Thursday 2/12/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Preview: Flames (30-21) at Kings (23-18)

Date: February 12, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

Referring to the Calgary Flames as a surprise playoff contender this late in the season appears misguided, especially given the way they've mowed down fellow Pacific Division rivals.

That includes the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings, whose place on the outside of the postseason picture is a bit more shocking.

Calgary seeks a fourth victory over the Kings on Thursday night in Los Angeles.

The NHL placed more importance on intra-division games when it realigned and guaranteed playoff spots to the top three finishers before last season. The Flames (30-21-3) sit in one of those positions in the Pacific, in part due to a 17-4-1 mark against division counterparts.

Calgary has won four of five overall after beating San Jose 4-1 on Monday, improving to 14-0-0 when leading after two periods.

"We knew if we stuck with it and played our game and played like we always do in the third period that we'd have a good chance," said winger Lance Bouma, who had a goal and an assist. "We did a good job.'

The Flames sit five points ahead of the Kings (23-18-12) and have picked up all six possible in three close meetings this season. Johnny Gaudreau scored the final three goals of regulation after Los Angeles scored the first three, then Mark Giordano scored in overtime for a 4-3 win Dec. 22. The Flames won 2-1 on Dec. 29 and beat the Kings by the same score Jan. 19 when Dennis Wideman scored in OT.

"Everybody's really excited in this room to be in a race like this," Bouma said. "Every game's like a playoff game from here on in. It's very important to take advantage of these points when you get a chance to."

The Kings, who have lost four straight to the Flames and have the most defeats past regulation in the league, are 7-3-6 against the Pacific.

Los Angeles has won two straight for the first time since Dec. 18-20 after beating Columbus 4-3 on Monday to close a five-game road trip. It went 1-5-2 in eight games prior to those wins.

Only four Stanley Cup champions have failed to make the playoffs the following season in the expansion era, with the last being Carolina in 2006-07.

"We're fighting for spots in the standings," said forward Dwight King, who had a goal and an assist against the Blue Jackets. "It's pretty obvious that we need to have this effort every night."

Each of King's linemates scored, as Tyler Toffoli had a goal for the second straight night and Jeff Carter also added an assist. Carter, who has gone without a point in the three meetings with Calgary, scored for the first time in five games.

"The line was really good," coach Darryl Sutter said. "They were our best forwards by a long shot."

Jonathan Quick made 23 saves but allowed at least three goals for the third time in four starts. He has a 2.62 goals-against average while going 0-1-3 during the skid against the Flames.

Jonas Hiller is 5-2-0 with a 1.79 GAA in his last seven starts for Calgary. He's started two meetings with Los Angeles this season and is 4-0-1 with a 1.95 GAA in his past five against the Kings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Penguins unable to rebound with no rest
Justin Hartling

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had 10 games this season when they have played with no rest and they have gone a mere 2-8 in those contests, including dropping their past six.

The Penguins have been outscored 36-19 in those 10 contests and have been shutout in the past two.

The Penguins will visit Ottawa Thursday after playing Wednesday night.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Two of NHL's top over teams clash Thursday
Justin Hartling

If it is goals you want, than be sure to watch when the St. Louis Blues travel to Tampa Bay Thursday.

The Blues are tops on the ice when it comes to over percentage this year, with 61 percent of their games hitting. The Lightning's 31 overs is the most by any team in the NHL.

So far this season, the Blues average 3.0 gpg (third) with the LIghtning scoring 3.2 gpg (first).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA All-Star Saturday Odds

NBA All-Star Saturday (TNT, 8:00 p.m. ET)
Barclays Center
Brooklyn, New York
February 14, 2015

Odds to Win 2015 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest (2/14/15)

Zach LaVine (Timberwolves) 10/11
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) 19/10
Victor Oladipo (Magic) 11/4
Mason Plumlee (Nets) 15/2

Odds to Win 2015 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest (2/14/15)

Kyle Korver (Hawks) 3/1
Stephen Curry (Warriors) 3/1
Klay Thompson (Warriors) 13/4
Marco Belinelli (Spurs) 6/1
Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers) 13/2
JJ Redick (Clippers) 7/1
James Harden (Rockets) 15/2
Wesley Matthews (Trail Blazers) 15/2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Bulls, Cavs meet for Central lead
By Tony Mejia

After trouncing what’s left of his former team on Wednesday, LeBron James and his new crew left Cleveland for Chicago, where they will look for a win that would give them the Central Division lead entering the All-Star break.
Kevin Love boarded the flight despite leaving the Heat game early after getting inadvertantly slapped in the eye by Mario Chalmers. He told reporters his vision was temporarily blurry, but should be fine to play in the NBA’s only Thursday night contest.

Unfortunately, the same likely can’t be said about All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler, who is listed as questionable with a sprained left shoulder. He’ll be re-evaluated Thursday.

The Bulls (33-20) are already likely to be without key backup guard Kirk Hinrich (turf toe), so circumstances are less than ideal to hold serve and pick up their first win in three tries against the Cavaliers (33-21). The game opened as a pick’em at most spots, although Cleveland is likely to become a road favorite if Butler is officially ruled out.

Looking to win for the 14th time in 15 games, the Cavs are on the verge of completely erasing a deficit that one month ago, on Jan. 13, stood at a fairly daunting seven games. Cleveland’s James had just wrapped up a two-week hiatus to get healthy and his team was defeated in Phoenix to fall below .500 at 19-20 despite his return. Last week’s loss in Indiana has been the only blemish since.

Ironically, critics went from calling for David Blatt’s head to questioning whether Tom Thibodeau has lost his team, a subject that seemingly creeps up whenever the Bulls struggle. The team’s defensive intensity hasn’t been up to standards, while the injuries that are easy to chalk up to chronic over-use magnified struggles. Before its current three-game winning streak, Chicago had been a sub-.500 team in 2015 (8-10), including suffering a lopsided 108-94 loss in Cleveland on Jan. 19.

In spite of Derrick Rose’s return to health, Pau Gasol’s terrific play and Butler’s breakout season, the Bulls would have to consider it disappointing not to hit the All-Star break in first place. The Cavaliers essentially conceded a head start with their shaky play and a lack of cohesion, nevermind James missing 10 of the first 54 games.

It creates a great dynamic for the final duel before teams shut it down for over a week as the NBA debuts an extended break. If Butler can go and allow the Bulls to play their normal rotation, it promises to be a physical game that both teams will frantically chase. Joakim Noah missed the last meeting, which allowed new Cavs acquisition to go for 15 points and 15 rebounds against Gasol and Taj Gibson. Having his competitive spirit back should be a major asset, especially since Thibodeau called the Jan. 19 effort “not acceptable.”

“You look forward to it because of who you’re playing,” Thibodeau told the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday. “But it’s the next game. It’ll be a great test. They’re playing as well as anyone in the league. I want to see where we are.”

Sportsbook.ag had the Bulls and Cavs behind the Hawks in the Eastern Conference race entering the month, but has taken note of how well James’ team has played and reinstalled Cleveland as the favorite to reach the NBA Finals at -110, nearly even money. Chicago can now be had at +450, which also ranks behind Atlanta (+240).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Betting Report! Western Conference vs Eastern Conference (February 12, 2015) -

West vs East!!

The NBA’s All-Star Weekend is February 13-15 at New York City. A lull in NBA action due to the annual showcase, time to breakdown straight-up and spread results in non-conference play for the season. The West has long been considered the dominant conference and the records continue to show that. For the most part to this point the West has handled the East with ease winning at a 57.9% clip (182-132). However, add the great equalizer (point spread) the West is cashing just 46.5% in non-conference action (146-161-7) split between 98-104-7 as chalk, 48-57 in an underdog roll. Total players have seen the 'Under' dominate with 130 'Over', 178 'Under' and 6 'Push' in these West vs East tilts. Breaking numbers down further our trusted NBA Database spits out these betting nuggets.

Best Non-Conference Bets
Hawks 14-5 (7-3 H, 7-2 R)
Suns 14-7 (6-6 H, 8-1 R)

Worst Non-Conference Bets
Kings 4-13-1 (2-7-1 H, 2-6 R)
TWolves 8-14 (4-6 H, 4-8 R)

Best/Worst Non-Conference Home Dog
Sixers 10-1
Heat 0-5

Best/Worst Non-Conference Road Dog
Celtics 6-2
Blazers 0-3

Best/Worst Non-Conference Home Favorite
Pelicans 5-1
Kings 2-6-1

Best/Worst Non-Conference Road Favorite
Suns 6-1
Pelicans 0-5

Best Non-Conference 'UNDER'
Pistons 7-14-1 O/U
Spurs 6-15 O/U

Best Non-Conference 'OVER'
TWolves 13-8-1 O/U

Best/Worst Non-Conference with No-Rest
Bucks, Pistons 5-1
Raptors, Celtics, Hawks 3-0
Wizards 0-4
Knicks 1-5

Non-Conference Bits & Pieces
Grizzlies 5-0-1 as chalk off loss
Thunder 0-3 as chalk off loss
Jazz 9-2 as dog off loss
Sixers 7-1 as home dog off loss
Caves 0-5 as dog off loss
Nets 2-0 after playing Overtime
Kings 0-4 after playing Overtime

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB Finding Future Value
By Kyle Hunter

With the NFL and college football in the rear view mirror and the NBA playoffs still in the distant future, college basketball is now on center stage in the sports world.

March Madness is the next main event, which means the betting public is paying attention to the college hardwood.

Since there are just a few weeks left in the regular season, it’s a great time to look at college basketball futures that have value. Before we get deeper into this article, I do want to point out that it is crucial to remember that when it comes to playing futures the team you have selected doesn't have to win it all for you to profit. There are plenty of chances to hedge out of longshot plays and still make some significant cash. This is why the most important thing is just to look for value on a relative basis.

Top-ranked Kentucky (24-0) is the huge favorite to cut down the nets this year, deservingly so.

Most betting shops have them listed as a 5/7 favorite (Bet $140 to win $100). The Wildcats are a clear favorite for a reason, but anything can happen in the NCAA Tournament and there's no way I'm playing a future in the middle of February on a team to win the NCAA Tournament at minus money.

I’m looking for value elsewhere and it lies with a handful of teams.

Future Odds listed in parenthesis

1) Duke Blue Devils (8/1) - There aren't many times where I would call a Duke basketball team underrated, but I think this team fits the bill right now. Duke's recent lack of success in the NCAA Tournament has some people sour on this team's chances, but look at their wins this year. I would argue they have the two best wins of anyone in the entire nation. Duke beat Virginia and Wisconsin on the road. I realize that Duke has also slipped up a couple times against teams that aren't great, but you don't win at Charlottesville and Madison unless you are a really good basketball team. Coach K is obviously one of the best (if not the best) coaches in the country. He has a team that is far more committed on the defensive end this year, and that should be able to help them advance deep into the tournament.

2) Gonzaga Bulldogs (12/1) - Mark Few said before this season that he believes this is the best team he's had at Gonzaga. He was right! Gonzaga has only one loss on the year, and that was when they failed to close the deal at Arizona. The Bulldogs have five or six guys who can lead them in scoring on any given night. Kentucky transfer Kyle Wiltjer has been a tremendous addition to the team as has Byron Wesley. In Karnowski and Sabonis, the Bulldogs have two very skilled big men. The knock on Gonzaga is the fact that they play a weaker schedule during the season. This is certainly true in conference play, but the Bulldogs did a good job testing themselves with a tough non-conference schedule. This team is extremely good.

3) Wisconsin Badgers (9/1) - Bo Ryan's team was very close to reaching the title game last year, and this year's version is at least as good. They have battled through some injuries this year, but the team has a bunch of solid contributors. Sam Dekker has been stepping up recently, and if he continues to play at such a high level that makes this team far more difficult to beat. Frank Kaminsky is one of the toughest guys in the nation to guard. The Badgers style of play can be frustrating for opponents, and Wisconsin wins the turnover battle almost every game. Their efficiency on offense is amazing.

4) Iowa State (60/1) - Iowa State hasn't been quite as good as I expected them to be so far this year, but the upside potential is huge for this team. Fred Hoiberg is an underrated coach, and he has done a nice job helping his team peak at the right time in recent years. Last year, Iowa State had to play without their best player, Georges Niang, in the NCAA Tournament, and they still reached the Sweet Sixteen. Monte Morris is an ultra-efficient point guard that takes great care of the basketball. The Cyclones aren't a team that the top seeds will want to see in their bracket this March.

5) San Diego State Aztecs (100/1) - This one is obviously my really long shot. I know San Diego State isn't going to cut down the nets this year. Their offense isn't good enough. I still think they could pull off an upset or two in the NCAA Tournament. Steve Fisher is a tremendous coach, and his players work so hard on the defensive end. There isn't a team in the country that is better on a consistent basis on the defensive end. The Aztecs know how to slow the tempo down and turn the game into a race to 50 or 55. Make a note that this team beat a quality Utah in non-conference play and lost to Arizona, but by just two points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Stanford at Utah
By Brian Edwards

The Thursday night betting card for college hoops is loaded and includes a key Pac-12 showdown in Salt Lake City.

Utah (18-4 straight up, 15-5-1 against the spread) is in a first-place tie with Arizona with identical 8-2 records in conference play. The Utes are 8-2 both SU and ATS in Pac-12 action after posting back-to-back road wins at USC and at Colorado.

In Saturday's 79-51 win at CU, Utah easily covered the spread as a 5.5-point road 'chalk.' Brandon Taylor drained 6-of-9 shots from 3-point land en route to scoring a game-high 18 points to go with six assists compared to only one turnover. Jordan Loveridge had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Jelon Wright finished with nine points, seven boards and six assists with only one turnover.

Stanford (16-7 SU, 11-11-1 ATS) has lost three of its last six games to fall to 7-4 in Pac-12 play. The Cardinal had lost back-to-back games before beating USC this past Saturday. However, it failed to cover for a third straight game in the 70-62 triumph as a 14-point home favorite.

Chasson Randle went for a team-best 17 points, while Stefan Nastic had 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots against the Trojans. Anthony Brown added 11 points, nine boards and four assists.

Johnny Dawkins's team has been a road underdog twice this season, going 2-0 ATS with a 74-71 overtime win at Texas as a 10.5-point 'dog. In the other such spot, the Cardinal lost a 79-77 decision at BYU but took the cash catching 4.5 points.

Utah is undefeated in 13 home games with a 9-3 spread record. The Utes are 12th in the RPI Rankings, compiling a 6-4 record against the RPI Top 100. All four of its losses have come against Top-50 foes, including Kansas (63-60 on a neutral court) and true road games at San Diego St., at Arizona and at UCLA.

Wright averages team-highs in scoring (14.2 points per game), assists (5.6 APG) and steals (2.1 SPG).

Stanford has an RPI of 43. The Cardinal has a 7-5 record against the Top 100.

The 'over' is 13-10-1 overall for Stanford, cashing in five of its last seven outings. The 'over' has gone 7-1 in its eight road assignments.

The 'over' is 11-9-1 overall for Utah, 9-2 in its home games.

Stanford has won three in a row over Utah, including the lone meeting last season. The Cardinal held off the Utes 61-60 on March 8 but failed to take the cash as a five-point home fave.

Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on the Pac-12 Network.

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

-- Michigan and Illinois will collide in tonight's 9:00 p.m. Eastern tip on ESPN. The Westgate had the Illini favored by seven on the send-out.

-- Purdue has covered the number in five consecutive games and nine of its last 11. The Boilermakers take their act to New Jersey tonight to take on Rutgers as six-point road favorites.

-- Tennessee improved to 4-2 SU and 6-0 ATS in its SEC road assignments last night. The Volunteers went into Memorial Gymnasium and emerged with a 76-73 overtime win at Vanderbilt. They won outright as six-point underdogs, hooking up money-line supporters with a +200 return (risk $100 to win $200).

-- Maryland captured a needed win at home over Indiana last night, but it failed to take the cash for a sixth straight game. The Terrapins edged the Hoosiers 68-66 as six-point home 'chalk.'

-- The 'under' has hit in four consecutive Maryland games.

-- Even though it will be without its leading scorer Michael Frazier II, Florida is favored by 4.5 points (as of early this morning) tonight vs. Ole Miss. Frazier had 27 points against the Rebels two weeks ago in a 72-71 loss at The Tad Pad. While meeting with members of the Florida media on Wednesday, Billy Donovan suggested that Frazier could be out for a "couple of weeks."

-- Penn St. had covered in all seven of its previous underdog situations until last night when Ohio St. thumped the Nittany Lions by a 75-55 count as an 11.5-point home favorite.

-- Texas A&M went into last night's home game vs. Georgia with only one loss in College Station this season. That defeat was the double-overtime setback against Kentucky. Nevertheless, UGA had its way with the Aggies in a 62-53 win as a 4.5-point road underdog. Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann scored 15 and 14 points, respectively, to lead the way. The Bulldogs cashed outstanding +180 money-line tickets.

-- DePaul improved to 10-3 ATS in 13 Big East games thanks to last night's spread cover in an 86-78 loss at St. John's as a 9.5-point road underdog.

-- The downward spiral of this year's Seton Hall squad continued on Wednesday when the school announced that sophomore point guard Jaren Sina was leaving the program. Sina was averaging 7.0 points and 2.6 assists per game. The Pirates were the nation's best ATS team in the first two months of the season, but they have lost three in a row and six of their last eight both SU and ATS. According to multiple reports out of New York and New Jersey, there is friction galore between Kevin Willard's much-hyped freshman recruiting class and the upperclassmen. The main source appears to be freshman Isaiah Whitehead, who went 1-for-11 in Saturday's home loss to Marquette and has committed nine turnovers in the last two games. Whitehead and senior guard Sterling Gibbs, a Big East Player of the Year candidate, were seen engaging in a heated argument during a timeout in the Marquette game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB Thursday's Top Action

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (13-11) at ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI (16-8)

State Farm Center – Champaign, IL
Tip-off: Thursday, 9:00 p.m. ET
Line: Illinois -7

In a rematch of the inaugural Big Ten game this season, where Michigan prevailed in overtime, Illinois looks for revenge on its home floor.

On December 30th 2014, Indiana went into Ann Arbor to play Michigan. Leading the Fighting Illini was senior All-Big Ten G Rayvonte Rice (17.2 PPG). Michigan countered with preseason All-Big Ten G Caris LeVert (14.9 PPG). Just one game later, Illinois learned it would be without Rice for the rest of the season.

A month after that, Michigan learned it would be without LeVert for the rest of the season as well. It’s a good thing, then, that the stars of the aforementioned Michigan win (and cover) over Illinois were guys who are still healthy, as G Malcolm Hill (14.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG) had 17 points and nine boards for the Illini, while reserve G Aubrey Dawkins (4.8 PPG) scored a career-high 20 points (6-for-7 3PT) to aid in the Wolverines’ cause.

The Wolverines and Illini are going in opposite directions, however. While Michigan seemed to band together with close losses at Wisconsin and at Michigan State while playing without LeVert and sophomore G Derrick Walton Jr. (10.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG), they’ve still only won once in their last five and postseason play is starting to seem like a lofty goal. Conversely, the Illini are winners of three straight conference games, fresh off an upset of Michigan State in Lansing on Saturday.

Illinois is 11-1 at home (6-4 ATS) and 4-1 at home in conference (3-2 ATS), while Michigan is 2-4 SU on the road in conference but is 3-0 ATS as a road underdog since Jan. 27. Michigan has dominated this matchup as of late: The Fighting Illini’s last win over Michigan was a 54-52 home win in Feb. 2011, as they’ve dropped the last eight contests between the two squads. Illinois has failed to cover the last four times these two teams have met in Champaign. Michigan has been the favorite the last five times these teams have played.

Not only is Illinois’ Rice injured for the season, but he and fellow G Aaron Cosby (7.8 PPG) are also suspended indefinitely (Cosby was also injured at the time for an issue with his eye). In addition to LeVert, Walton is also doubtful to play for the Wolverines.

Most of the good feeling surrounding the effort without LeVert and Walton has subsided for Michigan, only replaced by slim postseason hope. The Wolverines are still a tough out, especially away from home (just ask Wisconsin), as the only blowout they’ve suffered in someone else’s gym was to Ohio State as a 9.5-point underdog. Unfortunately, the recent personnel losses have rendered Michigan completely inept on the glass over their last three games (22.3 RPG in that span, 349th NCAA). As you can guess, this means they’ve been crushed in rebounding margin (-14, -16, -11) in those games.

This is where they miss Walton and LeVert most, as both were amongst the nation’s better rebounders at the guard position. G Zak Irvin (13.6 PPG, 2.4 threes/game) finally had the breakout game that the Wolverines will need on a consistent basis, as he poured in 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting in Michigan’s 73-70 loss at Indiana on Sunday.

F Ricky Doyle (6.5 PPG), who’s seen the bulk of the playing time as Michigan’s lone big man recently, scored 15 points and added six boards (the only Wolverine with more than three rebounds). Doyle was instrumental in the December win over Illinois scoring 13 points and hitting the free throw that would send that game to overtime.

G Spike Albrecht (5.9 PPG, 3.6 APG) was his consistent self in a starting role with 12 points and seven assists against Indiana; he’s just not the difference maker that Walton is. Dawkins will have to rediscover the touch that made him so lethal against Illinois the first time, as he could only muster seven points in 34 minutes versus Indiana’s Big Ten-worst defense.

Illinois is a mediocre rebounding team (30.8 RPG in-conference, 10th Big Ten), but they won’t need to do much (as shown earlier) to hold a significant advantage over Michigan on the glass. Hill should be the main weapon, again, as he was versus Michigan in December. Hill’s scoring average without Rice is almost three full points per game higher (17.7 PPG - last nine games), and he’s being more assertive as an offensive leader, having attempted double-digit shots in eight of those nine games. Hill’s 6-foot-6, 230lb frame and inside-out game is a physical mismatch for any individual defender on Michigan’s side of the ball.

If Michigan adjusts its defense to keep Hill from stopping them, then G Kendrick Nunn (11.5 PPG; 16.1 PPG with Rice out) will surely make them pay. Nunn’s production has been the biggest beneficiary from Rice’s absence, and arguably the biggest boon to the Illini’s surging ways. Nunn scored only three points in the first meeting with Michigan; you can bet that will change on Thursday. It hasn’t just been the Nunn and Hill show, though, as Illinois has gotten increased production across the board.

G Jaylon Tate’s emergence (3.9 PPG, 3.5APG; 3.3:1 A:TO in Rice’s absence) as a true distributor has freed up Nunn to fire up shots at will. F Leron Black (5.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG) has shown flashes of promise, averaging 6.8 PPG and 7.2 RPG over his past six. Even embattled senior C Nnanna Egwu (7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.8 BPG) has pitched in big performances like his 12-point, seven-rebound, three-block gem at Michigan State on Saturday.

Coach John Croce’s team won’t be mistaken for an offensive juggernaut (63.7 PPG in-conference – down almost 9 PPG from season-long numbers), however Illinois seems to be finding an identity on defense. The Fighting Illini has held their opponents under 0.95 points-per-possession in all three victories during their current win streak (the first time they’ve done so during a three-game stretch this season).

SAINT MARY’S GAELS (18-5) at BYU COUGARS (18-8)

Marriot Center – Provo, UT
Tip-off: Thursday, 9:00 p.m. ET
Line: BYU -6

BYU looks to get revenge for a Jan. 17 loss to St. Mary’s when the Cougars host the Gaels on Thursday.

St. Mary’s is coming off of a 73-58 win-and-cover at home over Pacific on Saturday. The Gaels have now won-and-covered in three of their past four games and five of their past seven as well. Defensively the team is locked in, allowing just 60.8 PPG over the past four contests. BYU, meanwhile, is coming off of a 87-68 victory as eight-point road favorites against Loyola-Marymount. The Cougars are hot offensively, scoring 74+ points in each of their past eight games.

These two teams met on Jan. 17, when St. Mary’s beat BYU 82-77 at McKeon Pavilion. Prior to that win-and-cover for the Gaels, BYU had won-and-covered in its previous two meetings with St. Mary’s. The Gaels, however, are 6-4 SU and ATS in this head-to-head series dating back to Jan. 2, 2004. BYU won-and-covered when hosting St. Mary’s last season, but the Gaels won-and-covered in their previous two trips to Provo. While the Cougars are 10-3 SU at home this season, they are just 2-10 ATS when playing at the Marriot Center. BYU is also just 5-8 ATS when playing against West Coast Conference opponents. The Gaels, on the other hand, are 9-2-1 ATS when playing against the WCC and 5-1-1 ATS when playing on the road this season.

G Jordan Chatman (Ankle) is out for the season for BYU and Fs Nate Austin (Hamstring) and Jamal Aytes (Ankle) are out indefinitely for the Cougars. G Aaron Bright (Ankle) is listed as questionable for St. Mary’s in this one and G Anson Winder (Groin) is questionable for BYU.

St. Mary’s has a very balanced team, averaging 70.2 PPG (107th in NCAA) on 46.6% shooting (50th in NCAA) and allowing just 63.1 PPG (95th in NCAA). This team gets it done on both ends of the floor and dominated the Cougars on the glass in their last meeting, outrebounding BYU 41-28 in that game.

F Brad Waldow (20.0 PPG, 9.4 RPG) could not be stopped in that contest, going for 24 points (10-for-15 FG) with 14 rebounds and two blocks in 37 minutes of action. Waldow is averaging 21.5 PPG in his past two games and has been incredibly efficient in doing so (17-for-29 FG). The Gaels will need to feed him the ball early and often in this one, as he rarely takes bad shots and knows when to get rid of the ball when opponents come with a double team.

G Kerry Carter (12.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG) is one of the best shooters this team has (42% 3PT), but he struggled mightily against BYU last time around. Carter had just 10 points in that game and was really off all night (3-for-12 FG, 1-for-8 3PT). He will need to knock down his open looks, as his shooting was badly missed the last time these teams faced one another.

Luckily for the Gaels, F Garrett Jackson (7.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG) had one of his best games of the season in that victory. Jackson is an extremely accurate shooter (48% 3PT), but he doesn’t shoot the ball often (5.7 FGA). St. Mary’s will need him to be aggressive in this game as he was already able to find success against BYU once this year with 20 points (7-for-10 FG, 3-for-3 3PT) and nine rebounds in 33 minutes.

G Aaron Bright (10.6 PPG, 3.8 APG) would be a big loss if he were unable to play for the Gaels in this one. He is their best passer and is another guy who can create shots for himself when called upon.

BYU runs the most effective offense in college basketball, putting up 84.9 PPG (1st in NCAA) on 46.7% shooting (46th in NCAA). This team moves the ball well, as evidenced by their 17.5 APG (3rd in NCAA) and is also extremely active on the glass (38.7 RPG, 25th in NCAA).

G Tyler Haws (22.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.4 APG) is the top scorer for this BYU team. Haws has scored 20+ points in 10 straight games for the Cougars and was on fire when the team beat St. Mary’s on Jan. 17, finishing the game with 28 points in 36 minutes. Haws is an excellent shooter from the outside (37% 3PT) and can also get to the free throw line at will (7.2 FTA, 88% FT). He’ll need to have another impressive offensive performance to get his team a victory over St. Mary’s this time around.

While Haws is BYU’s best scorer, G Kyle Collinsworth (13.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 5.8 APG, 2.0 SPG) is the Cougars’ best playmaker. The guard can do it all for this team and is coming off of a game in which he recorded a triple-double (23 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) against Loyala-Marymount. When these teams last met, Collinsworth had 10 points, six rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. He was in foul trouble early and he must stay disciplined on the defensive end to ensure his team that he’ll play big minutes in this one.

G Anson Winder (14.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG) strained his groin in a victory over Loyola-Marymount on Saturday. He played just six minutes in that game due to the injury and his health for this game will be crucial to BYU. Winder is a lethal outside shooter (37% 3PT) and can score points in a hurry. His offense would be missed if he were to be unable to go in this one. C Corbin Kaufusi (2.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG) has been thrust into action lately for this depleted Cougars team. Kaufusi is not relied on to do much offensively, but he will need to be aggressive on the glass and protect the rim in this game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College hoops conference tournaments add buzz to Sin City
By MARC MELTZER

The first weekend of March Madness (this year March 19-22) is one of the biggest sports betting weekends in Las Vegas.

Sin City is buzzing with energy that’s not matched by many other sports weekends. In fact, it’s only matched by the Super Bowl, as far as parties and wagering is concerned. There’s no denying the popularity of this weekend in Vegas but the serious bettors get down before the Madness.

There are over 30 season-ending college basketball conference tournaments that begin play on March 3 and end on March 14. These 11 days offer college hoops bettors hundreds of opportunities to wager.

This was largely a Vegas locals secret but that’s no longer the case. The weeks leading into March Madness are growing in popularity in Vegas for locals and tourists alike. It’s not only sports bettors that are getting in on the action either.

College basketball fans from around the western part of the country descend upon Las Vegas between March 5 and March 12 for 4 different conference tournaments:

March 5-10: West Coast Conference at The Orleans
March 11-14: Pac-12 at MGM Grand
March 11-14: Mountain West at Thomas & Mack Center
March 12-14: Western Athletic Conference (WAC) at The Orleans

If you’re a basketball fan of the WCC, Pac-12, Mountain West or WAC you'll certainly enjoy the conference tournaments in person in Las Vegas. This is a rare opportunity in Vegas to see so much live basketball and every game has meaning - to get into the Big Dance. Unlike regular season games, teams are – technically - playing on the road. Tickets may be easier and less expensive to access than traditional venue games.

The Pac-12 conference, being the largest conference, may be the most-attended tournament but that doesn’t mean it will sell out in advance. You can probably still likely find tickets for this and most of the tournaments on the day of the games.

That first weekend of March Madness is seriously one of the most fun times to be in Las Vegas but the crowds can grow tiresome if you’ve done it before. Waking up at 7 a.m. to grab coffee, shower and be one of the lucky to score a seat in the sportsbook for a 9 a.m. tipoff can get old.
Paying $75-$100 per day for a viewing party can also get old.

Experienced locals and hoops crazy visitors are shifting more of their time in a Vegas sportsbook to the less popular, but still fun, college basketball conference tournaments.

From March 3-10 you’ll find wall-to-wall smaller conferences like the Horizon League, MAAC and West Coast Conference playing their tournaments from morning until night. Even though there’s college hoops action all day and night, the sportsbook doesn’t get nearly as rowdy or crowded as March Madness. There's a buzz but it isn't quite as crazy as the Big Dance.

Lots of wagering opportunities + small crowds = fun in the book.

More people are coming to find the formula above a great one and a great excuse to visit Vegas before the Madness. Living in Las Vegas, I find myself looking forward to watching and wagering on conference tournaments in the casino almost as much as I do that first weekend of March Madness.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Northeastern won its last seven games with Hofstra, taking last three on Long Island by 2-5-13 points. Huskies (-2) beat Hofstra 91-83 Jan 14 in Boston, going 26-38 on line, shooting 68% inside arc in game that started Hofstra's 1-5 skid. Northeastern lost last two on road by 16-5; they are 2-3 in last five overall. Hofstra won last two games by 10-11; they're 1-5 as CAA home favorites, losing three of last five SU. CAA home favorites of less than 5 points are 9-8 vs spread.

Iowa won five of last seven games with Minnesota, winning 77-75 (+3) in Twin Cities Jan 13, outscoring Gophers 8-2 over last 3:11, after they blew 17-point lead. Iowa won last two games, is 2-1-1 as home favorite, winning at home by 11-16-9 points. Minnesota won three of last four, is 0-5 on Big 14 road, 0-2-1 as road dog, losing by 4-12-5-3-5 points. Big 14 home favorites of 6+ points are 9-20 vs spread. Gophers are 1-6 in games decided by 5 or less points.

Ole Miss won last three games with Florida by total of 8 points; Rebels won 72-71 Jan 24, despite Gators making 12-20 from arc but only 15-24 on foul line. Ole Miss lost last five visits here, but won last five overall, covered four of five on SEC road, losing by 3 at Kentucky, at Georgia by 5. Florida lost five of last seven games; their last five were all decided by 7 or less points. Gators are 2-2 as home favorites. SEC home favorites of 5 or less points are 7-11-1 vs spread.

Tulsa (+1) beat UConn 66-58 at home Jan 13; Huskies were just 8-18 on foul line. UConn won last two games, allowing 52-53 points, but they're 1-4 as home favorites, winning home games by 6-7-13-13 points, with an OT loss to Temple. Tulsa lost first AAC game to Memphis in last game; they're 6-0 on AAC road, with four wins by 7 or less points. Hurricane is 2-0 as an AAC dog. AAC home favorites of 5 or less points are 8-3.

Old Dominion beat Tex-San Antonio 69-61 LY at home, in first C-USA series meeting; Monarchs won last three games, allowing 56.7 ppg; they are 1-3 as road favorites, losing last two road games, at MTSU/UAB, as well as loss at Western Kentucky. Roadrunners swept Miami trip last week, but lost three of last four at home, losing to La Tech, UTEP, UAB, best three teams in league. C-USA home underdogs of 4 or less points are 6-3 vs spread.

St Mary's (-2) beat BYU 82-77 at home Jan 17, outrebounding Cougars 41-31 with 17 offensive boards. Gaels are 5-2 vs BYU, losing here by 13 LY, winning other two visits by 14-1. BYU lost four of its last six, is 1-4 as home favorite, winning in Provo by 9-13-4-21 points, with losses to Zags/Pepperdine. Gaels are 3-2 in last five games after a 15-3 start; they are 4-1 on WCC road, losing by 21 at Gonzaga. WCC home favorites of 7 or less points are 2-11 vs spread.

Michigan won its last eight games with Illinois, winning last three here by 11-14-31 points; Wolverines beat Illini 73-65 in OT Dec 30, after trailing by 13 with 11:28 left. Michigan lost last three games, covered five of last six; they're 4-2 as road underdogs. Illinois won last three games, allowing 54 ppg; they're 2-2 as home favorites, winning last three home games by 9-2-12 points. Big 14 home favorites of 6+ points are 9-20 vs spread.

Utah star Wright aggravated a leg injury, is expected to play vs Stanford team that won last three games with Utes by 31-1-18 points; three of the five series games were decided by 3 or less points. Cardinal is 7-4, with all four Pac-12 losses by 7 or less points; they're 3-2 on road, with losses by total of six points. Utah is 4-0-1 as home favorite, winning all five of its home games by 21+ points. Pac-12 double digit home faves are 9-3-2.

Pepperdine won four of last five games with Portland, but lost five of last six visits here, in series where home side won eight of last nine meetings. Waves (-4) beat Portland at home 67-63 Jan 17; they won three of last four games, are 5-2 on WCC road, going 2-26 from arc in losses at USF, Santa Clara. Pilots won last two games, are 2-3 SU at home, winning by 17-3- they're 1-2 as home favorites, with one win by more than 3 points. WCC home favorites of 5 or less points are 1-7 vs spread.

Long Beach State won eight of last 11 games with UCSB, winning 69-53 (-3) at home in first meeting Jan 17, holding Gauchos to 25% from floor in game that was 35-21 at half. 49ers won three of last four visits here, are 3-1 on Big West road, with only loss by 6 at Cal-Davis. UCSB won last three home games by 8-1-19 points; they're 1-6 vs spread in last seven games, 1-3 as home favorites. Big West home teams are 8-11-2 vs spread in games with spread of 4 or less points.

Wofford (even) won 68-64 at Chattanooga Jan 5, rallying back fron down 14 in second half; Terriers made 10-20 from arc. Mocs lost three of last four visits here, winning LY after losing previous three here by 15-32-20 points. Wofford won last seven games, is 4-2 as home favorite, with four of last five home wins by 8+ points. SoCon home favorites of 6+ points are 9-13-2 vs spread. Chattanooga is 2-0 as road dog, is 4-2 SU on road, with both losses by three points.

Siena won three of last four games with Marist, beating Red Foxes 69-60 (-8.5) in first meeting Jan 23, making 7-12 from arc in game that was tied at half. Saints lost two of last three visits here, are 1-4 in last five games overall, losing last two road games by 8 points each. Marist won four of last five games after starting 0-9 in league, beating Fairfield, Niagara in last two home games. MAAC home teams are 9-11-1 in games with spread of 3 or less points.

Sacramento State won five of its last six games with Eastern Washington; Hornets (+1.5) beat EWU 90-77 at home Jan 17, making 67% inside arc, 7-13 outside it in game that was 41-all at half. Eagles won last five games are 2-3 as home favorite, with three wins by 8 or less. Hornets won last seven games, are 1-1 as road dogs; their Big Sky loss was at Northern Colorado by 11. Big Sky home favorites of more than 7 points are 6-12.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Trends

6:15 PM
EASTERN ILLINOIS vs. AUSTIN PEAY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Eastern Illinois's last 5 games on the road
Eastern Illinois is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Austin Peay is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games when playing Eastern Illinois
Austin Peay is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Eastern Illinois

7:00 PM
WESTERN CAROLINA vs. MERCER
Western Carolina is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
No trends available

7:00 PM
ILLINOIS-CHICAGO vs. WRIGHT STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Illinois-Chicago's last 7 games when playing on the road against Wright State
Illinois-Chicago is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Wright State
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Wright State's last 8 games when playing Illinois-Chicago
Wright State is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games when playing Illinois-Chicago

7:00 PM
FURMAN vs. VMI
Furman is 1-16 SU in its last 17 games on the road
Furman is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
No trends available

7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. IOWA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing on the road against Iowa
Minnesota is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Iowa
Iowa is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Iowa is 4-9-1 ATS in its last 14 games when playing at home against Minnesota

7:00 PM
EAST TENNESSEE STATE vs. UNC GREENSBORO
No trends available
UNC Greensboro is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing East Tennessee State
UNC Greensboro is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing East Tennessee State

7:00 PM
PURDUE vs. RUTGERS
Purdue is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Purdue's last 5 games on the road
Rutgers is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Rutgers is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

7:00 PM
NORTHEASTERN vs. HOFSTRA
Northeastern is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Northeastern is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Hofstra
Hofstra is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Hofstra is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

7:00 PM
TULSA vs. CONNECTICUT
Tulsa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tulsa's last 6 games on the road
Connecticut is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Connecticut is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games

7:00 PM
CHATTANOOGA vs. WOFFORD
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chattanooga's last 6 games when playing on the road against Wofford
Chattanooga is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Wofford's last 6 games when playing Chattanooga
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Wofford's last 7 games

7:00 PM
MISSISSIPPI vs. FLORIDA
Mississippi is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Florida
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Mississippi's last 7 games on the road
Florida is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games when playing Mississippi
Florida is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Mississippi

7:30 PM
ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK vs. APPALACHIAN STATE
Arkansas-Little Rock is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Appalachian State's last 5 games at home
Appalachian State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home

7:30 PM
FLORIDA ATLANTIC vs. LOUISIANA TECH
Florida Atlantic is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Florida Atlantic is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Louisiana Tech is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Louisiana Tech is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games

7:30 PM
ARKANSAS STATE vs. GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Arkansas State is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Arkansas State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Georgia Southern is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
Georgia Southern is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

8:00 PM
TENNESSEE STATE vs. TENNESSEE TECH
Tennessee State is 6-0-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Tennessee State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Tennessee Tech is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Tennessee State
Tennessee Tech is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Tennessee State

8:00 PM
SIENA vs. MARIST
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Siena's last 10 games when playing on the road against Marist
Siena is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Marist
Marist is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games
Marist is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home

8:00 PM
MIDDLE TENNESSEE vs. RICE
Middle Tennessee is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Middle Tennessee is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Rice is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Rice's last 6 games

8:00 PM
SIU EDWARDSVILLE vs. MURRAY STATE
SIU Edwardsville is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Murray State
SIU Edwardsville is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Murray State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing SIU Edwardsville
Murray State is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing SIU Edwardsville

8:00 PM
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE vs. LOUISIANA-MONROE
Louisiana-Lafayette is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Louisiana-Lafayette's last 6 games on the road
Louisiana-Monroe is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing Louisiana-Lafayette

8:00 PM
MONTANA vs. NORTH DAKOTA
Montana is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games on the road
North Dakota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Montana
North Dakota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Montana

8:00 PM
UAB vs. NORTH TEXAS
UAB is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
North Texas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of North Texas's last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
CS BAKERSFIELD vs. TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN
CS Bakersfield is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Texas-Pan American is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Texas-Pan American is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games

8:00 PM
THE CITADEL vs. SAMFORD
The total has gone OVER in 4 of The Citadel's last 5 games on the road
The Citadel is 2-23 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Samford is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing The Citadel
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Samford's last 5 games when playing The Citadel

8:00 PM
OLD DOMINION vs. TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO
Old Dominion is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Texas-San Antonio is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas-San Antonio's last 5 games at home

8:30 PM
SOUTH ALABAMA vs. TROY
South Alabama is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of South Alabama's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Troy's last 6 games when playing at home against South Alabama
Troy is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing at home against South Alabama

8:30 PM
TEXAS-ARLINGTON vs. TEXAS STATE
Texas-Arlington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Texas-Arlington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas State
Texas State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Texas-Arlington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas State's last 5 games when playing Texas-Arlington

9:00 PM
ST. MARY'S vs. BYU
St. Mary's is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
St. Mary's is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of BYU's last 8 games
BYU is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games

9:00 PM
SOUTHERN UTAH vs. WEBER STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Southern Utah's last 6 games on the road
Southern Utah is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Weber State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Southern Utah
Weber State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games

9:00 PM
STANFORD vs. UTAH
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Stanford's last 8 games on the road
Stanford is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Utah is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Stanford
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

9:00 PM
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT vs. GONZAGA
Loyola Marymount is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Loyola Marymount's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Gonzaga's last 12 games when playing Loyola Marymount
Gonzaga is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Loyola Marymount

9:00 PM
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL vs. SOUTHERN MISS
Florida International is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Southern Miss is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games
Southern Miss is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home

9:00 PM
MICHIGAN vs. ILLINOIS
Michigan is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Michigan's last 16 games on the road
Illinois is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Illinois's last 8 games at home

9:00 PM
MONTANA STATE vs. NORTHERN COLORADO
Montana State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Northern Colorado
Montana State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Northern Colorado
Northern Colorado is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Montana State
Northern Colorado is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games

9:00 PM
TENNESSEE-MARTIN vs. SE MISSOURI STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tennessee-Martin's last 5 games on the road
Tennessee-Martin is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
SE Missouri State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tennessee-Martin
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of SE Missouri State's last 7 games when playing at home against Tennessee-Martin

9:00 PM
SOUTHERN METHODIST vs. HOUSTON
Southern Methodist is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Southern Methodist's last 12 games on the road
Houston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Southern Methodist
Houston is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Southern Methodist

9:00 PM
CALIFORNIA vs. COLORADO
California is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
California is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Colorado is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing California
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado's last 7 games when playing California

9:00 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. TEXAS EL PASO
Charlotte is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Charlotte is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Texas El Paso is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas El Paso's last 6 games

9:00 PM
SEATTLE vs. NEW MEXICO STATE
Seattle is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
New Mexico State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
New Mexico State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

9:05 PM
NORTHERN ARIZONA vs. IDAHO STATE
Northern Arizona is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Idaho State
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Northern Arizona's last 10 games when playing on the road against Idaho State
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Idaho State's last 10 games when playing at home against Northern Arizona
Idaho State is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Northern Arizona

9:05 PM
SACRAMENTO STATE vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON
Sacramento State is 2-16 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Eastern Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Sacramento State's last 5 games when playing on the road against Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Sacramento State
Eastern Washington is 2-8-1 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Sacramento State

10:00 PM
PORTLAND STATE vs. IDAHO
Portland State is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Idaho is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Idaho's last 9 games

10:00 PM
CS FULLERTON vs. UC DAVIS
CS Fullerton is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
CS Fullerton is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
UC Davis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing CS Fullerton
UC Davis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against CS Fullerton

10:00 PM
CS NORTHRIDGE vs. CAL POLY
CS Northridge is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games on the road
CS Northridge is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cal Poly's last 5 games when playing at home against CS Northridge
Cal Poly is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against CS Northridge

10:00 PM
PACIFIC vs. SAN DIEGO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pacific's last 5 games on the road
Pacific is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games when playing Pacific
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pacific

10:00 PM
PEPPERDINE vs. PORTLAND
Pepperdine is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pepperdine's last 6 games on the road
Portland is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Pepperdine
Portland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Pepperdine

10:30 PM
LONG BEACH STATE vs. SANTA BARBARA
Long Beach State is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Santa Barbara
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Long Beach State's last 6 games when playing on the road against Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 games when playing Long Beach State
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Santa Barbara's last 14 games when playing Long Beach State

11:00 PM
SANTA CLARA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Santa Clara's last 6 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
Santa Clara is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of San Francisco's last 10 games
San Francisco is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

12:00 AM
UC RIVERSIDE vs. HAWAII
UC Riverside is 2-17 SU in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Hawaii's last 5 games when playing UC Riverside
Hawaii is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing UC Riverside

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

Wow, it has been a rough few days for the college basketball world. First, former North Carolina coach Dean Smith died on Saturday night, then fellow Hall of Famer Jerry Tarkanian passed away Wednesday at age 84. Tark’s.790 win percentage is Top 10 all-time for men’s basketball. I’ll never forget his 1990-91 UNLV team as that was club was unbelievable and must-see TV, usually on at midnight on ESPN. Of course, the Runnin’ Rebels were upset in the Final Four by Duke in an incredibly memorable game. RIP Tark. Here’s a look at three games in college hoops that caught my eye on Thursday.

Ole Miss at Florida (-3.5)

It’s a 7 p.m. tip for this SEC game on ESPN. The Rebels (16-7, 7-3) currently are listed as a No. 10 seed in the Big Dance, so they are squarely on the bubble. They are trending the right way, having won five straight games. Ole Miss won at Auburn 86-79 on Saturday. LaDarius White had 20 points to lead five Rebels in double figures. It’s the first five-game winning streak in the SEC for Ole Miss in two years, and the school is 5-1 in SEC road games this season. The Rebels lead the SEC in scoring in conference games at 75.5 ppg and are No. 2 in the nation in free-throw percentage, hitting 79.4 percent of their attempts, which would lead the NBA.

Florida (12-11, 5-5) is going to miss the Big Dance, barring winning the SEC Tournament, for the first time since the year after repeating as national champion in 2007. And the Gators are going to find winning this one tough because leading scorer Michael Frazier II is going to miss the game. Frazier averages 13.2 points per game and leads the team in 3-pointers (55) and free-throw percentage (87.7) wile ranking second in rebounds and steals. He’s dealing with a high-ankle sprain and missed much of the second half of Saturday’s 68-61 home loss to No. 1 Kentucky. The Gators have lost five of seven, and the two wins easily could have been losses (won by a combined three points). They are 1-11 this season when allowing 60 points or more.

Ole Miss beat the visiting Gators 72-71 on Jan. 24. Rebels star Jarvis Summers scored four points in the final 9.8 seconds, including the winning free throws with 3.5 seconds remaining, and finished with a team-high 16 points as well as eight assists. The Rebels trailed most of the game. Frazier had a season-best 27 points for the Gators. Ole Miss hasn’t swept the Gators in a season series since 1990 and hasn’t won in Gainesville since 1999.

Key trends: Ole Miss has covered six of its past eight on the road. The Rebels are 6-2 ATS in their past eight vs. teams with a winning record. UF has covered only four of its past 14 at home. Ole Miss has covered six straight meetings.

Why take the underdog: No Frazier really hurts Florida, and it’s no longer hard to win in Gainesville.

Stanford at No. 11 Utah (-10)

This Pac-12 game is at 9 p.m. ET and on the Pac-12 network. Stanford (16-7, 7-4) is another bubble team, currently listed as a No. 9 seed on ESPN. The Cardinal ended a two-game losing streak on Saturday with a 70-62 home win over USC. Marcus Allen scored four of his 10 points in the final four minutes and grabbed three of his career-high 11 rebounds in the same stretch as Stanford rallied and then held USC off. The Cardinal had five players score in double figures for only the second time in 2014-15. They shot only 36.7 percent, winning for the third time this season when under 40 percent.

Utah (18-4, 8-2) has won two straight in blowout fashion since an upset loss at UCLA. The Utes pummeled Colorado in its gym 79-51 on Saturday. Brandon Taylor scored 18 points on a career-best six 3-pointers. The Utes shot 57.8 percent from the field and are fifth nationally in that category. Utah’s average margin of victory in its eight Pac-12 wins is 24.6 points. The Utes one of five teams nationally to have not allowed an opponent to score more than 72 points yet.

Stanford has won three straight overall in the series, including a 61-60 victory in the 2014 regular-season finale for both teams. The Cardinal are 2-2 against nationally-ranked foes this season.

Key trends: Stanford has covered only five of its past 18 in the Pac-12. Utah has covered 12 of its past 18 Thursday games.

Why take the favorite: Utah has a 15-game home winning streak dating back to last season, the longest in the Huntsman since the 2004-05 season.

Saint Mary’s at BYU (TBA)

It’s a 9 p.m. start for this West Coast Conference game on ESPN2. It’s a 100 percent must-win for Saint Mary’s, which isn’t even listed on ESPN’s Bracketology despite an 18-5 overall record and 10-2 mark in the WCC. That’s probably because SMC is only No. 61 in the RPI rankings and doesn’t have a win against any Top-50 teams. To have any shot at an at-large bid, the Gaels are probably going to have to win out in the regular season, and they host Gonzaga on Feb. 21, and then reach the conference tournament final and lose close to the Zags (or just win it and erase any doubt).

The Gaels come off a 73-58 home win over Pacific, which followed a very damaging 67-62 home loss to Pepperdine. Desmond Simmons had first his double-double as a Gael with 14 points and 11 rebounds against Pacific, while leading scorer Brad Waldow had 18 points. SMC jumped out to a 21-8 lead and wouldn’t trail. It shot 55 percent (12-for-22) from long range. The Gaels played without point guard Aaron Bright due to an ankle injury. He’s questionable here. Bright, a senior, averages, 10.6 points per game and is the clear floor leader. BYU (18-8, 8-5) won 87-68 at Loyola Marymount on Saturday behind 23 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists from Kyle Collinsworth, his NCAA record fifth triple-double of the season. The NCAA career triple-double mark is six, held by Michael Anderson (1985-88) and Shaquille O’Neal (1990-92). Tyler Haws, the nation’s second-leading scorer, had 22 points.

These schools played Jan. 17 in Moraga, and Saint Mary’s won 82-77 behind 24 points and 14 rebounds from Waldow. Bright made two free throws with 23.9 seconds left to give SMC a five-point lead and BYU missed a pair of 3-point attempts in the final seconds. Haws led BYU with 28 points.

Key trends: SMC is 6-1 ATS in its past seven road games. It is 8-2 ATS in its past 10 after a win. BYU is just 3-13 ATS in its past 16 at home. The Cougars are 1-8 ATS in their past nine at home vs. teams with a winning record.

It depends who to take: SMC will be a dog regardless, but I like the Gaels if Bright plays (thus the TBA). BYU if not. Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett is confident Bright will go.

 

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Newsletter College Basketball Prediction From Jason Sharpe

Take #542 Houston (+11) over SMU (9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 11)
The Houston Cougars have played a very difficult conference schedule so far. Most of their problems have occurred when they have gone on the road against top teams, which isn’t the case here in this contest. The Cougars pulled a big upset win over UConn at home to start this month and are playing much better basketball of late with wins in two in their last three games. This is the kind of thing you can expect from a team with a 1st year head coach as the players tend to improve later in his first season. This is a big basketball team that starts all guys over 6’4”, and because of that they can give teams matchup problems because of their size. SMU has played one of the easier schedules in the AAC thus far. This has all the makings of a trap game for the Mustangs as they face all of the top teams in the conference their remaining five regular-season games after this. They also played Cincinnati and Tulsa in their two previous games before this one, making this game here versus Houston as one they could be looking past. SMU lost a key player a few weeks back in Keith Frazier for the rest of the season, and that loss looms large for them. Due to their easy schedule we haven’t really noticed the effects of Frazier being out for the Mustangs, but they are definitely an overvalued team at this time. Take Houston plus the points here.