The Bum's All You Need To Know About Big Dance Notes-Stats-Trends Etc. !

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Afternoon Tips

March 19, 2015

West Regional- No. 10 Indiana vs. No. 7 Wichita State (CBS, 2:45 p.m.)
Venue: CenturyLink Arena
Location: Omaha, NE
Betting Odds: Wichita State -5 ½, Total 139 ½

Indiana relied heavily on a strong overall resume to earn a spot in this year’s NCAA Tournament after sliding to a 5-9 record in its last 14 games both straight-up and against the spread. It failed to cover its last time out in a 75-69 loss to Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament as a 2 ½-point underdog. The Hoosiers are still a potent scoring team with an average of 77.5 points per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field.

The Shockers are always a betting public favorite come tournament time, but they have failed to cover in their last two games as favorites. They dropped a 65-62 decision to Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Tournament as 8 ½-point favorites after going 17-1 SU in conference play. Wichita State has a trio of players scoring in double figures led by junior guard Ron Baker’s 15 PPG.

Betting Trends:

-- The Hoosiers are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five NCAA Tournament games and the total has gone OVER in four of their last five games played at a neutral site.

-- The Shockers have covered in six of their last seven games in the NCAA Tournament and the total gone OVER in five of those contest.

East Regional: No. 15 Belmont vs. No. 2 Virginia (truTV, 3:10 p.m.)
Venue: Time Warner Cable Arena
Location: Charlotte, NC
Betting Odds: Virginia – 16 ½, Total 124

Belmont ran its current SU winning streak to seven games in a thrilling 88-87 victory over Murray State in the Ohio Valley Tournament Championship. The Bruins closed as six-point underdogs and they are now a perfect 6-0 ATS in their last six games. Junior guard Craig Bradshaw eclipsed his 18.1 point season average in the win against Murray State with 25 points while going 5-for-10 from three-point range.

The Cavaliers’ bid to add an ACC Tournament title to their regular season crown came up short in a stunning 71-67 loss to Notre Dame as 4 ½-point favorites. They are still a solid 10-2 SU in their last 12 games, but a costly 4-1-7 ATS. Virginia comes into this year’s tournament with the top-ranked defense in the nation in points allowed (50.8).

Betting Trends:

-- The Bruins are 1-5 ATS in their last six NCAA Tournament games and the total has gone OVER in four of their last five games.

-- The Cavaliers are 6-0 ATS in their last six games following a SU loss and the total has stayed UNDER in seven of their last 10 games following a SU loss.

-- These two teams last played one another in 1999 with Virginia cruising to a 94-74 win.

East Regional: No. 13 UC Irvine vs. No. 4 Louisville (TBS. 4:10 p.m.)
Venue: Key Arena
Location: Seattle, WA
Betting Odds: Louisville -8, Total 124 ½

The Anteaters got hot at the right time with a three-game run both SU and ATS through the Big West Tournament. They beat Hawaii 67-58 as 4 ½-point favorites in the title game. UC Irvine is averaging 67.9 PPG and shooting 46.1 percent from the field. Senior forward Will Davis II has led the way with a team-high 12.9 points and 7.0 rebounds a game.

Louisville’s inaugural season in the ACC ended with a SU record of 12-6. Its initial run in the conference tournament ended with a 70-60 loss to North Carolina as a three-point underdog. The Cardinals are 4-4 SU in their last eight games while going just 2-6 ATS. Sophomore guard Terry Rozier scored 20 points in the loss to the Tar Heels and he leads the team in scoring with an average of 17.1 PPG.

Betting Trends:

-- The Anteaters have covered ATS in their last five neutral-site games and the total has stayed UNDER in 14 of their last 17 nonconference games.

-- The Cardinals are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games in the NCAA Tournament and the total has gone OVER in seven of their last nine tournament games.

Midwest Region: No. 13 Valparaiso vs. No. 4 Maryland (TNT, 4:40 p.m.)
Venue: Nationwide Arena
Location: Columbus, OH
Betting Odds: Maryland -5, Total 124

The Crusaders won the Horizon League this season at 13-3 SU and they added a conference tournament title to the mix with a 54-44 victory against Wisconsin-Green Bay as four-point favorites. They have covered in five of their last seven contests with the total staying UNDER in every game. Valparaiso is averaging 69.8 PPG and allowing an average of 59.7 points on defense. Both Keith Carter and Darien Walker are listed as probable for Friday’s game.

Maryland’s first run through the Big Ten ended with a SU 14-4 record while going 8-9-1 ATS. The Terrapins lost to Michigan State 62-58 in the conference tournament, but they covered as 4 ½-point underdogs. Freshman guard Melo Trimble has led the way with an average of 16.3 PPG and he put-up 22 points in the loss to the Spartans.

Betting Trends:

-- The Crusaders have failed to cover in their last four NCAA Tournament games and the total has stayed UNDER in five of their last seven games played at a neutral site.

-- The Terrapins are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 neutral-site games and the total has gone OVER in their last four NCAA Tournament games.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Evening Tips

March 19, 2015

East Regional - No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State (TBS, 6:50 p.m.)
Venue:CenturyLink Center
Location: Omaha, NE
Betting Odds: Oregon -1.5, Total 136.5

This wasn’t expected to be a great year for the Ducks, whose offseason was marred by scandal as multiple players were kicked out of school due to rape allegations. Their first three games against major conference opponents all resulted in losses, but they wound up with 25 wins. Guard Joseph Young wound up a surprise winner of Pac-12 Player of the Year honors despite worthy candidates at Arizona and Utah, but anyone who watched him all season will tell you he’s deserving. He’s averaging 20.2 points and shooting nearly 92 percent from the free-throw line, a clip that ranks fourth in the country. He averaged 24.7 points in leading the Ducks to a berth in the conference tournament final, shooting 3-for-8 from 3-point range in all three contests. Junior forward Elgin Cook emerged as Young’s primary tag-team partner, scoring in double-figures in 14 of the Ducks last 16 games. Despite not being much of a shooter, he’s an efficient scorer who has demonstrated a knack for getting to the free-throw line. Freshman Dillon Brooks is Oregon’s third double-digit scorer, though he hit the wall, as most first-year players do, around January. Brooks averaged 12.7 points in the Pac-12 Tourney, so the hope is he’s snapped out of it. The Ducks won 11 of their last 13 games under head coach Dana Altman, who will be coaching his third straight NCAA Tournament at Oregon, reaching the Sweet 16 in ‘13. He coached Creighton to seven NCAA appearances and Kansas State to one. This was his 17th consecutive winning season. The Ducks had covered seven straight games before losing to Arizona by 28 in the Pac-12 final.

Oklahoma State benefited from how highly rated the rest of the Big 12 was, allowing it to skate into the field in spite of a sub-.500 record in league play and losses in six of seven. Senior wing LeBryan Nash, blessed with a college power forward’s body and an ability to handle that creates matchup problems, became the catalyst the second Marcus Smart went pro and hasn’t disappointed, averaging a career-bests in points (17.1), rebounds (5.6) and assists (2.0). He comes off a huge 27-point, 12-rebound game against Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament loss, so it’s clear he’s up to the challenge of putting the team on his back. He’ll need help from shooter Phil Forte, Smart’s former prep teammate, who is capable of lighting anyone up. He was 0-for-7 in the loss to the Sooners and has found it more difficult to get open looks in his junior season. Senior Michael Cobbins, the Cowboys’ top rebounder and rim protector, must avoid foul trouble due to a lack of interior depth. Head coach Travis Ford has won only one NCAA Tournament game in his career, back in his first year at OK State. This is his fifth trip in seven years and he’s also been once with Eastern Kentucky. He’s 1-6. The Cowboys have failed to cover in six of seven and have seen six of the last eight go over the posted total.

South Regional - No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Robert Morris (CBS, 7:10 p.m.)
Venue:TimeWarner Cable Arena
Location: Charlotte, NC
Betting Odds: Duke -22.5, Total 144

The Blue Devils picked up a top seed in spite of faltering in the ACC Tournament semifinals, snapping a 12-game winning streak. Freshman Jahlil Okafor remains the likely No. 1 pick in June’s NBA draft and overcame some bumps and bruises down the stretch to pour in 28 points against Notre Dame. He would’ve put up more if he hadn’t gone 2-for-8 from the free-throw line, an Achilles heel that could be an issue in this tournament. He’s made nine of his last 34. Fellow freshman Justice Winslow isn’t much better, shooting 61 percent from the stripe, but he changes games with his energy. For all the hype Kentucky gets for employing freshmen, Mike Krzyzewski has four playing key roles in an eight-man rotation. Tyus Jones has been excellent running the point alongside veteran Quinn Cook , while Grayson Allen has replaced dismissed wing Rasheed Sulaimon coming off the bench and scored 27 points in 24 minutes in a 94-51 blowout of Wake Forest earlier this month. Krzyzewski has won four national championships and coached in 11 Final Fours.

The Colonials have won seven consecutive games after rallying from a 14-point deficit against North Florida in the opening pairing of the First Four. Senior wing Lucky Jones, led the way with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists off the bench against the Ospreys and is the team’s unquestioned leader. Despite being only 6-foot-5, he’s the program’s all-time leading rebounder and doubles as the top perimeter defender. Forward Rodney Pryor has emerged as this season’s top scorer, but fearless freshman Marcquise Reed is definitely the x-factor. Head coach Andrew Toole may be getting some calls from bigger schools sooner than later. The 34-year-old is coaching in his first NCAA Tournament but already has amassed four straight 20-win seasons.

South Regional - No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 10 Davidson (TNT, 7:20 p.m.)
Venue:KeyArena
Location: Seattle, WA
Betting Odds: Iowa -2, Total 145.5

The Hawkeyes made an early exit in the Big Ten Tournament, but were safely in these NCAAs after finishing the regular season with six consecutive wins to wind up 12-6 in conference play. Senior Aaron White has been a steady leader and really picked it up down the stretch, scoring over 20 points in each of his last five contests, the longest such streak of his career. White, an athletic forward who does a lot of things well, has channeled his aggressiveness and is really getting to the rim, shooting 41-for-78 over his last six. Small forward Jarrod Uthoff has scored in double-digits in eight of the last nine games and is extremely dangerous when his shot is falling. Head coach Fran McCaffery is looking for his first NCAA Tournament victory at the helm of the Hawkeyes after losing in the First Four last year. He’s taken Siena, UNC Greensboro and Lehigh to the Big Dance and pulled off a pair of upsets with the Saints.

The Wildcats won the Atlantic 10 regular-season title in their first year in the league, going 14-4. Despite an A-10 Tourney loss to VCU, building a 10-game winning streak prior to that setback helped solidify their case . Senior Tyler Kalinoski led Davidson in scoring (17.0) and ranked second in rebounding (5.6) and assists (4.1) . He’s got plenty of help, leading four others in double-figures. Despite what you might envision out of the former mid-major darling best known for producing Stephen Curry, there’s plenty of talented depth on the roster. Sophomore Jack Gibbs isn’t even 6-feet tall, but he’s shot a perfect 7-for-7 from 3-point range just this month, bouncing back from a seven-game absence in February. Brian Sullivan is another key cog who averages nearly three 3-pointers made a game. The Wildcats are coached by Bob McKillop, who is taking his team to the NCAA for the eighth time, having reached the Elite Eight in ’08.

East Regional - No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Albany (TruTV, 7:27 p.m.)
Venue:Nationwide Arena
Location: Columbus, OH
Betting Odds: Oklahoma -13, Total 130

The Sooners had their coming out party at the Battle 4 Atlantis, beating UCLA and Butler by double-digits before playing Wisconsin tough. They were then able to go 12-6 in the loaded Big 12, so you can definitely say this team is battle-tested. Guard Buddy Hield has been one of the best guards in the country this season, averaging 17.5 points and serving as the driving force to a team that plays with a lot of pace. Fellow guards Jordan Woodard and Isaiah Cousins can also get up and down the floor, though Cousins is by far the better shooter. Up front, there isn’t much depth, but Houston transfer TaShawn Thomas and Ryan Spangler are versatile guys who can alter shots and rebound, but they must be wary of avoiding foul trouble all tournament. Lon Kruger has taken Kansas State, Florida, Illinois, UNLV and Oklahoma dancing, though he’s yet to win a game with the Sooners. His highest finish is reaching the 1994 Final Four with the Gators.

Albany stunned Stony Brook 51-50 in the America East title game when Peter Hooley had a loose ball skate out to him for an open 3-point look just before the buzzer. Hooley is one of the better 3-point shooters in his league, but not as prolific as Evan Singletary, a junior who leads the team in minutes. Senior Sam Rowley does the dirty work up front and is as tough as they come. Despite being undersized at 6-6, he averaged team-highs with 14.0 points and 7.7 rebounds Will Brown will be coaching in his third consecutive NCAA Tournament and has won a First Four game with many in this group. They won't be intimidated, but it remains to be seen if they're overmatched. The only NCAA team on this year's schedule is Providence, who the Great Danes lost to 64-60 way back in the season opener.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Late-Night Tips

March 19, 2015

South Regional - No. 8 San Diego St. vs. No. 9 St. John's (CBS, 9:40 p.m. )
Venue: Time Warner Arena
Location: Charlotte, N.C.
Betting Odds: San Diego St. -4, Total: 122.5

-- St. John's (21-11 straight up, 13-14-2 against the spread) took a crushing blow when the school announced that starting center Chris Obepka would be suspended for two weeks. Therefore, his season is done unless the Red Storm make it to the Final Four without him. Obepka averages 5.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.1 blocked shots per game.

-- St. John's has lost back-to-back games by 54 combined points, including a 74-57 loss to Providence in its first game in the Big East Tournament. Steve Lavin's squad got absolutely smashed by a 105-68 count at Villanova in its regular-season finale.

-- St. John's is led by D'Angelo Harrison, who averages 17.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. The Johnnies have four main scorers, including Rysheed Jordan and Sir'Dominic Pointer, who average 14.3 and 13.5 PPG, respectively. Phil Greene IV is scoring at a 13.5 PPG clip.

-- St. John's has been an underdog 10 times this year, going 4-5-1 ATS with four outright victories.

-- San Diego St. (26-8 SU, 14-17-1 ATS) is mired in a 2-5 ATS slump and saw its four-game (SU) winning streak snapped in the Mountain West Conference Tournament finals. The Aztecs lost a 45-43 decision to Wyoming at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, losing outright as six-point 'chalk.' Malik Pope had 13 points in the losing effort.

-- Steve Fisher's team has been a single-digit favorite 15 times, going 7-7-1 versus the number.

-- San Diego St. is led by Winston Shepard, who averages 11.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Aqueel Quinn averages 11.1 PPG, while J.J. O'Brien scores at a 10.0 PPG clip. The Aztecs are all about defense, ranking second in the nation by giving up just 53.1 PPG.

-- San Diego St. is No. 27 in the RPI Rankings, going 4-5 vs. the Top 50 and 7-6 vs. the Top 100. The Aztecs have played just seven games against teams in the NCAA Tournament field, losing outright in five of those matchups.

-- St. John's is No. 36 in the RPI, producing a 5-8 record against the Top 50 and a 9-9 mark vs. the Top 100. The Red Storm has played 13 games against the field, winning just five times.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (14-14-1) for the Red Storm.

-- The 'under' is 17-11 overall for the Aztecs, 5-1 in their last six games.

East Regional - No. 6 Providence vs. No. 11 Dayton (TruTV, 9:55 p.m. )
Venue: Nationwide Arena
Location: Columbus, OH.
Betting Odds: Providence -3.5, Total: 131

-- Dayton (26-8 SU, 16-16 ATS) was extremely fortunate to advance by remaining unbeaten at home (17-0) with Wednesday's comeback win over Boise St. The Flyers failed to cover the spread as four-point home favorites in a 56-55 win. They trailed by nine with six minutes remaining, but Jordan Sibert buried a go-ahead trey with 34 seconds remaining. Then in the waning moments, Archie Miller's team came up with a pair of stops to eke out the victory. Kendall Pollard scored 17 points and pulled down six rebounds. Sibert finished with 13 points despite playing just 24 minutes due to foul trouble.

-- Providence (22-11 SU, 18-11-1 ATS) is 4-1 ATS in its last five games, falling to Villanova 63-61 in the Big East Tournament as an 8.5-point underdog. Kris Dunn had a monster game in defeat, tallying 22 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and a pair of steals. Ben Bentil had 12 points and 10 boards.

-- Dayton uses just a seven-man rotation due to injuries and suspensions, so fatigue could be an issue. Remember, Miller's team played three games in three days from Thursday through Saturday. Then it had to play from behind nearly the entire game against BSU. Dyshawn Pierre and Scoochie Smith both played 40 minutes apiece versus the Broncos.

-- Sibert is the catalyst for the Flyers, averaging a team-best 16.4 points and 1.8 steals per game.

-- Dunn is one of the best players in the nation. He averages 15.8 points, 7.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game.

-- Dayton has been an underdog seven times, compiling a 3-4 spread with two outright victories.

-- Providence is No. 23 in the RPI, going 6-8 against the Top 50 and 12-8 versus the Top 100.

-- Dayton has an RPI of 32, producing a 2-2 record against the Top 50 and a 8-6 mark vs. the Top 100.

-- The 'over' is 16-12 overall for Dayton.

-- The 'over' is 16-11 overall for the Friars, but the 'under' has cashed in their last three games.

West Regional - No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 16 Coastal Carolina (TBS, 9:20 p.m.)
Venue: Century-Link Arena
Location: Omaha, Nebraska.
Betting Odds: Wisconsin -19.5, Total: 130

-- Wisconsin (31-3 SU, 18-15-1 ATS) has won six in a row, going 4-2 ATS, winning the Big Ten Tournament by capturing an 80-69 win over Michigan St. The spread cover for the Badgers was miraculous, taking the cash as seven-point favorites in a game that went to overtime. Nigel Hayes scored a game-high 25 points, while Frank Kaminsky finished with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists. Bronson Koenig produced 18 points and nine assists.

-- Coastal Carolina (24-9 SU, 6-3 ATS) is back in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. As a No. 16 seed last season, the Chanticleers led top-seeded Virginia by double digits in the first half and UVA didn't pull in front until the game was nearly 30 minutes old. Ellis has taken four different schools to the NCAAs, including South Alabama, Clemson and Auburn.

-- Coastal Carolina won the Big South Conference Tournament, beating Winthrop by an 81-70 score as a four-point 'chalk.' Warren Gillis was the catalyst with 22 points and six assists, while Elijah Wilson had 19 points.

-- Coastal Carolina is led by Gillis, who averages 13.1 points, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

-- Coastal Carolina played only two teams in the field, losing 84-71 at UCLA and 71-68 at Ole Miss. We should note that the Chanticleers led in Oxford nearly the entire game and took the money as 7.5-point underdogs. Also, they covered at Pauley Pavilion as 15.5-point puppies.

-- Wisconsin has been a double-digit favorite 23 times, going 11-11-1 ATS. In their last 14 such spots, however, the Badgers have limped to a 3-10-1 spread record.

-- Kaminsky leads Wisconsin in scoring (18.2 PPG), assists (2.7 APG), rebounds (8.0 RPG), field-goal percentage (55.3%), steals (0.9 SPG) and blocked shots (1.6 BPG).

-- The 'over' is 3-2-1 overall for Coastal Carolina.

-- The 'under' is 19-15-1 overall for the Badgers.

South Regional - No. 2 Gonzaga vs. No. 15 North Dakota St. (TNT, 9:50 p.m. )
Venue: Key Arena
Location: Seattle, WA.
Betting Odds: Gonzaga -18, Total: 128.5

-- Gonzaga (32-2 SU, 16-13-2 ATS) has been to the NCAA Tournament in every season of Mark Few's tenure that began in 2000. However, it has not gone beyond the Round of 32 in five consecutive years and is looking for its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2009.

-- Gonzaga won the WCC Tournament by taking out BYU in the finals, 91-75. The Bulldogs pulled away late to hook up their supporters as eight-point 'chalk.' Kyle Wiltjer led six double-figure scorers with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Pangos added 16 points and five assists while playing all 40 minutes. Gary Bell Jr. and Domantas Sabonis scored 15 points apiece.

-- Gonzaga leads the country in field-goal percentage, making 52.5 percent of his attempts. The Bulldogs are fifth in the nation from 3-point land (40.9%) and 11th in scoring (79.1 PPG).

-- North Dakota St. (23-9 SU, 6-4 ATS) is back in the NCAA Tournament just one year after upsetting Oklahoma 80-75 in overtime of an opening-round game. This is the Bison's third NCAA invite in school history.

-- North Dakota St. won the Summit League Tournament by beating South Dakota St. 57-56 in the finals. Senior guard Lawrence Alexander scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half. Alexander is averaging 18.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. The Bison also have freshman A.J. Jacobson, who scores at a 11.9 PPG clip.

-- Gonzaga has been a double-digit favorite 24 times, compiling an 11-12-1 spread record.

-- North Dakota St. has been an underdog 11 times, posting a 5-6 spread record with four outright victories. The Bison lost by 35 at Texas and by 31 at Iowa.

-- The 'over' is 10-9 overall for the Bison, but it has seen the 'under' go 5-1 in their last six games.

-- The 'over' is 17-12-2 overall for the Bulldogs, cashing in each of their last three contests.

[StarDust Bum]

2015 NIT, CBI, CIT Results

March 19, 2015


National Invitation Tournament (NIT)

REGION 1 - OLD DOMINION
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 18 Charleston Southern at Old Dominion (-13) 65-56 Underdog-Under (142)
Mar. 18 Green Bay at Illinois State (-2.5) 69-56 Favorite-Under (139.5)
Mar. 17 William & Mary at Tulsa (-7) 70-67 Underdog-Under (142.5)
Mar. 17 UTEP at Murray State (-5.5) 81-66 Favorite-Under (151)
Mar. 20-23 Murray State at UTEP - -
Mar. 20-23 Illinois State at Old Dominion - -
Mar. 24-25 - - -

REGION 2 - RICHMOND
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 18 St. Francis Brooklyn at Richmond (-10) 84-74 Push-Over (132)
Mar. 18 Arizona State (+1.5) at UConn 68-61 Underdog-Under (134.5)
Mar. 17 North Carolina Central at Miami, Fl. (-8.5) 75-71 Underdog-Over (128)
Mar. 17 Illinois at Alabama (-2) 79-58 Favorite-Over (135.5)
Mar. 20-23 Alabama at Miami, Fl. - -
Mar. 20-23 - - -
Mar. 24-25 - - -

REGION 3 - TEMPLE
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 18 Bucknell at Temple (-12.5) 73-67 Underdog-Under (144)
Mar. 17 George Washington (+4.5) at Pittsburgh 60-54 Underdog-Under (135)
Mar. 17 Montana at Texas A&M (-10) 81-64 Favorite-Over (134.5)
Mar. 17 Central Michigan at Louisiana Tech (-6.5) 89-79 Favorite-Over (154.5)
Mar. 20-23 George Washington - -
Mar. 20-23 Louisiana Tech at Texas A&M - -
Mar. 24-25 - - -

REGION 4 - COLORADO STATE
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 18 South Dakota State (+8) at Colorado State 86-76 Underdog-Over (153)
Mar. 18 Vanderbilt (+3) at Saint Mary's 75-64 Underdog-Over (143.5)
Mar. 17 UC Davis at Stanford (-8.5) 77-64 Favorite-Under (151)
Mar. 17 Iona at Rhode Island (-7) 88-75 Favorite-Over (153.5)
Mar. 20-23 Rhode Island at Stanford - -
Mar. 20-23 - - -
Mar. 24-25 - - -

SEMIFINALS & FINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 31 - - -
Mar. 31 - - -
Apr. 2 - - -

College Basketball Invitational (CBI)

FIRST ROUND
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 17 Rider at Loyola Chicago (-5.5) 62-59 Underdog-Under (130)
Mar. 18 Gardner-Webb at Colorado (-11) 87-78 Underdog-Over (159)
Mar. 18 Pepperdine at Seattle (+5) 62-45 Underdog-Under (126)
Mar. 18 Stony Brook at Mercer (-2) 72-70 Push-Over (132)
Mar. 18 Eastern Michigan at Louisiana Monroe (+1.5) 71-67 Underdog-Over (131.5)
Mar. 18 Vermont (+6) at Hofstra 85-81 Underdog-Over (154)
Mar. 18 Radford (+1) at Delaware State 78-57 Underdog-Under (154)
Mar. 18 UC Santa Barbara at Oral Roberts (+3) 91-87 Underdog-OVer (144.5)

SEMIFINALS & FINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 23 - - -
Mar. 23 - - -
Mar. 23 - - -
Mar. 23 - - -
Mar. 25 - - -
Mar. 25 - - -
Mar. 30 - - -
Apr. 1 - - -

CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT)

FIRST ROUND
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 16 New Hampshire at NJIT (-6.5) 84-77 Favorite-Over (132)
Mar. 17 Eastern Illinois (+7) at Oakland 97-91 Underdog-Over (147)
Mar. 17 James Madison at USC Upstate (-5.5) 73-72 Underdog-Over (144)
Mar. 17 Bowling Green (-5.5) at Saint Francis (PA) 67-64 Underdog-Under (135)
Mar. 17 Norfolk State at Eastern Kentucky (-10.5) 81-75 Underdog-Over (139)
Mar. 17 UL-Lafayette (-2.5) at Incarnate Word 83-68 Favorite-Under (162)
Mar. 18 UMES at High Point (-8) 70-64 Underdog-Under (149)
Mar. 18 Dartmouth at Canisius (-3) 87-72 Favorite-Over (131.5)
Mar. 18 Texas A&M Corpus Christi (+6.5) at Florida Gulf Coast 75-69 Underdog-Over (135)
Mar. 18 Cleveland State (+1) at Western Michigan 86-57 Underdog-Over (140.5)
Mar. 18 Kent State (+4) at Middle Tennessee 68-56 Underdog-Under (129)
Mar. 18 UNC Wilmington at Sam Houston State (-8) 87-71 Favorite-Over (142)
Mar. 18 Northern Arizona (-2) at Grand Canyon 75-70 Favorite-Under (151)
Mar. 18 IPFW at Evansville (-7) 82-77 Underdog-Over (150)
Mar. 18 Sacramento State (-2) at Portland 73-66 Favorite-Under (150)
Mar. 19 UT Martin at Northwestern State - -

SECOND ROUND AND QUARTERFINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 20 - - -
Mar. 20 - - -
Mar. 21 - - -
Mar. 21 - - -
Mar. 24 - - -
Mar. 24 - - -
Mar. 25 - - -
Mar. 25 - - -

SEMIFINALS & FINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 31 - - -
Apr. 2 - - -

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- Every baseball game the last day of the season starts at 3pm, supposedly to add drama to pennant races. Guys in the replay office should have fun that day.

-- James Harden scored 50 for the Rockets in a win over Denver.

-- Hey the Knicks were favored last night; of course they lost, to Minnesota in OT.

-- If I owned an NBA team and that team was an underdog to the Knicks, someone would have a lot of explaining to do.

-- Patti Austin's version of the song "Someone to Watch Over Me" is tremendous.

-- When the kid on VCU got the layup at the buzzer to cover the 3.5 point spread against Ohio State, there was loud roar where I was, at South Point's grand ballroom. Guess not too many people had the Buckeyes.



**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Wrapping up a full Thursday of hoops

Notre Dame 69, Northeastern 65-- First three games of the tournament were all 3-14 games; Irish were only 3-seed of the three that won their game and Northeastern had ball with chance to tie at end, but never got a shot off, turning ball over with 0:03 left.

UAB 60, Iowa State 59-- Blazers led 31-28 at half; they were 12.5-point underdogs. Halftime line was Iowa State -10, meaning if they won by 8, you won your secoond half bet, so you could basically re-bet the game at halftime, this getting Iowa State -7, but you would've lost if you did. Start of a very bad day for the Big X. .

Georgia State 57, Baylor 56-- Not good when one of your Final Four teams is the 7th team to lose in the whole tournament. Complete collapse by the Bears, who led at 2:40 mark 56-44 but never scored again (nine possessions).

Arizona 93, Texas Southern 72-- Joe from Philly texted me to let me know that after the afternoon card, out of 11 million+ entries in ESPN's bracket pool, 4,155 were still perfect. After eight freakin' games. I was not one of those 4,155.

At the end of the night, 273 brackets remained unscathed. Out of 11 million-plus.

Butler 56, Texas 48-- Bulldogs were +10 in turnovers, -13 on boards, blew most of a big lead at the end of the first half, but came through when it mattered most. Teams in Texas were 0-5 Thursday. Butler has an in-state game with Notre Dame next.

UCLA 60, SMU 59-- If Larry Brown is such a great coach, why didn't his point guard get the ball in the backcourt when UCLA was pressing in the last 0:30? The kid had almost single-handedly brought them back from a 10-point deficit. Bryce Alford has to be a shameless gunner for UCLA to win. I'm not going to mention the terrible call on the last 3-pointer, because SMU should've had the game in the bag before that- they led by seven with 1:24 left.

Xavier 76, Ole Miss 57-- Teams who win play-in games shouldn't have to play day games less than 48 hours later; it is bad enough they have to play an extra game. Ole Miss had nothing in this game. Now Xavier plays a 14-seed for the right to go to the Sweet 16.

Ohio State 75, VCU 72 OT-- This offseason I'm re-doing how I analyze college ball; one of the things I'm doing is identifying what type of coach each of the 247 teams I follow is. Is he a tactician? Recruiter/ Motivator? Shaka Smart is a recruiter and he gets kids to play hard for him. As a tactician in close games, he is putrid.

Two years in a row now he a lost a first round game in OT; he lost his last three OT games this season. The big $$$ schools who chase him better be careful.

Villanova 93, Lafayette 52-- Of the last 11 national champs, they were 20-2 vs spread on the first weekend of the tournament that year. This is a good thing for Villanova.

North Carolina 67, Harvard 65-- Roy Williams wouldn't play Paige at the point in this game while he had a big lead and it damn near cost him the game. How do the Tar Heels blow a 16-point lead to a team that can't shoot 3's? Wesley Saunders scored 26 points; he averaged 16 in the freakin' Ivy League!!!!

Cincinnati 66, Purdue 65 OT-- Boilermakers led by 7 with 0:48 left and lost, on a day when teams gagged away big leads left and right. Why can't teams play with a lead anymore? At one point, Cincinnati scored six points in seven seconds.

Utah 57, Stephen F Austin 50-- Utes' first tournament win in ten years. Not a great game to watch; teams played similar styles, so team with better athletes won without a whole lot of problems. SF Austin is not the pro wrestler or the Bionic Man but the guy considered the founding father of Texas way back when.

NC State 66, LSU 65--- Another tremendous gag job on a day where five games were decided by a single point each. LSU led 65-60 with 3:59 left, never scored again, which covered six empty possessions. No excuse for them losing this game.

Arkansas 56, Wofford 53-- Wofford is the gritty underdog who hangs tough but can't get a win; they're 0-4 under Mike Young in this tournament, with this being the closest they've come to a win. Pretty good game, but teams were combined 19-32 on foul line.

Kentucky 79, Hampton 56-- Pirates played hard down stretch and covered the huge 34-point spread easily. Was in food line behind couple of Kentucky fans who were crowing about the demise of the Big X yesterday. Wait until calipari has had enough of Lexington and bolts for a different job; those guys won't be as cocky then.

Georgetown 84, Eastern Washington 74-- Big Sky teams just don't have the athletes to compete with the big boys, even a team with as putrid an NCAA portfolio as the Hoyas have had recently. Eastern has some good shooters, not much else. Big Sky is now 1-15 in its last 16 first round games and the win was over Nevada.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Friday, March 20

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

BELMONT (22 - 10) vs. VIRGINIA (29 - 3) - 3/20/2015, 3:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VIRGINIA is 36-24 ATS (+9.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 36-24 ATS (+9.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 30-17 ATS (+11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
BELMONT is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 29-48 ATS (-23.8 Units) in March games since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


GEORGIA (21 - 11) vs. MICHIGAN ST (23 - 11) - 3/20/2015, 12:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MICHIGAN ST is 18-5 ATS (+12.5 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games off a loss against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 36-25 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 36-25 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GEORGIA is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGIA is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGIA is 12-5 ATS (+6.5 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


ROBERT MORRIS (20 - 14) vs. DUKE (29 - 4) - 3/20/2015, 7:10 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


ST JOHNS (21 - 11) vs. SAN DIEGO ST (26 - 8) - 3/20/2015, 9:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST JOHNS is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) on Friday nights since 1997.
ST JOHNS is 40-22 ATS (+15.8 Units) in road games after scoring 60 points or less since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


BUFFALO (23 - 9) vs. W VIRGINIA (23 - 9) - 3/20/2015, 2:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W VIRGINIA is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
BUFFALO is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
W VIRGINIA is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


VALPARAISO (28 - 5) vs. MARYLAND (27 - 6) - 3/20/2015, 4:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VALPARAISO is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in first round tournament games since 1997.
MARYLAND is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all neutral court games over the last 3 seasons.
MARYLAND is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in March games over the last 3 seasons.
MARYLAND is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing on a neutral court over the last 3 seasons.
MARYLAND is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all tournament games over the last 3 seasons.
VALPARAISO is 29-13 ATS (+14.7 Units) on Friday nights since 1997.
VALPARAISO is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
VALPARAISO is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
MARYLAND is 35-54 ATS (-24.4 Units) in road games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


ALBANY (24 - 8) vs. OKLAHOMA (22 - 10) - 3/20/2015, 7:25 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ALBANY is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
ALBANY is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
ALBANY is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


DAYTON (26 - 8) vs. PROVIDENCE (22 - 11) - 3/20/2015, 9:55 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


NEW MEXICO ST (23 - 10) vs. KANSAS (26 - 8) - 3/20/2015, 12:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW MEXICO ST is 36-20 ATS (+14.0 Units) in March games since 1997.
NEW MEXICO ST is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


INDIANA (20 - 13) vs. WICHITA ST (28 - 4) - 3/20/2015, 2:45 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WICHITA ST is 41-20 ATS (+19.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 41-20 ATS (+19.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 39-20 ATS (+17.0 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 28-11 ATS (+15.9 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 34-16 ATS (+16.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


COASTAL CAROLINA (24 - 9) vs. WISCONSIN (31 - 3) - 3/20/2015, 9:20 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WISCONSIN is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all neutral court games over the last 2 seasons.
WISCONSIN is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing on a neutral court over the last 2 seasons.
WISCONSIN is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
WISCONSIN is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WISCONSIN is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in road games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


OKLAHOMA ST (18 - 13) vs. OREGON (25 - 9) - 3/20/2015, 6:50 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA ST is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 this season.
OKLAHOMA ST is 69-97 ATS (-37.7 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
OKLAHOMA ST is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in road games in March games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA ST is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA ST is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA ST is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA ST is 102-71 ATS (+23.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
OREGON is 29-49 ATS (-24.9 Units) after scoring 60 points or less since 1997.


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




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


WYOMING (25 - 9) vs. N IOWA (30 - 3) - 3/20/2015, 1:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N IOWA is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in all games this season.
N IOWA is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
N IOWA is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) when the total is 119.5 or less this season.
N IOWA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in all neutral court games this season.
N IOWA is 12-5 ATS (+6.5 Units) after a conference game this season.
N IOWA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing on a neutral court this season.
N IOWA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games in non-conference games this season.
N IOWA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) off a win against a conference rival this season.
N IOWA is 14-7 ATS (+6.3 Units) after allowing 60 points or less this season.
N IOWA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
N IOWA is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games this season.
N IOWA is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game this season.
N IOWA is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=64 points/game after 15+ games this season.
N IOWA is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=64 points/game this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


UC-IRVINE (21 - 12) vs. LOUISVILLE (24 - 8) - 3/20/2015, 4:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOUISVILLE is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in March games over the last 3 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
UC-IRVINE is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) after a conference game this season.
UC-IRVINE is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
UC-IRVINE is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
UC-IRVINE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


N DAKOTA ST (23 - 9) vs. GONZAGA (32 - 2) - 3/20/2015, 9:50 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N DAKOTA ST is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) on Friday nights since 1997.
N DAKOTA ST is 36-20 ATS (+14.0 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


DAVIDSON (24 - 7) vs. IOWA (21 - 11) - 3/20/2015, 7:20 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DAVIDSON is 21-7 ATS (+13.3 Units) in all games this season.
DAVIDSON is 21-7 ATS (+13.3 Units) in all lined games this season.
DAVIDSON is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 this season.
DAVIDSON is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) after a conference game this season.
DAVIDSON is 34-16 ATS (+16.4 Units) off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
DAVIDSON is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DAVIDSON is 79-45 ATS (+29.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
DAVIDSON is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game this season.
IOWA is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in all neutral court games over the last 2 seasons.
IOWA is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) when playing on a neutral court over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


S DAKOTA ST (24 - 10) at VANDERBILT (20 - 13) - 3/20/2015, 9:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


HIGH POINT (23 - 9) at E KENTUCKY (20 - 11) - 3/20/2015, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
E KENTUCKY is 2-0 straight up against HIGH POINT over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Short Sheet

Friday, March 20

2015 March Madness Betting Trends: NCAA College Basketball Tournament

#1 SEEDS - Round #1 (vs #16)
30-0 SU & 17-13 ATS
Last Year (2014): 4-0 SU & 1-3 ATS all as 17 point or more Favorites

#2 SEEDS - Round #1 (vs #15)
27-3 SU & 17-13 ATS
Last Year (2014) 4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS all as 10-point or more Favorites

#3 SEEDS - Round #1 (vs #14)
27-3 SU & 19-11 ATS
Last Year (2014): 3-1 SU & 2-2 ATS all as 9 point or more Favorites

#4 SEEDS - Round #1 (vs #13)
23-7 SU & 17-13 ATS
Last Year (2014): 4-0 SU & 2-2 ATS all as 8 point or more Favorites

#5 SEEDS - Round #1 (vs #12)
15-15 SU & 10-20 ATS
1-3 SU & 0-4 ATS all as 3 point or more Favorites

#6 SEED - Round #1 vs (#11)
16-14 SU & 12-18 ATS
Last Year (2014): 2-2 SU & 1-3 ATS with three Favorites or 3 points or more & 1 Dog

#7 SEED - Round #1 (vs #10)
18-12 SU & 15-14-1 ATS
Last Year (2014): 2-2 SU & 2-1-1 ATS as three Favorites & one Dog

#8 SEED - Round #1 (vs #9)
18-12 SU & 18-12 ATS
Last Year (2014): 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS with two Favorites & two Dogs

[StarDust Bum]

MENS TOP 25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS & ROUND #1 BETTING TRENDS (as of March 2, 2015

#1 Kentucky 29-0
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 12-1 SU & 6-7 ATS in round 1

3-0 SU & 1-2 ATS in round 1 the last 3 appearances

1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS as a round 1 Dog

2-5 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

Last year: Beat Kansas State, 56-49, in round 1 as -6 point Favorites (1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS)

#2 Virginia 27-1
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 1-2 SU & 1-2 ATS in round 1

1-2 SU & 1-2 ATS in round 1 last 3 appearances, all as Favorites

1-0 SU & 0-1 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

Last Year: Beat Coastal Carolina, 70-59, as -20 point Favorites (1-0 SU & 0-1 ATS)

#3 Duke 26-3
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 12-3 SU & 6-9 ATS in round 1

1-2 SU & 0-3 ATS in round 1 last 3 appearances, all as 10-point or more Favorites

7-2 SU & 3-6 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

Last Year: Upset by Mercer, 78-71, as -12point Favorites (0-1 SU & 0-1 ATS)

#4 Villanova 27-2
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 5-3 SU & 3-6 ATS in round 1

1-2 SU & ATS in round 1 last 3 appearances

1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

0-1 SU & ATS as Dogs

Last Year: Beat Wisconsin-MIL, 73-53, as -17 point Favorites (1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS)

#5 Arizona 26-3
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 10-3 SU & 6-7 ATS in round 1

3-0 SU & 1-2 ATS in round 1 last 3 appearances, all as Favorites

5-0 SU & 2-3 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

3-2 SU & 2-3 ATS as Favorites of -6 points or less

Last Year: Beat Webber, 68-59, as -20 point Favorites (1-0 SU & 0-1 ATS)

#6 Wisconsin 26-3
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 12-3 SU & 10-5 ATS in round 1

2-1 SU & 2-1 ATS in round 1 last 3 appearances

4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

7-1 SU & 6-2 ATS as Favorites of -14 points or less

Last Year: Beat American University, 75-35 as -14 point Favorites (1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS)

#7 Gonzaga 29-2
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 12-3 SU & 8-7 ATS in round 1

5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS in round 1 last 5 appearances

4-0 SU & ATS as Dogs

3-0 SU & 0-3 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

Last Year: Beat Okie State, 85-77, as +3.5 point Dogs (1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS)

#8 Wichita State 27-3
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in round 1

2-1 SU & 2-1 ATS in round 1 last 3 appearances, all as Favorites

1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

Last Year: Beat Cal-Poly, 64-37, as -17 point Favorites (1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS)

#9 Kansas 23-6
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 13-2 SU & 7-8 ATS in round 1

5-0 SU & 1-4 ATS in round 1 last 5 appearances, all as Favorites

5-0 SU & 1-4 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

Last Year: Beat Eastern Kentucky, 80-69, as -13 point Favorites (1-0 SU & 0-1 ATS

#10 Maryland 24-5
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 8-0 SU & 4-4 ATS in round 1

3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in round 1 last 3 appearances, all as Favorites

2-0 SU & 0-2 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

Last Year: Beat Houston, 89-77, as -9.5 point Favorites (1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS)

#11 Northern Iowa 27-3
Since the 2004 College Basketball Tourney: 1-4 SU & 4-1 ATS in round 1

1-2 SU & 2-1 ATS in round 1 the last 3 appearances

Last appearance: 2010, when they beat UNLV, 69-66, in round 1 as +1 point Dogs (1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS)

#12 Notre Dame 24-5
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 5-4 SU & 3-6 ATS in round 1

1-3 SU & 0-4 ATS in round 1 the last 4 appearances

1-3 SU & 0-4 ATS as a round 1 Favorites of -5 points or less

1-0 SU & 0-1 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

Last appearance: 2013, when they lost to Iowa State, 76-58, in round 1 as 1 point Dogs (0-1 SU & 0-1 ATS)

#13 Utah 22-6
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 3-3 SU & 2-4 ATS in round 1

1-2 SU & 1-2 ATS in round 1 the last 3 appearances, all as Favorite

3-3 SU & 2-4 ATS as a round 1 Favorite of 7 points or less

4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

Last year: Upset by Arizona, 84-71, as -1.5 Favorites (0-1 SU & 0-1 ATS)

#14 Baylor 22-7
Since the 2008 College Basketball Tourney: 3-1 SU & 2-2 ATS in round 1

3-0 SU & 2-1 ATS in round 1 the last 3 appearances, all as Favorite

1-0 SU & 0-1 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

Last year: Beat Nebraska 74-60 as -3.5 Favorites (1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS)

#15 Oklahoma 20-8
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 6-4 SU & 4-6 ATS in round 1

1-2 SU & 1-2 ATS in round 1 the last 3 appearances, all as Favorite

1-3 SU & 1-3 ATS as a round 1 Favorite of 4 points or less

5-0 SU & 3-2 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in round 1

Last year: Upset by North Dakota St, 80-75, as -3.5 Favorites (0-1 SU & 0-1 ATS)

#16 Louisville 23-6
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 8-4 SU & 5-7 ATS in round 1

3-0 SU & 2-1 ATS in round 1 the last 3 appearances, all as Favorite

5-1 SU & 2-4 ATS as a Round 1 Favorite of 10 points or more in Round 1

0-3 SU & 0-3 ATS as Pickem or Dogs in Round 1

Last year: Beat Manhattan University, 71-64, as -16 Favorites (1-0 SU & 0-1 ATS)

#17 Iowa State 20-8
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 5-1 SU & 4-2 ATS in Round 1

4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in Round 1 the last 4 appearances

3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS as a Round 1 Dogs in all tourney appearances

1-1 SU & 0-2 ATS as Favorites of 10-points or more in Round 1

Last year: Beat by NC Central, 93-75, as -8.5 Favorites (1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS)

#18 Arkansas 23-6
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 1-4 SU & 1-4 ATS in Round 1

1-4 SU & 1-4 ATS in Round 1 the last 5 appearances

1-4 SU & 1-4 ATS as a Round 1 Favorites of 5.5 points or less

Last appearance: 2008, when they beat Indiana, 86-72, as -2 Favorites (1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS)

#19 North Carolina 20-9
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 12-0 SU & 7-4-1 ATS in Round 1

3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in Round 1 the last 3 appearances all as Favorites

8-0 SU & 4-3-1 ATS as a Round 1 Favorites of 10 points or more

4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS as Round 1 Favorites of 9 points or less

Last year: Beat Providence, 79-77, as -4.5 Favorites (1-0 SU & 0-1 ATS)

#20 West Virginia 22-7
Since the 2005 College Basketball Tourney: 5-2 SU & 5-2 ATS in Round 1

2-1 SU & 2-1 ATS in Round 1 the last 3 appearances

0-1 SU & 0-1 ATS as Dogs in Round 1

1-1 SU & 1-1 ATS as Round 1 Favorites or 10 points or more

Last appearance: 2012, when they lost to Gonzaga, 77-54, as +2 Dogs (0-1 SU & 0-1 ATS)

#21 Butler 21-8
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 7-2 SU & 8-1 ATS in Round 1

3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in Round 1 the last 3 appearances

1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS as a Round 1 Dogs in all tourney appearances

6-1 SU & 6-1 ATS as Favorites of 6 points or less in Round 1

Last appearance: 2013, when they beat Bucknell, 68-56, as -3.5 Favorites (1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS)

#22 SMU 23-6
Has not appeared in the NCAA March Madness Tourney since 1993.

Went 4-1 SU in the N.I.T Tourney games in 2014, losing last year's N.I.T Finals, 65-63, to Minnesota.

#23 Ohio State 21-8
Since the 2000 College Basketball Tourney: 8-3 SU & 5-6 ATS in Round 1

3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in Round 1 the last 4 appearances

5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS as a Round 1 Favorites of 10 points or more

0-3 SU & 0-3 ATS as Round 1 Favorites of 6.5 points or less

Last year: Upset, 60-59, by Dayton as 6.5 point Favorites (0-1 SU & 0-1 ATS)

#24 Providence 20-9
Since the 2001 College Basketball Tourney: 0-3 SU & 1-2 ATS in Round 1

0-3 SU & 1-2 ATS in Round 1 the last 3 appearances, last two as Favorites

0-1 SU & 0-1 ATS as a Round 1 Dogs in all tourney appearances

Never been double digit Favorites in Round 1 games

Last year: Upset by North Carolina, 79-77, as -5 point Favorites (0-1 SU & 0-1 ATS)

#25 Murray State 26-4
Since the 2002 College Basketball Tourney: 2-3 SU & 3-2 ATS in Round 1

2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS in Round 1 the last 3 appearances

Last appearance: 2012, when they beat Colorado State 58-41

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, March 20

Friday's NCAA games
Belmont/Virginia play similar styles but Cavaliers obviously have better athletes; Bruins G Barnette transferred to Belmont from Virginia so he could play more- he hit winning shot in OVC title game vs Murray State after Bruins also won semifinal game by point. Belmont won seven games in row. Virginia beat OVC's Tennessee State by 43 but TSU was worst team in that league. #2 seeds. 2-seeds are 18-15 vs spread in first round games since '07. OVC teams are 7-3 vs spread in first round last decade, but lost in first round last two years by 17-11 points.

Kentucky was outrebounded only five times this season, but Georgia did it twice; Dawgs are 7-6 in last 13 games after starting season 14-5- they lost to Minnesota by 4 on neutral floor in only game vs Big 14 opponent. Michigan State won seven of last eight first round games, covering last three in wins by 22-11-15 points; Spartans won four of last five games, losing Big 14 final in OT to Wisconsin.. Dawgs are in NCAAs for first time since '11- they've lost last four first round games, with last tourney win in 1996. Underdogs are 17-7-1 vs spread in 7-10 games last 6+ years.

Robert Morris won its 7th game in row in play-in game after they trailed by 13 in second half; Colonials beat Kentucky in NIT two years ago and that has to help their confidence here. Duke lost in first round two of last three years, but last seven times they were #1 seed, they went 5-2 vs spread in first round. Blue Devils had its 12-game win streak snapped by Notre Dame in ACC semis. NEC teams covered six of last nine non-play-in games, losing last two by 22-13 points. #1 seeds are 2-7 vs spread in last nine first round games. Duke is #330 experience team, so youngsters get feet wet in tourney action here.

Over last 8+ years, underdogs are 23-10 vs spread in 8-9 games; St John's is without big man Obekpa (suspension). Red Storm are in for first time since 2011; they're #9 experience team in country but bench plays only 21.3% of time, 7th-least in country, so Obekpa's absence stings. Aztecs won eight of last ten games but lost Mountain west final to Wyoming by hoop. San Diego State shoots only 63% from line, 32.1% from arc; they are strong defensive team with more depth than Johnnies. Aztecs are 3-2 in last five first round games. Reserve F Polee played for St John's as a freshman, playing in 33 games.

Buffalo is popular upset pick; Hurley has them in NCAAs in his second year as coach. Bulls won last seven games- they led Kentucky at half in Rupp Arena Nov 16, but they play fast which is going to be hard against West Virginia team that forces turnovers 28.2% of time and grabs 40.9% of its own missed shots. Mountaineers are 4-2 vs spread in their last six first round games but they lost three of last four games overall, though losses were Baylor (2), Kansas. MAC teams are 7-5 vs spread in last 12 first round games, but lost last two years by 46-24 points. Underdogs covered eight of last ten 5-12 games.

Horizon teams are 0-3 in NCAAs since Butler skipped town, losing by 15-11-20 points; Valparaiso lost by 11 to Michigan State two years ago in 3-14 game. Crusaders won 10 of last 11 games; they played the #283 non-conference schedule, despite being in midwest. Maryland went 15-5 in its first season in Big 14; they beat Oakland of Summit League by 16. Over last 6+ years, first round favorites of less than five points are now 28-56-1 vs spread, after going 2-3 yesterday. Over last 3+ years, faves are 9-5 vs spread in 4-13 games. Maryland had 8-game win streak ended by Michigan State in Big 14 semifinals.

Albany is in fifth NCAA's; their only win came in play-in game, but they did cover three of four losses, losing by 12-27-12-12 points. Thursday's debacle for #3 seeds (two losses, 4-point win) adds pressure for Sooner squad that lost in first round last two years (to North Dakota State LY); their last tourney win was in '09. Underdogs are 7-4 vs spread in last 11 3-14 games. Great Danes were 5-7 on New Year's Day, are 19-1 since-- they rallied back from 7 down with 2:24 left to win conference tourney final on home court. Overall, America East teams are 6-5 vs spread in the first round the last eleven years.

Dayton was down nine at half Wednesday, won 56-55 at home vs Boise State in play-in game. Flyers advanced to Elite 8 LY, beating Ohio State in this same spot- they've won eight of last 11 games overall, losing A-14 final to VCU Sunday. Providence lost by hoop to North Carolina as an 11-seed LY, Friars led by 7 with 4:34 left. PC is an experienced team but their FT% has dropped 7% from LY, down to #108 in US; their subs play third-least minutes in country. Friars beat UMass by 20 in only game with an Atlantic 14 opponent. Favorites are 10-4-1 vs spread in 6-11 games last 3+ years.

Kansas covered only once in last six first round games; 2-seeds are 18-15 vs spread in first round games since '07. Young Jayhawks (#338 team in experience) are just 5-4 in last nine games; New Mexico State won WAC four of last five years but lost tourney games by 3-13-20 points previous three visits. Aggies won last 13 games; they lost season opener at Wichita State by 17, St Mary's by 12, Baylor by 11- they have solid senior PG in Mullings. hold opponents to 29.5% from arc, are sold team on offensive boards, average on defensive end. Rough day for Big X Thursday, losing all three games they played.

Wichita State had 9-game win streak snapped by Illinois State in semis of Arch Madness; Shockers get shot at Kansas if they win here. Jayhawks have refused to schedule Wichita in regular season. Shockers won in first round last two years by 18-27 points; they have edge in expereence over Indiana club that is one of 20 least experienced teams in nation. Hoosiers are 5-9 in last 14 games, limping into tourney with five of last six losses by 7 or less points. Underdogs are 17-7-1 vs spread in 7-10 games last 6+ years. Over last 6+ years, first round favorites of six or less points are 30-59-1 vs spread.

Coastal Carolina won seven of its last eight games, is 9-3 in non-league games, but four of those were non-D1 wins. Chanticleers covered spread in 70-59 first round loss to Virginia LY; teams from Big South are 7-3 vs spread in last ten non-play-in games. Wisconsin won seven of last eight first round games, with last two wins by 24-40 points. Coastal lost by 13 at UCLA, 3 at Ole Miss; they have some talent; coach Ellis has led four schools into NCAAs. Badgers won Big 14 title Sunday; they'll likely be looking ahead to Okla St-Oregon winner on Sunday. #1 seeds are 2-7 vs spread in last nine first round games.

Oklahoma limped into field losing six of last seven games; they won by 13 over Oregon State in only game vs a Pac-12 opponent. Travis Ford is 1-5 in NCAA tourney games, losing to sub-par Gonzaga team LY when he had Marcus Smart. Oregon got waxed in Pac-12 title game by Arizona; Ducks won 11 of last 13 games; they're 10-3 out of conference, losing to Michigan, VCU, Ole Miss. Oregon won last two first round games by 13-19 points. Over last 8+ years, underdogs are 23-10 vs spread in 8-9 games; over last 4+ years, the 8-seed is 12-5 SU against the 9-seed.

Wyoming is in field after upset win of Mountain West tourney; they had been 3-5 in last eight games before the tournament. Cowboys are the #13 team in experience but star Nance was ill during season; they play #344 tempo, Northern Iowa plays #348, which explains how this total opened at 109 ( is 111 as I type this). Panthers won Arch Madness after tying Wichita State for regular season title; UNI has #7eFG% in country and shoots 39.7% from arc (#10)- they're #35 in experience. Underdogs were 10-4-1 yesterday; they covered eight of last ten 5-12 games.

Cal-Irvine is in NCAAs for first time; they have pair of 7-footers, with a 7-6 Ndiaye tallest player in America. Big West teams lost last nine first round games (they won a play-in game LY): last win by Big West squad in first round was Pacific in 2005. Louisville struggled mightily after it tossed PG Jones off team for off-court concerns. Cardinals are 0-5-1 vs spread in last six first round games, struggling to beat Manhattan 71-64 in first round LY. Louisville went 12-7 in first ACC season, losing in first round of ACC tourney last week, after winning conference tournament in last three years before that.

Gonzaga is expected to make its first Final Four this year; Bulldogs won last six first round games- they have #2 eFG% in country, shoot 40.8% on arc and have #9 defensive eFG%. North Dakota State has new coach, very good PG but #282 team in experience; Bison upset Oklahoma LY in tournament, first Summit League win in NCAAs (3-3 vs spread last six years). State opened season with losses by 35-31 points to Texas/Iowa but they've won 10 of last 12 games, nipping south Dakota State by one point in Summit Tournament final. #1 seeds are 2-7 vs spread in last nine first round games.

Davidson looked lost in its first A-14 tourney last week, winning 67-66 over LaSalle (trailed by 18 in first half), then losing by 20 to VCU next day, ending 10-game win streak. Wildcats aren't real athletic, they're very well coached and shoot 39.6% (#16) from arc while holding opponents to 29.8% on arc. Iowa had won six in row before bad loss to Penn State in first conference tourney game; Hawkeyes are #345 in exsperience, bench plays a lot, they're #6 in height but over last decade, they're 0-3 in first round games, losing in OT in play-in game to Tennessee LY, game they led by 12 points early on.

First of all, nobody in these next three tournaments wants to be here; they all want to be in the NCAAs. Once teams win a game or two, it'll get better, but it is impossible to know who is motivated in the first round. Crowds will be smaller, teams don't travel first class in these events.

NIT games
South Dakota State made 12-28 on arc in 86-76 win at Colorado State on Wednesday; quick turnaround here at Vanderbilt team that won out west at St Mary's Wednesday, shooting 59.5% inside arc in game they trailed by 8 early on. won four of last six true road games. Vandy won four of last five home games, with only loss in that stretch to rival Tennessee, who they beat in SEC tourney.

CBI games

CIT tournament
Eastern Kentucky won nine of last 11 games; they made 13-31 on arc in 81-75 home win over Norfolk State squad that shot 61.1% inside the arc. EKU has experienced team, which helps in tournaments like this. High Point had lost its last two games in OT before beating UMES at home by 6 in CIT opener; Panthers shoot 38.7% on arc (#25) are coached by the old North Carolina sub Scott Cherry, who is from Saratoga.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Friday, March 20

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12:15 PM
NEW MEXICO STATE vs. KANSAS
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas's last 6 games
Kansas is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 12:40 PM
GEORGIA vs. MICHIGAN STATE
No trends available
Michigan State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Michigan State's last 7 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 1:40 PM
WYOMING vs. NORTHERN IOWA
No trends available
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Northern Iowa's last 5 games
Northern Iowa is 19-1 SU in its last 20 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 2:10 PM
BUFFALO vs. WEST VIRGINIA
No trends available
West Virginia is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of West Virginia's last 6 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 2:45 PM
INDIANA vs. WICHITA STATE
No trends available
Wichita State is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 3:10 PM
BELMONT vs. VIRGINIA
No trends available
Virginia is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games
Virginia is 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 4:10 PM
UC IRVINE vs. LOUISVILLE
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Louisville's last 12 games
Louisville is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 4:40 PM
VALPARAISO vs. MARYLAND
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Maryland's last 6 games
Maryland is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 6:50 PM
OKLAHOMA STATE vs. OREGON
No trends available
Oregon is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oregon's last 9 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 7:00 PM
HIGH POINT vs. EASTERN KENTUCKY
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Eastern Kentucky's last 6 games at home
Eastern Kentucky is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 7:10 PM
ROBERT MORRIS vs. DUKE
No trends available
Duke is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Duke's last 5 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 7:20 PM
DAVIDSON vs. IOWA
No trends available
Iowa is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Iowa is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 7:27 PM
ALBANY vs. OKLAHOMA
No trends available
Oklahoma is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma's last 5 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 9:20 PM
COASTAL CAROLINA vs. WISCONSIN
No trends available
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Wisconsin's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Wisconsin's last 12 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 9:30 PM
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE vs. VANDERBILT
No trends available
Vanderbilt is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vanderbilt's last 6 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 9:40 PM
ST. JOHN'S vs. SAN DIEGO STATE
No trends available
San Diego State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
San Diego State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 9:50 PM
NORTH DAKOTA STATE vs. GONZAGA
No trends available
Gonzaga is 24-1 SU in its last 25 games

See more trends!
MARCH 20, 9:57 PM
DAYTON vs. PROVIDENCE
No trends available
Providence is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's NCAAB Midwest Region betting cheat sheet

No. 15 New Mexico St. Aggies vs. No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks (-10.5, 132)

After losing the Big 12 title game, Kansas looks to regroup as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region with a second-round matchup against No. 15 seed New Mexico State on Friday in Omaha, Neb. The Jayhawks, who have made 26 straight appearances, fell 70-66 to Iowa State on Saturday, which killed their chances at a No. 1 seed and may have factored in their tough road to the Final Four. Kansas could meet Wichita State in the third round and undefeated Kentucky looms as the region's top seed.

By the time Friday rolls around, the Aggies will have gone more than two months since their last defeat as they carry a 13-game winning streak into their fourth consecutive appearance in the Big Dance. Led by a pair of WAC first-teamers in Freshman of the Year Pascal Siakam and senior Daniel Mullings, New Mexico State is looking to end a string of seven straight losses in the Tournament since a win over Nebraska in 1993. The victor meets either No. 7 seed Wichita State or No. 10 seed Indiana in the third round Sunday.

TRENDS:

* New Mexico St. is 1-4 ATS in its last five versus the Big 12.
* Kansas is 1-5 ATS in its last six NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 4-1 in New Mexico St.'s last five NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 5-0 in Kansas' last five neutral site games.


No. 12 Buffalo Bulls vs. No. 5 West Virginia Mountaineers (-4.5, 149.5)

West Virginia, a No. 5 seed from the Big 12 Conference, faces Buffalo, a No. 12 seed from the Mid-American Conference, in an NCAA Tournament second-round Midwest Regional game Friday in Columbus, Ohio. The Mountaineers are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012, when they lost their opener to Gonzaga 77-54. West Virginia has dropped three of its last four games, including an 80-70 setback against Baylor in a Big 12 Conference tournament quarterfinal Thursday.

Buffalo, which is coached by former Duke star player Bobby Hurley, is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. The Bulls beat Central Michigan 89-84 on Saturday to win the Mid-American Conference tournament title and earn an automatic bid. Buffalo has an eight-game winning streak.

TRENDS:

* Buffalo is 4-0 ATS in its last four non-conference games.
* West Virginia is 6-2 ATS in its last eight versus the Mid-American conference.
* Over is 6-1 in Buffalo's last seven Friday games.
* Over is 4-0 in West Virginia'slast four games overall.


No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers vs. No. 7 Wichita State Shockers (-6, 140.5)

Indiana was considered a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament after finishing tied for seventh in the Big Ten regular season and winning one game at the conference tournament. The Hoosiers were awarded the No. 10-seed in the Midwest Region, however, and will open play Friday against No. 7 Wichita State in Omaha, Neb. Indiana started 5-1 in the Big Ten, including a win over conference runner-up Wisconsin, but hasn’t been able to string together two straight wins since.

The Shockers are coming off a loss to Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference semifinals - denying them a chance to defend their title - and face a key matchup at the starting point guard position, as red-hot Wichita State junior Fred VanVleet matches up against veteran Yogi Ferrell of the Hoosiers, a unanimous all-Big Ten first-team selection. VanVleet is averaging 16.4 points in the last five games to bump his season mark to 12.7, while Ferrell is averaging 18.7 in the last three to nudge his average to 16.1. Both players also have reliable sidekicks in the backcourt as Ron Baker averages a team-high 15 points for the Shockers and fellow shooting guard James Blackmon Jr. ranks second on Indiana at 15.8 points a game.

TRENDS:

* Indiana is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games versus the Missouri Valley Conference.
* Wichita State is 6-1 ATS in its last seven NCAA Tournament games.
* Over is 13-3 in Indiana's last 16 non-conference games.
* Over is 4-1 in Wichita State's last five versus the Big Ten Conference.


No. 13 Valparaiso Crusaders vs. No. 4 Maryland Terrapins (-4.5, 123.5)

Maryland looks to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament when it begins its journey against Valparaiso in the second round in Columbus, Ohio. The Terrapins won a school-record 26 regular-season games in their inaugural campaign in the Big Ten before being bounced in the semifinals of the conference tournament by Michigan State. Fourth-seeded Maryland has won eight of its last nine games overall and hopes to make a splash in its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010.

Thirteenth-seeded Valparaiso looks to advance to the round of 32 at the NCAA Tournament for the first time since making the Sweet 16 in 1998. The Crusaders won the Horizon League regular-season title before claiming the conference tournament championship to earn an automatic bid for the second time in three years. Valparaiso has won 10 of its last 11 games and would love nothing more than to add another tournament upset to its memorable collection.

TRENDS:

* Valparasio is 6-0 ATS in its last six games versus a team with a SU winning record.
* Maryland is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 neutral site games.
* Under is 4-0 in Valparasio's last four games versus the Big Ten Conference.
* Over is 4-0 in Maryland's last four NCAA Tournament games.




Friday's NCAAB East Region betting cheat sheet

No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (-6, 127)

As Michigan State prepares for its 18th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Spartans must shake off a disappointing finish to the Big Ten tournament title game. Michigan State led by 11 with under eight minutes left against Wisconsin on Sunday before the Badgers closed regulation with a 23-12 run and then blanked the Spartans 11-0 in the extra session. Despite the loss, Tom Izzo's crew earned a No. 7 seed in the East Region and will face 10th-seeded Georgia on Friday in Charlotte, N.C.

Michigan State has won its first NCAA Tournament game in seven of the last eight seasons, while Georgia will be making its first trip to the field of 68 since 2011. The Bulldogs tied for third in the SEC standings and had won five of six before falling to Arkansas in the semifinals of the conference tournament. The Spartans had captured eight of 10 prior to the late collapse against the Badgers, although they still have the experience to make a deep run in the Big Dance.

TRENDS:

* Georgia is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven non-conference games.
* Michigan State is 5-1 ATS in its last six non-conference games.
* Under is 6-1 in Georgia's last seven games versus the Big Ten Conference.
* Over is 5-0 in Michigan State's last five games versus the Southeastern Conference.


No. 12 Wyoming Cowboys vs. No. 5 Northern Iowa Panthers (-6, 110.5)

A standout season for Northern Iowa keeps getting better. The Panthers, who won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and have matched the program’s single-season record for victories, followed up those feats Sunday by garnering the highest NCAA Tournament seed in its history. Northern Iowa is the fifth seed in the East Region and will face 12th-seeded Wyoming on Friday in Seattle.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, stole an NCAA bid and knocked an at-large team off the bubble by winning the Mountain West Conference tournament as a fourth seed Saturday in Las Vegas. The Cowboys finished 11-7 during Mountain West play but regrouped to post three hard-fought wins in the conference tourney and send Larry Shyatt to his first Big Dance in his 10 seasons as a head coach. Overall, it was the program's first conference tournament title since 1988 and its first trip to the NCAAs since 2002.

TRENDS:

* Wyoming is 2-12 ATS in its last 14 games after scoring less than 50 points in its previous game.
* Northern Iowa is 13-3-3 in its last 19 games overall.
* Over is 19-4 in Wyoming's last 23 games after scoring less than 50 points in its previous game.
* Over is 4-1 in Northern Iowa's last five games overall.


No. 15 Belmont Bruins vs. No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers (-17, 123)

Regular season ACC champion Virginia had its sights set on a second straight tournament title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament until getting stopped 61-57 by North Carolina in the conference semifinals. That loss dropped the Cavaliers to a two-seed in the East Region where they will open play against No. 15 Belmont on Friday in Charlotte, N.C. Virginia, which is in the field for back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1994-95, lost 61-59 to Michigan last season in the Sweet 16.

Virginia will be facing a seasoned Belmont squad that finished second in the Ohio Valley Conference but became the first team to qualify for the tournament when Taylor Barnette drilled a contested 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds left for an 88-87 victory over conference top-seed Murray State, which was a perfect 16-0 in regular-season play. Although the Bruins' 22 wins was their fewest since the 2008-09 season, Belmont qualified for the the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in five years and for the seventh time in the last 10 years. The Bruins are still seeking their first win in the Big Dance, although they did take second-seeded Duke to the brink in 2008 before dropping a 71-70 decision.

TRENDS:

* Belmont is 6-0 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Virginia is 6-0 ATS in its last six games following a SU loss.
* Over is 5-1 in Belmont's last six games following an ATS win.
* Under is 4-0 in Virginia's last four games following an ATS loss.


No. 13 UC Irvine Anteaters vs. No. 4 Louisville Cardinals (-8, 125)

When it comes to teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference, most of the attention will fall on Virginia and Duke - but don't sleep on the Louisville Cardinals, who open their 41st NCAA Tournament appearance Friday afternoon against UC Irvine in the East Regional in Seattle. Rick Pitino's crew comes into the tournament in a minor slump, splitting its last eight games. But the Cardinals turn it on at tournament time, reaching the Final Four in two of the past three years and winning it all in 2013.

The 13th-seeded Anteaters will be in tough spot against No. 4 Louisville, but come in on a 7-2 stretch and won three games in as many days - the last a 67-58 triumph over Hawaii - to capture the Big West title and earn their first-ever Tournament appearance. UC Irvine excelled at the defensive end, limiting opponents to an effective field goal percentage of 39.8. But the Cardinals are defensive powerhouses themselves, holding foes to 59.5 points per game.

TRENDS:

* UC Irvine is 5-0 ATS in its last five neutral site games.
* Louisville is 0-4-1 ATS in its last five non-conference games.
* Under is 14-3 in UC Irvine's last 17 non-conference games.
* Under is 4-1 in Louisville's last five non-conference games.




Friday's NCAAB West Region betting cheat sheet

(9) Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. (8) Oregon Ducks (-1.5, 136)

Le'Bryan Nash comes into the tournament after scoring a season-high 27 points and matching his career best of 12 rebounds in the previous game, a 15-point loss to Oklahoma in a Big 12 tournament quarterfinal. Nash, a 6-7, 235-pound wing, has accomplished something even Young hasn’t and that’s score in double figures in every game this season.

The Ducks were picked to finish eighth in the Pac-12 preseason media poll. One of the keys to slowing the Ducks is limiting the open looks by senior guard Joseph Young. He comes in tied for 12th in the nation at 20.2 points per game on a nation-leading 552 field goal attempts and has been held to fewer than 10 field goal attempts in just one game this season.

TRENDS:

* Over is 6-2 in Ducks last eight NCAA Tournament games.
* Cowboys are 1-4 ATS in their last five vs. Pacific-12.
* Ducks are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 Friday games.


(16) Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs. (1) Wisconsin Badgers (-19.5, 129.5)

Senior guard Warren Gillis, who leads the Chanticleers with 13.1 points and 3.2 assists per game, poured in a game-high 22 points and handed out six assists in the win over Winthrop. Elijah Wilson scored 19 in a reserve role and was named the tournament MVP after averaging 20.3 points in three games. Coastal Carolina ranks fifth nationally with 39.8 rebounds per game, with Tristian Curtis corralling 30 in his last three outings.

Big Ten Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky, who tops the team in scoring (18.2) and rebounding (8.1), has finished in double digits in 27 straight games. Nigel Hayes went 12-of-12 from the foul line en route to 25 points as the Badgers came from behind to beat Michigan State 80-69 in overtime for their first Big Ten tournament title since 2008.

TRENDS:

* Over is 4-0 in Chanticleers last four neutral site games.
* Chanticleers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven neutral site games.
* Over is 4-0 in Chanticleers last four neutral site games.




Friday's NCAAB South Region betting cheat sheet

(16) Robert Morris Colonials vs. (1) Duke Blue Devils (-22.5, 144)

The Colonials, who have defeated top-seeded teams in Kentucky (2013) and St. John’s (2014) in their last two trips to the NIT, have been at their ball-hawking best over the last three games, averaging 13.3 steals after recording 12 against the Ospreys. Thanks to its 14th game with 10 or more steals, Robert Morris held a plus-14 edge in turnover margin and a significant 21-5 advantage in points off miscues.

Jahlil Okafor, who leads the team in scoring (17.7 points), rebounds (nine) and field-goal percentage (66.9), became the first freshman in league history to be named ACC Player of the Year. Justise Winslow (12.3 points, 5.9 boards) and Tyus Jones (11.6 points, 5.8 assists) each joined Okafor on the league’s all-freshman team, marking the first time that one school landed three players on the squad in conference history.

TRENDS:

* Colonials are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.
* Under is 5-0 in Blue Devils last five neutral site games.
* Blue Devils are 2-6 ATS in their last eight NCAA Tournament games.


(10) Davidson Wildcats vs. (7) Iowa Hawkeyes (-2.5, 145.5)

Bench scoring has been a weak point the last two games for Davidson, and that lack of depth may hurt the Wildcats going forward. Davidson had a total of five points from the reserves compared to 27 for VCU on Saturday. Leading scorers Tyler Kalinoski (17.0) and Jack Gibbs (16.3) will have to carry the Wildcats if they plan on making it past the Hawkeyes to the second round.

The Hawkeyes concluded the regular season on a six-game winning streak but were knocked out of the Big Ten tournament early by Penn State. Leading scorer Aaron White enters the tournament on a recent hot streak, totaling at least 21 points in five straight games. Iowa had the second-best scoring defense in the Big Ten, limiting opponents to 61.9 points per game.

TRENDS:

* Under is 6-0 in Hawkeyes last six neutral site games.
* Wildcats are 7-0 ATS in their last seven non-conference games.
* Wildcats are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six vs. Big Ten.


(9) St. John's Red Storm vs. (8) San Diego State Aztecs (-4, 122.5)

The Red Storm will open the NCAA Tournament without the services of center Chris Obekpa, who was suspended for two weeks for violating team rules. Obekpa, St. John's all-time blocks leader with 321, is averaging 5.8 points and seven rebounds this season but coach Steve Lavin said he treated the violation as he would for any player, telling reporters, "All of the young men associated with our program are held to standards consistent with the aims and mission of our university. It is our hope Chris will learn from this experience."

The Aztecs were left deflated after the narrow defeat in the Mountain West championship game as coach Steve Fisher bluntly expressed. "I'm disappointed we're not the ones out chopping the nets down, but we're not and that's the reality of it," he said. "That feeling truly has no boundaries."

TRENDS:

* Red Storm are 0-4 ATS in their last four NCAA Tournament games.
* Aztecs are 1-5 ATS in their last six non-conference games.
* Over is 6-2 in Aztecs last eight NCAA Tournament games.


(15) North Dakota State Bison vs. (2) Gonzaga Bulldogs (-18, 128.5)

The Bison are making their third trip to the Big Dance and know what it takes to spring an upset as they defeated Oklahoma 80-75 in overtime in the 2014 NCAA Tournament before being eliminated by San Diego State 63-44. Lawrence Alexander, a 6-3 senior guard, scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half against South Dakota and averages a team-best 18.9 points while contributing 4.6 rebounds.

Gonzaga was in contention for a No. 1 seed before losing to BYU 73-70 on Feb. 28 in its regular-season finale - snapping win streaks of 41 at home and 22 overall, but exacted revenge from the Cougars with a 91-75 victory in the West Coast Conference tournament final on March 10. “This is a resilient group, a battle-tested group,'' Bulldogs coach Mark Few told The Spokesman-Review after the WCC tournament. "We kind of grinded our way through the league, and we got back to being in attack mode (in Las Vegas). Without a doubt, that’s when we’re at our best.”

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight neutral site games.
* Under is 5-1 in Bison last six overall.
* Over is 23-8 in Bulldogs last 31 NCAA Tournament games.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Saturday, March 21

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

GEORGIA ST (25 - 9) vs. XAVIER (22 - 13) - 3/21/2015, 7:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGIA ST is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA ST is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
XAVIER is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
XAVIER is 192-150 ATS (+27.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
XAVIER is 116-84 ATS (+23.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
XAVIER is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


ARKANSAS (27 - 8) vs. N CAROLINA (25 - 11) - 3/21/2015, 9:40 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


BUTLER (23 - 10) vs. NOTRE DAME (30 - 5) - 3/21/2015, 9:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NOTRE DAME is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games when playing with one or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
BUTLER is 62-30 ATS (+29.0 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
BUTLER is 48-30 ATS (+15.0 Units) in March games since 1997.
BUTLER is 127-93 ATS (+24.7 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
BUTLER is 62-30 ATS (+29.0 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.
BUTLER is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
BUTLER is 154-117 ATS (+25.3 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
BUTLER is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games after scoring 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
BUTLER is 68-38 ATS (+26.2 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
BUTLER is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
BUTLER is 186-147 ATS (+24.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
NOTRE DAME is 12-22 ATS (-12.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


NC STATE (21 - 13) vs. VILLANOVA (33 - 2) - 3/21/2015, 7:10 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


UAB (20 - 15) vs. UCLA (21 - 13) - 3/21/2015, 3:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UCLA is 41-29 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 41-29 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 30-15 ATS (+13.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games in March games over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
UAB is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
UAB is 55-35 ATS (+16.5 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent since 1997.
UAB is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) after allowing 60 points or less this season.
UAB is 31-15 ATS (+14.5 Units) in road games after scoring 60 points or less since 1997.
UAB is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
UAB is 11-1 ATS (+9.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
UCLA is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) as a neutral court favorite of 6.5 to 9 points since 1997.
UCLA is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games after a non-conference game this season.


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




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


CINCINNATI (23 - 10) vs. KENTUCKY (35 - 0) - 3/21/2015, 5:40 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


OHIO ST (24 - 10) vs. ARIZONA (32 - 3) - 3/21/2015, 8:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OHIO ST is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in all neutral court games over the last 2 seasons.
OHIO ST is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
OHIO ST is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) when playing on a neutral court over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all lined games this season.
ARIZONA is 21-13 ATS (+6.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
ARIZONA is 35-24 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
OHIO ST is 226-183 ATS (+24.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.


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




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


UTAH (25 - 8) vs. GEORGETOWN (22 - 10) - 3/21/2015, 10:45 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


ALABAMA (19 - 14) at MIAMI (22 - 12) - 3/21/2015, 11:00 AM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


CANISIUS (17 - 14) at BOWLING GREEN (21 - 11) - 3/21/2015, 1:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


TENN-MARTIN (19 - 12) at USC UPSTATE (24 - 11) - 3/21/2015, 5:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


LA-LAFAYETTE (21 - 13) at SAM HOUSTON ST (26 - 8) - 3/21/2015, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA-LAFAYETTE is 9-22 ATS (-15.2 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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


N ARIZONA (20 - 14) at SACRAMENTO ST (21 - 11) - 3/21/2015, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N ARIZONA is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all games this season.
N ARIZONA is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
N ARIZONA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games this season.
N ARIZONA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road lined games this season.
N ARIZONA is 12-5 ATS (+6.5 Units) against conference opponents this season.
N ARIZONA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
N ARIZONA is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SACRAMENTO ST is 22-39 ATS (-20.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
N ARIZONA is 3-2 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO ST over the last 3 seasons
N ARIZONA is 4-2 straight up against SACRAMENTO ST over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Saturday, March 21

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11:00 AM
ALABAMA vs. MIAMI
Alabama is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Alabama's last 9 games on the road
Miami is 2-8-1 ATS in its last 11 games at home
Miami is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games

See more trends!
MARCH 21, 12:10 PM
UAB vs. UCLA
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of UCLA's last 16 games
UCLA is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

See more trends!
MARCH 21, 1:00 PM
CANISIUS vs. BOWLING GREEN
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Canisius's last 7 games on the road
Canisius is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Bowling Green is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Bowling Green's last 5 games

See more trends!
MARCH 21, 2:40 PM
CINCINNATI vs. KENTUCKY
No trends available
Kentucky is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 games
Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

See more trends!
MARCH 21, 3:00 PM
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE vs. SAM HOUSTON STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Louisiana-Lafayette's last 6 games on the road
Louisiana-Lafayette is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
No trends available

See more trends!
MARCH 21, 5:15 PM
OHIO STATE vs. ARIZONA
No trends available
Arizona is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

See more trends!
MARCH 21, 6:00 PM
TENNESSEE-MARTIN vs. USC UPSTATE
Tennessee-Martin is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tennessee-Martin's last 6 games on the road
No trends available

See more trends!
MARCH 21, 6:10 PM
GEORGIA STATE vs. XAVIER
No trends available
Xavier is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Xavier's last 11 games

See more trends!
MARCH 21, 7:10 PM
NORTH CAROLINA STATE vs. VILLANOVA
No trends available
Villanova is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

See more trends!
MARCH 21, 7:45 PM
UTAH vs. GEORGETOWN
No trends available
Georgetown is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Georgetown is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

See more trends!
MARCH 21, 8:40 PM
ARKANSAS vs. NORTH CAROLINA
No trends available
North Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of North Carolina's last 9 games

See more trends!
MARCH 21, 9:40 PM
BUTLER vs. NOTRE DAME
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Notre Dame's last 7 games
Notre Dame is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

See more trends!
MARCH 21, 10:00 PM
NORTHERN ARIZONA vs. SACRAMENTO STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Northern Arizona's last 6 games when playing on the road against Sacramento State
Northern Arizona is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Sacramento State
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Sacramento State's last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Sacramento State's last 6 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's NCAAB tournament betting cheat sheet

SOUTH REGION:

(14) UAB Blazers vs. (11) UCLA Bruins (-6, 133)

The Blazers stifled Iowa State's potent attack by dominating the boards, limiting second chances for the Cyclones and picking up plenty of their own. William Lee had 12 rebounds and Tyler Madison secured 11 in just 14 minutes off the bench, nine of which came on the offensive end. UAB struggled from long-distance with a 3-of-18 showing, but Brown hit a big one on the final minute to help the Blazers produce a second-round upset of a No. 3 seed for the third straight season.

Bryce Alford was 9-of-11 from 3-point range while becoming the 10th player to reach that mark in a tournament game and the first since 2012, a masterful performance that pleased his father, head coach Steve Alford. "Well, nobody's been critiqued any more than he has on our basketball team throughout the year, and he's been very consistent," the elder Alford said.

TRENDS:

* Under is 8-2 in Bruins last 10 games following a S.U. win.
* Blazers are 5-1 ATS in their last six neutral site games.
* Bruins are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall.


(5) Utah Utes vs. (4) Georgetown Hoyas (+4.5, 125.5)

The Utes committed 17 turnovers Thursday - one shy of their season high, but junior guard Brandon Taylor (10.4 points per game) told reporters: "I think we got the jitters out." Utah needs stronger games from Taylor and senior guard Delon Wright (team bests of 14.8 points and 5.2 assists), who combined to shoot 3-for-12 from the field and record 10 turnovers.

The Hoyas enter their first meeting with Utah after ending a five-game NCAA Tournament losing streak against double-digit seeds. "We just have to go out and prepare for a very tough Utah team,'' coach John Thompson III said. "You keep doing your business, you keep doing what you're supposed to do, eventually people will be quiet (about the streak).''

TRENDS:

* Utes are 21-6-2 ATS in their last 29 non-conference games.
* Hoyas are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 4-1 in Hoyas last five non-conference games.


MIDWEST REGION:

(8) Cincinnati Bearcats vs. (1) Kentucky Wildcats (-16.5, 118.5)

“We’ll go out there with a lot of confidence,” Bearcats guard Kevin Johnson told reporters. “We’ve got nothing to lose. That’s not a bad position to be in.” Cincinnati joins Kentucky among the top defenses in the country, but must deal with a balanced Wildcats squad that has won 35 games by an average of 21 points.

Freshman Karl-Anthony Towns rebounded from making only three field goals combined in his previous two games to drain 8-of-12 from the field and produce his eighth double-double of the season against Hampton. Leading scorer Aaron Harrison (11.1) registered only three points on 0-of-5 shooting and backcourt mate Devin Booker (10.2) was 1-of-6 against Hampton.

TRENDS:

* Bearcats are 1-6 ATS in their last seven neutral site games.
* Bearcats are 0-4 ATS in their last four NCAA Tournament games.
* Wildcats are 12-3-3 ATS in their last 18 neutral site games.


(6) Butler Bulldgos vs. (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-4.5, 133.5)

The Bulldogs defeated the Longhorns despite shooting 33.3 percent, missing nine of their 13 3-pointers and collecting a total of five offensive rebounds on 32 missed shots en route to a 41-28 deficit on the boards. “We've been able to grind out a lot of wins,” Butler coach Chris Holtmann told the media. “It was a back-and-forth game. ... I can't give our guys enough credit for grinding out this one. To have five field goals in the second half and come away with the win says a lot about them.”

The Fighting Irish enter this matchup having won six in a row overall, although they have not defeated their Indiana rival since 1990, losing each of the last six matchups. They will have a good chance of snapping that streak if they can get another standout performance from Zach Auguste, who shot 10-of-14 for 25 points in Thursday's hard-fought 69-65 win over No. 14 Northeastern.

TRENDS:

* Fighting Irish are 0-7 ATS in their last seven NCAA Tournament games.
* Bulldogs are 7-0 ATS in their last seven vs. Atlantic Coast.
* Over is 5-0 in Fighting Irish last five vs. Big East.


WEST REGION:

(10) Ohio State Buckeyes vs. (2) Arizona Wildcats (-9, 140)

Buckeyes guard D’Angelo Russell scored 28 in a 75-72 overtime win over VCU on Thursday and is averaging 19.6 points, 5.6 boards and five assists. Russell (666) passed former Ohio State star Michael Redd (638) for most points by a freshman in school history and now faces a talented squad that was unhappy with its defense in its tournament opener. “I think the point is that we have to get back to being an excellent defensive team, which takes a lot of effort and concentration,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said at his postgame press conference. “We certainly can do it.”

Wildcats star Stanley Johnson had 22 points in a 93-72 victory over Texas Southern on Thursday to continue his strong season and is averaging 14.3 points and 6.5 rebounds. Forward Brandon Ashley missed the NCAA Tournament last season due to a foot injury and he had 14 points against Texas Southern to continue his strong late-season play. Ashley is averaging 18.2 points with three 20-point outings over the last six games to raise his season average to 12.4, second on the squad behind Johnson.

TRENDS:

* Buckeyes are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 neutral site games.
* Over is 7-0 in Buckeyes last seven non-conference games.
* Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in their last five NCAA Tournament games.


(14) Georgia State Panthers vs. (6) Xavier Musketeers (-6.5, 133)

R.J. Hunter hit the shot, Ron Hunter hit the floor and Georgia State hit this NCAA Tournament with one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent memory, but the next challenge awaits. Somehow the Panthers – playing in their first NCAA Tournament in 14 years – advanced despite leading scorer R.J. Hunter (19.6 points per game) missing seven of his first eight shots and second-leading scorer Ryan Harrow not playing due to a hamstring injury.

The Musketeers shoot 47.3 percent from the field and average 16.3 assists per contest, leading the Big East in both categories, and Matt Stainbrook’s 12.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game provide Xavier a formidable inside presence. Guard Trevon Bluiett finished second in the conference among freshmen in scoring at 11.5 points per game. Davis averages 6.1 assists (12th nationally) and is fifth on the school’s career assist list.

TRENDS:

* Under is 9-2 in Panthers last 11 games following a S.U. win.
* Under is 5-0 in Musketeers last five neutral site games.
* Panthers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall.


(5) Arkansas Razorbacks vs. (4) North Carolina Tar Heels (-4.5, 157)

Two teams that barely avoided the upset bug in the NCAA Tournament’s round of 64 meet Saturday when No. 5 seed Arkansas faces fourth-seeded North Carolina in Jacksonville, Fla. The Razorbacks advanced with a 56-53 win over No. 12 seed Wofford, while the Tar Heels needed four points by Justin Jackson in the final minute to edge Harvard 67-65. “It’s the luckiest I’ve ever felt after a basketball game in my entire life,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams told reporters.

Williams can become the 15th coach in Division I history to win 750 games with a victory over Arkansas, but the Tar Heels will need a complete effort to get past the Razorbacks. Both teams average at least 77 points and bring plenty of star power to the floor, starting with SEC Player of the Year Bobby Portis (17.5 points, 8.8 rebounds), who led Arkansas to its conference championship game. Portis should be tested by a formidable Tar Heels frontline led by Jackson and Brice Johnson, who averages a team-high 7.7 rebounds.

TRENDS:

* Razorbacks are 1-6 ATS in their last seven vs. Atlantic Coast.
* Tar Heels are 0-4 ATS in their last four NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 5-1 in Razorbacks last six neutral site games.


EAST REGION:

(8) North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. (1) Villanova Wildcats (-9.5, 139)

Villanova may have been considered by some as the most likely No. 1 seed to be bounced from the NCAA Tournament early, but were among the most dominant teams to take the floor in its first game. The Wildcats look to extend their school-record winning streak to 17 games Friday when they meet North Carolina State in the third round at Pittsburgh. Villanova routed No. 16 Lafayette 93-52 on Thursday, rolling to the second-largest margin of victory in its tournament history.

The Wildcats, who have not advanced past the first weekend in four NCAAs since a Final Four berth in 2009, amassed their best offensive output at the Big Dance since a 101-point outburst in a win over LIU Brooklyn in 1997. The eighth-seeded Wolfpack overcame a late 14-point second-half deficit against LSU on Thursday to edge the Tigers 66-65. "It's crazy being on the other end this year; this is a whole lot better,” N.C. State guard Ralston Turner told The News & Observer after the Wolfpack were unable to hold a late 14-point lead before losing in overtime to Saint Louis in the second round of last year’s tournament.

TRENDS:

* Wolfpack are 2-6 ATS in their last eight non-conference games.
* Under is 10-2 in Wolfpack last 12 NCAA Tournament games.
* Wildcats are 6-2 ATS in their last eight neutral site games.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, March 21

Saturday's NCAA games
UCLA beat UAB 88-76 in 7th-place game in Bahamas Nov 28, despite Alford going 1-8 from floor (11-12 from line). Alford was 9-11 from arc in UCLA's 60-59 win over SMU; they were down seven with 1:24 left, surviving a 19-0 Mustang run in second half. Bruins have won five of last six games, face a UAB squad that is 2nd-youngest team in tournament (Kentucky). UCLA was -9 in turnovers vs SMU (18-9), hit 1-9 from arc, other than Alford. There have only been four second round games in NCAA tourney with 11-seed facing a 14-seed; favorite covered all four. UAB won its last four games, with three by one point or in OT.

Cincinnati is right over bridge from state of Kentucky; should be quite a scene in Louisville as Kentucky tries to go 37-0 against Bearcats, who in first round, trailed Purdue by 7 with 0:48 left. Cincinnati won six of last seven games; they lost to Ole Miss by 12 in only game vs SEC opponent this season. Cincy is a real good defensive team but they struggle to score vs normal teams, not sure where their points come from here. Kentucky is playing its 18th game this season against a top 50 team; not sure why this one would have different outcome. Over last six years, #1 seeds have gone 15-8-1 vs spread in this round, with four upset losses.

Since 2001, Arizona is 8-1 in second round games, 7-1-1 vs spread; they lost 73-70 to Ohio State however in Sweet 16 game two years ago, when Wildcats blew 11-point first half lead. Over last five years, when 10-seed faces a 2-seed in this round, the dog is 5-2 vs spread. Arizona won its last 12 games, with five of last six wins by 22+ points. Buckeyes won their last five second round games, but were favored in all five. OSU split its last four games, needed ot to beat VCU Thursday; Russell/Scott played 40+ minutes each. Over last three years, Big 14 teams won 11 of their 14 second round games.

Georgia State outscored Baylor 13-0 over last 2:40 to stun Bears 60-59 in first round; a great win, holding Bears scoreless on last nine possessions. Panthers are now 2-4 vs top 100 teams; they've won six games in a row; now they get shot at a Big East school. Since 1999, there have been five 6-14 games in second round; favorite was 5-0 vs spread in those games. Xavier had big edge beating Ole Miss in an afternoon game less than 48 hours after Rebels won their play-in game. Musketeers won four of last five games, but they also have five losses to teams outside top 100, odd for a team as good as they are. Georgia State forces turnovers on 23.2% of possessions, #14 in country.

NC State was down 14 at half Thursday, rallied to beat LSU 66-65 in 1st round; in last 9:00 of game, Tigers were 0-12 from floor, 3-9 on foul line. Wolfpack has now won seven of last nine games after being 14-11 at one point and looking at best like an nit team. Over last six years, #1 seeds have gone 15-8-1 vs spread in this round, with four upsets. Villanova pounded helpless Lafayette for its 16th straight win Thursday, Wildcats beat former Big East rival Syracuse in OT in December, its only game against an ACC team. Villanova hasn't been in Sweet 16 since 2009, dropping last two second round games.

Georgetown is 9-3 against the #54 non-league schedule in country; they have tried to upgrade December schedule. Hoyas made it to Final Four in 2007; since then, they've ost both their second round games by total of seven points. Hoyas won seven of last nine games- they made 11-23 on arc in 84-74 win over Eastern Washington Thursday. Utah got 57-50 win over gritty SF Austin Thursday, holding Lumberjacks to 5-26 on the arc. Utes are now 4-4 in last eight games overall. #4 seeds won seven of last nine 4-5 games; favorites covered five of last seven. Pac-12 teams won six of their last nine second round games.

North Carolina could've easily lost to Harvard in first round, after losing a 16-point second half lead; Tar Heels have zero depth at guard. If Paige is not playing the point, they're not good. UNC won five of last six second round games, losing here to Iowa State LY. Arkansas struggled with solid Wofford style Thursday, forcing only eight turnovers, but won by three in game they trailed by 3 with 4:27 left. Hogs beat Wake by 30, lost in OT at Clemson in its two ACC games. UNC beat Florida by 11, lost to Kentucky by 14 in its SEC games this year. #4 seeds won seven of last nine 4-5 games; favorites covered five of last seven.

Notre Dame won its last six games but coasted in shaky 69-65 first round win over Northeastern, making just 2-6 on arc. Irish lost to Providence in OT by point in their only Big East game this year. In-state rival Butler is just 5-4 in its last nine games; Bulldogs are 11-3 outside Big East- they held Texas to 34% from floor in ugly 56-48 win Thursday. Butler beat North Carolina on neutral court in November, its only ACC game- that has to help their confidence here. Bulldogs hold opponents to 30.7% on arc, #24 in nation defending arc. Favorites are 5-2 vs spread in 3-6 second round games over last seven years.

NIT games
Miami won four of last five games but loss was to Notre Dame in ACC's tournament; Hurricanes beat Florida by hoop in only game vs an SEC foe. Alabama was up 24 at half in its first NIT win under an interim coach in wake of firing Grant Sunday, after going 6-10 in 16 games before that one. 11am tipoff won't help artistic value of this one.

CBI games

CIT tournament
Bowling Green is 2-3 in its last five games after 67-64 win at St Francis in first round; Falcons trailed by hoop with 4:55 left. Canisius lost by 15 to Buffalo in its only MAC games this season; Griffins are 5-2 in last seven games, winning three of last four at home. Canisius forces turnover 21.9% of time, #25 in country.

UT-Martin hammered Northwestern State 104-79 Thursday, after losing three of previous four games; Skyhawks were 16-28 from arc in road tilt, which is amazing shooting. Martin is 9-5 out of conference- they're #19 in country, making 39.2% from arc. SC-Upstate won three of last four games, with their last two wins by point each; Spartans rallied to win its first CIT game over JMU, after they trailed by 8 with 3:08 left.

Sam Houston State is 4-3 in last seven games after starting season 22-5, but two of losses were to league kingpin SF Austin; somehow Bearkats didn't play a Sun Belt team, despite living in east Texas. UL-Lafayette won eight of last nine games, but lost to McNeese State/Northwestern State during regular season, but beat Southland newcomer Incarnate Word by 15 on road in first game of this tournament.

Sacramento State/Northern Arizona tied for 3rd in Big Sky at 13-5; home side won both series meetings this year. Hornets won 78-73 New Year's Day, then lost 70-68 in Flagstaff in regular season finale, which cost CSS shot at hosting conference tourney. NAU won eight of its last ten games after winning at Grand Canyon; they have lousy offense (#281 eFG%) for having such a good team.