Sunday 2/22/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Rick Needham at Aqueduct

RACE #3 - AQUEDUCT - 2:18 PM EASTERN POST


The Evening Attire Stakes

8½ FURLONGS WINTERIZED INNER DIRT TRACK FOUR YEARS OLD AND UPWARD STAKES $100,000.00 PURSE

#3 STORMIN MONARCHO
#1A MICROMANAGE
#7 TURCO BRAVO
#6 KID CRUZ

Well folks ... this race which was originally called The Aqueduct Handicap has been re-named the Evening Attire, in honor of the 2002 Aqueduct Handicap winner who retired in 2008 at the age of 10. Evening Attire, known for an exciting come-from-behind style, also won such handicap stakes like the Queens County (twice), Discovery, Red Smith, Saratoga Breeders' Cup (twice), Stymie, and Stuyvesant, along with his Grade 1 win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and his track-record-setting victory in the final start of his career, the Greenwood Cup Stakes at Philadelphia Park. During his eight seasons of racing, Evening Attire finished first, second, or third in 40 of his 69 starts. Of his 15 wins, nine were graded stakes. Competing in the country's greatest races for older horses, from the Whitney Handicap to the Breeders' Cup Classic, he earned $2,977,130 in his career. Here in the 96th renewal of this race which was originally scheduled to be run on President's Day, but was postponed due to weather conditions here at "The Big-A," #3 STORMIN MONARCHO, a 9-2 shot, takes a slight class drop (-1), and is the overall speed leader in this stakes field racing at, or about, today's distance of 8½ furlongs on the dirt, and has produced "POWER RUN PERFORMANCES" in five straight, hitting the board in a pair, including back-to-back "POWER RUN WINS" in his 3rd and 4th races back. Jockey Cornelio Velasquez and Trainer David Jacobson send him to the post ... they've hit the board with an impressive 60% of more than 200 entries saddled as a team to date. #1A MICROMANAGE, the morning line favorite, has hit the board in three of his last four outings overall, including back-to-back "POWER RUN WINS" in his last two starts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Balmoral: Sunday 2/22 Analysis
By Jeremey Day

DRF HARNESS

Race 7 - $25,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

Best Bet (4 - 7 / $11.60): JM’SDUKEOFDELIGHT (3rd)

Spot Play: PAROLE OFFICER (1st)


Race 1

(7) PAROLE OFFICER was parked the mile last out against this same bunch. If the trotter can work out a smooth trip he's the horse to beat. (2) MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE mare raced well in her career debut and should have more to offer. (4) ALLSTAR-JOSH raced well with the new pilot and just needs to be closer turning for home.

Race 2

(6) JUSTICE JET has been unstoppable this year; short price. (2) FOX VALLEY VETO raced much better last out and looks to be primed for a good effort. (5) MASTER OF EXUSES five-year-old has been racing gamely showing a big burst of speed.

Race 3

(8) JM'SDUKEOFDELIGHT gets sent out second start for new connections and should have some of the kinks worked out. (5) SPEED RACER has been sharp, gets a better post, and will be used aggressively. (1a) BLACKJACK RIVNDEL gelding has been getting better in the last few months and always tries his best.

Race 4

(3) PERCHED ON TOP mare comes off a six week layoff, however she's facing much weaker competition; threat. (2) EVA BELLA is in the same boat as the top choice. (4) PARKLANE SPARKLE comes off a win against a weak bunch but looks to be heading in the right direction.

Race 5

(3) ALWAYS A JEWEL gets sent out first start in a new barn; big chance. (7) MIRIAM'S JET lagged the gate last out before showing a big burst of speed; threat. (4) IF I DIDN'T DREAM mare races inconsistently from week to week but did need her last start; command a price.

Race 6

(5) KIMBERLEY R should do well against this bunch especially with an honest pace to close into. (7) ODDS ON TOPAZ well bred mare could be starting to figure some things out and might be good enough on the big track. (6) LIZZABELLE mare always lacks stamina late; use underneath.

Race 7

(2) WINDOW WIPER has been sharp but will need a good effort against a better group. (3) PRETTY PLACE mare takes a huge drop in class and is the main danger late. (5) FOX VALLEY SHIVER is capable of much better and should offer a nice price.

Race 8

In a really weak and inconsistent field (1) HOTMONES made the most money last year and gets a nice starting post with options. (4) MOON BAY DANCER mare was full of pace late last out; threat. (3) LA SEMANA HANOVER mare has been competitive against better and gets sent out for a high percentage barn.

Race 9

(1) MAYFAIR SOPHIE four-year-old mare has some talent and just needs to ration out her speed; vulnerable late. (5) NESSIE'S BOY was the driver's choice and faces much weaker. (2) JAYPORT PRINCESS well bred mare has shown the ability to handle the big track; threat.

Race 10

(8) GREEN VALEY four-year-old makes her second start off a long layoff and has flashed some ability. (1) MISSIANA mare could need a start over the track but faces much easier competition. (7) VIRGIN OFMY DREAMS mare makes her first start in a new barn and has plenty of room to improve.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yonkers: Sunday 2/22 Analysis
By Matt Rose

DRF HARNESS

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

Best Bet: PAPPY’S PAL (10th)

Spot Play: DELLA CRUISE (9th)


Race 1

(6) ANDIE SOPHIA has been a good second in his last two starts which signals a return to form. Having Dube in the bike helps, as he has a knack for being in the right place at the right time in these added-distance events. (5) SPIDER BLUE CHIP kicked in late off cover to score in his local debut and he can build off that effort. (1) JUSTA REBEL has raced well in his last two, including a sharp finish versus better in last.

Race 2

(2) BASTILLE raced well enough to win last out but got nipped by a classy rival.; he can be forwardly placed from this spot and steer clear of early traffic. (11) MAGIC WILL WORK faces much tougher but she was solid in her local debut. (1) FOR YOU ALMOSTFREE returns locally and has a decent history here; Dube drives.

Race 3

(8) NOT AFRAID is the current king of the Open trot and he appears to have enough early speed to overcome the eight hole assignment. (4) STAR PHOTO has shown flashes of ability and has performed well at this added-distance; worth a look at a price. (10) AWSOME VALLEY has been awesome in his three starts at Yonkers but he has to navigate the second tier; Brett Miller drives.

Race 4

(3) SUPER MANNING has been solid in his four starts since returning locally and the added-distance may help his grinding style. (9) TAG UP AND GO had no realistic chance last out trailing a rated pace; prior two efforts were good. (10) BINGO QUEEN is clearly her own worst enemy with all those breaks but whenever she minds her manners she's a closing threat.

Race 5

(3) TAC'S DELIGHT has done little wrong in his last three races and there's no reason to think he can't conquer these. (4) DREAMSTEELER shipped in, joined the Brainard barn and jogged versus lesser. Mare looks a clear second best here. (5) HALL OF MUSCLES ships in from Northfield and joins the Rohr barn; trotter looks like he handles the half mile surface well.

Race 6

(6) KEENAN drops in class for the third consecutive start and his last race was a good closing third; veteran always seems to need some help but he's capable of getting the job done. (1) SCOTTISH CROSS has speed and should be firing from this inside spot. (2) TEACH ME TO BUCKY makes his second local return start off a decent stint at The Meadowlands.

Race 7

(9) WELL CONNECTED KID had a tough overland trip last out and paid the price late; DiDomenico trainee deserves another chance at a slightly better mutuel. (3) KLM EXPRESS has loads and loads of back class and he deserves a long look here. (4) LONG STORY SHORT can be erratic at times but he's also capable of sweeping by.

Race 8

(1) LITERATE HANOVER returns locally with controlling speed and the best draw. MacDonald can go down the road with him. (2) TIDEWATER TOMAHAWK is also back at Yonkers after an extended stay out of town and much like the top choice he's got plenty of back class. (5) KID COURAGEOUS A has hit the board in his last four, all at decent prices.

Race 9

(2) DELLA CRUISE has some class to him and he debuts for Burke via private purchase. That angle makes him almost automatic selecting. (4) TAILLIGHT HANOVER broke after cutting the pace last out; he deserves another look as a speed threat. (1) BORN TO ROCKN ROLL hasn't done much lately but he should be sitting close up.

Race 10

(2) PAPPY'S PAL tumbles in class and gets much-needed post relief; Burke trainee will be heading down the road. (5) A J CORBELLI has loads of back class but he's been coming up a bit short lately. (4) LATE NITE FLIGHT hasn't returned much to his new owners since the claim but he's in a spot to land a small share today.

Race 11

(5) RAMPAGE JACKSON has little in the way of form but he gets the potent combination of class and post relief; this looks like a now-or-never spot. (1) SHADIOS also drops in class but he was probably in over his head recently anyway. (2) OPEN WATER rarely wins but he's usually a candidate underneath.

Race 12

(3) DIAL OR NO DIAL and (6) JOURNEYMAN both ship in from the Meadowlands to make an interesting Sunday finale. 'Dial' has all the back class and Journeyman has all the current form. Flip a coin. (1) LAUXMONT CAPRI drops, draws best and adds Sears.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Sunday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Aqueduct (1st) Richie's Rich, 7-2
(5th) Hillary D, 7-2


Fair Grounds (3rd) Littlebitofsense, 9-2
(7th) Ide Be Doc Adams, 6-1


Golden Gate Fields (3rd) Saint Mamie, 3-1
(8th) Yahoo Tahoe, 3-1


Gulfstream Park (6th) Poor Etiquette, 9-2
(10th) Ghareeb, 7-2


Laurel (4th) Harem Honey, 3-1
(5th) Trade Humor, 6-1


Oaklawn Park (2nd) Hall of Fame, 7-2
(7th) Cowboy Ed, 3-1


Parx Racing (1st) Ah Honey Honey, 3-1
(10th) Risk Control, 7-2


Santa Anita (8th) Hay Dude, 4-1
(9th) Captain G, 3-1


Sunland Park (7th) El Negro Caballero, 5-1
(8th) Seanic Halo, 8-1


Tampa Bay Downs (4th) Gray Tailored Suit, 3-1
(8th) Explore, 9-2


Turf Paradise (4th) Angel in Disguise, 5-1
(7th) Murmansk, 8-1


Turfway Park (7th) Salty Rim, 4-1
(9th) Gunner Gal, 4-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB Bracketology Forecast
By The SportsBoss

2015 NCAA Tournament – Projected Field thru action on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015

This is our fourth installment of bracketology for the 2015 NCAA Tournament and comes as we approach the end of February & the stretch run of this college basketball season.

This week let’s jump into the latest 2015 projection! Below each conference is broken into THREE buckets:

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 with SportsBoss Power Index (SBPI) rank shown first (pure stats based ranking which should be a better projection than RPI of performance moving forward) and RPI rank shown second for each team**

**For one bid leagues I will generally have projected league winner as current first place team; I will show the SBPI ranking of the best team in the conference that was not selected as my automatic bid winner to give a feel for their competition in parenthesis**

**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: Albany #201/#134 (Stony Brook #138/#121): Albany sits at 12-1 in conference play giving them a 2 game edge in loss column over Vermont & 3 games over both Stony Brook & New Hampshire. Those are the only four teams currently above .500 in league play; look for Stony Brook to possibly surprise in the conference tournament as they hold the highest SBPI & RPI ranking in the conference.

American Athletic: SMU #60/#18
Need Wins: Temple #44/#30, Cincinnati #64/#55, Tulsa #63/#49

Atlantic Ten: VCU #17/#14
Need Wins: Dayton #57/#29, UMass #101/#38, Davidson #81/#47, Rhode Island #68/#66

ACC: Duke #2/#5
Looking Good: Virginia #15/#3, North Carolina #18/#12, Louisville #9/#23, Notre Dame #86/#26
Need Wins: NC State #29/#43, Miami #66/#65, Pittsburgh #42/#44, Clemson #65/#86

Atlantic Sun: Florida Gulf Coast #228/#119 (North Florida #181/#188): those two Florida teams along with USC Upstate are the only 3 teams above .500 in conference play; however I would also toss in Northern Kentucky & Lipscomb as having a chance at earning the conference’s automatic bid as those five teams are all rated within 4 points of each other on a neutral court according to SBPI. FGC is the clear favorite based on recent success & will likely earn this conference’s automatic bid once again be a dangerous #14/#15 seed.

Big 12: Kansas #7/#1
Looking Good: Oklahoma #20/#15, Baylor #6/#13, Iowa St. #25/#11, Oklahoma State #12/#28
Need Wins: Texas #26/#32, West Virginia #13/#25

Big East: Villanova #3/#4
Looking Good: Providence #14/#21, Butler #5/#24, Georgetown #16/#20
Need Wins: Xavier #19/#33, St. John’s #54/#37

Big Sky: Eastern Washington #212/#76 (Northern Arizona #163/#199): the Big Sky has 4 teams above .500 in conference play – the two mentioned here along with Sacramento State & Montana. With 12 teams in the conference there is an unbalanced schedule which could impact standings – perhaps suggesting power ratings to be a better indicator of who may earn the conference’s automatic bid; keep an eye on tomorrow’s EWU@NARIZ game.

Big South: High Point #139/#94 (Gardner-Webb #129/#164): the Big South has FIVE teams within ½ game of first place as conference play concludes next weekend with Gardner-Webb currently the highest rated SBPI team but they check in at 7th place in the current standings! This conference also has an unbalanced schedule with 11 teams & 18 conference games – not as unbalanced as the Big Sky but head to head regular season meetings along with power ratings could be the best indicator of which team may earn the conference’s automatic bid. The conference tournament will be played at Coastal Carolina, who are the defending champions & one of the five teams within ½ game of first place currently – this should be one of the most exciting under-the-radar conference tournaments come early March.

Big Ten: Wisconsin #8/#6
Looking Good: Maryland #55/#10, Indiana #51/#34, Ohio State #23/#36
Need Wins: Michigan State #32/#31, Purdue #40/#58, Iowa #30/#57, Illinois #38/#42

Big West: UC Davis #278/#85 (Cal Poly #82/#155): UC Davis has sat atop the standings all season but it’s hard for me to get behind them as the favorite in the conference’s tournament because of their SBPI rating of #278! Cal Poly sits at 6-6 but I have them as a favorite over the rest of the Big West on a neutral court – and this tournament will be played at the Honda Center with an interesting twist of re-seeding teams following each round of play. Also keep an eye on Long Beach State that has played 14 games vs. current RPI Top 100 teams (compare that to UC Davis who has not played ONE RPI Top 100 team all season). This should be a very competitive tournament especially come the semifinal round.

Colonial: William & Mary #124/#106 (UNC Wilmington #151/#156): the CAA has 4 teams tied atop the conference with 3 games remaining for each team in the full round robin conference schedule. Of the four teams tied at the top James Madison is easily the weakest; I would replace them with Hofstra as far as the top four most likely teams to earn this conference’s automatic bid. This conference tournament will be played in Baltimore & will be relatively wide open as far as those top 4 teams go.

Conference USA: Louisiana Tech #123/#70 (Old Dominion #94/#62): with 14 teams & 18 conference games the CUSA slate is unbalanced for certain which I always feel lends more credence to power ratings vs. conference records. With that in mind although ODU has certainly struggled in conference play they remain the highest rated team in both SBPI & RPI. There are 5 legitimate threats to win this conference title IMO – and keep in mind 4 teams earn a first round bye which could be critical. UAB is among the five teams mentioned to be vying for this conference’s automatic bid – and the tournament will be played on their home court giving them that small edge that could be the difference. One thing is for certain – the winner of this conference tournament will be a dangerous #12/#13 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Horizon: Green Bay #73/#46 (Valparaiso #107/#64): the Horizon will likely come down to those two teams along with Cleveland State – those three are within 1 game of each other with games remaining between them over the next 10 days (home court has been protected in each game between these three teams so far). This conference tournament is played on campus sites at highest seed with semifinals played at #1 seed (the top 2 seeds get a bye to that round) & the championship played at the highest seed also. With that in mind these last three games of the conference schedule could be critical to earning this automatic bid.

Ivy: Harvard #80/#51 (Yale #35/#61): Harvard jumps Yale in this installment based on their 52-50 road win at Yale a week ago. With no postseason conference tournament Yale has dug itself a hole here despite being the top rated SBPI team in the conference – but there is still hope for the Bulldogs.

MAAC: Iona #174/#48 (Canisius #169/#157): the MAAC conference tournament should be highly contested as the SBPI has SEVEN teams within 2 points of each other on a neutral court! This year’s tournament will take place in Albany, NY with the top 5 teams getting a bye to the QF round (Iona, Rider, Monmouth & Manhattan will all receive a bye & are all among the 7 teams mentioned in opening sentence here; the 5th team could be any of four teams currently). The Manhattan Jaspers are the defending champions.

MAC: Toledo #83/#73 (Buffalo #58/#56): despite having two divisions all teams are thrown into the same bracket with an interesting layout; teams seeded #3 & #4 receive a bye to the QF round to face the winners a PAIR of early round games! Teams seeded #1 & #2 receive a bye to the SF round to face the winners of the aforementioned matchups – starting in the QF round all games are played at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Needless to say the seeding will be key in this conference tournament – a team like Buffalo will not receive a bye into the SF round but could be dangerous nevertheless checking in as the top ranked MAC team according to SBPI & RPI.

MEAC: North Carolina Central #232/#117 (Maryland-Eastern Shore #243/#206): UNCC sits atop the standings with a 12-0 mark while Norfolk State is 2nd with 3 losses & teams tied for 3rd have 5 losses. Considering Central is also the top ranked team according to SBPI & RPI they seem to be the clear favorites to win the MEAC’s automatic bid – but beating teams three times in one season, which they would be forced to do in possibly every round in succession, will not be easy especially also considering the tournament will be played at Norfolk State, who currently checks in at 2nd place as mentioned above.

Missouri Valley: Wichita State #27/#17
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.
Looking Good: Northern Iowa #79/#16

Mountain West: San Diego State #37/#19
If SAN DIEGO 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: Colorado State #84/#27, Boise State #56/#39

Northeast: St. Francis NY #226/#178 (Mount St. Mary’s #211/#173): the top 8 teams will reach the postseason conference tournament (FDU & Central Connecticut State already eliminated) with games being played in standard format at home of higher seed through the championship game. St. Francis NY sits ahead of 2nd place Bryant by 3 games in the loss column & by 4 games over the pair tied for 3rd suggesting pretty big gap between them & the rest of the conference. They are clearly the team to beat although others could make some noise.

Ohio Valley: Murray State #147/#72 (Eastern Kentucky #112/#152): Murray State has dominated the Valley this season posting 13-0 mark in conference play – although they appear to be in the weaker division of the two within the conference. The top 8 OVC team make the conference tournament with seeds #3 & #4 earning a bye to the QF round while seeds #1 (Murray State already locked in) & #2 earn a bye to the SF round. All games are played in Nashville at a neutral site & the Racers are no lock at all to win this conference tournament as numerous teams could give them a run as the SBPI would have two teams (Morehead State & Eastern Kentucky) favored over them on a neutral court.

Pac 12: Arizona #4/#7
Looking Good: Utah #10/#9
Need Wins: UCLA #24/#45, Stanford #31/#53, Oregon #92/#60

Patriot: Bucknell #196/#151 (Colgate #177/#194): the Patriot League has FIVE teams rated within 1 point of each other according to SBPI, suggesting a wide open conference tournament. Here the top 10 Patriot teams earn the right to compete for the league’s automatic bid with seeds #1 & #2 getting a bye to the QF round with all games played on campus site’s at the higher seed. Bucknell & Colgate appear to be the top 2 teams, but as many as five teams have a chance at earning this conference’s automatic bid.

SEC: Kentucky #1/#2
Looking Good: Arkansas #28/#22
Need Wins: Ole Miss #46/#35, Georgia #50/#41, Texas A&M #43/#40, LSU #76/#50, Alabama #47/#69

Southern: Wofford #128/#52 (Chattanooga #175/#126): defending champion Wofford is the team to beat checking in well ahead of the 2nd best team according to SBPI & RPI, although they do not have a shot at earning an at-large bid going just 3-3 vs. RPI Top 100 this season. That being said the Terriers have all 5 starters back from last year’s team and should handle their business again and be a dangerous #13/#12 seed come March.

Southland: Stephen F. Austin #86/#71 (Sam Houston State #136/#96): the Southland tournament will be played in Katy, TX with seeds #3 & #4 earning a bye to the QF round while the top 2 seeds, locked in to be the two mentioned (order not known yet) will receive a bye to the SF round. The Lumberjacks & Bearkats are well ahead of the rest of the conference and figure to meet in the championship for all the marbles in what should be a highly competitive game – the winner of which will be a very dangerous #13/#14 seed.

SWAC: Texas Southern #238/#158 (Southern #298/#161): the SWAC winner will almost certainly be either a #16 seed or involved in one of the two #16 seed play-in games as this conference ranks dead last in SBPI with SIX teams ranked in the worst 17 teams in all of college basketball. Along with the two teams mentioned Alabama State is among the contenders for the automatic bid as they current sit at the top of the standings but have a worse power rating according to SBPI & RPI to the two “Southern” schools.

Summit: South Dakota State #148/#95 (Oral Roberts #114/#183): SD State is currently tied with ND State atop the standings but the SBPI has ND State ranked 6th of the 9 teams in the Summit, thus the two mentioned here. The conference tournament will take place in Sioux Falls, SD using a standard 8 team standard layout.

Sun Belt: UL Monroe #185/#113 (Georgia State #154/#82): the Sun Belt tournament will be played in New Orleans with seeds #3 & #4 receiving a bye to the QF round and seeds #1 & #2 receiving a bye to the SF round. That type of advantage can be enormous, especially amongst UL-Monroe or UL-Lafayette who will be playing virtually home games compared to the rest of the conference. Texas State is the top ranked SBPI team in the Sun Belt and could be a decent sleeper to keep an eye on.

West Coast: Gonzaga #22/#8
If GONZAGA does not win their conference tournament they would still RECEIVE a bid, thus taking one away from the current at-large pool.

WAC: New Mexico State #160/#136 (UMKC #264/#295): the WAC is all about New Mexico State who has a big edge in both SBPI & RPI on any other conference team. The Aggies are already locked into the #1 seed & with that receive a bye to the SF round. It would be a shock if anyone other than NMST won this conference tournament; if it’s the Aggies they are likely a #14/#15 seed, while anyone else is either a #16 or taking part in the play-in #16 seed games.

FIELD: 68

AUTOMATIC BIDS: 32

Looking Good: 17 (unchanged)

Currently I project 49 of the 68 bids are earned.

Need Wins: 29

As of this moment we have 29 teams battling for those last 19 bids that remain “open.”

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 19 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; teams highlighted in red are LAST FIVE IN):


Adjusted Ratings (As of 2/15/15)

TEAM RECORD C REC 1-25 26-50 51-100 ROAD NEU SOS NC SOS BEST WIN TOP NC WIN
TEMPLE 19-8 10-4 1-4 0-1 5-1 6-4 1-2 51 42 1 KAN 1 KAN
CINCINNATI 17-9 8-5 3-1 2-3 1-2 3-5 1-1 48 24 2X 18 SMU 1 9 SDST
DAYTON 20-5 10-3 0-1 2-2 3-2 4-4 2-1 132 119 35 OLE MISS 35 MISS
NC STATE 15-11 6-7 2-4 2-1 3-5 3-4 0-1 2 26 5 DUKE 39 BOISE
MIAMI, FL 17-9 7-6 1-3 2-2 3-0 5-3 3-1 76 196 @5 DUKE 42 ILL
TEXAS 17-9 6-7 1-6 0-2 4-1 4-5 2-0 22 90 25 WVU 57 IOWA
WEST VIRGINIA 20-6 8-5 2-4 1-2 4-0 4-3 6-0 68 217 1 KAN 52 WOFF
XAVIER 17-10 7-7 3-3 0-1 5-2 4-6 1-2 28 52 2X 20 GTWN 69 ALAB
ST. JOHNS 16-9 6-7 2-6 1-0 2-1 3-5 2-1 30 59 2X 21 PROV 54 STMARY
MICHIGAN STATE 18-8 9-4 0-4 2-2 4-0 5-3 2-2 44 63 34 IND 120 RIDER
PURDUE 18-9 10-4 0-2 4-2 4-1 4-4 2-2 77 251 2X 34 IND 43 NC ST
IOWA 16-10 7-6 2-4 2-2 1-2 4-3 0-3 18 101 10 MARY @12 UNC
COLORADO ST 21-5 9-5 1-1 1-1 2-2 6-4 3-0 95 120 19 SDST 67 UTEP
UCLA 16-11 8-6 1-5 0-0 5-5 2-7 1-3 20 60 9 UTAH 103 LBST
STANFORD 16-9 7-6 0-3 1-2 6-1 4-6 1-1 74 104 @32 TEX @32 TEX
OLE MISS 18-8 9-4 1-2 1-3 5-0 7-3 3-0 42 82 @22 ARK 55 CINCY
GEORGIA 16-9 7-6 0-3 2-1 4-2 5-4 0-2 33 66 35 OLE MISS 68 HALL
TEXAS A&M 18-7 9-4 0-2 2-3 4-2 4-3 2-2 83 134 2X 50 LSU 84 ASU
LSU 18-8 7-6 1-1 3-2 5-2 6-3 1-2 91 183 @25 WVU @25 WVU



FIRST FIVE OUT – alphabetical order by conference:

Tulsa
Massachusetts
Pittsburgh
Illinois
Boise State

Multiple bid conferences (total of 46 bids in 10 conferences; 22 single bid conferences = 68 bids):

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

KEY GAMES TO CLOSE REGULAR SEASON:

February 23rd: Xavier at St. John’s
February 25th: Davidson at Rhode Island
February 25th: Illinois at Iowa
March 4th: Cincinnati at Tulsa

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB Conference Notebook
By Bruce Marshall

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

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

Solid is self-explanatory.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"BRACKETOLOGY" UPDATE...

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

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

*-Projected play-in game participants

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sunday's Tip Sheet
By David Schwab

This Sunday’s schedule in men’s college basketball features a couple of interesting matchups in both the Big Ten and the Pac-12. First, the No. 24 Ohio State Buckeyes will try and bounce back from a tough loss on the road by staying on the road to face Michigan. Later in the day, the No. 9 Utah Utes will continue their quest for a regular season title with a road game against Oregon.

No. 24 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan Wolverines (CBS, 1 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Ohio State -6 ½

Ohio State fell to 2-2 both straight-up and against the spread in its last four games with last Saturday’s 59-56 loss to Michigan State as a 2 ½-point road underdog. The total has now stayed UNDER in five of its last six games. The Buckeyes are 8-5 SU in Big Ten play with a 7-6 record ATS. They remain one of the top scoring teams in the nation with 78 points per game and they are ranked fourth shooting the ball with a 49.9 field goal percentage. Freshman guard D’Angelo Russell has been a force with 19.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists a game. Defensively, Ohio State is allowing an average of 61.1 PPG.

The Wolverines lost to Michigan State 80-67 this past Tuesday as five-point home underdogs. They have now dropped their last five games SU while going 2-3 ATS. The total went OVER the closing 117 ½-point line against the Spartans and it has gone OVER in four of their last five contests. Injuries have devastated Michigan with the loss of junior guard Caris LeVert and sophomore guard Derrick Walton Jr. They were two of the team’s top three scorers with an average of 25.6 PPG. Sophomore guard/forward Zak Irvin carried the load in Tuesday’s loss with 16 points. He now leads the team in scoring with an average of 13.5 PPG.

Betting Trends

-- The Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a SU loss, but they are just 2-10-1 ATS in their last 13 games on the road. The total has gone OVER in six of their last eight games following an ATS loss.

-- The Wolverines have failed to cover in 10 of their last 14 home games and they are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games following a SU loss. The total has gone OVER in four of their last five games played on Sunday.

-- The home team has won eight of the last 10 meetings SU, but the series is tied 3-3 ATS in the last six. Ohio State won the first matchup this season 71-52 as a 9 ½-point home favorite. The total stayed UNDER the 129 ½-point closing line after going OVER in the previous three games.

No. 9 Utah Utes vs. Oregon Ducks (FOX Sports 1, 3 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Utah -6

Utah appears poised to make some serious noise this March after remaining perfect in February with five-straight victories. This past Thursday, it rolled over Oregon State 47-37 as a 7 ½-point road favorite to improve to 11-2 SU and 10-3 ATS in conference play. The total has stayed UNDER in four of its last six outings. The Utes are averaging 73.2 PPG while shooting an impressive 49.5 percent from the field. Delon Wright leads a trio of players scoring in double figures with 14.1 PPG while adding 4.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists on the year. Utah is also one of the best defensive teams in the nation; holding opponents to just 55.6 PPG.

The Ducks are a solid 5-1 SU in their last six games while going 4-2 ATS after Wednesday’s 73-60 victory against Colorado as 4 ½-point home favorites. Oregon is still in the hunt for the conference title at 9-5 SU, but it is just 6-8 ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in six of its last nine games. The good news for the Ducks is a solid scoring average of 76.7 PPG while shooting 46.2 percent from the field. The trouble spot has been a defensive effort that is giving up 71 points a game to their opponents. Senior guard Joseph Young outpaced his season scoring average of 20 PPG with a game-high 23 points in Wednesday’s win while dishing-out six assists.

Betting Trends

-- The Utes are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 road games against a team with a SU winning record at home and they are 36-13-3 ATS in their last 52 games following a SU win. The total has stayed UNDER in 20 of their last 27 games on the road.

-- The Ducks are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games against a team with a SU winning record, but they have covered in five of their last seven games played on a Sunday. The total has gone OVER in 10 of their last 14 Sunday games.

-- The home team in this matchup has gone 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings and the total has gone OVER in five of the last seven games. Oregon has won five of the last six meetings SU.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College Basketball: Streaks, Tips, Notes -

USC at Arizona State February 22, 08:30 EST

Sun Devils recording back-to-back wins for the first time in nearly a month have the perfect opponent to make it three in-a-row when they welcome USC Trojans Sunday evening. The Sun Devils have won 6-of-7 hosting Trojans cashing five tickets (5-1-1 ATS) and let's not forget Trojans have not responded in Pac-12 road games losing seven straight this season (4-3 ATS) and 19 of the past 20 away running the hardwood against a conference opponent (10-10 ATS). Arizona State 9-3 ATS laying double digits on home court, USC 3-9 ATS as double digit road dogs and without one of their top three scorers in Jordan McLaughlin (12.1) the lean is Sun Devils.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Ohio State (-9.5) hammered Michigan 71-52 at home Jan 13, right after Buckeyes won national title in football; State shot 59% inside arc in game they led by 15 at half. Wolverines lost last four games, are depleted with injuries; they've lost three of last four home games. Ohio State lost four of last six road games; they're 1-3 as road favorites, with road wins by 2-2-19 points. Big 14 home underdogs of 4+ points are 5-7 vs spread.

Middle Tennessee lost five of last seven games but beat Marshall by 39 in last game; Blue Raiders are 6-2 at home, 4-2 as home favorites, losing to UAB by 5, La Tech by 11. Western Kentucky lost last three games by 4-5-5 points, allowing 76.7 ppg; they lost three of last four road games. WKU is 2-2 as an underdog this season. Raiders covered two of last six as a favorite. Underdogs are 18-7-1 vs spread in C-USA games where spread was 3 or less points.

Memphis (-13) beat Central Florida 99-79 at home Jan 17, outrebounding Knights 53-24, grabbing 25 (61%) of their own missed shots, scoring 60 points in second half. Tigers are 3-3 on AAC road, 2-2 as road favorites, winning away games by 18-2-27 points. UCF won its last three games after starting league play 1-10; Knights are 7-5 as AAC underdogs, 3-2 at home, losing home games by 2-9-10-24 points- they won last two home games. AAC home underdogs of 5 points are 6-7 vs spread.

Cleveland State (-9) thrashed Milwaukee 84-57 at home Jan 2 in Horizon opener; Vikings were down 3 at half, scored 57 second half points- they shot 60% inside arc. Milwaukee won four of last six games, covered four of last five; they won five of last six at home after losing home opener by 16 to Green Bay. State is 11-3 in Horizon after 6-8 pre-conference mark. Horizon League home underdogs of 4+ points are 6-5 against the spread.

Oregon won its last six home games since losing by 18 to Arizona Jan 8; Ducks won five of last six overall, are 1-4 as Pac-12 underdogs; all five of their conference losses are by 8+ points. Utah handed Oregon State its first home loss Thursday; Utes won last five games (4-1 vs spread) since loss at UCLA Jan 29. Utah is 4-1 as road favorite; all four of their road wins are by 10+ points. Pac-12 home dogs of 7 or less points are 7-9.

Wm & Mary (-4) shot 73% inside arc, 8-17 outside arc, crushed Hofstra 100-79 at home Jan 28, in game they led by 20 at half. Tribe lost its last two games, though, is 3-4 in last seven road games, failing to cover only try as CAA underdog. Hofstra won four of last five games, is 1-6 as a home favorite- they lost three of last four home games, but won three in row on road- they scored 79 points in last six wins. CAA home favorites of less than 5 points are 12-10 vs spread.

Tulsa (+4.5) won 63-56 at Temple Jan 10, after trailing by 10 with 11:23 left in brickfest where teams were 9-42 from arc (Owls' Morgan was bad, 0-13 from arc). Hurricane lost two of last three games, is 3-2 as favorote at home; all five of their home wins were by 8+ points. Temple had its 7-game win streak snapped at SMU Thursday, after leading by 10 with 13:56 left. AAC home favorites of 5 or less points are 10-3-1 vs spread.

Illinois (+9.5) upset Michigan State 59-54 in East Lansing 15 days ago, in game where Spartans were 7-18 on foul line. Illinois won four of last five games, with loss at Wisconsin; they're 5-1 at home in conference, losing to Indiana by 6. Spartans won/covered all three games since Illinois loss,. winning by 24-3-13 points; they're 3-1 as road favorites, winning three in row on foreign soil by 20-24-13 points. Big 14 home underdogs of 3 or less points are 8-1 vs spread.

Washington lost its last seven games; they're 0-6 since throwing big man Upshaw off team- he was leading nation in blocked shots. Huskies gave up 79.8 ppg in six games since he left. Huskies (-11) lost 80-77 at home to Wazzu Jan 10; they're 1-5 on Pac-12 road, with win at Colorado by a hoop. Coogs lost seven of last nine games but won two of last three at home, beating Stanford by 1, ASU by 3. Pac-12 home teams are 14-12 in games where spread was less than 5 points.

Arizona State won three of its last four games; four of their last five were decided by 3 or less points. Sun Devils are 2-2 as home favorites- their last three at home were decided by total of six points. USC covered four of last five road games but is 0-7 SU on Pac-12 road, losing four of last five road tilts by 8 or less points. Pac-12 double digit home favorites are 12-4-2 vs spread. ASU is turning ball over 21.3% of time in league play, worst in conference.

Iowa outscored Nebraska 31-13 on foul line in 70-59 (-11) home win vs Cornhuskers Jan 5; Hawkeyes outscored Huskers 20-8 over last 7:44 as Nebraska was 2-14 from arc for game. Iowa is 3-5 in its last eight games, losing three of last four on road. Nebraska lost four in row, six of its last seven games; they're 5-2 at home in conference, losing to Wisconsin by 10, Indiana by 5. Big 14 home teams are 14-8 vs spread in games with spread of 3 or less points.

Monmouth (+4.5) beat Iona 92-89 at home Dec 7, despite Gaels making 15-28 from arc; Hawks outscored Iona 10-4 over last 3:24 to win after they blew 13-point lead. Iona won its last nine games, covering four of last five; they're 4-4 as home favorites. Monmouth won four games in a row, with three of them by 5 or less points; they're 4-4 as underdogs on road. Iona is making 40.8% of its 3-pointers in MAAC games. MAAC double digit home favorites are 5-8 vs spread.

SE Missouri State (-4) beat Eastern Illinois 68-64 Feb 7, after trailing by 12 with 10:14 left; Redhawks are 3-5 in last eight games, losing three of last four on road- three of their last four games were decided by 4 or less points. Eastern lost six of last nine games, dropping three of last four at home; they're 1-4 as home favorites. Panthers are 1-6-1 vs spread in last eight games. OVC home favorites of 3 or less points are 9-6 vs spread.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sunday's six-pack

With the Academy Awards tonight, here are six of my favorite basketball-related movies/TV shows........

6) White Shadow-- Washed-up NBA player coaches an inner-city high school team.

5) Hoosiers-- Gene Hackman's character got tossed out of his first game.

4) One-on-One-- Robby Benson as a late-70's, Ricky Rubio-type college player.

3) Hoop Dreams-- Mid-90's documentary about two Chicago HS kids.

2) Fast Break-- Gabe Kaplan quits his job in a deli to become a college coach.

1) Blue Chips-- Bob Cousy, Shaq, Jerry Tarkanian; Bobby Hurley plays for Indiana in the climactic basketball scenes.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Basketball Betting 3-Point Play: Three Interesting Opening Lines Sunday
by Alan Matthews

Many believe the Big Ten is rather down this season outside of Wisconsin, yet the conference could lead the nation potentially with eight bids to the NCAA Tournament. Part of that number might depend on what happens in Sunday’s matchup between bubble teams Michigan State and Illinois. The Illini are 12-1 at home, their best start there under Coach John Groce. Illinois is attempting a home-and-home sweep of the Spartans for the first time since 2006. Here’s a look at that game and two others that caught my eye on Sunday.

No. 9 Utah at Oregon (+6)

This Pac-12 game tips at 3 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1. It’s a big one for the Ducks as they are currently among ESPN Bracketology’s “First Four Out.” They would no doubt move up a category with an upset of the Utes, who still have a shot at the Pac-12 regular-season title as well as a No. 2 seed in the Big Dance. They are currently projected as a No. 3 in the South.

Oregon (19-8, 9-5) better win this game because it closes with three straight tough ones on the road: California, Stanford and rival Oregon State. The Ducks have won five of six and come off a 73-60 home win over Colorado on Wednesday in what could have been a look-ahead game. The Ducks shot nearly 60 percent in taking a 39-22 halftime lead and Colorado never got closer than five in the second half. Oregon’s Joseph Young, the Pac-12’s leading scorer, led the way with 23 points. Young, a transfer from Houston, is one of six active players to have scored 2,000 career points, joining Tyler Haws (Brigham Young), Antoine Mason (Auburn), Chasson Randle (Stanford), D’Angelo Harrison (St. John’s) and Johnny Dee (San Diego). Utah (21-4, 11-2) could find itself in sole possession of first in the Pac-12 when it takes the court if Arizona is upset at home by UCLA on Saturday. The Utes have won five straight, each by at least 10 points. One of the nation’s stingiest defenses allowed just 37 at Oregon State on Thursday in a 10-point win. Utah hasn’t allowed more than 72 points in a game yet.

This is the only scheduled meeting. Oregon won in Salt Lake City last year 70-68 in overtime on a breakaway dunk with one second left. That Ducks team is better than this one and this Utah team is much better than last year’s.

Key trends: Utah is 10-1 ATS in its past 11 after allowing less than 50 points in its previous game. The Utes have covered seven of their past 10 on the road. Oregon is 5-1 ATS in its past 6 at home vs. teams with a winning road record. The Ducks are 2-8 ATS in their past 10 against teams with a winning record. The favorite has covered five of the past eight meetings.

Why take the underdog: A win here probably gets the Ducks into the Dance. I think they pull the upset.

Florida State at No. 2 Virginia (-15.5)

It’s a 6:30 p.m. start for this ACC matchup on ESPNU. FSU is likely headed to the NIT, while it’s hard to see how Virginia doesn’t get a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance barring a collapse. Currently the Cavs are projected as the East No. 1 and the No. 2 overall seed behind Kentucky.

FSU (15-12, 7-7) is on its second two-game ACC winning streak of the season, beating lightweights Georgia Tech and Boston College. The Eagles’ Olivier Hanlan lit up the Noles for 32 points on Wednesday but got little help as FSU prevailed 69-60. BC led by five at the half but Hanlan had only nine points in the second half on 2-for-7 from the field. Devin Bookert led Florida State with 18 points, and led by his four 3-pointers the Seminoles shot 66.7 percent (8-for-12) from beyond the arc. FSU has shot a combined 27 of 56 (48.2 percent) from 3-point range over its last four games. The only loss in that stretch was a close one at home to Duke. Virginia (24-1, 12-1) has won five straight since a home loss to Duke. The Cavs beat visiting Pittsburgh 61-49 on Monday. It was a season-low points for Pitt, the 11th team this season that Virginia has held to a season low in scoring. UVa ranks first nationally in scoring defense at 50.8 points per game, which is the third-lowest average in the shot clock era (since 1986). The 24-1 start matches the best in school history.

Last season, UVa defeated Florida State 62-50 in Tallahassee, 78-66 in Charlottesville and 64-51 at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro.

Key trends: FSU has covered four straight on the road. It is 4-1 ATS in its past five vs. teams with a winning record. Virginia is 2-5 ATS in its past seven. The home team has covered four of the past five meetings.

Why take the favorite: FSU may not reach 50 points.

Michigan State at Illinois (+1.5)

The Big Ten Network shows this game at 7:30 p.m. The Spartans have gotten themselves off the bubble with strong play of late, as they are a No. 8 seed in the Midwest, but a couple of losses in a row gets them right back on it. Illinois is currently among the “Last Four Byes” and a No. 11 seed in the South.

Illinois (17-9, 7-6) had the Big Ten’s bye this week and had four-game winning streak soundly snapped last Saturday in a 68-49 loss at Wisconsin. The Illini had held all four opponents during the winning to under 60 points and 40 percent shooting; the Badgers hit on 50.9 percent of their shots. In six of its seven Big Ten wins this year, and each of the last five, Illinois has allowed 58 points or fewer. Michigan State (18-8, 9-4) is tied for second in the loss column in the Big Ten and obviously getting the No. 2 seed would be nice because that way you avoid Wisconsin until the Big Ten title game if both get there. The Spartans won their third straight and fifth in past six games with an 80-67 victory at Michigan on Tuesday. Branden Dawson dominated with 23 points, a season high, and 13 rebounds, and MSU shot 62 percent to complete the season sweep. Michigan State was 21-for-26 on shots in the paint, with four dunks. Sparty also turned the ball over just eight times, its second-lowest total in Big Ten play.

Illinois upset Michigan State 59-54 in East Lansing on Feb. 7 when leading scorer Rayvonte Rice was still suspended (back now). Malcolm Hill led the Illini with 19 points. Spartans second-leading scorer Travis Rice was just 2-for-10 for six points. In addition, the Spartans were only 7-for-18 from the free-throw line. They are one of the worst in the nation from the charity stripe.

Key trends: The Spartans are 5-2 ATS in their past seven road games. They are 2-6 ATS in their past eight vs. clubs with a winning record. Illinois has covered five of its past seven at home. MSU has covered only one of the past nine meetings.

Why take the favorite: Illini tough at home.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

BRAD DIAMOND

Play on: Indiana+ over Golden State

All knowing the Warriors (43-9) are the class on the floor this evening out in Indiana. However, must respect Pacers (23-33) who are looking to catch fire into the playoff round. Usually, right after the break you can find more "price" value with the underdog knowing, the lines makers are making you pay for the obvious. GS 0-5 ATS w/1 day of rest and 8-19 ATS in the series...Hope you enjoyed our system winner on the Suns last night..Good Luck.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

JESSE SCHULE

This is a Free NBA play on CHA@DAL to go OVER the total.

The Dallas Mavericks have split their first two games coming out of the All Star break, and they are a big favorite at home versus the Charlotte Hornets Sunday. The Hornets have been very solid defensively all season, but they were lit up for 110 points in a home loss to Oklahoma City last night.

The loss makes it three straight games that the Hornets have conceded 100+ points, and now they face one of the highest scoring teams in the league on the road on back to back nights. The Hornets have seen the total go over in four of their last five trips to Dallas, and we could see a halfhearted effort on defense here tonight.

Dallas isn't exactly playing well defensively, allowing 100+ points in both their games coming out of the break. The Mavs rank 23rd overall in the NBA in opponent's scoring average, allowing 101 points per game.

The Hornets have seen the total go over in five of their last six when playing on back to back nights, and the Mavs have played overs in five of their last seven versus opponent's with a losing record.

Take OVER.

GL,

Jesse Schule

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CRAIG DAVIS

Sunday Bonus Play winner is the Boston Celtics on the road against the L.A. Lakers.

3* BOSTON

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

JOE WIZ

Sunday.... Eastern Illinois -2 over SE Missouri St.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

BRYAN POWER

1* Boston (9:35 ET):

Believe it or not, even as a road favorite, the Celtics look to be a bargain here. This team always plays tough, which should be obvious by the fact they are only outscored by 1.8 PPG on the year. The Lakers, meanwhile, losers of seven straight have been outscored this year by over seven points per game. This includes a nine-point home loss to Brooklyn Friday night.
Boston may not have Jared Sullinger, but they should still have enough talent on hand to take care of a Lakers' roster on its ninth starting lineup of the season in the wake of Kobe Bryant's season ending injury.
The Lakers are just 1-6 ATS during their seven-game losing streak and an even worse 3-11-2 ATS since January 13th, a span which has seen them win just one time. Boston, by contrast, is 10-3-1 ATS its last 14 games. They even led Sacramento 16-2 at the outset Friday. After letting that one slip away, they'll be hungry for victory here.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Sunday, February 22

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INDIANA (18 - 9) at RUTGERS (10 - 17) - 2/22/2015, 12:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


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




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


OHIO ST (19 - 7) at MICHIGAN (13 - 13) - 2/22/2015, 1:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
OHIO ST is 3-2 against the spread versus MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
MICHIGAN is 3-2 straight up against OHIO ST over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


W KENTUCKY (16 - 9) at MIDDLE TENN ST (14 - 13) - 2/22/2015, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W KENTUCKY is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 18-4 ATS (+13.6 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in home games off a win against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in home games after allowing 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
W KENTUCKY is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games since 1997.
W KENTUCKY is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
MIDDLE TENN ST is 2-0 against the spread versus W KENTUCKY over the last 3 seasons
MIDDLE TENN ST is 2-0 straight up against W KENTUCKY over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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MEMPHIS (16 - 10) at UCF (12 - 13) - 2/22/2015, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 178-137 ATS (+27.3 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
MEMPHIS is 133-101 ATS (+21.9 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 4-1 against the spread versus UCF over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 5-0 straight up against UCF over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


EVANSVILLE (19 - 8) at WICHITA ST (24 - 3) - 2/22/2015, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WICHITA ST is 38-18 ATS (+18.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 38-18 ATS (+18.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 36-18 ATS (+16.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as a home favorite of 15.5 to 18 points over the last 3 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 25-10 ATS (+14.0 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 25-9 ATS (+15.1 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 25-8 ATS (+16.2 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
EVANSVILLE is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.


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




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


LASALLE (15 - 11) at SAINT LOUIS (10 - 16) - 2/22/2015, 2:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LASALLE is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAINT LOUIS is 29-13 ATS (+14.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
SAINT LOUIS is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in home games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games since 1997.
LASALLE is 80-55 ATS (+19.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
SAINT LOUIS is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) in all games this season.
SAINT LOUIS is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) in all lined games this season.
SAINT LOUIS is 4-11 ATS (-8.1 Units) as an underdog this season.
SAINT LOUIS is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAINT LOUIS is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.


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




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


CLEVELAND ST (17 - 11) at WI-MILWAUKEE (11 - 16) - 2/22/2015, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WI-MILWAUKEE is 175-133 ATS (+28.7 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
WI-MILWAUKEE is 169-131 ATS (+24.9 Units) after a conference game since 1997.
CLEVELAND ST is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND ST is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND ST is 22-8 ATS (+13.2 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND ST is 22-8 ATS (+13.2 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
WI-MILWAUKEE is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) revenging a blowout loss vs opponent of 20 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
WI-MILWAUKEE is 16-34 ATS (-21.4 Units) in home games after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.


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




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


IL-CHICAGO (7 - 21) at OAKLAND (14 - 14) - 2/22/2015, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in all lined games this season.
OAKLAND is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) against conference opponents this season.
OAKLAND is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) off a win against a conference rival this season.
IL-CHICAGO is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) as a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points since 1997.
IL-CHICAGO is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games in February games since 1997.
OAKLAND is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
OAKLAND is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 2-1 against the spread versus IL-CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
OAKLAND is 3-0 straight up against IL-CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


UTAH (21 - 4) at OREGON (19 - 8) - 2/22/2015, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all games this season.
UTAH is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all lined games this season.
UTAH is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) as a favorite this season.
UTAH is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) against conference opponents this season.
UTAH is 40-20 ATS (+18.0 Units) in road games in February games since 1997.
UTAH is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.


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




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


TULANE (14 - 11) at CONNECTICUT (14 - 11) - 2/22/2015, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TULANE is 132-168 ATS (-52.8 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
TULANE is 77-106 ATS (-39.6 Units) off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.


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




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


WM & MARY (16 - 10) at HOFSTRA (18 - 10) - 2/22/2015, 4:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WM & MARY is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WM & MARY is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
WM & MARY is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
HOFSTRA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in all home games this season.
HOFSTRA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in home lined games this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
HOFSTRA is 3-2 against the spread versus WM & MARY over the last 3 seasons
WM & MARY is 3-2 straight up against HOFSTRA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


TEMPLE (19 - 8) at TULSA (18 - 7) - 2/22/2015, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEMPLE is 35-57 ATS (-27.7 Units) in road games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game since 1997.
TULSA is 32-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TULSA is 32-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
TULSA is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
TULSA is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TULSA is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
TULSA is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
TULSA is 97-69 ATS (+21.1 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
TULSA is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
TEMPLE is 181-140 ATS (+27.0 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
TEMPLE is 83-55 ATS (+22.5 Units) in February games since 1997.
TEMPLE is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.


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




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


FLORIDA ST (15 - 12) at VIRGINIA (24 - 1) - 2/22/2015, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA ST is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 33-20 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 33-20 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 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
VIRGINIA is 4-1 against the spread versus FLORIDA ST over the last 3 seasons
VIRGINIA is 4-1 straight up against FLORIDA ST over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MICHIGAN ST (18 - 8) at ILLINOIS (17 - 9) - 2/22/2015, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MICHIGAN ST is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 15-3 ATS (+11.7 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
ILLINOIS is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.


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




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MISSOURI ST (10 - 17) at DRAKE (8 - 19) - 2/22/2015, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MISSOURI ST is 30-49 ATS (-23.9 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1997.
MISSOURI ST is 28-52 ATS (-29.2 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
MISSOURI ST is 35-19 ATS (+14.1 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
MISSOURI ST is 34-19 ATS (+13.1 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
DRAKE is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) after scoring 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.


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




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


WASHINGTON (14 - 11) at WASHINGTON ST (11 - 14) - 2/22/2015, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON ST is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) after scoring 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON ST is 4-2 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 4-2 straight up against WASHINGTON ST over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


USC (10 - 16) at ARIZONA ST (14 - 12) - 2/22/2015, 8:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


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




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


IOWA (16 - 10) at NEBRASKA (13 - 13) - 2/22/2015, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEBRASKA is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.
NEBRASKA is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
NEBRASKA is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
NEBRASKA is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
NEBRASKA is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
NEBRASKA is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.


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




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


FURMAN (7 - 19) at UNC-GREENSBORO (8 - 20) - 2/22/2015, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FURMAN is 107-139 ATS (-45.9 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
FURMAN is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 8-15 ATS (-8.5 Units) in all games this season.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 8-15 ATS (-8.5 Units) in all lined games this season.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in all home games this season.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home lined games this season.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 17-30 ATS (-16.0 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games revenging a road loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.


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




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MONMOUTH (16 - 12) at IONA (22 - 6) - 2/22/2015, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONMOUTH is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) as an underdog this season.
IONA is 45-68 ATS (-29.8 Units) in February games since 1997.


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




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SE MISSOURI ST (12 - 15) at E ILLINOIS (15 - 12) - 2/22/2015, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E ILLINOIS is 60-95 ATS (-44.5 Units) in all home games since 1997.
E ILLINOIS is 60-95 ATS (-44.5 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
E ILLINOIS is 51-76 ATS (-32.6 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
E ILLINOIS is 19-35 ATS (-19.5 Units) in home games in February games since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
SE MISSOURI ST is 4-3 against the spread versus E ILLINOIS over the last 3 seasons
SE MISSOURI ST is 5-2 straight up against E ILLINOIS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Sunday, February 22

Trend Report

1:00 PM
WESTERN KENTUCKY vs. MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Western Kentucky is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Middle Tennessee
Western Kentucky is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Western Kentucky
Middle Tennessee is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Western Kentucky

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 1:00 PM
OHIO STATE vs. MICHIGAN
Ohio State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Michigan
Ohio State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Michigan
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Michigan's last 5 games
Michigan is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 1:00 PM
FURMAN vs. UNC GREENSBORO
Furman is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against UNC Greensboro
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Furman's last 7 games when playing on the road against UNC Greensboro
UNC Greensboro is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
UNC Greensboro is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 2:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. CENTRAL FLORIDA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games when playing on the road against Central Florida
Memphis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Central Florida
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Central Florida's last 6 games at home
Central Florida is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games at home

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 2:05 PM
MISSOURI STATE vs. DRAKE
Missouri State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Missouri State is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Drake
Drake is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 games
Drake is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 2:30 PM
LA SALLE vs. SAINT LOUIS
La Salle is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
La Salle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Saint Louis's last 6 games at home
Saint Louis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 3:00 PM
UTAH vs. OREGON
Utah is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oregon
Utah is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oregon's last 7 games when playing Utah
Oregon is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Utah

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 3:00 PM
IOWA vs. NEBRASKA
Iowa is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Iowa is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Nebraska is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Nebraska is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 3:00 PM
ILLINOIS-CHICAGO vs. OAKLAND
Illinois-Chicago is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Illinois-Chicago's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games
Oakland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 3:30 PM
CLEVELAND STATE vs. WISC-MILWAUKEE
Cleveland State is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Wisc-Milwaukee
Cleveland State is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Wisc-Milwaukee
Wisc-Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Wisc-Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 4:00 PM
TULANE vs. CONNECTICUT
Tulane is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tulane's last 6 games on the road
Connecticut is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 4:00 PM
MONMOUTH vs. IONA
Monmouth is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Iona is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Iona is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 4:00 PM
EVANSVILLE vs. WICHITA STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Evansville's last 6 games on the road
Evansville is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Wichita State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Evansville
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Wichita State's last 11 games when playing Evansville

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 4:30 PM
WILLIAM & MARY vs. HOFSTRA
William & Mary is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Hofstra
William & Mary is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Hofstra
Hofstra is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Hofstra is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 5:15 PM
INDIANA vs. RUTGERS
Indiana is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Rutgers is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Rutgers's last 6 games

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 6:00 PM
TEMPLE vs. TULSA
Temple is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Temple is 7-14 SU in its last 21 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Tulsa's last 10 games
Tulsa is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 6:30 PM
SE MISSOURI STATE vs. EASTERN ILLINOIS
The total has gone OVER in 7 of SE Missouri State's last 10 games when playing on the road against Eastern Illinois
SE Missouri State is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Eastern Illinois is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games
Eastern Illinois is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 6:30 PM
FLORIDA STATE vs. VIRGINIA
Florida State is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida State's last 7 games when playing on the road against Virginia
Virginia is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing Florida State
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Virginia's last 14 games when playing Florida State

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 7:30 PM
MICHIGAN STATE vs. ILLINOIS
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Michigan State's last 12 games when playing on the road against Illinois
Michigan State is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Illinois
Illinois is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Illinois's last 9 games at home

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 8:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. WASHINGTON STATE
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington State
Washington is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Washington State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
Washington State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington

See more trends!
FEBRUARY 22, 8:30 PM
USC vs. ARIZONA STATE
USC is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Arizona State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of USC's last 7 games when playing on the road against Arizona State
Arizona State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Arizona State's last 11 games at home

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Sunday, February 22

Trend Report

1:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. NEW YORK
Cleveland is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games
Cleveland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing New York
New York is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 11 of New York's last 14 games when playing at home against Cleveland

3:30 PM
ATLANTA vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Atlanta's last 14 games when playing Milwaukee
Atlanta is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 8 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Milwaukee is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta

3:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. DETROIT
Washington is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

6:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. INDIANA
Golden State is 6-14 ATS in its last 20 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State

6:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. ORLANDO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Orlando's last 9 games when playing Philadelphia

7:00 PM
DENVER vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
Denver is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Denver is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Denver
Oklahoma City is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Denver

7:30 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. DALLAS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Charlotte is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Dallas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Charlotte
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte

9:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. PORTLAND
Memphis is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Memphis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Portland
Portland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Memphis
Portland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Memphis

9:30 PM
BOSTON vs. LA LAKERS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
Boston is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games at home
LA Lakers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing Boston

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, February 22

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BOSTON (28-21-0-9, 65 pts.) at CHICAGO (35-19-0-5, 75 pts.) - 2/22/2015, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 28-30 ATS (-15.3 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 5-14 ATS (-11.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
BOSTON is 1-7 ATS (-8.4 Units) in February games this season.
BOSTON is 8-14 ATS (-11.2 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
BOSTON is 3-10 ATS (-7.5 Units) in road games in non-conference games this season.
CHICAGO is 21-4 ATS (+13.0 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 52-40 ATS (+97.6 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1996.
BOSTON is 170-189 ATS (+411.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 10-12 ATS (-12.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 33-29 ATS (-11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 8-15 ATS (-21.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-3 (+2.8 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 6-3-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.5 Units)

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WASHINGTON (32-17-0-10, 74 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (24-23-0-11, 59 pts.) - 2/22/2015, 3:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 7-4 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 7-4-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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FLORIDA (26-19-0-12, 64 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (32-17-0-9, 73 pts.) - 2/22/2015, 6:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 4-4 (+2.4 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 4-4-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.7 Units)

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NASHVILLE (39-13-0-6, 84 pts.) at BUFFALO (17-38-0-4, 38 pts.) - 2/22/2015, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 196-191 ATS (+419.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 39-19 ATS (+14.3 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 20-5 ATS (+12.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
BUFFALO is 38-103 ATS (-89.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 13-50 ATS (+107.5 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 14-49 ATS (+105.1 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 2-0-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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VANCOUVER (33-22-0-3, 69 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (39-19-0-1, 79 pts.) - 2/22/2015, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 25-39 ATS (-19.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 9-16 ATS (-11.3 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
VANCOUVER is 9-24 ATS (+36.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 39-20 ATS (+61.0 Units) in all games this season.
VANCOUVER is 175-179 ATS (+395.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
NY ISLANDERS are 151-209 ATS (+411.3 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 2-1 (+0.4 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 2-1-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.3 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (36-18-0-6, 78 pts.) at COLORADO (25-23-0-11, 61 pts.) - 2/22/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 300-372 ATS (-119.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
COLORADO is 80-68 ATS (-33.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 42-30 ATS (+11.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 100-110 ATS (-60.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 2-1 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 2-1-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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COLUMBUS (26-27-0-3, 55 pts.) at NY RANGERS (35-16-0-6, 76 pts.) - 2/22/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 15-5 ATS (+7.2 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NY RANGERS are 48-21 ATS (+17.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 24-7 ATS (+12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 71-73 ATS (+153.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 38-31 ATS (+71.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 12-5 ATS (+19.1 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent this season.
COLUMBUS is 17-15 ATS (+39.1 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 198-197 ATS (-89.1 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 100-102 ATS (-54.1 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 3-3 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 3-3-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.4 Units)

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DALLAS (27-23-0-8, 62 pts.) at MINNESOTA (30-21-0-7, 67 pts.) - 2/22/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 7-4 (+3.1 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 7-4-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.5 Units)