But despite having great rim protectors, they are a poor rebounding team with a minus-2.1 RPG margin, and they also struggle mightily from downtown (31.8% threes).

SG D'Angelo Harrison (20.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG) is the team's best long-range shooter (37% threes) and is the school's most accurate foul shooter (82% FT). He has scored at least nine points in all 17 games this season, but his shot has been way off in the past two games where he's a dismal 5-for-28 FG (18%) and 3-of-14 threes (21%).

SG Rysheed Jordan (13.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.1 SPG) has scored at least 15 points in three straight games where he has logged a hefty 37.7 MPG, and he will be needed to disrupt Duke's flow on offense.

SF Sir'Dominic Pointer (11.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.0 APG) is also on a three-game streak of scoring 10+ points, averaging 14.3 PPG and 7.0 RPG during this surge. Pointer's versatility always makes for a difficult matchup for his opponent. C Chris Obekpa (7.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.5 BPG) is counted on much more for his defense than offense, and he is averaging only 5.0 PPG on 5-of-14 FG in the past three games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB Sunday's Top Action
By David Schwab

While there might not be any football to bet on this Sunday (unless you are desperate enough to wager on the Pro Bowl), college basketball has you covered with 11 Top 25 teams in the AP’s latest poll in action. Two games of interest pit No. 8 Notre Dame on the road against North Carolina State in the ACC followed by No. 13 Maryland playing host to Northwestern in a Big Ten clash.

The following betting tip sheet breaks down each one of these conference matchups with some key facts, stats and betting trends to help you wager on the games.

No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack (ESPNU, 6:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Notre Dame -2 ½

Notre Dame has just one straight-up loss in its last 15 games and that was to No. 2 Virginia, but it has been tough to bet on lately with a 2-4 record against the spread in its last six contests. The Irish did cover their last time out in an 85-60 rout of Virginia Tech this past Thursday as 10 ½-point road favorites. The total has gone OVER in seven of 10 games with a posted line behind an offense that is averaging 81.9 points per game. They come into this game as the second-best shooting team in the nation with a 52.6 field goal percentage and senior guard Jerian Grant has led the way with 16.8 PPG while shooting 51.8 percent from the field.

The Wolfpack dropped to 3-3 SU in conference play with this past Thursday’s 65-60 loss to Miami. After forcing a PUSH in that game as five-point road underdogs, they are a profitable 5-0-1 ATS during this stretch. NC State is 8-5 ATS at home this season and the total has gone OVER in five of seven home games with posted betting odds. Junior guard Trevor Lacey is the Wolfpack’s leading scorer with 16.7 PPG and he has connected on 43 percent of his shots from three-point range. NC State is averaging 72.1 PPG and on defense they are allowing an average of 64.2 points.

Betting Trends

-- The Fighting Irish are 8-21-1 ATS in their last 30 games against a team from the ACC and they are 1-4 ATS is their last five games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has gone OVER in 20 of their last 26 games following a SU win.

-- The Wolfpack are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games and 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games following a SU loss. The total has gone OVER in 13 in of their last 16 home games.

-- NC State won last season’s only meeting 77-70 as an eight-point road underdog. The total in that game went OVER the closing 140-point betting line.

Northwestern Wildcats vs. No. 13 Maryland Terrapins (Big Ten Network, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Maryland -13

Northwestern started play in the Big Ten on a high note with a 51-47 road win against Rutgers as a three-point underdog, but it has been a series of low points ever since with five straight losses. The Wildcats have managed to cover ATS in three of their last four games as underdogs in each and the total has gone OVER in five of their last seven outings. The duo of junior guard Tre Demps and freshman guard Bryant McIntosh have led the way with a combined 23.9 PPG, but the Wildcats are ranked 245th in the nation in scoring with an average of 64.7 points while shooting 43.2 percent from the field.

The Terrapins’ inaugural season in the Big Ten is off to a solid 5-2 SU (4-3 ATS) start. However, they are coming off an 89-70 loss to Indiana this past Thursday as 1 ½-point underdogs on the road to fall to 2-3 ATS in their last five games. The total has gone OVER in their last three outings. Maryland is averaging 72.8 PPG and shooting 44.7 percent from the field. Its top two scorers have been freshman guard Melo Trimble (15.8 PPG) and junior guard/forward Jake Layman (14.7 PPG). Layman is shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three-point range.

Betting Trends

-- The Wildcats have covered ATS in their last four road games and they are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a SU loss. The total has stayed UNDER in six of their last eight road games.

-- The Terrapins are 1-3-1 ATS in their last five home games against a team with a SU losing record on the road, but they are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games following a loss ATS. The total has gone OVER in seven of their last eight games played on a Sunday.

-- The last time these two met was in 2012 with Maryland rolling to a 77-57 victory as a five-point road underdog. The total went OVER the 130-point line in that contest.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB Top 25 roundup: No. 9 Iowa State stumbles at Texas Tech
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

LUBBOCK, Texas -- One of the Big 12's first-place teams was no match for its last-place squad as Texas Tech fired in 11 3-pointers and led for the last 34:30 on Saturday to stun No. 9 Iowa State 78-73 at United Supermarkets Arena.

Guard Devaugntah Williams tallied a game-high 22 points for the Red Raiders (11-9, 1-6), and reserve guard Toddrick Goucher pumped in five 3s and scored 17. Guard Robert Turner added 13, sinking three 3s, and pulled down 10 rebounds for a double-double.

Guard Monte Morris scored 20 second half points to pace the Cyclones (14-4, 4-2), which also got 12 from reserve guard Matt Thomas and 10 from forward Georges Niang. Thomas' bank shot with 22.8 seconds left got Iowa State within 76-73 and an offensive foul gave it a chance to tie. But Morris came up short on a clean look for a 3-pointer from the right wing. Williams pulled the rebound and made two free throws with 4.8 seconds left to cinch the outcome, resulting in a court-storming.

It was Texas Tech's first win over a top 10 team since March 4, 2009, when it shocked No. 9 Kansas.


No. 1 Kentucky 58, South Carolina 43

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Freshman guard Devin Booker scored 18 points and No. 1 Kentucky rolled past South Carolina on Saturday.

The win avenges the Wildcats' loss to the Gamecocks last March in Columbia. Since that time, Kentucky has lost just three times -- twice to Florida and to Connecticut in the national championship game last year.

Sophomore guard Aaron Harrison chipped in with 13 points as Wildcats again used a deep bench to wear down its opponent. It was a back-and-forth affair for most of the first half until Kentucky (19-0, 6-0 in SEC) scored the final 11 points of the half to take a 34-24 break at the half.

Guard Sindarius Thornwell scored 14 points to lead South Carolina (10-8, 1-5).


No. 3 Gonzaga 91, Pacific 60

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Guard Gary Bell Jr. and center Przemek Karnowski led five Gonzaga players in double figures with 13 points apiece in a West Coast Conference rout of Pacific on Saturday night.

Guard Silas Melson scored 12 points for the Bulldogs (20-1, 9-0 WCC). Guard Byron Wesley added 11 points and forward Domantas Sobanis contributed 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds off the bench.

Gonzaga's winning streaks grew to 13 games overall, 14 against WCC teams, 32 in WCC home games and 36 in all home games.

Guard T.J. Wallace and forward Eric Thompson led Pacific (10-11, 2-7) with 12 points each. Guard Dulani Robinson added 11.

Gonzaga sank 13 of its first 16 shots from the field and wound up shooting 60 percent from the floor. The Bulldogs dominated the smaller, younger Tigers inside and also made 11 of 25 3-pointers (44 percent).


No. 6 Wisconsin 69, Michigan 64 (OT)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Wisconsin entered Saturday night's game at the Crisler Center as heavy favorites over injury-plagued Michigan, but the Badgers needed overtime to escape.

Carried by Frank Kaminsky, the Badgers (18-2, 6-1 Big Ten) distanced themselves from the Wolverines (12-8, 5-3) with a 6-0 run to open the extra session. The 7-foot, 242-pound senior forward scored seven points in overtime and finished with a team-high 22 points and nine rebounds.

Michigan junior point guard Derrick Walton scored 17 points, including a 3-pointer from the left wing that tied the score at 57 with 1.3 seconds remaining in regulation.


No. 7 Arizona 73, California 50

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Freshman forward Stanley Johnson scored 18 points to help Arizona cruise past California on Saturday night at Haas Pavilion.

Arizona (18-2, 6-1 Pac-12) took over sole possession of first place in the conference -- at least temporarily. The Wildcats have a half-game lead over Utah, which hosts Washington on Sunday.

Johnson also had nine rebounds for Arizona and backup freshman center Dusan Ristic added 11 points, two shy of his season high. Center Kaleb Tarczewski had 10 points, all in the second half.

Cal (11-9) lost its sixth straight game, and its 1-6 Pac-12 record is its worst start in conference play since 1991-1992, when the Bears also were 1-6. Forward David Kravish had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and guard Jordan Mathews also had 16 points for Cal.


No. 11 Kansas 75, No. 17 Texas 62

AUSTIN, Texas -- Kansas maintained at least a tie for the Big 12 Conference lead with a victory over Texas.

The Jayhawks improved to 16-3 overall and 5-1 in the conference. The Longhorns fell to 14-5, 3-3.

Kansas sported four players in double figures, led by junior forward Perry Ellis, who had 15 points.

Longhorn sophomore guard Isaiah Taylor led all scorers with 23 points.



No. 15 North Carolina 78, Florida State 74

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Guard Marcus Paige scored 19 points, including clutch free throws in the final minute, and forward Brice Johnson tacked on 18 points as North Carolina fended off several Florida State rallies.

Forward Justin Jackson's 14 points and forward Kennedy Meeks' 12 points helped as the Tar Heels (16-4, 6-1 ACC) won their fifth game in a row.

Freshman guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes scored a season-high 35 points for the Seminoles, who have failed to win consecutive games this month. Guard Devon Bookert added 11 points for Florida State (10-10, 2-5).


No. 18 West Virginia 86, TCU 85 (OT)

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- No. 18 West Virginia needed last-second miracles at the end of regulation and again in overtime to survive TCU on Saturday in a Big 12 game.

Backup guard Jevon Carter's free throws with 0.9 of a second left in the extra period, which followed TCU's go-ahead jumper with 1.3 seconds, lifted the Mountaineers. TCU coach Trent Johnson, upset over the decisive foul call against guard Kyan Anderson, had to be restrained by an assistant as he argued with officials after the game.

Guard Juwan Staten and forward Devin Williams each scored 18 points for West Virginia (16-3, 4-2), which trailed by five with 1:20 left in overtime.

Anderson scored 22 points for TCU (14-5, 1-5), whose lead was 82-78 on forward Brandon Parrish's two free throws with 37 seconds left.


No. 21 Baylor 69, No. 19 Oklahoma 58

WACO, Texas -- Baylor guard Lester Medford hit a 3-pointer and forward Rico Gathers followed with an emphatic fast-break dunk to cap a late 7-0 run as the Bears outlasted Oklahoma on Saturday at the Ferrell Center.

Oklahoma stopped Baylor's late surge when guard Frank Booker hit a 3-pointer, but Baylor came right back as forward Royce O'Neale hit a trey to re-establish a seven-point lead with 2:50 remaining and the Bears' margin never again fell below seven points.

Medford led Baylor (15-4, 3-3 Big 12) with 17 points and five assists. Guard Buddy Hield and Jordan Woodard each scored 12 points for Oklahoma (12-7, 3-4).


No. 22 Dayton 63, Richmond 60

DAYTON, Ohio -- Forward Dyshawn Pierre scored 21 points and forward Kendall Pollard added 14, helping Dayton rebound from its first conference loss of the season.

Pierre was 8 of 11 from the field for the Flyers (16-3, 6-1 Atlantic 10), who were coming off a 77-60 loss at Davidson on Tuesday that snapped an eight-game winning streak.

Richmond (10-9, 2-3 Atlantic 10), which had four players in double figures led by sophomore forward T.J. Cline's 14 points, proved to be no pushover. The Spiders rallied to take the lead in the second half but fell short.



Purdue 67, No. 25 Iowa 63

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Guard Rapheal Davis' 3-pointer with 44.4 seconds remaining lifted Purdue over Iowa.

Davis, who finished with a career-best 24 points, made the clutch shot from the top of the arc for a 65-63 lead, and two free throws from forward Basil Smotherman, who scored 13, iced it in the final 17.3 seconds.

Guard Mike Gesell led the Hawkeyes (13-7, 4-3 Big Ten) with 18 points, 15 in the second half.

Iowa played all but seven minutes without leading scorer Aaron White, who sustained a right shoulder injury with 15:48 left in the first half and played only briefly thereafter. He scored four points.

Purdue improved to 12-8, 4-3.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

S FLORIDA (7 - 12) at CONNECTICUT (10 - 7) - 1/25/2015, 12:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
S FLORIDA is 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
S FLORIDA is 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
S FLORIDA is 15-29 ATS (-16.9 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
S FLORIDA is 15-27 ATS (-14.7 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
S FLORIDA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
S FLORIDA is 3-2 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 4-1 straight up against S FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

VIRGINIA (18 - 0) at VIRGINIA TECH (8 - 10) - 1/25/2015, 1:00 PM

There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
VIRGINIA is 3-1 against the spread versus VIRGINIA TECH over the last 3 seasons
VIRGINIA is 4-0 straight up against VIRGINIA TECH over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

BOSTON COLLEGE (8 - 9) at GEORGIA TECH (9 - 9) - 1/25/2015, 1:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
GEORGIA TECH is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
BOSTON COLLEGE is 105-68 ATS (+30.2 Units) in road games since 1997.
BOSTON COLLEGE is 105-68 ATS (+30.2 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
BOSTON COLLEGE is 100-67 ATS (+26.3 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
BOSTON COLLEGE is 40-21 ATS (+16.9 Units) in road games in January games since 1997.
BOSTON COLLEGE is 96-66 ATS (+23.4 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
BOSTON COLLEGE is 88-62 ATS (+19.8 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
GEORGIA TECH is 3-1 against the spread versus BOSTON COLLEGE over the last 3 seasons
GEORGIA TECH is 3-2 straight up against BOSTON COLLEGE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

INDIANA (15 - 4) at OHIO ST (15 - 5) - 1/25/2015, 1:30 PM

Top Trends for this game.
OHIO ST is 221-177 ATS (+26.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
INDIANA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 3-1 against the spread versus OHIO ST over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 3-1 straight up against OHIO ST over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

DUKE (16 - 2) at ST JOHNS (13 - 5) - 1/25/2015, 2:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
DUKE is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) against Big East conference opponents since 1997.
ST JOHNS is 71-47 ATS (+19.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.
DUKE is 85-59 ATS (+20.1 Units) in January games since 1997.
DUKE is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
__________________________________________________ ________________

ST BONAVENTURE (11 - 6) at RHODE ISLAND (12 - 5) - 1/25/2015, 2:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
RHODE ISLAND is 83-123 ATS (-52.3 Units) in all home games since 1997.
RHODE ISLAND is 83-123 ATS (-52.3 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
RHODE ISLAND is 47-88 ATS (-49.8 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
RHODE ISLAND is 20-41 ATS (-25.1 Units) in home games in January games since 1997.
RHODE ISLAND is 52-78 ATS (-33.8 Units) in home games after a conference game since 1997.
RHODE ISLAND is 20-36 ATS (-19.6 Units) in home games off a win against a conference rival since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
RHODE ISLAND is 1-1 against the spread versus ST BONAVENTURE over the last 3 seasons
RHODE ISLAND is 1-1 straight up against ST BONAVENTURE over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

CINCINNATI (13 - 5) at UCF (9 - 9) - 1/25/2015, 2:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 17-29 ATS (-14.9 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 2-1 against the spread versus UCF over the last 3 seasons
CINCINNATI is 3-0 straight up against UCF over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

N IOWA (17 - 2) at ILLINOIS ST (12 - 7) - 1/25/2015, 2:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
N IOWA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games after allowing 60 points or less this season.
ILLINOIS ST is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
N IOWA is 3-2 against the spread versus ILLINOIS ST over the last 3 seasons
N IOWA is 3-2 straight up against ILLINOIS ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

DRAKE (4 - 15) at WICHITA ST (17 - 2) - 1/25/2015, 2:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
DRAKE is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) after scoring 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
DRAKE is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WICHITA ST is 34-15 ATS (+17.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 34-15 ATS (+17.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 32-15 ATS (+15.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 21-7 ATS (+13.3 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 21-6 ATS (+14.4 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 21-6 ATS (+14.4 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WICHITA ST is 3-1 against the spread versus DRAKE over the last 3 seasons
WICHITA ST is 5-0 straight up against DRAKE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

SETON HALL (13 - 5) at BUTLER (14 - 6) - 1/25/2015, 3:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
BUTLER is 182-143 ATS (+24.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
SETON HALL is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in all games this season.
SETON HALL is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in all lined games this season.
SETON HALL is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUTLER is 4-0 against the spread versus SETON HALL over the last 3 seasons
BUTLER is 3-1 straight up against SETON HALL over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

LOUISVILLE (15 - 3) at PITTSBURGH (13 - 6) - 1/25/2015, 4:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
LOUISVILLE is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LOUISVILLE is 107-77 ATS (+22.3 Units) in road games since 1997.
LOUISVILLE is 107-77 ATS (+22.3 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
LOUISVILLE is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in all lined games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 1-0 against the spread versus LOUISVILLE over the last 3 seasons
LOUISVILLE is 1-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

NOTRE DAME (18 - 2) at NC STATE (13 - 7) - 1/25/2015, 6:30 PM

Top Trends for this game.
NOTRE DAME is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
NC STATE is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NC STATE is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NC STATE is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
NC STATE is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) against conference opponents this season.
NC STATE is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
NC STATE is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NC STATE is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NC STATE is 1-0 against the spread versus NOTRE DAME over the last 3 seasons
NC STATE is 1-0 straight up against NOTRE DAME over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

CREIGHTON (9 - 11) at VILLANOVA (17 - 2) - 1/25/2015, 7:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
VILLANOVA is 32-17 ATS (+13.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 32-17 ATS (+13.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 30-15 ATS (+13.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CREIGHTON is 2-0 against the spread versus VILLANOVA over the last 3 seasons
CREIGHTON is 2-0 straight up against VILLANOVA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

NORTHWESTERN (10 - 9) at MARYLAND (17 - 3) - 1/25/2015, 7:30 PM

Top Trends for this game.
MARYLAND is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points over the last 3 seasons.
MARYLAND is 89-64 ATS (+18.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
MARYLAND is 61-40 ATS (+17.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
MARYLAND is 26-10 ATS (+15.0 Units) in home games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games since 1997.
MARYLAND is 42-19 ATS (+21.1 Units) in home games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MARYLAND is 1-0 against the spread versus NORTHWESTERN over the last 3 seasons
MARYLAND is 1-0 straight up against NORTHWESTERN over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

WASHINGTON (14 - 4) at UTAH (15 - 3) - 1/25/2015, 8:30 PM

There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 2-1 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 3-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

MONMOUTH (11 - 9) at MANHATTAN (8 - 10) - 1/25/2015, 2:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
MANHATTAN is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
MONMOUTH is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as an underdog this season.
MONMOUTH is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games this season.
MONMOUTH is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road lined games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MANHATTAN is 1-1 against the spread versus MONMOUTH over the last 3 seasons
MANHATTAN is 2-0 straight up against MONMOUTH over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

ST PETERS (9 - 11) at SIENA (8 - 10) - 1/25/2015, 2:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
ST PETERS is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST PETERS is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
ST PETERS is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ST PETERS is 6-19 ATS (-14.9 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
ST PETERS is 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
ST PETERS is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
SIENA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
SIENA is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SIENA is 2-2 against the spread versus ST PETERS over the last 3 seasons
SIENA is 2-2 straight up against ST PETERS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

FAIRFIELD (6 - 13) at MARIST (1 - 18) - 1/25/2015, 2:00 PM

There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MARIST is 3-2 against the spread versus FAIRFIELD over the last 3 seasons
FAIRFIELD is 3-2 straight up against MARIST over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

NIAGARA (3 - 15) at IONA (14 - 6) - 1/25/2015, 4:30 PM

Top Trends for this game.
NIAGARA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) after a conference game this season.
NIAGARA is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
NIAGARA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
IONA is 31-49 ATS (-22.9 Units) versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=64 points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
IONA is 3-3 against the spread versus NIAGARA over the last 3 seasons
IONA is 5-1 straight up against NIAGARA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
__________________________________________________ ________________

BELMONT (12 - 7) at TENNESSEE ST (3 - 17) - 1/25/2015, 6:30 PM

Top Trends for this game.
BELMONT is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in all games this season.
BELMONT is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in all lined games this season.
BELMONT is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
BELMONT is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) against conference opponents this season.
BELMONT is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in January games this season.
TENNESSEE ST is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TENNESSEE ST is 4-1 against the spread versus BELMONT over the last 3 seasons
BELMONT is 4-1 straight up against TENNESSEE ST over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Trends

12:00 PM
SOUTH FLORIDA vs. CONNECTICUT
South Florida is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
South Florida is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Connecticut's last 6 games
Connecticut is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games

1:00 PM
VIRGINIA vs. VIRGINIA TECH
Virginia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Virginia's last 9 games when playing on the road against Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Virginia
Virginia Tech is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Virginia

1:00 PM
BOSTON COLLEGE vs. GEORGIA TECH
Boston College is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston College's last 5 games when playing on the road against Georgia Tech
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Georgia Tech's last 5 games when playing Boston College
Georgia Tech is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Boston College

1:30 PM
INDIANA vs. OHIO STATE
Indiana is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Ohio State
Ohio State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Indiana
Ohio State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana

2:00 PM
DUKE vs. ST. JOHN'S
Duke is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Duke is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
St. John's is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Duke
St. John's is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Duke

2:00 PM
ST. BONAVENTURE vs. RHODE ISLAND
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Bonaventure's last 6 games when playing on the road against Rhode Island
St. Bonaventure is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Rhode Island
Rhode Island is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Rhode Island is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

2:00 PM
SAINT PETER'S vs. SIENA
Saint Peter's is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Saint Peter's last 10 games when playing on the road against Siena
Siena is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Saint Peter's
Siena is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Saint Peter's

2:00 PM
DRAKE vs. WICHITA STATE
Drake is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Drake is 1-9-1 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Wichita State is 5-0-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Drake
Wichita State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Drake

2:00 PM
MONMOUTH vs. MANHATTAN
Monmouth is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Monmouth is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Manhattan is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games at home
Manhattan is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

2:00 PM
FAIRFIELD vs. MARIST
Fairfield is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Fairfield is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Marist
Marist is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing Fairfield
Marist is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Fairfield

2:00 PM
CINCINNATI vs. CENTRAL FLORIDA
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Central Florida's last 6 games
Central Florida is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games

3:00 PM
SETON HALL vs. BUTLER
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seton Hall's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Butler's last 9 games
Butler is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games

3:05 PM
NJIT vs. SOUTH ALABAMA
No trends available
The total has gone OVER in 6 of South Alabama's last 8 games
South Alabama is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

4:00 PM
NORTHERN IOWA vs. ILLINOIS STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Northern Iowa's last 6 games when playing on the road against Illinois State
Northern Iowa is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Illinois State
Illinois State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Illinois State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

4:00 PM
LOUISVILLE vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Louisville's last 5 games on the road
Louisville is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games

4:30 PM
NIAGARA vs. IONA
Niagara is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Iona
Niagara is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Iona
Iona is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Iona is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

6:30 PM
BELMONT vs. TENNESSEE STATE
Belmont is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Belmont is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Tennessee State is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games when playing Belmont
Tennessee State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Belmont

6:30 PM
NOTRE DAME vs. NORTH CAROLINA STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Notre Dame's last 6 games on the road
Notre Dame is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games on the road
North Carolina State is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games at home
North Carolina State is 5-0-1 ATS in its last 6 games

7:00 PM
CREIGHTON vs. VILLANOVA
Creighton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Creighton's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Villanova's last 5 games
Villanova is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games

7:30 PM
NORTHWESTERN vs. MARYLAND
Northwestern is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Maryland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Maryland is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games

8:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. UTAH
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games on the road
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Utah is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NFL Pro Bowl Notebook

The NFL has tried and tried to make the Pro Bowl a relevant game with rules changes and even developing a fantasy draft to construct the rosters. This is the second installment of the NFL All-Star Game with teams put together by Hall of Famers, instead of the traditional AFC vs. NFC as Michael Irvin and Cris Carter drafted their squads earlier in the week.

No players from the Patriots or Seahawks are participating in this game, as those players are getting prepared for the Super Bowl. Several rules changes have been applied to spice up the game, as that is reflected in the total. The clock will run after incomplete passes, possession will change at the end of each quarter, and there will be no kickoffs as each team will start each possession at its own 25-yard line.

Two seasons after a 62-35 victory by the NFC, Team Rice defeated Team Sanders in a low-scoring affair last January, 22-21. The controversy surrounding the ending of this game centered around Team Rice failing to cover as 1 ½-point favorites even though Antonio Cromartie returned a missed field goal for a score in the final seconds. Unfortunately for Team Rice backers, players from both sides flooded the field assuming the game was over and the touchdown didn’t count. The ‘under’ of 90 ½ was never threatened, as the total was inflated following a 75 ½ number posted in the 2013 game which saw a combined 97 points.

Team Carter is currently listed as a two-point favorite over Team Irvin, while the total is set at 68 ½, a major drop from the opener of 79 at the Westgate Las Vegas. The game kicks off at 8:00 PM EST from Hawaii and can be seen on ESPN. Below are the rosters for each squad and the results for each Pro Bowl.

TEAM IRVIN

Offensive Players

Tony Romo, Dallas QB
Matt Ryan, Atlanta QB
Matthew Stafford, Detroit QB
C.J. Anderson, Denver RB
Mark Ingram, New Orleans RB
DeMarco Murray, Dallas RB
Marcel Reece, Oakland FB
Odell Beckham Jr., N.Y. Giants WR
Golden Tate, Detroit WR
Emmanuel Sanders, Denver WR
Randall Cobb, Green Bay WR
Jimmy Graham, New Orleans TE
Jason Witten, Dallas TE
Joe Thomas, Cleveland T
Tyron Smith, Dallas T
Trent Williams, Washington T
Kyle Long, Chicago G
Zack Martin, Dallas G
Marshal Yanda, Baltimore G
Travis Frederick, Dallas C
Nick Mangold, N.Y. Jets C

Defensive Players

Robert Quinn, St. Louis DE
Cameron Wake, Miami DE
DeMarcus Ware, Denver DE
Geno Atkins, Cincinnati DT
Aaron Donald, St. Louis DT
Sheldon Richardson, N.Y. Jets DT
Elvis Dumervil, Baltimore OLB
Clay Matthews, Green Bay OLB
Von Miller, Denver OLB
Luke Kuechly, Carolina ILB
D'Qwell Jackson, Indianapolis ILB
Vontae Davis, Indianapolis CB
Brent Grimes, Miami CB
Joe Haden, Cleveland CB
Chris Harris Jr., Denver CB
Eric Weddle, San Diego S
Mike Adams, Indianapolis S
T.J. Ward, Denver S

Special teams

Kevin Huber, Cincinnati P
Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis PK
Darren Sproles, Philadelphia KR/PR
Darrell Stuckey, San Diego ST
L.P. Ladouceur, Dallas LS

Coach: Jason Garrett, Dallas

TEAM CARTER

Offensive Players

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis QB
Drew Brees, New Orleans QB
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati QB
Jamaal Charles, Kansas City RB
Justin Forsett, Baltimore RB
Alfred Morris, Washington RB
John Kuhn, Green Bay FB
A.J. Green, Cincinnati WR
T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis WR
Jordy Nelson, Green Bay WR
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh WR
Martellus Bennett, Chicago TE
Greg Olsen, Carolina TE
Joe Staley, San Francisco T
Duane Brown, Houston T
Ryan Clady, Denver T
Evan Mathis, Philadelphia G
Mike Pouncey, Miami G
Josh Sitton, Green Bay G
Jason Kelce Philadelphia C
Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh C

Defensive Players

J.J. Watt, Houston DE
Mario Williams, Buffalo DE
Calais Campbell, Arizona DE
Marcell Dareus, Buffalo DL
Dontari Poe, Kansas City DL
Kyle Williams, Buffalo DL
Justin Houston, Kansas City OLB
Connor Barwin, Philadelphia OLB
Tamba Hali, Kansas City OLB
C.J. Mosley, Baltimore ILB
Lawrence Timmons, Pittsburgh ILB
Patrick Peterson, Arizona CB
Aqib Talib, Denver CB
Antonio Cromartie, Arizona CB
Sam Shields, Green Bay CB
Antoine Bethea, San Francisco S
Glover Quin, Detroit S
Donte Whitner, Cleveland S

Special teams

Pat McAfee, Indianapolis P
Cody Parkey, Philadelphia PK
Devin Hester, Atlanta KR/PR
Justin Bethel, Arizona ST
Jon Dorenbos, Philadelphia LS

Coach: John Harbaugh, Baltimore

Pro Bowl Results (1971-2014)

2014 - Team Rice 22, Team Sanders 21
2013 - NFC 62, AFC 35
2012 - AFC 59, NFC 41
2011 - NFC 55, AFC 41
2010 - AFC 41, NFC 34
2009 - NFC 30, AFC 21
2008 - NFC 42, AFC 30
2007 - AFC 31, AFC 28
2006 - NFC 23, AFC 17
2005 - AFC 38, NFC 27
2004 - NFC 55, AFC 52
2003 - AFC 45, NFC 20
2002 - AFC 38, NFC 30
2001 - AFC 38, NFC 17
2000 - NFC 51, AFC 31
1999 - AFC 23, NFC 10
1998 - AFC 29, NFC 24
1997 - AFC 26, NFC 23, OT
1996 - NFC 20, AFC 13
1995 - AFC 41, NFC 13
1994 - NFC 17, AFC 3
1993 - AFC 23, NFC 20, OT
1992 - NFC 21, AFC 15
1991 - AFC 23, NFC 21
1990 - NFC 27, AFC 21
1989 - NFC 34, AFC 3
1988 - AFC 15, NFC 6
1987 - AFC 10, NFC 6
1986 - NFC 28, AFC 24
1985 - AFC 22, NFC 14
1984 - NFC 45, AFC 3
1983 - NFC 20, AFC 19
1982 - AFC 16, NFC 13
1981 - NFC 21, AFC 7
1980 - NFC 37, AFC 27
1979 - NFC 13, AFC 7
1978 - NFC 14, AFC 13
1977 - AFC 24, NFC 14
1976 - NFC 23, AFC 20
1975 - NFC 17, AFC 10
1974 - AFC 15, NFC 13
1973 - AFC 33, NFC 28
1972 - AFC 26, NFC 13
1971 - NFC 27, AFC 6

 

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Pro Bowl total plummets less than 24 hours before
Justin Hartling

It can always be difficult for sportsbooks to determine where to set numbers for All-Star games and that became apparent Saturday. Just 24 hours before the Pro Bowl, the total fell from 77 to 66.5.

Only hours before the huge drop, Mike Jerome said that 92 percent of cash and 91 percent of bets were on the over (68 at the time) for the contest.

The drastic drop is unrelated to any injuries of players on either team.

 

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Game of the Day: Team Irvin vs. Team Carter

Team Irvin vs. Team Carter (-2, 66.5)

With DeflateGate dominating talk during opening-week festivities leading into Super Bowl XLIX, some of the top players not participating in the NFL title game hope to put the attention back on the field. A team of players assembled by Michael Irvin looks to defeat a roster put together by fellow Hall-of-Fame receiver Cris Carter as the Pro Bowl takes centre stage Sunday night in Arizona. This marks the second year in a row the league has opted for a player draft format.

The controversy surrounding whether the New England Patriots purposely deflated their footballs in last week's one-sided AFC Championship Game victory over the Indianapolis has effectively overshadowed what has been another rash of Pro Bowl withdrawals. Roughly a dozen players have opted out of the game due to injury, thinning out the talent field considerably. Last year's game was a classic, as Team Jerry Rice escaped with a 22-21 win over Team Deion Sanders.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: The line opened Team Carter -2, with a total of 77.5. The total dropped drastically less than 24 hours before the Pro Bowl to 66.5.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "There will likely be a bigger decision on Pro Bowl total compared to the spread, as 92 percent of cash & 91 percent of bets are on the over 68, which was our opening total. Team Carter opened a 2 point favorite and 59 percent of bets & 61 percent of cash are on Team Irvin." - Mike Jerome

ABOUT TEAM IRVIN: It should come as no surprise that Irvin, who spent his entire playing career with the Cowboys, loaded up on Dallas players - choosing six for his offensive roster alone, led by quarterback Tony Romo and League rushing champion DeMarco Murray. Atlanta's Matt Ryan and Detroit's Matthew Stafford round out the QB carousel, while the receiving corps is led by electrifying New York Giants rookie Odell Beckham, Jr. And in a final fitting choice, Team Irvin will be guided by Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett.

ABOUT TEAM CARTER: It would have been understandable for Colts quarterback Andrew Luck to bow out of Sunday's spectacle, which comes just one week after the most disheartening loss of his young career. But Luck will be in Glendale, as will wide receiver teammate T.Y. Hilton. Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh will lead Team Carter, and he'll have an embarrassment of riches to work with on offense - including New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees, Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles and Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Antonio Brown.

TRENDS:

* Last year marked the first time since 2006 that the total came in below 50.
* The winning team has averaged 45.8 points over the past five Pro Bowls.

 

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#1 Sports

Sunday's free selection: Boston Celtics + 16 1/2

 

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Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: Maryland -12 Over Northwestern

 

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Razor Sharp

FREE PICK FOR SUNDAY: Take CONNECTICUT -16.5 over South Florida

 

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Totals4U

Sunday's Free Selection: Los Angeles Clippers/Phoenix Suns over 222 1/2

 

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Platinum Plays

Free Pick: Northern Iowa Panthers -1½ Over Illinois St

 

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Atlantic Sports

Sunday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: Team Toews (NHL) - 115

 

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Golden Dragon Sports

Bonus Play: Indiana -2' NBA

 

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The Vegas Steam Line

Your free winner for Sunday: Take DETROIT/TORONTO UNDER the total of 204

 

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Huddle Up Sports

Free Winner: Milwaukee +11