College basketball sports betting
May 19th College Basketball news ... This site was created to give the College basketball sports betting fan the necessary edge to scoring a profit all winter long.
Welcome to collegebasketballsportsbetting.com, the site with all of your college hoops information.
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.
College Basketball News
Elite 8 Matchup Preview: Kentucky Wildcats vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
2010-03-30
CBB: Alphabet Tourney’s for Basket Bettors
2010-03-22
After four sensational days of NCAA college basketball, it’s time to return to reality. Still, the three other tournaments that are on the basketball landscape will all be in action, each with its own flavor and key matchup. We’ll take a betting look at a key contest from each tourney, on this not so Big Monday. While the basketball may pale in comparison, having an opportunity to wager and potentially win is certainly better than not playing. Follow all of the key wagering information on the LIVE ODDS and GAME MATCHUPS page of Sportsbook.com.
NIT televised action
The World Wide Leader has a great of time to fill and tonight spreads around four contests on ESPN and ESPNU. The most engaging is at 7:00 Eastern, featuring two teams that nearly were a part of the NCAA field. Virginia Tech was widely suspected as the last team out and smart coaches use that opportunity to motivate their players into proving they should have been invited to the bigger party by going out and winning the NIT. The Hokies quelled Quinnipiac 81-61 as 13-point favorites and is a 4.5-point favorite at Sportsbook.com. Malcolm Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson are a solid 1-2 punch in the backcourt and Virginia Tech is 13-4 ATS in March games over the last three seasons.
Connecticut closed the season like they wanted it to end with four straight losses and had to hang on against Northeastern in their first NIT experience, winning 59-57 as seven-point favorites. The Huskies’ players have not played with any sense of urgency a good portion of the season and have failed to cover their last five contests. UConn will be bounced unless Stanley Robinson and others play with passion, but that could be hard to find for club that is 1-7 ATS facing an opponent that wins 60 to 80 percent of their games on the year after 15 or more had been played in the year.
CBI’s Top Quarterfinal
The College of Charleston and Virginia Commonwealth have a good history of winning college basketball games and each had a quality regular season that ended disappointingly in their conference tournament. Each institution had highlight moments and both are seeking to add a trophy to their case winning this event.
The Cougars from Charleston are coached by Bobby Cremins and have a talented backcourt with Andrew Goudelock and Tony White. The majority Charleston’s losses came from opponents being able to pressure the duo into mistakes, since the front court players are average at best. The Cougars are 18-9 ATS this season and are 12.5-point underdogs. This is largely due to their passing interest in defense (teams shoot 46.9 percent against them at home), nevertheless Cremins club can hang around and is 12-5 ATS on the road.
Virginia Commonwealth also prefers the up-tempo style and has a pressing defense that causes a good number of miscues. In their win over George Washington, they had nine thefts and if the opposing team successfully breaks the press, the last line of defense is the intimidating Larry Sanders. The Rams hold teams to 39.9 percent shooting at the Siegel Center where they are 15-1 and 9-5 ATS.
CIT’s Top Tilt
The teams that play in the CIT tourney are generally a little further down the pecking order, but that doesn’t make it any less important to the competing schools. The Pacific at Northern Colorado contest should be solid conflict. The Tigers from Big West tied for the regular season crown and are impressive 10-7 (8-8 ATS) as visitors, which includes a 86-76 win at Loyola Marymount, shooting a blistering 60 percent from the field. Pacific is one-point underdog with total of 129 and they are 13-4 ATS away from home when the total is 120 to 129.5. Northern Colorado University is in Greeley, where the Bears have set a school record with 25 wins this season. Since Devon Beitzel went down with a broken foot late in the season, UNC has been searching for additional offense and they found it in the last game against Portland. The Bears shot over 72 percent in the final 20 minutes in 81-73 victory as one-point underdogs to the Pilots. Northern Colorado is 15-1 at the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion (5-8 ATS) and is 22-8 ATS in non-conference games since the 2007-08 campaign.
CBB: Late Round Conference Tournament Trends
2010-03-12
As we get deeper into all of the major conference tourney’s, it’s a good time for a reminder about some of the late round trends that have formed in many of the conferences. Hopefully you’ve been following some of the information from earlier in the week as the winners have been flowing. Get in on the action for all the important games this weekend at Sportsbook.com. While there be sure to get late breaking info on the GAME MATCHUPS pages.
Big East Conference
- A strange pattern has developed in the Big East tournament title game, with underdogs and favorites alternating ATS wins EVERY YEAR since ’98. Accordingly, the UNDERDOG is scheduled to cover in ’10 after Louisville’s chalk win over Syracuse last spring.
Atlantic 10 Conference
- The A-10 title game has been anything but competitive, with underdogs having won just once in the last 10 years (1-8 ATS 11.1%).
Conference-USA
- With Memphis dominating the proceedings, the FAVORITES turn the tables in the semifinal round, having gone 17-3 SU & 12-8 ATS (60%) over the L10 years. The Tigers have won four straight title games as favorites as well, going 3-1 ATS (75%). Since 2006, UNDER the total is 10-2 (83.3%) in the C-USA semifinal & final games.
Mountain West Conference
- FAVORITES have done well late in the last three MWC tourney’s, going 7-1 SU & ATS (87.5%) over the last three years in the semi’s and title games. Note: last year’s championship game was a pick em’ pointspread.
Pac 10 Conference
- UNDERDOGS stand a much better chance of covering late in the Pac 10 Tournament, 11-7-1 ATS (61.1%) since ’03 in the semi’s and title games.
Big Ten Conference
- Similarly, FAVORITES own a 5-1 SU & 4-2 ATS mark in the semifinals of the L3 Big Ten tourney’s after going just 1-11 ATS prior.
Atlantic Coast Conference
- Semifinal UNDERDOGS are even better than previous rounds, 15-6-1 ATS (71.4%) since ’99. It’s not until the ACC title game where FAVORITES take over, 10-1 SU & 6-3-2 ATS (66.7%) since ’99.
Mid-American Conference
- The MAC title game has seen the FAVORITE go 9-3 SU & ATS (75%) since its inception. The straight up winner is 12-0 ATS.
Southeastern Conference
- In the last nine SEC Tournament championship games, the UNDER is 8-1 (88.9%), and the UNDERDOGS are 4-5 SU & 5-3-1 ATS (62.5%).
Western Athletic Conference
- Eight of the L10 (80%) WAC semifinal contests have gone OVER the posted total. Amazingly, in that same stretch, all five WAC title games exceeded the total as well. If you’re combining those numbers, it’s 13-2 (87%) OVER for the last five years.
Get the latest prices on these conference title games on the LIVE ODDS page of Sportsbook.com.
CBB: Its winner takes all in the MAC
2010-03-05
The Mid-American Conference East Division regular season title is on the line tonight and the two teams could very likely meet again in the post-season tourney if the seeds fall that direction. Kent State (22-8, 13-12-1 ATS) has only suffered one bad performance since mid-January, losing by 15 at Buffalo, in win winning 12 of 13 (7-4-1 ATS). Akron shares the exact same record, both in conference and overall. The Zips are the hosts and favored by 3-points at Sportsbook.com.
The Golden Flashes strongest characteristic is ability to outlast teams at crunch time, being mentally stronger, coming up with big buckets and stops when necessary. They will have to rise to the occasion again, as they are 1-9 ATS in road games against teams with 60 to 80 percent win percentage the last two seasons.
Akron (22-8, 13-12-2 ATS) has also been playing very good basketball and is excited about playing host for this important confrontation, where they are 13-3 (6-6-1 ATS), winning by 13.0 points per game. The Zips have offensive limitations with no real go-to player and need to play great defense, which they have most of the year. This is particularly true at home, where opposing teams convert on only 37.8 percent of their shot attempts in scoring 60.9 points per game. Coach Keith Dambrot’s squad needs to play at their pace and Akron is 10-2 ATS when they score 67 to 74 points.
The Zips will use the same formula they have all season, playing what is basically nine starters, all with similar ability, mixing and matching and being patient on offense. Akron has won seven of eight and is 14-4 ATS having won four of their last five games and will look to change fortunes since they are 1-5 SU and ATS vs. Kent State in previous six meetings.
The Golden Flashes are a three-point road underdog according to Sportsbook.com, with total of 134. Kent State is 5-14 ATS as an underdog and 13-5 OVER versus good teams outscoring their opponents by four points or more a game.
This massive MAC matchup is on ESPN2 at 8:00 Eastern and Akron is 14-5 UNDER in home games after a conference contest.
StatFox Power Line – Akron by 1
CBB: Wake Forest at Virginia (12:00 PM ET, ESPN Full Court)
2010-02-09
Quick, name two of the four frontrunners in the ACC currently that are squaring off on Saturday in a key college basketball contest…if you didn’t say Wake Forest and Virginia, you aren’t alone. These teams were not expected to be where they are now, occupying positions normally reserved for teams like Clemson and North Carolina. That should make for an intriguing showdown then when the Demon Deacons invade Charlottesville. Virginia is expected to win and Wake has a history of struggling on the road against good teams. See all of the rest of the key trends impacting this game on the Sportsbook.com GAME MATCHUPS page.
Coming into this year’s ACC campaign, one of the teams not presumed to compete for the conference crown was Virginia (14-6, 9-6 ATS). Yet past the quarter point of the league schedule, the Cavaliers are right in the mix. How could this be? It starts with new coach Tony Bennett stressing the little things- free throw shooting, assists to turnovers ratio and playing defense out to 25 feet. The older Virginia players have seen the value of this style and like W’s. The Cavs are 38-22 ATS at home vs. teams making 45 or percent of shots past the halfway point of season.
Wake Forest (15-5, 9-8 ATS) lost by 20 points at Duke and showed their resolve in knocking out North Carolina 82-69 at Chapel Hill in the next outing. If senior Ishmael Smith can continue to put up impressive numbers, the Demon Deacons are going to be a tough club the rest of the way. Al-Farouq Aminu’s game is ever-expanding and he’s unstoppable near the bucket. If freshmen C.J. Harris and Ari Stewart can be a touch more consistent shooting, they already know center Chas McFarland will do his job in the paint. Wake has to protect the ball, as they are 25-43 ATS in road games when they commit three to seven more turnovers than opponents.
The head-to-head history finds Virginia as 7-3 and 6-4 ATS at Charlottesville against Demon Deacons. The Cavaliers are expected to be about a 2-point closing line favorite according to the StatFox Power Ratings. The Forecaster calls for them to win by three.
CBB: Betting on Thursday Buckets
2010-01-21
Off a huge upset-filled Wednesday night in college basketball, there are a number of intriguing games on the Thursday night card. Looking at two of them in particular, iIn the Big East, Louisville visits Seton Hall, while out west, Washington State takes to the road to face USC. Read on for a look at both games, then head over to the LIVE ODDS, BETTING TRENDS, and TEAM STATISTICS pages on Sportsbook.com for late breaking info on all 34 college contests for Thursday.
Big East teams in need of rally
Louisville’s recent loss to Villanova pointed out a problem the Cardinals have and isn’t going to go away without commitment. Louisville players have made a habit of creating havoc with pressure while forcing turnovers; however at points in games where it is all about half-court defense, they’ve demonstrated an inability to guard their man for 25 seconds or more. This is why the Cardinals (12-6, 5-8 ATS) allow an ordinary 42.2 percent shooting percent and it skyrockets to 45.5 percent on the road. In order for Louisville to become a better squad, coach Rick Pitino is going to have to convince them that defense isn’t just about making steals, it’s about preventing scoring. Still, the Cards are 18-6 ATS in road games over the last three seasons and look to build on that trend in New Jersey tonight..
Not unexpectedly, Seton Hall (10-6, 3-7 ATS) has struggled in Big East action with a 1-4 record. The Pirates have three different players capable of playing point guard, what has hurt them is their weaknesses have been exposed in conference play and when one fails, the other hasn’t raised his level of play to compensate. Seton Hall insiders believe playing two of these guards at the same time might be a solution, however that makes the Pirates a team already lacking height even shorter. The Hall’s defensive numbers are decent, allowing 41.7 percent shooting, but they have permitted 50 percent or more in the last three outings and are 0-7 ATS in next game after surrendering 47 percent or more in a trio of games.
Coach Pitino by his own admission is off the second most difficult loss of his career at Pittsburgh (the Duke Christian Laettner game was the worst) and his team is a one point underdog at Sportsbook.com. Louisville is well suited for this spot with a 15-3 ATS record as a road underdog of three points or less or pick. This has the appearance of a high scoring affair with neither defense playing especially well and both teams scoring over 80 points a game. The Cardinals are 10-2 OVER in all games this season and Seton Hall is 13-4 OVER after failing to cover two of their last three against the spread.
This is just the third Big East contest in New Jersey between teams (1-1 SU & ATS) with both prior games going Over. Tipoff is at 7:00 Eastern on ESPN.
Pac-10 Mess
Let’s face it, the Pacific 10 conference this season looks like a California interstate, jam-packed and just waiting for a wreck to occur. Three teams are sporting two losses in league play and the other seven all have three defeats. The way it’s setting up, whoever finishes over .500 in the conference has a chance to be champion. The bracketologists of the world have suggested if the Pac-10 plays out as many expect, the conference is looking at likely one NCAA bid, with two tops.
Tonight, Washington State (13-5, 5-10 ATS) visits USC (11-6, 9-7 ATS). These teams are polar opposites in the wagering world. The Cougars are 3-3 in league play with just one cover. What’s odd about this is Wazzou has shot 50 percent or higher in four of six Pac-10 games and still is 1-5 ATS. The Trojans return home off a three game road trip and look as good as any team in the conference right now.
With its well-documented off the court problems, USC made a strange hire in Kevin O’Neill though it didn’t have a lot of choices because of timing. The seemingly always sour-faced O’Neill found players willing to listen to his negative tone and defensive orientation and have responded. The turning point was upsetting Tennessee in early December and the Men of Troy have gone on to win nine of 11 and have covered six of seven, including four in a row.
USC has been sent out as eight-point favorite and is 6-0 ATS after four straight games where both teams score 70 points or less over the last three seasons. With the Trojans holding teams to 54.7 points per game on 36.7 percent shooting, it doesn’t place Washington State in a favorable position with 0-8 ATS record versus excellent defensive teams allowing 57 or less points a game.
The StatFox Power Lines for both of these games show Louisville by 1, USC by 8
2010-03-30
The No. 2 seed West Virginia Mountaineers will be facing the Kentucky Wildcats Saturday March 27, 2010 in Syracuse. www.sportsbook.com has the Kentucky Wildcats as the favorites by 4 points.
Both teams had very good games in their Sweet 16 matchups, each winning by a large margin, Kentucky 62 – Cornell 45 and West Virginia 69 – Washington 56.
The Cornell Big Red were able to limit the Kentucky Wildcats to just 62 points and 2 of 16 from three point land. The West Virginia Mountaineers, which are 11th in the country in overall defense, will probably be able to hold the Kentucky Wildcat’s offensive attack in check. And unlike the Cornell Big Red, the West Virginia Mountaineers have the physical strength to stay very close in the battle for rebounds and have a well rounded offensive attack that is far more diverse than hoping their three point shots fall in.
Unlike other top seeds, the Kentucky Wildcats have dominated their first three opponents of the NCAA tournament, winning by an average of over 20 or more points per game. Yes, this team is not perfect and they have their own issues, weak 3point shooting and way too many turnovers. But they are physically bigger than every opponent they play. The triple threat Wall, longer, Cousins, bigger, and Bledsoe, faster. The Kentucky Wildcats' defense is not given enough credit, most people just concentrate on their offense, but their defense makes up for some the noted weaknesses.
West Virginia Mountaineers Butler and Jones have played well in the tournament and present the Kentucky Wildcats with difficult match ups on defense.
If the West Virginia Mountaineer’s turnover problems show up again and Butler doesn’t come up big against the Kentucky Wildcats, then the Mountaineers are pretty much done, pack your bags and get ready to go home. However the West Virginia Mountaineers are also playing very good defense, not letting a team to score more than 60 points since the end of the regular season. The West Virginia Mountaineers are 13 - 0 this season when holding a team under 60 points. This is the fourth time a Bob Hugginscoached team has reached the Elite 8, with Bob Huggins going 1 and 2 in the previous three Elite 8 games.
Saturday’s game could well come down to which team gets the most boards. The West Virginia Mountaineers, which are 2nd in the nation grabbing offensive boards, murdered the Washington Huskies on rebounding and are 25 - 3 this year when out rebounding the other team. But with PatrickPatterson, DeMarcus Cousinsand Daniel Orton,to name a few, Kentucky is a very good rebounding team and will have the big boys on their side to give them the advantage in the frontcourt.
With the spread at 4 points and the over / under at 133.5, as listed on www.sportsbook.com, I believe the Kentucky Wildcats will be able to cover the spread, but this will be a nail biter.
CBB: Alphabet Tourney’s for Basket Bettors
2010-03-22
After four sensational days of NCAA college basketball, it’s time to return to reality. Still, the three other tournaments that are on the basketball landscape will all be in action, each with its own flavor and key matchup. We’ll take a betting look at a key contest from each tourney, on this not so Big Monday. While the basketball may pale in comparison, having an opportunity to wager and potentially win is certainly better than not playing. Follow all of the key wagering information on the LIVE ODDS and GAME MATCHUPS page of Sportsbook.com.
NIT televised action
The World Wide Leader has a great of time to fill and tonight spreads around four contests on ESPN and ESPNU. The most engaging is at 7:00 Eastern, featuring two teams that nearly were a part of the NCAA field. Virginia Tech was widely suspected as the last team out and smart coaches use that opportunity to motivate their players into proving they should have been invited to the bigger party by going out and winning the NIT. The Hokies quelled Quinnipiac 81-61 as 13-point favorites and is a 4.5-point favorite at Sportsbook.com. Malcolm Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson are a solid 1-2 punch in the backcourt and Virginia Tech is 13-4 ATS in March games over the last three seasons.
Connecticut closed the season like they wanted it to end with four straight losses and had to hang on against Northeastern in their first NIT experience, winning 59-57 as seven-point favorites. The Huskies’ players have not played with any sense of urgency a good portion of the season and have failed to cover their last five contests. UConn will be bounced unless Stanley Robinson and others play with passion, but that could be hard to find for club that is 1-7 ATS facing an opponent that wins 60 to 80 percent of their games on the year after 15 or more had been played in the year.
CBI’s Top Quarterfinal
The College of Charleston and Virginia Commonwealth have a good history of winning college basketball games and each had a quality regular season that ended disappointingly in their conference tournament. Each institution had highlight moments and both are seeking to add a trophy to their case winning this event.
The Cougars from Charleston are coached by Bobby Cremins and have a talented backcourt with Andrew Goudelock and Tony White. The majority Charleston’s losses came from opponents being able to pressure the duo into mistakes, since the front court players are average at best. The Cougars are 18-9 ATS this season and are 12.5-point underdogs. This is largely due to their passing interest in defense (teams shoot 46.9 percent against them at home), nevertheless Cremins club can hang around and is 12-5 ATS on the road.
Virginia Commonwealth also prefers the up-tempo style and has a pressing defense that causes a good number of miscues. In their win over George Washington, they had nine thefts and if the opposing team successfully breaks the press, the last line of defense is the intimidating Larry Sanders. The Rams hold teams to 39.9 percent shooting at the Siegel Center where they are 15-1 and 9-5 ATS.
CIT’s Top Tilt
The teams that play in the CIT tourney are generally a little further down the pecking order, but that doesn’t make it any less important to the competing schools. The Pacific at Northern Colorado contest should be solid conflict. The Tigers from Big West tied for the regular season crown and are impressive 10-7 (8-8 ATS) as visitors, which includes a 86-76 win at Loyola Marymount, shooting a blistering 60 percent from the field. Pacific is one-point underdog with total of 129 and they are 13-4 ATS away from home when the total is 120 to 129.5. Northern Colorado University is in Greeley, where the Bears have set a school record with 25 wins this season. Since Devon Beitzel went down with a broken foot late in the season, UNC has been searching for additional offense and they found it in the last game against Portland. The Bears shot over 72 percent in the final 20 minutes in 81-73 victory as one-point underdogs to the Pilots. Northern Colorado is 15-1 at the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion (5-8 ATS) and is 22-8 ATS in non-conference games since the 2007-08 campaign.
CBB: Late Round Conference Tournament Trends
2010-03-12
As we get deeper into all of the major conference tourney’s, it’s a good time for a reminder about some of the late round trends that have formed in many of the conferences. Hopefully you’ve been following some of the information from earlier in the week as the winners have been flowing. Get in on the action for all the important games this weekend at Sportsbook.com. While there be sure to get late breaking info on the GAME MATCHUPS pages.
Big East Conference
- A strange pattern has developed in the Big East tournament title game, with underdogs and favorites alternating ATS wins EVERY YEAR since ’98. Accordingly, the UNDERDOG is scheduled to cover in ’10 after Louisville’s chalk win over Syracuse last spring.
Atlantic 10 Conference
- The A-10 title game has been anything but competitive, with underdogs having won just once in the last 10 years (1-8 ATS 11.1%).
Conference-USA
- With Memphis dominating the proceedings, the FAVORITES turn the tables in the semifinal round, having gone 17-3 SU & 12-8 ATS (60%) over the L10 years. The Tigers have won four straight title games as favorites as well, going 3-1 ATS (75%). Since 2006, UNDER the total is 10-2 (83.3%) in the C-USA semifinal & final games.
Mountain West Conference
- FAVORITES have done well late in the last three MWC tourney’s, going 7-1 SU & ATS (87.5%) over the last three years in the semi’s and title games. Note: last year’s championship game was a pick em’ pointspread.
Pac 10 Conference
- UNDERDOGS stand a much better chance of covering late in the Pac 10 Tournament, 11-7-1 ATS (61.1%) since ’03 in the semi’s and title games.
Big Ten Conference
- Similarly, FAVORITES own a 5-1 SU & 4-2 ATS mark in the semifinals of the L3 Big Ten tourney’s after going just 1-11 ATS prior.
Atlantic Coast Conference
- Semifinal UNDERDOGS are even better than previous rounds, 15-6-1 ATS (71.4%) since ’99. It’s not until the ACC title game where FAVORITES take over, 10-1 SU & 6-3-2 ATS (66.7%) since ’99.
Mid-American Conference
- The MAC title game has seen the FAVORITE go 9-3 SU & ATS (75%) since its inception. The straight up winner is 12-0 ATS.
Southeastern Conference
- In the last nine SEC Tournament championship games, the UNDER is 8-1 (88.9%), and the UNDERDOGS are 4-5 SU & 5-3-1 ATS (62.5%).
Western Athletic Conference
- Eight of the L10 (80%) WAC semifinal contests have gone OVER the posted total. Amazingly, in that same stretch, all five WAC title games exceeded the total as well. If you’re combining those numbers, it’s 13-2 (87%) OVER for the last five years.
Get the latest prices on these conference title games on the LIVE ODDS page of Sportsbook.com.
CBB: Its winner takes all in the MAC
2010-03-05
The Mid-American Conference East Division regular season title is on the line tonight and the two teams could very likely meet again in the post-season tourney if the seeds fall that direction. Kent State (22-8, 13-12-1 ATS) has only suffered one bad performance since mid-January, losing by 15 at Buffalo, in win winning 12 of 13 (7-4-1 ATS). Akron shares the exact same record, both in conference and overall. The Zips are the hosts and favored by 3-points at Sportsbook.com.
The Golden Flashes strongest characteristic is ability to outlast teams at crunch time, being mentally stronger, coming up with big buckets and stops when necessary. They will have to rise to the occasion again, as they are 1-9 ATS in road games against teams with 60 to 80 percent win percentage the last two seasons.
Akron (22-8, 13-12-2 ATS) has also been playing very good basketball and is excited about playing host for this important confrontation, where they are 13-3 (6-6-1 ATS), winning by 13.0 points per game. The Zips have offensive limitations with no real go-to player and need to play great defense, which they have most of the year. This is particularly true at home, where opposing teams convert on only 37.8 percent of their shot attempts in scoring 60.9 points per game. Coach Keith Dambrot’s squad needs to play at their pace and Akron is 10-2 ATS when they score 67 to 74 points.
The Zips will use the same formula they have all season, playing what is basically nine starters, all with similar ability, mixing and matching and being patient on offense. Akron has won seven of eight and is 14-4 ATS having won four of their last five games and will look to change fortunes since they are 1-5 SU and ATS vs. Kent State in previous six meetings.
The Golden Flashes are a three-point road underdog according to Sportsbook.com, with total of 134. Kent State is 5-14 ATS as an underdog and 13-5 OVER versus good teams outscoring their opponents by four points or more a game.
This massive MAC matchup is on ESPN2 at 8:00 Eastern and Akron is 14-5 UNDER in home games after a conference contest.
StatFox Power Line – Akron by 1
CBB: Wake Forest at Virginia (12:00 PM ET, ESPN Full Court)
2010-02-09
Quick, name two of the four frontrunners in the ACC currently that are squaring off on Saturday in a key college basketball contest…if you didn’t say Wake Forest and Virginia, you aren’t alone. These teams were not expected to be where they are now, occupying positions normally reserved for teams like Clemson and North Carolina. That should make for an intriguing showdown then when the Demon Deacons invade Charlottesville. Virginia is expected to win and Wake has a history of struggling on the road against good teams. See all of the rest of the key trends impacting this game on the Sportsbook.com GAME MATCHUPS page.
Coming into this year’s ACC campaign, one of the teams not presumed to compete for the conference crown was Virginia (14-6, 9-6 ATS). Yet past the quarter point of the league schedule, the Cavaliers are right in the mix. How could this be? It starts with new coach Tony Bennett stressing the little things- free throw shooting, assists to turnovers ratio and playing defense out to 25 feet. The older Virginia players have seen the value of this style and like W’s. The Cavs are 38-22 ATS at home vs. teams making 45 or percent of shots past the halfway point of season.
Wake Forest (15-5, 9-8 ATS) lost by 20 points at Duke and showed their resolve in knocking out North Carolina 82-69 at Chapel Hill in the next outing. If senior Ishmael Smith can continue to put up impressive numbers, the Demon Deacons are going to be a tough club the rest of the way. Al-Farouq Aminu’s game is ever-expanding and he’s unstoppable near the bucket. If freshmen C.J. Harris and Ari Stewart can be a touch more consistent shooting, they already know center Chas McFarland will do his job in the paint. Wake has to protect the ball, as they are 25-43 ATS in road games when they commit three to seven more turnovers than opponents.
The head-to-head history finds Virginia as 7-3 and 6-4 ATS at Charlottesville against Demon Deacons. The Cavaliers are expected to be about a 2-point closing line favorite according to the StatFox Power Ratings. The Forecaster calls for them to win by three.
CBB: Betting on Thursday Buckets
2010-01-21
Off a huge upset-filled Wednesday night in college basketball, there are a number of intriguing games on the Thursday night card. Looking at two of them in particular, iIn the Big East, Louisville visits Seton Hall, while out west, Washington State takes to the road to face USC. Read on for a look at both games, then head over to the LIVE ODDS, BETTING TRENDS, and TEAM STATISTICS pages on Sportsbook.com for late breaking info on all 34 college contests for Thursday.
Big East teams in need of rally
Louisville’s recent loss to Villanova pointed out a problem the Cardinals have and isn’t going to go away without commitment. Louisville players have made a habit of creating havoc with pressure while forcing turnovers; however at points in games where it is all about half-court defense, they’ve demonstrated an inability to guard their man for 25 seconds or more. This is why the Cardinals (12-6, 5-8 ATS) allow an ordinary 42.2 percent shooting percent and it skyrockets to 45.5 percent on the road. In order for Louisville to become a better squad, coach Rick Pitino is going to have to convince them that defense isn’t just about making steals, it’s about preventing scoring. Still, the Cards are 18-6 ATS in road games over the last three seasons and look to build on that trend in New Jersey tonight..
Not unexpectedly, Seton Hall (10-6, 3-7 ATS) has struggled in Big East action with a 1-4 record. The Pirates have three different players capable of playing point guard, what has hurt them is their weaknesses have been exposed in conference play and when one fails, the other hasn’t raised his level of play to compensate. Seton Hall insiders believe playing two of these guards at the same time might be a solution, however that makes the Pirates a team already lacking height even shorter. The Hall’s defensive numbers are decent, allowing 41.7 percent shooting, but they have permitted 50 percent or more in the last three outings and are 0-7 ATS in next game after surrendering 47 percent or more in a trio of games.
Coach Pitino by his own admission is off the second most difficult loss of his career at Pittsburgh (the Duke Christian Laettner game was the worst) and his team is a one point underdog at Sportsbook.com. Louisville is well suited for this spot with a 15-3 ATS record as a road underdog of three points or less or pick. This has the appearance of a high scoring affair with neither defense playing especially well and both teams scoring over 80 points a game. The Cardinals are 10-2 OVER in all games this season and Seton Hall is 13-4 OVER after failing to cover two of their last three against the spread.
This is just the third Big East contest in New Jersey between teams (1-1 SU & ATS) with both prior games going Over. Tipoff is at 7:00 Eastern on ESPN.
Pac-10 Mess
Let’s face it, the Pacific 10 conference this season looks like a California interstate, jam-packed and just waiting for a wreck to occur. Three teams are sporting two losses in league play and the other seven all have three defeats. The way it’s setting up, whoever finishes over .500 in the conference has a chance to be champion. The bracketologists of the world have suggested if the Pac-10 plays out as many expect, the conference is looking at likely one NCAA bid, with two tops.
Tonight, Washington State (13-5, 5-10 ATS) visits USC (11-6, 9-7 ATS). These teams are polar opposites in the wagering world. The Cougars are 3-3 in league play with just one cover. What’s odd about this is Wazzou has shot 50 percent or higher in four of six Pac-10 games and still is 1-5 ATS. The Trojans return home off a three game road trip and look as good as any team in the conference right now.
With its well-documented off the court problems, USC made a strange hire in Kevin O’Neill though it didn’t have a lot of choices because of timing. The seemingly always sour-faced O’Neill found players willing to listen to his negative tone and defensive orientation and have responded. The turning point was upsetting Tennessee in early December and the Men of Troy have gone on to win nine of 11 and have covered six of seven, including four in a row.
USC has been sent out as eight-point favorite and is 6-0 ATS after four straight games where both teams score 70 points or less over the last three seasons. With the Trojans holding teams to 54.7 points per game on 36.7 percent shooting, it doesn’t place Washington State in a favorable position with 0-8 ATS record versus excellent defensive teams allowing 57 or less points a game.
The StatFox Power Lines for both of these games show Louisville by 1, USC by 8