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This site was created to give the college basketball fan the necessary edge to scoring a profit all winter long.
In order to win over the long run, the bettor must be up to date on all of the latest information, trends and tips; you will find all of that and more by just logging on here daily.
This site was created to give the college basketball fan the necessary edge to scoring a profit all winter long.
In order to win over the long run, the bettor must be up to date on all of the latest information, trends and tips; you will find all of that and more by just logging on here daily.
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CBB: Maryland at Clemson (5:30 PM ET, FSN)
2010-02-01
Sunday evenings have become synonymous with the ACC and FSN, and for this week, the network brings a conference clash between Maryland and Clemson. The Terps went into the weekend atop the league standings, but undoubtedly, this will be their toughest ACC game to date. Expect to see a desperate effort from host Clemson, who can’t afford another league loss and still maintain hope of a league title. What will be interesting is how oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com gauge the expected effort of the Tigers.
The Terrapins started the season in the Top 25 and haven’t returned since losing two of three in Hawaii. That started a period of dissonant play in December, however since the calendar started a new year, Maryland (14-5, 8-6 ATS) is looking more like a ranked team again, winning six of seven, including four in a row (6-0 ATS in January). Senior guard Greivis Vasquez is good for at least 20 points most nights and Landon Milbourne has regained a level of more consistent play. Truthfully, Maryland was probably a bit overrated to begin with. The Terps will need everyone to play well against Clemson’s full court press, and they boast a 16-6 ATS record in road games since 2007.
Clemson (15-6, 9-9 ATS) begins an important stretch of games, playing four of the next five at home after losing three in a row. Finished with Duke and North Carolina, the Tigers can write their own ticket for the ACC, trying to maneuver up from eighth place. Clemson has frequently played imposing basketball, but can’t sustain it for two halves often enough. They’ve built big leads and lost them, fallen behind, then made furious comebacks. Coach Oliver Purnell would prefer to see the momentum pendulum not swing so dramatically. Clemson is 12-4 ATS in home games facing teams converting 45 or percent of their shots.
Maryland has won seven of 11 at Clemson with a 4-6-1 ATS mark. The StatFox Power Line shows Clemson by 1, signs pointing to a tight, down-to-the-wire game.
CBB: Wisconsin at Purdue (7:00 PM ET, ESPN)
2010-01-29
Annually one of the most confounding teams in the country is Wisconsin. Even though Bo Ryan can X and O with the best in college basketball, a look at the preseason roster never screams of Top 25 talent. Yet here the Badgers are, in second place the Big Ten Conference with a 6-2 record. On Thursday night, they’ll look for a season sweep of Purdue, a team that had owned them prior to the win in Madison a few weeks ago. Purdue is an 8-point favorite at Sportsbook.com, and being backed by most bettors.
Wisconsin (16-4, 10-8 ATS) leans heavy on guard Trevon Hughes, with versatile forward Jon Leuer out three to four more weeks with broken wrist. Wisconsin is 7-3 ATS vs. teams like Purdue allowing 64 or less points a game this season.
Last week, the Boilermakers (16-3, 9-10 ATS) broke their three-game losing skid at Illinois 84-78, getting a lift from unlikely source. John Hart, who had played all of 33 minutes and wasn’t even in official score book for that game, came off the bench to score 14 points (12 in second half) to lead the Purdue charge. Coach Matt Painter hopes this leads to continual production off the bench. Purdue is 15-7 ATS in home games after a conference game over the last three seasons.
Wisconsin has seen guard Jordan Taylor rise to the occasion with the absence of Leuer, scoring and displaying all around floor game. This could be a challenging spot the Badgers; since they are 4-9-1 ATS in road games vs. teams with a winning home record.
Purdue is still jittery home favorite, sporting a 9-1 SU but .500 spread record. The win at Champaign was followed up with a first half mauling of Michigan, 43-27, but they let backers down in the second half by being outscored by six points and failing to cover the 13-point spread.
The Boilers have normally blasted the Badgers at home and are on 8-1 SU and ATS run against them, which is why Sportsbook.com has them as 8-point favorites. Purdue is 9-2 when playing with three or more days rest, nonetheless is vile 3-8 ATS with this much time to practice.
Wisconsin took the earlier meeting 73-66 at the Kohl Center as one-point home underdogs and has covered six of its last seven Thursday throw-downs.
This Big Ten battle is in the 7:00 Eastern Time slot on ESPN with total of 126 and the Badgers are 1-10 UNDER on the road. Purdue is 6-2 OVER on Thursday nights.
The StatFox Power Line shows Purdue by 4, indicating a possible over-pricing.
CBB: Spotlight turns to Ranked Teams for Bettors
2010-01-27
Other than Saturday, Wednesday is the most time-consuming and harried for the sports basketball bettor. Betting college basketball properly involves a great deal of time, as does looking thru a full slate of NBA encounters. Fortunately, Sportsbook.com has several handicapping shortcuts to help alleviate that time expenditure, including the BETTING TRENDS, TOP TEN BETS, and GAME MATCHUPS. Let’s focus on a pair of key early games in college hoops for this evening. Get the latest prices on the LIVE ODDS page.
Villanova on historical pace
Last season’s trip to the Final Four helped bring Villanova back into the discussion about the best teams in college basketball. For an encore, coach Jay Wright’s team is trying to better that. The Wildcats 18-1 start (14-4 ATS) matches the record of a Villanova team from 59 years ago and they remain the only unbeaten club in the taxing Big East Conference at 7-0. Their lone defeat (75-65) was to fellow city member Temple back on Dec. 13 and that loss looks far better today with the Owls not having lost in A-10 action.
Villanova has racked up nine consecutive wins since then and is 10-3 ATS after three or more consecutive wins this season. Led by Scottie Reynolds, the Wildcats are tough, have great resolve, and are a lot like another Philly icon from the movies, Rocky, who has to be knocked out in order to be defeated. There isn’t much this team doesn’t do right, shooting almost 47 percent, 38.4 percent from downtown and convert better than 75 percent from the charity stripe. When it comes to effort, they hold opposing teams to 39.5 percent shooting and out-rebound them by seven a game.
Sportsbook.com has Nova as 10.5-point home favorites, with total of 167 at the Wachovia Center. This is their second trip this season into this venue and Villanova is 12-4 ATS as a favorite. They will have to deal with Luke Harangody of Notre Dame, the Big East’s leading scorer at 24.7 points a game. The Fighting Irish (15-5, 7-6-1 ATS) can match scores with Villanova, however is nowhere near as skilled defensively. Notre Dame is 4-13 ATS in road games versus good teams outscoring their opponents by four or more points a game over the last two seasons. ESPN has coverage at 7 Eastern.
Vandy is dandy
With top-ranked Kentucky suffering its first loss of the season on Tuesday night, only one squad remains undefeated in the SEC, Vanderbilt (15-3, 9-6 ATS). The Commodores have run off nine straight wins since losing to Illinois and Western Kentucky in the early days of December. Vanderbilt is 5-0 in the SEC for the first time in 44 years and is led by junior center A.J. Ogilvy. Vandy works the ball expertly to find quality shots and makes 49.7 of attempts as a team which explains 6-2 ATS record in this hot streak.
Laying in wait is ambitious in-state rival Tennessee (15-3, 8-7 ATS), who lost its first conference game at Georgia 78-63 this past Saturday. Coach Bruce Pearl knows Vanderbilt will play zone, daring his inconsistent three-point attack to beat them deep. The Tennessee fans will be in full throat as their team is 26-11 ATS at home games playing against a top-level team with a win percentage of 80 percent or higher. The Vols are 6.5-point favorites on ESPNU starting at 7 Eastern and the Vanderbilt guards will have to hold up to the pressure defense better than their predecessors, as they are 10-23 ATS in road games versus teams forcing 18 or more turnovers.
CBB: College Basketball Late Wednesday Action
Wednesday night’s college basketball betting board is loaded with 34 different games, meaning all sorts of different profit making opportunities. In the latter half of the evening a pair of big games will be televised, with Duke hosting Florida State on ESPN, and BYU visiting New Mexico on the Mountain Network. At last check, bettors at Sportsbook.com were siding with both home favorites according to the BETTING TRENDS page. Let’s take a quick look at both games.
Blue Devils defense looks to respond again
Duke was upset last week at N.C. State 88-74, allowing the Wolfpack to make 58.2 percent of shots. It didn’t matter to coach Mike Krzyzewski if N.C. State was just having a hot shooting night, his team had to defend better and did they ever the next time out. At a hostile Clemson environment, they held the revenge-minded Tigers to 47 points on 37.5 percent shooting. Duke now (16-3, 12-6 ATS) returns home where they score 91.6 points per game to face a Florida State (15-4, 4-10 ATS) squad that can also D-it up.
Coming into tonight, the Seminoles are the top-rated defense team in the country in field goal percentage at 35.5. Florida State (15-4, 4-10 ATS) is long and athletic, forcing 16.7 turnovers a game and almost seven rejections. What holds the Noles back from being elite team is perimeter shooting, much of the explanation for the poor spread record this season. Florida State is 2-9 ATS mark vs. defensive teams with shooting percentage defense of 42 percent or less in ’09-10.
Duke shoots over 50 percent on its home floor and a remarkable 43.2 percent from beyond the arc, which in part is why oddsmakers have them as 13-point favorites with total of 140. The Dukies are 13-4 ATS at home when the total is 140 to 149.5; however are just 3-7 ATS in Durham against the Seminoles despite winning nine of 10. Dick Vitale will be singing the praises of Coach K and the Dukies starting at 9 Eastern.
Magical Mountain West matchup
Nobody saw two ranked teams from the Mountain West Conference squaring off in late January. BYU (20-1, 11-7 ATS) is led by point guard Jimmer Fredette, who continues to play heavy minutes in spite of battling the affects of mononucleosis. Fredette, besides being an excellent shooter is top notch passer to the Cougars big people. This is why they are shooting 50.7 percent from the field, fourth in the country. BYU is the last unbeaten club in the MWC and is 15-3 ATS in road games over the last two seasons.
New Mexico (18-3, 13-7 ATS) was the most pleasant surprise in the country this side of Syracuse back in December. Most believed the Lobos suffering back to back losses in the first part of January was finally the signal that this team had overachieved and was headed back to medicority. However, coach Steve Alford’s squad has again proved the critics wrong with four consecutive W’s and they are 12-3 ATS in home games after three consecutive conference contests since 2006-07 campaign.
The line has jumped around, but presently the Lobos are favored by two-points and are 9-0 ATS after two straight wins by 15 points or more. New Mexico is 4-2 in conference and needs this win to keep title hopes alive. This matchup starts at 10 Eastern and is on the Mountain Network.
CBB: Super Tuesday Betting Lineup in College Hoops
2010-01-26
Two of the top five teams in the polls will be on the road and available for viewing this Tuesday evening. No. 5 Michigan State travels to in-state rival Michigan for a tussle in the Wolverine State, while newly anointed No.1 Kentucky heads into hostile territory against South Carolina, who comes in off a crushing last second defeat at Florida. College basketball bettors are working feverishly to make this a Super Tuesday. Click over to the LIVE ODDS page on Sportsbook.com for the latest prices and read on for a quick look at the top action.
Spartans claim Michigan as their state
Michigan State (17-3, 8-11 ATS) showed its true grit at Minnesota, finding a way to win 65-64, to run its record to 7-0 (5-2 ATS) in the Big 10. The Spartans, despite shooting just 39.3 percent and trailing for most of the game, kept battling and nipped the Golden Gophers at the end. Michigan State has won 16 of last 19 games against Michigan (10-9 ATS) and coach Tom Izzo still carries the torch for Spartans fans to wallop the Wolverines. “I’m motivated by the fact that every alum in this country is motivated by it (beating Michigan),” Izzo said Monday. “I’m motivated by it because it stands in the way of us hopefully reaching our goals at the end of the year.”
The Spartans are 7-0 ATS off a close road win by three points or less, winning by 17.3 points per game.
Michigan’s overall season has been a massive disappointment in Ann Arbor at 10-9, with a similar 8-7 ATS record. The Wolverines were believed to be primed to make the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year after an 11-year drought, however, with a pedestrian record and just two noteworthy wins over Ohio State and Connecticut (both at Crisler Arena), it’s a call to action for Michigan. Coach John Beilein looks at the rest of the season this way, “You got to go on a big string at the end of the year or you have to peak at tournament time and win the tournament. Those are our two options right now.”
The Wolverines are 9-2 ATS in home games after a conference game over the last two seasons.
Sportsbook.com has Michigan as 4.5-point home underdogs with total of 131, with the team suffering from unrest. The Wolverines have lost last two games at Wisconsin and at Purdue, the latter without star guard Manny Harris after a one-game suspension for an undisclosed incident in Friday’s practice. Michigan is 9-1 ATS after playing two consecutive games as an underdog since last season and forward DeShawn Sims said the team was “back to normal,” after the suspension. Michigan State is 8-1 ATS as a road favorite of six points or less or pick, however is 2-15 ATS as a visitor after playing a game as a road underdog.
ESPN has the coverage at 7 Eastern and Michigan has covered four in a row overall.
Top team hits the road
John Calipari may be lugging around excess baggage from a couple of his stops, however two elements about him are absolutely true, he can recruit and he can coach. Since the new year, Kentucky (19-0, 9-8 ATS) has faced a number of challenges home and away and at every critical juncture of these games, the Wildcats never gulped and met adversity head on to emerge victorious. Opponents have started gearing defenses to corral John Wall and take away either Patrick Patterson or DeMarcus Cousins. Nonetheless, an Eric Bledsoe or Daniel Orton comes in and provides the necessary lift for the team. The Wildcats ambushed Arkansas Saturday 101-70 in a home game that wasn’t that close and are 9-2 ATS on the road after playing a game as a home favorite.
South Carolina (11-8, 7-9 ATS) has been a mild disappointment and losing two returning starters hasn’t helped. (Injury and suspension) The cure turns out be the great equalizer, scoring machine Devan Downey. The senior guard has been outstanding all season and evidently saved his best for last, being unstoppable in SEC action (31.6 points per game). Coach Darrin Horn had to retool his squad and focused on defense and rebounding in the frontcourt to take some of the pressure off Downey. The Gamecocks have to slow down Kentucky since they are 1-9 ATS at the Colonial Center vs. good offensive teams averaging 77 or more points
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South Carolina has to regroup after a heart-breaking last second loss at Florida 58-56, in which Downey drained 36 points. The Gamecocks are a lengthy seven-point home underdog and are 8-1 ATS off two straight losses against conference rivals over the last three seasons. Top-ranked Kentucky is on a 10-2 SU & 8-4 ATS roll in Columbia and is 9-2 ATS on the road playing only their second contest in eight days since last season.
This SEC showdown is set for 9 Eastern on ESPN, with South Carolina 0-7 all time taking on No.1.
Oh how the mighty have fallen
North Carolina (12-7, 6-11 ATS) has been an 8.5-point or more favorite over N.C. State (13-7,10-7-1 ATS) in last seven meetings, but tonight is a 1-point choice in Raleigh against a Wolfpack team that actually has a better record. The Tar Heels will look to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat and are 9-3 SU and ATS at N.C. State.
CBB: Duke at Clemson (9:00 PM ET, ESPN)
2010-01-22
Wednesday night was a glum night for fans of the big two teams in the state of North Carolina, as both the Tarheels and Duke lost their respective games. The Blue Devils are in a dangerous spot on Saturday too, and face the legitimate chance of losing back-to-back games for the first time this season. The trip to Clemson will not be easy for the Blue Devils, as the Tigers own a 19-point home win over UNC a couple weeks back and will be hungry for the upset here in front of a primetime national TV audience. Get the latest price on this key contest on the Sportsbook.com LIVE ODDS page.
You can bet that coach Mike Krzyzewski has worked Duke extra hard in preparation for this prime time affair at Clemson. Coach K remembers firsthand how the Tigers can play at Littlejohn Coliseum, losing 74-47 there last year. He’s also seen what Clemson did to North Carolina, building 20-point lead in the first eight minutes of the game and cruising to a victory over the Tar Heels. That is why the play of guard Jon Scheyer is so critical, keeping Duke (15-3, 11-6 ATS) from playing at too frenzied of a pace. The Dukies are 8-19 ATS in road games vs. clubs outscoring their opponents by 12 or more points a game after 15 or more games. In other words, this is a team that stumbles in big late season road games.
Backed with its home crowd, the Tigers’ memories are fresh from being embarrassed at Duke on Jan. 3, losing 74-53, totaling just 12 points in the first 20 minutes. Senior forward Trevor Booker is the energy of this team and its most important player. When Clemson (15-4, 9-7 ATS) has to set up offense, allowing Booker to at least touch the ball, good things usually follow. He’s skilled around the basket and finds open shooters off the bounce. Unquestionably, the Tigers play better at home and they are 21-10 ATS when they force 14 to 18 turnovers, making it paramount to force Duke into mistakes.
Duke is off an upset loss at N.C. State and looks for quick turnaround victory, since they are 5-0 and 4-1 ATS after a spread loss in lined games. Clemson is 9-1 and 6-1 ATS on their home floor and last year’s win at home was the first in ten tries vs. Duke, with 4-5-1 ATS record.
The StatFox Power Line shows Duke by 3, but this is how StatFox’s Steve Makinen sees the game in the Platinum Sheet: The ESPN Game Day crew will be on hand for Saturday’s showdown between Duke and Clemson, and the Tigers should be jacked for the occasion. Typically I don’t overrate this particular aspect unless I believe the team is capable of pulling the big upset with another slight motivational edge. Clemson is capable of doing it. The Tigers have been absolutely dominant at home, going 9-1 SU & 6-1 ATS while outscoring opponents by 22 PPG. They own a 19-point decision over North Carolina at home a week ago. Clemson will also be motivated by the fact that their own field goal shooting didn’t make the recent trip to Durham when Duke blasted them by 21 points. It was easily the Tigers’ worst outing of the year and they will be hungry to make amends. This one should be all it gets cracked up to be. Play: Clemson
CBB: Texas at Connecticut (4:00 PM ET, CBS)
2010-01-22
Having survived one of the toughest schedules in the country unbeaten up until this past Monday night, the formerly top-ranked Texas Longhorns welcome another difficult test on Saturday afternoon when they travel to take on Connecticut. For the Huskies, it’s been a somewhat disappointing season thus far, but make no mistake, they are capable of pulling the upset here. A full 40-minute effort will be required though. See if your fellow bettors give UCon any shot at scoring a key resume building win on the Sportsbook.com BETTING TRENDS page.
No one can claim this talent-laden Texas (17-1, 8-6 ATS) team has taken the easy way out scheduling wise this season. Besides playing in the arduous Big 12, the Longhorns have gone out of their way to take on some the best schools from the top conferences and will again here in Connecticut. The Texas roster is a puzzle for opposing coaches to figure out. Focus on Damion James and Dexter Pittman and Avery Bradley or Gary Johnson can carve an opponent up. The other aspect that shines thru, the Horns players seem to genuinely enjoying playing with one another and share the glory. That showed in particular in non-conference play, where Texas is 14-0 and 8-2 ATS this campaign.
Evidently Big East play isn’t challenging enough for Connecticut (12-6, 6-9-1 ATS), as they found the need to schedule a team that is one of the finest in the country to break up the conference rigors. All kidding aside, coach Jim Calhoun (now on medical leave) has played encounters like this the last several years as a refocusing distraction, to test the mental awareness of his players with February & March not far away. For the most part, the Huskies have played about as expected; nonetheless having Ater Majok and Charles Okwandu elevate their play would improve UConn considerably. Connecticut is 16-8 ATS in January games since 2007.
Texas comes to Connecticut off its first loss of the season and hasn’t played well this month, with a 0-5 spread record and barely beating Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 76-70. The Longhorns are 1-9-1 against clubs with a winning home record. The Huskies are 9-3 in non-conference action, however own a sordid 2-8 ATS record in those games.
The StatFox Power Line shows a Pick em’, perhaps indicating that a tight contest is in the cards.
CBB: Maryland at Clemson (5:30 PM ET, FSN)
2010-02-01
Sunday evenings have become synonymous with the ACC and FSN, and for this week, the network brings a conference clash between Maryland and Clemson. The Terps went into the weekend atop the league standings, but undoubtedly, this will be their toughest ACC game to date. Expect to see a desperate effort from host Clemson, who can’t afford another league loss and still maintain hope of a league title. What will be interesting is how oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com gauge the expected effort of the Tigers.
The Terrapins started the season in the Top 25 and haven’t returned since losing two of three in Hawaii. That started a period of dissonant play in December, however since the calendar started a new year, Maryland (14-5, 8-6 ATS) is looking more like a ranked team again, winning six of seven, including four in a row (6-0 ATS in January). Senior guard Greivis Vasquez is good for at least 20 points most nights and Landon Milbourne has regained a level of more consistent play. Truthfully, Maryland was probably a bit overrated to begin with. The Terps will need everyone to play well against Clemson’s full court press, and they boast a 16-6 ATS record in road games since 2007.
Clemson (15-6, 9-9 ATS) begins an important stretch of games, playing four of the next five at home after losing three in a row. Finished with Duke and North Carolina, the Tigers can write their own ticket for the ACC, trying to maneuver up from eighth place. Clemson has frequently played imposing basketball, but can’t sustain it for two halves often enough. They’ve built big leads and lost them, fallen behind, then made furious comebacks. Coach Oliver Purnell would prefer to see the momentum pendulum not swing so dramatically. Clemson is 12-4 ATS in home games facing teams converting 45 or percent of their shots.
Maryland has won seven of 11 at Clemson with a 4-6-1 ATS mark. The StatFox Power Line shows Clemson by 1, signs pointing to a tight, down-to-the-wire game.
CBB: Wisconsin at Purdue (7:00 PM ET, ESPN)
2010-01-29
Annually one of the most confounding teams in the country is Wisconsin. Even though Bo Ryan can X and O with the best in college basketball, a look at the preseason roster never screams of Top 25 talent. Yet here the Badgers are, in second place the Big Ten Conference with a 6-2 record. On Thursday night, they’ll look for a season sweep of Purdue, a team that had owned them prior to the win in Madison a few weeks ago. Purdue is an 8-point favorite at Sportsbook.com, and being backed by most bettors.
Wisconsin (16-4, 10-8 ATS) leans heavy on guard Trevon Hughes, with versatile forward Jon Leuer out three to four more weeks with broken wrist. Wisconsin is 7-3 ATS vs. teams like Purdue allowing 64 or less points a game this season.
Last week, the Boilermakers (16-3, 9-10 ATS) broke their three-game losing skid at Illinois 84-78, getting a lift from unlikely source. John Hart, who had played all of 33 minutes and wasn’t even in official score book for that game, came off the bench to score 14 points (12 in second half) to lead the Purdue charge. Coach Matt Painter hopes this leads to continual production off the bench. Purdue is 15-7 ATS in home games after a conference game over the last three seasons.
Wisconsin has seen guard Jordan Taylor rise to the occasion with the absence of Leuer, scoring and displaying all around floor game. This could be a challenging spot the Badgers; since they are 4-9-1 ATS in road games vs. teams with a winning home record.
Purdue is still jittery home favorite, sporting a 9-1 SU but .500 spread record. The win at Champaign was followed up with a first half mauling of Michigan, 43-27, but they let backers down in the second half by being outscored by six points and failing to cover the 13-point spread.
The Boilers have normally blasted the Badgers at home and are on 8-1 SU and ATS run against them, which is why Sportsbook.com has them as 8-point favorites. Purdue is 9-2 when playing with three or more days rest, nonetheless is vile 3-8 ATS with this much time to practice.
Wisconsin took the earlier meeting 73-66 at the Kohl Center as one-point home underdogs and has covered six of its last seven Thursday throw-downs.
This Big Ten battle is in the 7:00 Eastern Time slot on ESPN with total of 126 and the Badgers are 1-10 UNDER on the road. Purdue is 6-2 OVER on Thursday nights.
The StatFox Power Line shows Purdue by 4, indicating a possible over-pricing.
CBB: Spotlight turns to Ranked Teams for Bettors
2010-01-27
Other than Saturday, Wednesday is the most time-consuming and harried for the sports basketball bettor. Betting college basketball properly involves a great deal of time, as does looking thru a full slate of NBA encounters. Fortunately, Sportsbook.com has several handicapping shortcuts to help alleviate that time expenditure, including the BETTING TRENDS, TOP TEN BETS, and GAME MATCHUPS. Let’s focus on a pair of key early games in college hoops for this evening. Get the latest prices on the LIVE ODDS page.
Villanova on historical pace
Last season’s trip to the Final Four helped bring Villanova back into the discussion about the best teams in college basketball. For an encore, coach Jay Wright’s team is trying to better that. The Wildcats 18-1 start (14-4 ATS) matches the record of a Villanova team from 59 years ago and they remain the only unbeaten club in the taxing Big East Conference at 7-0. Their lone defeat (75-65) was to fellow city member Temple back on Dec. 13 and that loss looks far better today with the Owls not having lost in A-10 action.
Villanova has racked up nine consecutive wins since then and is 10-3 ATS after three or more consecutive wins this season. Led by Scottie Reynolds, the Wildcats are tough, have great resolve, and are a lot like another Philly icon from the movies, Rocky, who has to be knocked out in order to be defeated. There isn’t much this team doesn’t do right, shooting almost 47 percent, 38.4 percent from downtown and convert better than 75 percent from the charity stripe. When it comes to effort, they hold opposing teams to 39.5 percent shooting and out-rebound them by seven a game.
Sportsbook.com has Nova as 10.5-point home favorites, with total of 167 at the Wachovia Center. This is their second trip this season into this venue and Villanova is 12-4 ATS as a favorite. They will have to deal with Luke Harangody of Notre Dame, the Big East’s leading scorer at 24.7 points a game. The Fighting Irish (15-5, 7-6-1 ATS) can match scores with Villanova, however is nowhere near as skilled defensively. Notre Dame is 4-13 ATS in road games versus good teams outscoring their opponents by four or more points a game over the last two seasons. ESPN has coverage at 7 Eastern.
Vandy is dandy
With top-ranked Kentucky suffering its first loss of the season on Tuesday night, only one squad remains undefeated in the SEC, Vanderbilt (15-3, 9-6 ATS). The Commodores have run off nine straight wins since losing to Illinois and Western Kentucky in the early days of December. Vanderbilt is 5-0 in the SEC for the first time in 44 years and is led by junior center A.J. Ogilvy. Vandy works the ball expertly to find quality shots and makes 49.7 of attempts as a team which explains 6-2 ATS record in this hot streak.
Laying in wait is ambitious in-state rival Tennessee (15-3, 8-7 ATS), who lost its first conference game at Georgia 78-63 this past Saturday. Coach Bruce Pearl knows Vanderbilt will play zone, daring his inconsistent three-point attack to beat them deep. The Tennessee fans will be in full throat as their team is 26-11 ATS at home games playing against a top-level team with a win percentage of 80 percent or higher. The Vols are 6.5-point favorites on ESPNU starting at 7 Eastern and the Vanderbilt guards will have to hold up to the pressure defense better than their predecessors, as they are 10-23 ATS in road games versus teams forcing 18 or more turnovers.
CBB: College Basketball Late Wednesday Action
Wednesday night’s college basketball betting board is loaded with 34 different games, meaning all sorts of different profit making opportunities. In the latter half of the evening a pair of big games will be televised, with Duke hosting Florida State on ESPN, and BYU visiting New Mexico on the Mountain Network. At last check, bettors at Sportsbook.com were siding with both home favorites according to the BETTING TRENDS page. Let’s take a quick look at both games.
Blue Devils defense looks to respond again
Duke was upset last week at N.C. State 88-74, allowing the Wolfpack to make 58.2 percent of shots. It didn’t matter to coach Mike Krzyzewski if N.C. State was just having a hot shooting night, his team had to defend better and did they ever the next time out. At a hostile Clemson environment, they held the revenge-minded Tigers to 47 points on 37.5 percent shooting. Duke now (16-3, 12-6 ATS) returns home where they score 91.6 points per game to face a Florida State (15-4, 4-10 ATS) squad that can also D-it up.
Coming into tonight, the Seminoles are the top-rated defense team in the country in field goal percentage at 35.5. Florida State (15-4, 4-10 ATS) is long and athletic, forcing 16.7 turnovers a game and almost seven rejections. What holds the Noles back from being elite team is perimeter shooting, much of the explanation for the poor spread record this season. Florida State is 2-9 ATS mark vs. defensive teams with shooting percentage defense of 42 percent or less in ’09-10.
Duke shoots over 50 percent on its home floor and a remarkable 43.2 percent from beyond the arc, which in part is why oddsmakers have them as 13-point favorites with total of 140. The Dukies are 13-4 ATS at home when the total is 140 to 149.5; however are just 3-7 ATS in Durham against the Seminoles despite winning nine of 10. Dick Vitale will be singing the praises of Coach K and the Dukies starting at 9 Eastern.
Magical Mountain West matchup
Nobody saw two ranked teams from the Mountain West Conference squaring off in late January. BYU (20-1, 11-7 ATS) is led by point guard Jimmer Fredette, who continues to play heavy minutes in spite of battling the affects of mononucleosis. Fredette, besides being an excellent shooter is top notch passer to the Cougars big people. This is why they are shooting 50.7 percent from the field, fourth in the country. BYU is the last unbeaten club in the MWC and is 15-3 ATS in road games over the last two seasons.
New Mexico (18-3, 13-7 ATS) was the most pleasant surprise in the country this side of Syracuse back in December. Most believed the Lobos suffering back to back losses in the first part of January was finally the signal that this team had overachieved and was headed back to medicority. However, coach Steve Alford’s squad has again proved the critics wrong with four consecutive W’s and they are 12-3 ATS in home games after three consecutive conference contests since 2006-07 campaign.
The line has jumped around, but presently the Lobos are favored by two-points and are 9-0 ATS after two straight wins by 15 points or more. New Mexico is 4-2 in conference and needs this win to keep title hopes alive. This matchup starts at 10 Eastern and is on the Mountain Network.
CBB: Super Tuesday Betting Lineup in College Hoops
2010-01-26
Two of the top five teams in the polls will be on the road and available for viewing this Tuesday evening. No. 5 Michigan State travels to in-state rival Michigan for a tussle in the Wolverine State, while newly anointed No.1 Kentucky heads into hostile territory against South Carolina, who comes in off a crushing last second defeat at Florida. College basketball bettors are working feverishly to make this a Super Tuesday. Click over to the LIVE ODDS page on Sportsbook.com for the latest prices and read on for a quick look at the top action.
Spartans claim Michigan as their state
Michigan State (17-3, 8-11 ATS) showed its true grit at Minnesota, finding a way to win 65-64, to run its record to 7-0 (5-2 ATS) in the Big 10. The Spartans, despite shooting just 39.3 percent and trailing for most of the game, kept battling and nipped the Golden Gophers at the end. Michigan State has won 16 of last 19 games against Michigan (10-9 ATS) and coach Tom Izzo still carries the torch for Spartans fans to wallop the Wolverines. “I’m motivated by the fact that every alum in this country is motivated by it (beating Michigan),” Izzo said Monday. “I’m motivated by it because it stands in the way of us hopefully reaching our goals at the end of the year.”
The Spartans are 7-0 ATS off a close road win by three points or less, winning by 17.3 points per game.
Michigan’s overall season has been a massive disappointment in Ann Arbor at 10-9, with a similar 8-7 ATS record. The Wolverines were believed to be primed to make the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year after an 11-year drought, however, with a pedestrian record and just two noteworthy wins over Ohio State and Connecticut (both at Crisler Arena), it’s a call to action for Michigan. Coach John Beilein looks at the rest of the season this way, “You got to go on a big string at the end of the year or you have to peak at tournament time and win the tournament. Those are our two options right now.”
The Wolverines are 9-2 ATS in home games after a conference game over the last two seasons.
Sportsbook.com has Michigan as 4.5-point home underdogs with total of 131, with the team suffering from unrest. The Wolverines have lost last two games at Wisconsin and at Purdue, the latter without star guard Manny Harris after a one-game suspension for an undisclosed incident in Friday’s practice. Michigan is 9-1 ATS after playing two consecutive games as an underdog since last season and forward DeShawn Sims said the team was “back to normal,” after the suspension. Michigan State is 8-1 ATS as a road favorite of six points or less or pick, however is 2-15 ATS as a visitor after playing a game as a road underdog.
ESPN has the coverage at 7 Eastern and Michigan has covered four in a row overall.
Top team hits the road
John Calipari may be lugging around excess baggage from a couple of his stops, however two elements about him are absolutely true, he can recruit and he can coach. Since the new year, Kentucky (19-0, 9-8 ATS) has faced a number of challenges home and away and at every critical juncture of these games, the Wildcats never gulped and met adversity head on to emerge victorious. Opponents have started gearing defenses to corral John Wall and take away either Patrick Patterson or DeMarcus Cousins. Nonetheless, an Eric Bledsoe or Daniel Orton comes in and provides the necessary lift for the team. The Wildcats ambushed Arkansas Saturday 101-70 in a home game that wasn’t that close and are 9-2 ATS on the road after playing a game as a home favorite.
South Carolina (11-8, 7-9 ATS) has been a mild disappointment and losing two returning starters hasn’t helped. (Injury and suspension) The cure turns out be the great equalizer, scoring machine Devan Downey. The senior guard has been outstanding all season and evidently saved his best for last, being unstoppable in SEC action (31.6 points per game). Coach Darrin Horn had to retool his squad and focused on defense and rebounding in the frontcourt to take some of the pressure off Downey. The Gamecocks have to slow down Kentucky since they are 1-9 ATS at the Colonial Center vs. good offensive teams averaging 77 or more points
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South Carolina has to regroup after a heart-breaking last second loss at Florida 58-56, in which Downey drained 36 points. The Gamecocks are a lengthy seven-point home underdog and are 8-1 ATS off two straight losses against conference rivals over the last three seasons. Top-ranked Kentucky is on a 10-2 SU & 8-4 ATS roll in Columbia and is 9-2 ATS on the road playing only their second contest in eight days since last season.
This SEC showdown is set for 9 Eastern on ESPN, with South Carolina 0-7 all time taking on No.1.
Oh how the mighty have fallen
North Carolina (12-7, 6-11 ATS) has been an 8.5-point or more favorite over N.C. State (13-7,10-7-1 ATS) in last seven meetings, but tonight is a 1-point choice in Raleigh against a Wolfpack team that actually has a better record. The Tar Heels will look to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat and are 9-3 SU and ATS at N.C. State.
CBB: Duke at Clemson (9:00 PM ET, ESPN)
2010-01-22
Wednesday night was a glum night for fans of the big two teams in the state of North Carolina, as both the Tarheels and Duke lost their respective games. The Blue Devils are in a dangerous spot on Saturday too, and face the legitimate chance of losing back-to-back games for the first time this season. The trip to Clemson will not be easy for the Blue Devils, as the Tigers own a 19-point home win over UNC a couple weeks back and will be hungry for the upset here in front of a primetime national TV audience. Get the latest price on this key contest on the Sportsbook.com LIVE ODDS page.
You can bet that coach Mike Krzyzewski has worked Duke extra hard in preparation for this prime time affair at Clemson. Coach K remembers firsthand how the Tigers can play at Littlejohn Coliseum, losing 74-47 there last year. He’s also seen what Clemson did to North Carolina, building 20-point lead in the first eight minutes of the game and cruising to a victory over the Tar Heels. That is why the play of guard Jon Scheyer is so critical, keeping Duke (15-3, 11-6 ATS) from playing at too frenzied of a pace. The Dukies are 8-19 ATS in road games vs. clubs outscoring their opponents by 12 or more points a game after 15 or more games. In other words, this is a team that stumbles in big late season road games.
Backed with its home crowd, the Tigers’ memories are fresh from being embarrassed at Duke on Jan. 3, losing 74-53, totaling just 12 points in the first 20 minutes. Senior forward Trevor Booker is the energy of this team and its most important player. When Clemson (15-4, 9-7 ATS) has to set up offense, allowing Booker to at least touch the ball, good things usually follow. He’s skilled around the basket and finds open shooters off the bounce. Unquestionably, the Tigers play better at home and they are 21-10 ATS when they force 14 to 18 turnovers, making it paramount to force Duke into mistakes.
Duke is off an upset loss at N.C. State and looks for quick turnaround victory, since they are 5-0 and 4-1 ATS after a spread loss in lined games. Clemson is 9-1 and 6-1 ATS on their home floor and last year’s win at home was the first in ten tries vs. Duke, with 4-5-1 ATS record.
The StatFox Power Line shows Duke by 3, but this is how StatFox’s Steve Makinen sees the game in the Platinum Sheet: The ESPN Game Day crew will be on hand for Saturday’s showdown between Duke and Clemson, and the Tigers should be jacked for the occasion. Typically I don’t overrate this particular aspect unless I believe the team is capable of pulling the big upset with another slight motivational edge. Clemson is capable of doing it. The Tigers have been absolutely dominant at home, going 9-1 SU & 6-1 ATS while outscoring opponents by 22 PPG. They own a 19-point decision over North Carolina at home a week ago. Clemson will also be motivated by the fact that their own field goal shooting didn’t make the recent trip to Durham when Duke blasted them by 21 points. It was easily the Tigers’ worst outing of the year and they will be hungry to make amends. This one should be all it gets cracked up to be. Play: Clemson
CBB: Texas at Connecticut (4:00 PM ET, CBS)
2010-01-22
Having survived one of the toughest schedules in the country unbeaten up until this past Monday night, the formerly top-ranked Texas Longhorns welcome another difficult test on Saturday afternoon when they travel to take on Connecticut. For the Huskies, it’s been a somewhat disappointing season thus far, but make no mistake, they are capable of pulling the upset here. A full 40-minute effort will be required though. See if your fellow bettors give UCon any shot at scoring a key resume building win on the Sportsbook.com BETTING TRENDS page.
No one can claim this talent-laden Texas (17-1, 8-6 ATS) team has taken the easy way out scheduling wise this season. Besides playing in the arduous Big 12, the Longhorns have gone out of their way to take on some the best schools from the top conferences and will again here in Connecticut. The Texas roster is a puzzle for opposing coaches to figure out. Focus on Damion James and Dexter Pittman and Avery Bradley or Gary Johnson can carve an opponent up. The other aspect that shines thru, the Horns players seem to genuinely enjoying playing with one another and share the glory. That showed in particular in non-conference play, where Texas is 14-0 and 8-2 ATS this campaign.
Evidently Big East play isn’t challenging enough for Connecticut (12-6, 6-9-1 ATS), as they found the need to schedule a team that is one of the finest in the country to break up the conference rigors. All kidding aside, coach Jim Calhoun (now on medical leave) has played encounters like this the last several years as a refocusing distraction, to test the mental awareness of his players with February & March not far away. For the most part, the Huskies have played about as expected; nonetheless having Ater Majok and Charles Okwandu elevate their play would improve UConn considerably. Connecticut is 16-8 ATS in January games since 2007.
Texas comes to Connecticut off its first loss of the season and hasn’t played well this month, with a 0-5 spread record and barely beating Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 76-70. The Longhorns are 1-9-1 against clubs with a winning home record. The Huskies are 9-3 in non-conference action, however own a sordid 2-8 ATS record in those games.
The StatFox Power Line shows a Pick em’, perhaps indicating that a tight contest is in the cards.