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NCAAB
Wednesday, March 11
Mid-Major Money: Big profits from NCAAB small conferences
Team to watch: Yale Bulldogs (22-9 SU, 14-7-1 ATS)
Upcoming: vs. Harvard Saturday
First place in the Ivy League and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament will be on the line when Yale plays Harvard (9-13 ATS) in a one-game tiebreaker at The Palestra in Philadelphia Saturday.
Justin Sears, a 6-foot-8 junior forward, is a big reason why Yale is in fine form and came within seconds of already clinching the league title (the Bulldogs lost at Dartmouth 59-58 on a buzzer-beater last weekend). Sears (14.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.5 bpg) was named Ivy League Player of the Week earlier this month thanks in part to a 28-point, 12-rebound performance against Princeton.
“You get your acceptance letter from Yale and one of the first things they tell you is, ‘We hate Harvard,’” Sears reflected. “Everyone gets into it. The number one most important thing at the end of the day is, ‘Did you beat Harvard?’”
The Bulldogs just beat Harvard 62-52 last Friday despite being 10-point road underdogs.
Team to beware: VCU Rams (22-9 SU, 11-19 ATS)
Upcoming: vs. Fordham/George Mason Thursday (A-10 Tournament)
A poorly-timed, late-season slump caused VCU to plunge from first place in the Atlantic 10 to fifth—and out of the double-byes that went to the conference’s Top 4 teams.
The Rams, who have lost three of their last four (0-4 ATS) and five of their last nine (2-7 ATS), can chalk up their recent struggles to complete failure in close games. Four of their last five setbacks have come by five points or fewer and two required overtime. By contrast, VCU’s four most recent wins have come by an average of 12.5 points.
Shaka Smart’s team simply has not been the same since Briante Weber suffered a torn ACL in a loss to Richmond on Jan. 31. Weber (8.1 ppg) was a senior leader and the instigator of VCU’s trademark “havoc” press defense. He averaged 3.9 steals per game.
The Rams are 11-19 ATS overall.
Total team: Charlotte 49ers (14-17 SU, 16-7 O/U)
Upcoming: vs. Middle Tennessee Wednesday (C-USA tournament)
Interim head coach Ryan Odom has been unable to get Charlotte going defensively since taking over for Alan Major (health issues) in early January. It’s not for lack of trying.
After using the same starting lineup for their first 14 games of the season, the 49ers have featured five different combinations in their last 15 outings. They have gone big, they have gone fast, and they have gone small (sitting center Mike Thorne and power forward Willie Clayton), but nothing has worked. UNCC has allowed at least 73 points in seven of its past eight contests and it has limited an opponent to fewer than 60 points only once in its last 15 games.
In games involving Charlotte this season, the Over is 16-7-1 (including 7-1 in its last eight and 12-2 in its last 14). The Over is 12-4 Middle Tennessee's last 16 overall and 4-1 in the team's last five. Since Feb. 19, the Blue Raiders have twice reached the 90-point mark (90 in a win over Marshall and 95 in a loss to UAB).
Wednesday, March 11
Mid-Major Money: Big profits from NCAAB small conferences
Team to watch: Yale Bulldogs (22-9 SU, 14-7-1 ATS)
Upcoming: vs. Harvard Saturday
First place in the Ivy League and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament will be on the line when Yale plays Harvard (9-13 ATS) in a one-game tiebreaker at The Palestra in Philadelphia Saturday.
Justin Sears, a 6-foot-8 junior forward, is a big reason why Yale is in fine form and came within seconds of already clinching the league title (the Bulldogs lost at Dartmouth 59-58 on a buzzer-beater last weekend). Sears (14.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.5 bpg) was named Ivy League Player of the Week earlier this month thanks in part to a 28-point, 12-rebound performance against Princeton.
“You get your acceptance letter from Yale and one of the first things they tell you is, ‘We hate Harvard,’” Sears reflected. “Everyone gets into it. The number one most important thing at the end of the day is, ‘Did you beat Harvard?’”
The Bulldogs just beat Harvard 62-52 last Friday despite being 10-point road underdogs.
Team to beware: VCU Rams (22-9 SU, 11-19 ATS)
Upcoming: vs. Fordham/George Mason Thursday (A-10 Tournament)
A poorly-timed, late-season slump caused VCU to plunge from first place in the Atlantic 10 to fifth—and out of the double-byes that went to the conference’s Top 4 teams.
The Rams, who have lost three of their last four (0-4 ATS) and five of their last nine (2-7 ATS), can chalk up their recent struggles to complete failure in close games. Four of their last five setbacks have come by five points or fewer and two required overtime. By contrast, VCU’s four most recent wins have come by an average of 12.5 points.
Shaka Smart’s team simply has not been the same since Briante Weber suffered a torn ACL in a loss to Richmond on Jan. 31. Weber (8.1 ppg) was a senior leader and the instigator of VCU’s trademark “havoc” press defense. He averaged 3.9 steals per game.
The Rams are 11-19 ATS overall.
Total team: Charlotte 49ers (14-17 SU, 16-7 O/U)
Upcoming: vs. Middle Tennessee Wednesday (C-USA tournament)
Interim head coach Ryan Odom has been unable to get Charlotte going defensively since taking over for Alan Major (health issues) in early January. It’s not for lack of trying.
After using the same starting lineup for their first 14 games of the season, the 49ers have featured five different combinations in their last 15 outings. They have gone big, they have gone fast, and they have gone small (sitting center Mike Thorne and power forward Willie Clayton), but nothing has worked. UNCC has allowed at least 73 points in seven of its past eight contests and it has limited an opponent to fewer than 60 points only once in its last 15 games.
In games involving Charlotte this season, the Over is 16-7-1 (including 7-1 in its last eight and 12-2 in its last 14). The Over is 12-4 Middle Tennessee's last 16 overall and 4-1 in the team's last five. Since Feb. 19, the Blue Raiders have twice reached the 90-point mark (90 in a win over Marshall and 95 in a loss to UAB).
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