Thursday's Early Tips
March 18, 2015
Thursday's Matchups
1-4 · 5-8 · 9-12 · 13-16
The brackets have been set and following four matchups in the First Four Round of this year’s NCAA Tournament, things will really start to heat-up with a full state of 16 games on this Thursday’s slate.
Midwest Regional - No. 14 Northeastern vs. No. 3 Notre Dame (CBS, 12:15 p.m.)
Venue: CONSOL Energy Center
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Betting Odds: Notre Dame -12, Total 140
The Northeastern Huskies punched their ticket to the Big Dance by winning the CAA Tournament with a 72-61 upset of William & Mary as 1 ½-point underdogs. They come into this game with a straight-up record of 6-1 in their last seven contests while going 5-2 against the spread. The Huskies are ranked 12th in the nation shooting the ball with a 48.6 field goal percentage.
Notre Dame stunned both Duke and North Carolina as an underdog to win this season’s ACC Tournament title to raise its current winning streak both SU and ATS to five games. The total has stayed UNDER in four of its last six outings. This is another team that can shoot lights-out with a 51 field goal percentage that is ranked second in the nation. The Fighting Irish are ranked 12th in scoring with 78.8 points per game.
Betting Trends
-- The Huskies are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against an ACC team and the total has stayed UNDER in 10 of their last 15 nonconference games.
-- The Irish have failed to cover in their last six NCAA Tournament games and the total has gone OVER in nine of their last 13 neutral-site games.
-- The last time these two teams met was back in 1997 with Notre Dame winning 72-45.
South Regional - No. 14 UAB vs. No. 3 Iowa State (truTV, 12:40 p.m.)
Venue: KFC Yum Center
Location: Louisville, KY
Betting Odds: Iowa State -13 ½, Total 144 ½
UAB dropped four of its last seven regular season games while going 2-4-1 ATS, but a successful three-game run (2-1 ATS) through the Conference USA Tournament secured a spot in this field. The Blazers knocked-off Middle Tennessee 73-60 as two-point favorites in the title game behind junior guard Robert Brown’s game-high 22 points. He leads the team in scoring with 13.1 PPG.
The Cyclones came-up one game short to Kansas in their bid to win the Big 12 regular season title, but they got the job done in the conference tournament with a stunning 70-66 victory against the Jayhawks as 2 ½-point underdogs. Iowa State has now won its last five games while going 4-0-1 ATS. It comes into this game averaging 78.4 PPG while shooting 48 percent from the field.
Betting Trends
-- The Blazers have failed to cover in four of their last five NCAA Tournament games and the total has stayed UNDER in the last four.
-- The Cyclones are 4-1 ATS in their last five games in the NCAA Tournament and the total has gone OVER in the last four.
West Regional - No. 14 Georgia State vs. No. 3 Baylor (TBS, 1:40 p.m.)
Venue: Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Betting Odds: Baylor -9, Total 127
As the pride of this year’s Sun Belt Conference, Georgia State brings a SU five-game winning streak into this matchup after adding a tournament title to their regular-season crown. The Panthers failed to cover in their last two outings after going 6-1-1 in their previous eight games. Senior guard Ryan Harrow (18.7 PPG) is listed as probable after missing his last start with a sore hamstring.
The Bears run in this year’s Big 12 Tournament ended with a 62-52 loss to Kansas as 1 ½-point underdogs. This followed a solid SU 6-1 run in their previous seven games while going 5-2 ATS. The total has gone OVER in four of their last six outings. Senior guard Kenny Chery scored a team-high 20 points in the loss to the Jayhawks, while this season’s leader in scoring junior forward Taurean Prince (13.8 PPG) was held to just two points.
Betting Trends
-- The Panthers are 1-5 ATS in their last six nonconference games and the total has stayed UNDER in eight of their last 10 games following a SU win.
-- The Bears are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games outside the conference and the total has gone OVER in three of their last five games following a SU loss.
West Regional - No. 15 Texas Southern vs. No. 2 Arizona (TNT, 2:10 p.m.)
Venue: Moda Center
Location: Portland, OR
Betting Odds: Arizona -23 ½, Total 134
Texas Southern brings a SU 11-game winning streak into Thursday’s game that carried the Tigers to both the SWAC regular season and tournament title. They did fail to cover as six-point favorites in a 62-58 victory against Southern their last time out. The Tigers are averaging 68.2 PPG, but they have now scored 75 points or more in six of their last eight games.
The Wildcats also come into Thursday’s game with a regular season and tournament title on their resume after pulling off the sweep in the Pac-12. Their current SU winning streak stands at 11 games with a highly profitable 9-2 record ATS. Arizona is averaging 76.4 PPG and it is ranked sixth in the nation shooting the ball with a 48.9 field goal percentage. Freshman forward Stanley Johnson has led the way with 14.1 PPG.
Betting Trends:
-- The Tigers are 0-5 SU in their last NCAA Tournament games and the total has gone OVER in four of their last five games at a neutral site.
-- The Wildcats are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games in the NCAA Tournament and the total has gone OVER in four of their last five games in this tournament.
March 18, 2015
Thursday's Matchups
1-4 · 5-8 · 9-12 · 13-16
The brackets have been set and following four matchups in the First Four Round of this year’s NCAA Tournament, things will really start to heat-up with a full state of 16 games on this Thursday’s slate.
Midwest Regional - No. 14 Northeastern vs. No. 3 Notre Dame (CBS, 12:15 p.m.)
Venue: CONSOL Energy Center
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Betting Odds: Notre Dame -12, Total 140
The Northeastern Huskies punched their ticket to the Big Dance by winning the CAA Tournament with a 72-61 upset of William & Mary as 1 ½-point underdogs. They come into this game with a straight-up record of 6-1 in their last seven contests while going 5-2 against the spread. The Huskies are ranked 12th in the nation shooting the ball with a 48.6 field goal percentage.
Notre Dame stunned both Duke and North Carolina as an underdog to win this season’s ACC Tournament title to raise its current winning streak both SU and ATS to five games. The total has stayed UNDER in four of its last six outings. This is another team that can shoot lights-out with a 51 field goal percentage that is ranked second in the nation. The Fighting Irish are ranked 12th in scoring with 78.8 points per game.
Betting Trends
-- The Huskies are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against an ACC team and the total has stayed UNDER in 10 of their last 15 nonconference games.
-- The Irish have failed to cover in their last six NCAA Tournament games and the total has gone OVER in nine of their last 13 neutral-site games.
-- The last time these two teams met was back in 1997 with Notre Dame winning 72-45.
South Regional - No. 14 UAB vs. No. 3 Iowa State (truTV, 12:40 p.m.)
Venue: KFC Yum Center
Location: Louisville, KY
Betting Odds: Iowa State -13 ½, Total 144 ½
UAB dropped four of its last seven regular season games while going 2-4-1 ATS, but a successful three-game run (2-1 ATS) through the Conference USA Tournament secured a spot in this field. The Blazers knocked-off Middle Tennessee 73-60 as two-point favorites in the title game behind junior guard Robert Brown’s game-high 22 points. He leads the team in scoring with 13.1 PPG.
The Cyclones came-up one game short to Kansas in their bid to win the Big 12 regular season title, but they got the job done in the conference tournament with a stunning 70-66 victory against the Jayhawks as 2 ½-point underdogs. Iowa State has now won its last five games while going 4-0-1 ATS. It comes into this game averaging 78.4 PPG while shooting 48 percent from the field.
Betting Trends
-- The Blazers have failed to cover in four of their last five NCAA Tournament games and the total has stayed UNDER in the last four.
-- The Cyclones are 4-1 ATS in their last five games in the NCAA Tournament and the total has gone OVER in the last four.
West Regional - No. 14 Georgia State vs. No. 3 Baylor (TBS, 1:40 p.m.)
Venue: Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Betting Odds: Baylor -9, Total 127
As the pride of this year’s Sun Belt Conference, Georgia State brings a SU five-game winning streak into this matchup after adding a tournament title to their regular-season crown. The Panthers failed to cover in their last two outings after going 6-1-1 in their previous eight games. Senior guard Ryan Harrow (18.7 PPG) is listed as probable after missing his last start with a sore hamstring.
The Bears run in this year’s Big 12 Tournament ended with a 62-52 loss to Kansas as 1 ½-point underdogs. This followed a solid SU 6-1 run in their previous seven games while going 5-2 ATS. The total has gone OVER in four of their last six outings. Senior guard Kenny Chery scored a team-high 20 points in the loss to the Jayhawks, while this season’s leader in scoring junior forward Taurean Prince (13.8 PPG) was held to just two points.
Betting Trends
-- The Panthers are 1-5 ATS in their last six nonconference games and the total has stayed UNDER in eight of their last 10 games following a SU win.
-- The Bears are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games outside the conference and the total has gone OVER in three of their last five games following a SU loss.
West Regional - No. 15 Texas Southern vs. No. 2 Arizona (TNT, 2:10 p.m.)
Venue: Moda Center
Location: Portland, OR
Betting Odds: Arizona -23 ½, Total 134
Texas Southern brings a SU 11-game winning streak into Thursday’s game that carried the Tigers to both the SWAC regular season and tournament title. They did fail to cover as six-point favorites in a 62-58 victory against Southern their last time out. The Tigers are averaging 68.2 PPG, but they have now scored 75 points or more in six of their last eight games.
The Wildcats also come into Thursday’s game with a regular season and tournament title on their resume after pulling off the sweep in the Pac-12. Their current SU winning streak stands at 11 games with a highly profitable 9-2 record ATS. Arizona is averaging 76.4 PPG and it is ranked sixth in the nation shooting the ball with a 48.9 field goal percentage. Freshman forward Stanley Johnson has led the way with 14.1 PPG.
Betting Trends:
-- The Tigers are 0-5 SU in their last NCAA Tournament games and the total has gone OVER in four of their last five games at a neutral site.
-- The Wildcats are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games in the NCAA Tournament and the total has gone OVER in four of their last five games in this tournament.
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