The Bum's College Hoops For February Rated Games -Trends - News !!

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bruins (13-10) at Wildcats (19-5)
Date: February 12, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Three losses in four games have UCLA back on the NCAA Tournament bubble, though still with a chance to come off if some key wins happen.

An opportunity for one comes in Friday night's visit to Arizona, where the Bruins can greatly enhance their shaky profile with a season sweep of the 17th-ranked Wildcats.

Just as it did a year ago, UCLA (13-10, 4-6 Pac-12) would stir considerable debate among the selection committee with a solid finish to an overall inconsistent body of work. The Bruins own strong non-conference victories over Kentucky and Gonzaga along with an 87-84 win over then-No. 7 Arizona on Jan. 7, but have offset those results by losing double-digit games - six by 13 points or more - and residing in the bottom half of the competitive Pac-12.

UCLA, which did make the field as a 13-loss team last year, must improve its 1-4 record on the road in conference play to earn another at-large berth. It failed in its most recent chance for a statement win, falling behind early and never recovering in an 80-61 loss at Southern California last Thursday.

Despite eight days to recover, the task won't get any easier. After going into one of the nation's toughest venues Friday at the McKale Center, the Bruins continue a span of five road dates in seven games Sunday at Arizona State.

'This is a tough stretch and we've got to find it,' coach Steve Alford said.

Additionally, Arizona (19-5, 7-4) appears to have recovered from its earlier struggles. After dropping to 4-4 in the conference and having its 49-game home winning streak snapped in a Jan. 28 loss to first-place Oregon, the Wildcats have held Oregon State, Washington State and Washington to a combined 39.1 percent shooting and 66.3 points per game in three consecutive victories.

Arizona is also receiving a big lift from Ryan Anderson, with the graduate transfer posting a fourth straight double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds in Saturday's 77-72 win at Washington. He had a career-high 31 points and 12 rebounds in a 79-64 victory over Washington State three days earlier.

The Wildcats overcame 20 turnovers by outrebounding the Huskies 43-29 and holding a 21-6 advantage in second-chance points, capitalizing on a season-long strength. Arizona ranks among the Division I leaders with a plus-11.4 rebounding margin and is second overall in defensive rebounding percentage (.782).

'The last couple of weeks we've been focusing on the details with our bigs and the little things we can get better at individually have helped us be successful,' Anderson said.

UCLA can counter with its frontcourt duo of Tony Parker and Thomas Welsh, who rank 1-2 in the Pac-12 in offensive rebounds. Parker had 12 rebounds and 14 points in last month's matchup, in which Bryce Alford capped a 25-point performance with a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left.

Alford and Isaac Hamilton, the Bruins' top two scorers, were a combined 6 of 25 as UCLA shot a season-low 34.8 percent against USC.

"We just kept missing shots," guard Aaron Holiday said. "They'd get misses, turnovers and easy buckets."

UCLA will need better proficiency to complete the sweep, as the Wildcats are averaging 86.0 points and shooting 50.8 percent from 3-point range over their last four home games. Gabe York, the Pac-12 leader in 3-pointers made, has gone 47.5 percent from 3 at the McKale Center compared to 37.8 percent in all other games.

Allonzo Trier's return from a broken hand has brought the offense a further boost. The heralded freshman had seven points in 16 minutes off the bench against Washington after missing the previous seven games.

The Bruins won at the McKale Center in 2013, joining Oregon and California as the only visitors to win there over the past four seasons.

[StarDust Bum]

Hot & Not Report
February 12, 2016

Who's Hot

Welcome to February, statistically the coldest month of the year. There are a handful of teams bucking that trend against the spread (ATS), but there are also plenty of teams struggling against the number and as chilly as the February wind.

Idaho State Bengals (6-1 ATS L/7) – The Bengals are making a push in the Big Sky Conference, moving to 14-5 straight up. They're also 6-1 ATS over their past seven games heading into Saturday's game against Sacramento State. They lost 82-71 in Sacramento against the Hornets Jan. 14, narrowing failing to cover a 10 1/2-point number. Look for the Bengals to perform much better at home in the rematch, especially since the Bengals are 6-1 SU/ATS over their past seven in Pocatello.

San Jose State Spartans (9-2 ATS L/11) – The Spartans of San Jose State haven't been great in terms of win-loss record, but they've been covering regularly. They were 15-point underdogs at UNLV Wednesday, but nearly pulled off a straight up win before falling 64-61. It was their fourth straight cover, as they improved to 8-1 ATS in their past nine road games. Remember the Spartans when they travel to New Mexico Saturday night.

Seton Hall Pirates (7-1 ATS L/8) – The Hall slipped up a home against Butler, 81-75, on Wednesday for their first non-cover since Jan. 9. They have a week to get it right before traveling to Georgetown next Wednesday to face a team they just beat 69-61 on Feb. 6 for a cover. The Pirates have covered six in a row on the road, too, with their only non-cover this season at George Washington on Dec. 2.

Tennessee State Tigers (6-1-1 ATS L/8) – The Tigers of TSU have been hot against the number lately, even if they're just 3-3 SU over the past six. They travel to Eastern Kentucky Saturday to face a team which thumped them by 16 points at home back on Feb. 4. Look for Tennessee State to be a double-digit underdog in that game, and as such they'll be a very good value since they have been hot against the number lately.

William & Mary Tribe (10-2 ATS L/12) – The Tribe of the Colonial Athletic Association is coming off a loss at home to Hofstra, but outside of games against Hofstra they have been very hot. Since Jan. 2 the Tribe is 9-3 SU and 10-2 ATS, with two of those straight up losses and non-covers against the Pride. Good thing they won't see Hofstra again until at least the postseason conference tournament.

Who's Not

Denver Pioneers (4-11 ATS L/15) – The Pioneers have been a dependable team against the number in past seasons, but they have struggled to cover this year. Denver travels to IUPU-Fort Wayne Saturday to face a team which has been the polar opposite against the spread. The Mastodons topped the Pioneers 65-64 in Denver in the first game as two-point underdogs Jan. 9, and they're 17-4 ATS in 21 games this season.

Georgia State Panthers (0-8 ATS L/8) – The Panthers were four-point favorites Thursday at South Alabama, but they were tripped up 79-78 in overtime for their eighth consecutive non-cover.

Virginia Military Institude Keydets (3-13 ATS L/16) – The Keydets topped UNC-Greensboro 86-72 last time out as 5 1/2-point underdogs, but they have had difficulty covering spreads lately, and they haven't covered in back-to-back games all season. Remember that fact when they travel to Chattanooga for their next game Thursday, Feb. 18. The Mocs are 8-2 ATS in their past 10 games, including 5-1 ATS in their past six at home. That doesn't bode well for VMI in their road outing.

Total Notes

-- Georgia State has hit the 'over' in six of their past eight games heading into their road game at Troy Saturday. The over is 3-1 in their past four road games, and it hit in their first meeting at home against Troy back on Jan. 7.

-- The 'over' continues to come through for Rutgers, going 3-0 in their past three and 11-1 in their past 12. They host Ohio State Saturday, and the 'over' hit in their first meetings back on Jan. 13 in Columbus.

-- The 'under' hit Thursday night for St. Mary's (CA), and is an impressive 4-0 in their past four and 8-2 in their past 10 outings heading into their home game with Loyola Marymount Saturday. The 'under' hit in their first meeting with the Lions back on Jan. 7 with 121 points on a total of 138.5.

-- San Jose State has had five straight 'unders' cash heading into their meeting Saturday at 6 p.m. ET at New Mexico. On the flip side, the Lobos have hit the 'over' in four straight.

-- Santa Clara has had the 'over' connect in four straight outings heading into their game at home aginst Brigham Young Saturday. The 'over' hit in their first meeting with the Cougars in Provo back on Jan. 7.

-- The 'over' has cashed in nine of the past 11 games for The Citadel heading into their game at Wofford Saturday. The 'over' hit in the first meeting with the Terriers Jan. 14, and the 'over' is 6-0 in the past six, and 9-1 in the past 10, for Wofford.

[StarDust Bum]

UCLA, Arizona hook up
February 11, 2016


UCLA BRUINS (13-10) at ARIZONA WILDCATS (19-5)

McKale Center – Tucson, AZ
Tip-off: Friday, 9:00 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: N/A

No. 17 Arizona looks for revenge from a three-point loss at the hands of the reeling Bruins earlier this season in a matchup of Pac-12 rivals.

The heroics from G Bryce Alford (16.7 PPG) with NBA star and UCLA alum Russell Westbrook in the stands were supposed to catapult UCLA towards the postseason; Alford’s game-winning three and strut down the sidelines taking down mighty Arizona. Unfortunately, this would be the high point for the Bruins, as UCLA has now lost four of their last six games, including getting swept by cross-town rival, USC, for the first time since 2010.

Arizona takes their 12-1 SU (8-5 ATS) home record into this contest with no mercy, and most likely a vivid memory of coach Steve Alford’s son sending their team back home in despair on Jan. 8th. Arizona boasts the return of freshman G Allonzo Trier (14.3 PPG) who missed seven games with a broken hand before returning Saturday for seven points in 16 minutes in the win over Washington.

In addition to that Saturday win, Arizona defeated Washington State last Wednesday 79-64 (Arizona -10), as the Wildcats have covered and won their last three contests dating back to a home loss to Pac-12 leading Oregon on Jan. 28th. UCLA is 1-4 SU (1-4 ATS) on the road in Pac-12 play.

Historically, Arizona hasn’t covered while hosting UCLA in the past four contests (March, ’12) and is 7-3 SU (4-6 ATS) over the past 10 games at McKale Center dating back to 2009. In total, UCLA is 8-2 ATS the past 10 times these two teams have met.

UCLA still owns a very dangerous offense at 79.3 PPG (38th NCAA), but they came to a screeching halt on Thursday in the Galen Center, only putting up 61 points in the loss to USC. The Bruins shot 34.8% FG (26.9% 3PT) and the backcourt duo of Alford and Isaac Hamilton (16.3 PPG) combined to go 6-25 from the field. Alford will have had 8 days to prepare his squad for this upcoming game, but will it be enough for the struggling Bruins? UCLA is 2-3 SU (2-3 ATS) with 4+ days off this season.

The elder Alford has tried to jumpstart his team by making lineup changes to his short rotation, bringing burly F Tony Parker (13.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG) off the bench in favor of lanky sophomore F Jonah Bolden (4 PPG). Bolden is a long-armed defender and shows signs of a promising offensive game in the future, but he’s very raw. Meanwhile, Parker hasn’t truly responded to coming off the bench in order to avoid early foul trouble. While Parker’s scoring has gotten more consistent, his stellar work on the boards has taken a hit (5.8 RPG over his last four games).

UCLA’s defense will need to tighten up against Arizona’s many solid offensive options, as the Bruins’ 77 PPG allowed is 278th in the country. UCLA plays at a fast pace (74.8 poss/game, 48th NCAA) but this almost benefits their opponents more than it does themselves, as UCLA’s opponents get more shots off per game than the Bruins themselves do (64.1 Opp FGA/Game, 337th NCAA). How Parker, Bolden, and 7-foot C Thomas Welsh (12 PPG, 8.8 RPG) handle Ryan Anderson, Arizona’s standout senior forward who’s on fire right now, will be a big key to the Bruins keeping it close in Tuscon.

The aforementioned Anderson (16.2 PPG, 10.4 RPG) is playing as well as any frontcourt player in the nation right now for coach Sean Miller’s Wildcats. After a triple-overtime loss to USC on Jan 9th, where Anderson inexplicably only scored 5 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, Anderson is averaging 19.5 PPG, 10.6 RPG, on 70% FG in his last eight games. Furthermore, Anderson has averages of 22 PPG and 12.3 RPG in his past four games, bolstered by 53 points and 27 rebounds last week over Washington State and Washington.

Beside Anderson, G Gabe York (14.7 PPG, 43% 3PT) has also stepped up in the absence of Trier, averaging 18 PPG and burying 3 threes per game over his last six contests. Overall, Arizona’s 81.8 PPG (22nd NCAA), 49.1% FG (9th NCAA), and 1.17 points per possession (13th NCAA) are all elite, while their +11.4 rebounding margin (4th NCAA) stabilizes a defense that otherwise isn’t as dominant as Miller’s Arizona teams of the past.

Arizona has only allowed two Pac-12 opponents to shoot below 40% FG in conference play and, even in a win, allowed Washington to shoot 46% 3PT on Saturday. It will be interesting to see if Trier, who played 16 minutes against the Huskies on Saturday, gets a starting nod after a week’s worth of rest. York, who took 21 shots in the win over Washington Saturday, is more beneficial to the Wildcats moving without the ball and not having to create his own shot – which is where the additional firepower of having Trier start would make Arizona even more dangerous.

[StarDust Bum]

CBB ATS

CBB > (853) YALE@ (854) DARTMOUTH | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play ON YALE against the spread in All games on Friday nights
The record is 12 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+10.9 units)

CBB > (863) UCLA@ (864) ARIZONA | 2016-02-12 21:00:00 - 2016-02-12 21:00:00
Play AGAINST UCLA against the spread in Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game
The record is 2 Wins and 14 Losses for the last three seasons (-13.4 units)

CBB > (861) USC@ (862) ARIZONA ST | 2016-02-12 20:00:00 - 2016-02-12 20:00:00
Play AGAINST ARIZONA ST against the spread in All games off a win against a conference rival
The record is 1 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (-10 units)

CBB > (857) BROWN@ (858) HARVARD | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play AGAINST HARVARD against the spread in All games when playing with 5 or 6 days rest
The record is 2 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (-10.1 units)

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CBB MONEYLINE

CBB > (853) YALE@ (854) DARTMOUTH | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play ON YALE using money line in All games when the total is 130 to 139.5
The record is 10 Wins and 2 Losses for the last three seasons (+13 units)

CBB > (865) MONMOUTH@ (866) RIDER | 2016-02-12 21:00:00 - 2016-02-12 21:00:00
Play ON MONMOUTH using money line in All games in all lined games
The record is 16 Wins and 4 Losses for the this season (+13.2 units)

CBB > (865) MONMOUTH@ (866) RIDER | 2016-02-12 21:00:00 - 2016-02-12 21:00:00
Play ON MONMOUTH using money line in All games in all games
The record is 16 Wins and 4 Losses for the this season (+13.2 units)

CBB > (853) YALE@ (854) DARTMOUTH | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play ON YALE using money line in All games on Friday nights
The record is 11 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+11.75 units)

CBB > (855) PENNSYLVANIA@ (856) COLUMBIA | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play AGAINST COLUMBIA using money line in All games on Friday nights
The record is 2 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (-12.55 units)

CBB > (859) DAYTON@ (860) RHODE ISLAND | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play ON DAYTON using money line in All games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game
The record is 13 Wins and 3 Losses for the last two seasons (+11.6 units)

CBB > (851) PRINCETON@ (852) CORNELL | 2016-02-12 18:00:00 - 2016-02-12 18:00:00
Play ON PRINCETON using money line in All games as a favorite
The record is 14 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+11.55 units)

CBB > (859) DAYTON@ (860) RHODE ISLAND | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play ON DAYTON using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 21 Wins and 13 Losses for the last three seasons (+21.4 units)

CBB > (867) NIAGARA@ (868) ST PETERS | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play AGAINST NIAGARA using money line in All games on Friday nights
The record is 3 Wins and 14 Losses for the last three seasons (-13.6 units)

CBB > (861) USC@ (862) ARIZONA ST | 2016-02-12 20:00:00 - 2016-02-12 20:00:00
Play ON ARIZONA ST using money line in Home games revenging a road loss vs opponent
The record is 11 Wins and 2 Losses for the last three seasons (+10.35 units)

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CBB FIRST HALF

CBB > (853) YALE@ (854) DARTMOUTH | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play ON YALE ?>in the first halfin Road games on Friday nights
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses for the last three seasons (+9.9 units)

CBB > (863) UCLA@ (864) ARIZONA | 2016-02-12 21:00:00 - 2016-02-12 21:00:00
Play ON ARIZONA ?>in the first halfin Home games off a win against a conference rival
The record is 13 Wins and 2 Losses for the last three seasons (+10.8 units)

CBB > (861) USC@ (862) ARIZONA ST | 2016-02-12 20:00:00 - 2016-02-12 20:00:00
Play ON USC ?>in the first halfin All games after scoring 80 points or more
The record is 11 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+8.8 units)

CBB > (861) USC@ (862) ARIZONA ST | 2016-02-12 20:00:00 - 2016-02-12 20:00:00
Play ON USC ?>in the first halfin All games against conference opponents
The record is 9 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+7.9 units)

CBB > (869) OHIO U@ (870) BUFFALO | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play ON BUFFALO ?>in the first halfin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game
The record is 12 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+9.8 units)

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CBB TOTALS

CBB > (863) UCLA@ (864) ARIZONA | 2016-02-12 21:00:00 - 2016-02-12 21:00:00
Play OVER ARIZONA on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 14 Overs and 2 Unders for the this season (+11.8 units)

CBB > (853) YALE@ (854) DARTMOUTH | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play OVER YALE on the totalin All games when the total is 130 to 139.5
The record is 9 Overs and 0 Unders for the last two seasons (+9 units)

CBB > (861) USC@ (862) ARIZONA ST | 2016-02-12 20:00:00 - 2016-02-12 20:00:00
Play OVER ARIZONA ST on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games
The record is 8 Overs and 0 Unders for the this season (+8 units)

CBB > (861) USC@ (862) ARIZONA ST | 2016-02-12 20:00:00 - 2016-02-12 20:00:00
Play OVER USC on the totalin All games off a win against a conference rival
The record is 11 Overs and 1 Unders for the last three seasons (+9.9 units)

CBB > (865) MONMOUTH@ (866) RIDER | 2016-02-12 21:00:00 - 2016-02-12 21:00:00
Play UNDER MONMOUTH on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games
The record is 5 Overs and 19 Unders for the last three seasons (+13.5 units)

CBB > (853) YALE@ (854) DARTMOUTH | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play OVER YALE on the totalin All games in a road game where the first half total is 60.5 to 63
The record is 18 Overs and 4 Unders for the since 1992 (+13.6 units)

CBB > (859) DAYTON@ (860) RHODE ISLAND | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play UNDER DAYTON on the totalin All games as a favorite vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 4 Overs and 14 Unders for the this season (+9.6 units)

CBB > (861) USC@ (862) ARIZONA ST | 2016-02-12 20:00:00 - 2016-02-12 20:00:00
Play OVER USC on the totalin All games as a road favorite of 1.5 points or less vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 13 Overs and 2 Unders for the since 1992 (+10.8 units)

CBB > (869) OHIO U@ (870) BUFFALO | 2016-02-12 19:00:00 - 2016-02-12 19:00:00
Play UNDER BUFFALO on the totalin All games when the total is 150 to 159.5
The record is 2 Overs and 12 Unders for the last three seasons (+9.8 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- Indiana 85, Iowa 78-- Teams meet again before the Big 14 tournament.

-- California 83, Oregon 63-- Golden Bears got PG Wallace back.

-- UMass 69, VCU 63-- 11-point home dog Minutemen pulled an upset.

-- Temple 63, UConn 58-- Owls swept pair of games with UConn this season.

-- Hawai'i 74, UC-Irvine 52-- Rainbows made seven 3's in row at one point.

-- All nine NHL games went over the total Thursday; that doesn't happen a lot.

**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind........

13) This season, Jimmy Butler, James Harden are only two NBA players who are playing 37+ minutes per game; as recently as ten years ago, there were 33 players averaging 37+ minutes a game. Have NBA players gotten softer?

12) People are writing articles now about how grueling the NBA travel schedule is- this'll make me sound old, but 20-30 years ago, teams didn't have their own airplanes-- travel was a hell of a lot less conventient than it is now Players are softer now; the money is so big, it has taken some of the toughness out of players.

Example: Karl Malone played 80+ games in 17 of his 18 season where there were 82 games. Derrick Rose has played in 385 of a possible 626 games in his career. This was started by Gregg Popovich, players routinely taking second nights of back/backs off. It cheats the fans-- kids in AAU play three games a day, but kids are hungry.

11) There was a scuffle on the Phoenix Suns' bench Wednesday; only surprising thing there is that it doesn't happen more often. Emotions run high and when a team's season goes down the drain, its not a lot of fun. Suns will be very glad for the All-Star break, just to get away from each other for a few days.

10) Underrated thing about these Presidential debates: the candidates stand up the whole time. Bernie Sanders is 74 years old-- I am 56, and if someone asked me to stand up for two hours straight, after I stopped laughing, I'd ask them for a 6-pack of Cherry Coke to keep me upright the whole time. I would want to debate sitting down.

9) California 83, Oregon 63-- This was an awful game, except that Bill Walton was the analyst and he was fired up-- he played a glockenspeil for part of the second half, while the game was going on, delighting the Cal band member he got on national TV.

8) Walton also educated us that crocodiles are revered in the Egypitan culture. Did not catch why crocodiles are revered by Egyptians, but apparently they are.

7) I was talking to a guy yesterday- he told me if you go to spring training in Florida, best camp to go to is the Phillies' camp in Clearwater-- very informal setting, can talk to lot of people. He talked to Charlie Manuel for a while there last year. My plan is to hit Arizona next March for my first-ever visit to A's spring training.

6) Tampa Bay Rays changed their hitting philosophy last year; they jumped frm 27th in swing % to 6th, a huge jump in one season. They acquired Corey Dickerson from the Rockies because they like his aggressive style at the plate.

5) Royals signed 3B Mike Moustakas for two years, $14.3M.

4) My man Les Miles signed 19 of ESPN's top 300 football recruits this winter, the #1 recruiting class in America; not sure if any of them are QBs and LSU needs a QB, but Les can recruit, which is why they always win a lot of games and why LSU has a ton of alumni playing in the NFL.

3) I did not know this because I never watched the TV show Entourage, but Jerry Jones once played himself on that show-- he was involved with bringing an NFL team back to Los Angeles, kind of what played out for real last month.

2) The average fan at the Super Bowl spent $87.57 on food/drink; I know stuff is real expensive, but $87.57 in 3-4 hours? Thats a lot of hot dogs. Apparently they sold over 8,000 glasses of wine, a sure sign we're getting soft-- who the hell drinks wine at a football game?

1) Rece Davis worked the Iowa-Indiana game with Dick Vitale last night; other than Mike Tirico, who is great at every sport he works, Davis is ESPN's best guy- no ego, just solid work at everything he does. Very easy to listen to.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Friday, February 12

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PRINCETON (14 - 5) at CORNELL (9 - 11) - 2/12/2016, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CORNELL is 130-99 ATS (+21.1 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
CORNELL is 72-42 ATS (+25.8 Units) after scoring 60 points or less since 1997.
PRINCETON is 63-42 ATS (+16.8 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
PRINCETON is 3-1 against the spread versus CORNELL over the last 3 seasons
PRINCETON is 3-1 straight up against CORNELL over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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YALE (15 - 5) at DARTMOUTH (7 - 13) - 2/12/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
YALE is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
YALE is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
YALE is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 3 seasons.
YALE is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
YALE is 119-84 ATS (+26.6 Units) in road games since 1997.
YALE is 119-84 ATS (+26.6 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
YALE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
YALE is 12-1 ATS (+10.9 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
YALE is 11-1 ATS (+9.9 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
YALE is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
YALE is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
YALE is 36-20 ATS (+14.0 Units) after scoring 80 points or more since 1997.
YALE is 54-35 ATS (+15.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
DARTMOUTH is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DARTMOUTH is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
DARTMOUTH is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 2 seasons.
DARTMOUTH is 55-85 ATS (-38.5 Units) in all home games since 1997.
DARTMOUTH is 55-85 ATS (-38.5 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
DARTMOUTH is 50-75 ATS (-32.5 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
DARTMOUTH is 28-46 ATS (-22.6 Units) in home games in February games since 1997.
DARTMOUTH is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
DARTMOUTH is 22-39 ATS (-20.9 Units) in home games when playing with 5 or 6 days rest since 1997.
DARTMOUTH is 42-64 ATS (-28.4 Units) in home games after a conference game since 1997.
DARTMOUTH is 24-42 ATS (-22.2 Units) in home games off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
DARTMOUTH is 20-40 ATS (-24.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
DARTMOUTH is 16-30 ATS (-17.0 Units) in home games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game since 1997.

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

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PENNSYLVANIA (8 - 11) at COLUMBIA (16 - 7) - 2/12/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PENNSYLVANIA is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
PENNSYLVANIA is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
PENNSYLVANIA is 76-51 ATS (+19.9 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
COLUMBIA is 16-32 ATS (-19.2 Units) in home games off a win against a conference rival since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBIA is 2-2 against the spread versus PENNSYLVANIA over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBIA is 2-2 straight up against PENNSYLVANIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BROWN (7 - 13) at HARVARD (9 - 13) - 2/12/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HARVARD is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) against conference opponents this season.
HARVARD is 21-37 ATS (-19.7 Units) in home games on Friday nights since 1997.
HARVARD is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 100-136 ATS (-49.6 Units) after a conference game since 1997.
HARVARD is 42-68 ATS (-32.8 Units) off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
HARVARD is 16-32 ATS (-19.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
BROWN is 4-0 against the spread versus HARVARD over the last 3 seasons
HARVARD is 4-0 straight up against BROWN over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DAYTON (20 - 3) at RHODE ISLAND (14 - 10) - 2/12/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DAYTON is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 2 seasons.
RHODE ISLAND is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 2 seasons.
RHODE ISLAND is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
RHODE ISLAND is 93-130 ATS (-50.0 Units) in all home games since 1997.
RHODE ISLAND is 93-130 ATS (-50.0 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
RHODE ISLAND is 55-92 ATS (-46.2 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
RHODE ISLAND is 2-2 against the spread versus DAYTON over the last 3 seasons
DAYTON is 3-1 straight up against RHODE ISLAND over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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USC (18 - 5) at ARIZONA ST (13 - 11) - 2/12/2016, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
USC is 15-8 ATS (+6.2 Units) in all games this season.
USC is 15-8 ATS (+6.2 Units) in all lined games this season.
USC is 26-16 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA ST is 17-29 ATS (-14.9 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA ST is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA ST is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
USC is 3-1 against the spread versus ARIZONA ST over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA ST is 2-2 straight up against USC over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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UCLA (13 - 10) at ARIZONA (19 - 5) - 2/12/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UCLA is 8-15 ATS (-8.5 Units) in all games this season.
UCLA is 8-15 ATS (-8.5 Units) in all lined games this season.
UCLA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
UCLA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
ARIZONA is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
UCLA is 32-18 ATS (+12.2 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
UCLA is 29-14 ATS (+13.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UCLA is 4-1 against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA is 3-2 straight up against UCLA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MONMOUTH (20 - 5) at RIDER (10 - 15) - 2/12/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
RIDER is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) as a home underdog of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.
MONMOUTH is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in all games this season.
MONMOUTH is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in all lined games this season.
MONMOUTH is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MONMOUTH is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
MONMOUTH is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) after a conference game this season.
MONMOUTH is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) off a win against a conference rival this season.
RIDER is 70-101 ATS (-41.1 Units) in all home games since 1997.
RIDER is 70-101 ATS (-41.1 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
RIDER is 57-83 ATS (-34.3 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
RIDER is 9-23 ATS (-16.3 Units) in home games on Friday nights since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
RIDER is 3-1 against the spread versus MONMOUTH over the last 3 seasons
RIDER is 4-1 straight up against MONMOUTH over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NIAGARA (6 - 19) at ST PETERS (9 - 13) - 2/12/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NIAGARA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games this season.
NIAGARA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road lined games this season.
ST PETERS is 59-90 ATS (-40.0 Units) in all home games since 1997.
ST PETERS is 59-90 ATS (-40.0 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
ST PETERS is 54-80 ATS (-34.0 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
ST PETERS is 47-70 ATS (-30.0 Units) in home games after a conference game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
NIAGARA is 3-1 against the spread versus ST PETERS over the last 3 seasons
NIAGARA is 3-2 straight up against ST PETERS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OHIO U (15 - 8) at BUFFALO (14 - 10) - 2/12/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 30-17 ATS (+11.3 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 2-2 against the spread versus OHIO U over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 2-2 straight up against OHIO U over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, February 12

Ohio won eight of last ten games with Buffalo, but lost 93-66 here LY. Bobcats won four of last five games overall- they won last two games on road, at Toledo/Ball State,, after losing first three MAC road tilts. Bulls are 4-2 at home in MAC, with two losses by total of six points; they've won four of last five games overall. MAC home favorites of 6 or less points are 19-13 against the spread.

Princeton won six of last seven games with Cornell, but lost 68-60 here LY; Tigers are 3-6 in last nine visits to Ithaca. Princeton is 4-1 in Ivy so far, with three wins by 13+ points; their loss was at Yale by 4. Cornell is 2-4 in Ivy, losing only home games by 11 to Columbia; Big Red is 0-5 vs top 100 teams, with four losses by 18+ points. Ivy League home underdogs are 4-2 against the spread.

Yale-Dartmouth split last six meetings; Bulldogs lost brutal 59-58 game here LY that cost them their first Ivy title since 1959- they lost twice in last three visits here. Yale won its last nine games, winning at Brown by 24 in its only Ivy road game. Dartmouth lost its last four games, giving up 77 ppg; three of its five Ivy losses are by 7 or less points. Ivy League home underdogs are 4-2 against spread.

Columbia is 5-1 in Ivy League, losing by 14 at Yale, beating Cornell by 4 in only home games; Lions are 12-2 in last 14 games after starting season 4-5. Home side won last seven Penn-Columbia games; Quakers lost three in row at Columbia, by 17-19-27 points. Ivy League home favorites of 8+ points are 2-4 vs spread. Penn won couple home games LW after its 0-3 Ivy start- they lost both road games so far, by 23-6 points.

Harvard won Ivy League the last four years but they're 1-5 this season, losing last five games in row- they're worst foul shooting team (56.8%) in country. Crimson has won 12 games in row over Brown, with two of last three in OT. Bruins lost its last seven visits here.Brown is 2-4 in Ivy, losing noly road game at Yale by 9. Ivy League home favorites of 7 or less points are 4-2 against the spread.

Dayton won eight games in row, 13 of last 14 games; they're 4-1 on road in A-14, with only loss at LaSalle. Flyers won last three games against Rhode Island by 7-16-4 points, but they've lost last six visits here, with last win at URI 10 years ago. A-14 home underdogs of less than 5 points are 1-7 vs spread. Rams have injury issues; they're 5-1 at home in A-14, losing to St Joe's by 9- wins are against bottom half of league.

USC beat Arizona State 75-65 at home Jan 7; ASU shot 7-25 on arc and 6-15 on foul line. Trojans are 3-2 in last five series games, lost lost three in row in Tempe, by 4-5-5 points. Pac-12 home underdogs of 3 or less points are 10-2 vs spread. USC is 2-3 on Pac-12 road; they allowed 85+ points in all three league losses. ASU is 3-8 in Pac-12, sweeping Wazzu and beating Oregon State at home- they split their four home games.

UCLA made 11-22 on arc in 87-84 upset over Arizona Jan 7; Bruins are 5-3 in last eight series games, but lost six of last seven visits here, losing last two by 10-6 points. Pac-12 double digit home favorites are 6-1 vs spread. UCLA lost four of last six games overall, allowing 80+ points in all four losses- they're 1-4 on Pac-12 road, with only win at Oregon St. Arizona is 3-0 since its 49-game home winning streak was snapped last week, winning by 17-15-5 points.

Monmouth won six games in row, 16 of last 18; they're 6-2 on MAAC road, winning last three road tilts by 15-6-26 points. Hawks are 1-4 vs Rider in MAAC play, winning 55-54 here LY after losing 77-71 the year before, in OT. Broncs won last four home games, including an upset over Iona- they lost two of last three games overall. MAAC home underdogs of 8 or less points are 10-13 against the spread.

St Peter's lost 63-61 at Niagara Jan 7; Eagles shot 59% inside arc in their 7th win over Peacocks in last nine series games. Eagles won three of last four visits here. St Peter's snapped 5-game skid in last game; they're 3-2 at home in MAAC, losing to Rider/Iona. Niagara lost seven of last eight games, with only win at lowly Marist. MAAC home favorites of 8+ points are 6-10 against the spread.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Friday, February 12

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Trend Report
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6:00 PM
PRINCETON vs. CORNELL
Princeton is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Princeton is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Cornell
Cornell is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Princeton
Cornell is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Princeton

7:00 PM
NIAGARA vs. SAINT PETER'S
Niagara is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Saint Peter's
Niagara is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Saint Peter's is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Niagara
Saint Peter's is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Niagara

7:00 PM
DAYTON vs. RHODE ISLAND
Dayton is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Dayton is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Rhode Island
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Rhode Island's last 6 games when playing at home against Dayton
Rhode Island is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Dayton

7:00 PM
BROWN vs. HARVARD
Brown is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Harvard
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Brown's last 11 games when playing on the road against Harvard
Harvard is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home
Harvard is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

7:00 PM
OHIO vs. BUFFALO
Ohio is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Ohio's last 12 games on the road
Buffalo is 8-16 ATS in its last 24 games when playing Ohio
Buffalo is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing Ohio

7:00 PM
PENNSYLVANIA vs. COLUMBIA
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Pennsylvania's last 10 games when playing on the road against Columbia
Pennsylvania is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Columbia
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Columbia's last 7 games when playing Pennsylvania
Columbia is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Pennsylvania

7:00 PM
YALE vs. DARTMOUTH
Yale is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Dartmouth
Dartmouth is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games when playing Yale
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dartmouth's last 7 games when playing Yale

8:00 PM
USC vs. ARIZONA STATE
USC is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of USC's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona State's last 5 games when playing USC
Arizona State is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against USC

9:00 PM
UCLA vs. ARIZONA
UCLA is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of UCLA's last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against UCLA
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Arizona's last 12 games when playing UCLA

9:00 PM
MONMOUTH vs. RIDER
Monmouth is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Monmouth is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Rider
Rider is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Monmouth
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Rider's last 5 games when playing Monmouth

10:00 PM
GRAND CANYON vs. SEATTLE
Grand Canyon is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Seattle is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Friday, February 12


UCLA @ Arizona

Game 863-864
February 12, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
UCLA
64.441
Arizona
72.260
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 8
148
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arizona
by 11 1/2
153 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
UCLA
(+11 1/2); Under

Monmouth @ Rider

Game 865-866
February 12, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Monmouth
59.794
Rider
57.377
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Monmouth
by 2 1/2
135
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Monmouth
by 5
140 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Rider
(+5); Under

Niagara @ St. Peter's

Game 867-868
February 12, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Niagara
43.446
St. Peter's
52.911
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Peter's
by 9 1/2
130
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Peter's
by 8
122
Dunkel Pick:
St. Peter's
(-8); Over

Ohio @ Buffalo

Game 869-870
February 12, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ohio
54.423
Buffalo
61.297
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Buffalo
by 7
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Buffalo
by 3 1/2
153
Dunkel Pick:
Buffalo
(-3 1/2); Over

Princeton @ Cornell

Game 851-852
February 12, 2016 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Princeton
59.839
Cornell
53.241
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Princeton
by 6 1/2
158
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Princeton
by 9
153
Dunkel Pick:
Cornell
(+9); Over

Yale @ Dartmouth

Game 853-854
February 12, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Yale
60.000
Dartmouth
53.063
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Yale
by 7
138
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Yale
by 10
131 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dartmouth
(+10); Over

Pennsylvania @ Columbia

Game 855-856
February 12, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pennsylvania
47.746
Columbia
59.530
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Columbia
by 12
133
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Columbia
by 9 1/2
139
Dunkel Pick:
Columbia
(-9 1/2); Under

Brown @ Harvard

Game 857-858
February 12, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brown
43.692
Harvard
51.555
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Harvard
by 8
135
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Harvard
by 6 1/2
142 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Harvard
(-6 1/2); Under

Dayton @ Rhode Island

Game 859-860
February 12, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dayton
67.372
Rhode Island
63.498
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dayton
by 4
135
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dayton
by 1
129
Dunkel Pick:
Dayton
(-1); Over

Southern California @ Arizona State

Game 861-862
February 12, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Southern Californ
68.256
Arizona State
64.956
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Southern Californ
by 3 1/2
162
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Southern Californ
by 1
155 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Southern Californ
(-1); Over

[StarDust Bum]

NBA All-Star Saturday Night betting: Slam Dunk, 3-Point, and Skills Contests

The dunk contest has been dominated by favorites in recent years, with seven of the last nine winners coming into the event among the top two favorites and at +350 odds or lower.

All-Star games have gotten a bad rap in recent years, leading many professional sports leagues to drastically alter their standard showcase format, be it a “fantasy draft” like the NFL’s Pro Bowl or whatever the NHL All-Star Game mutated into this year.

The NBA, however, pretty much has it right. The All-Star Game itself can be a bit sloppy at times but for the past few seasons, the East and West have gotten serious come the fourth quarter – and you just know Kobe’s trying to make this year’s game all his. Then there’s All-Star Saturday Night.

The night before the All-Star Game, the NBA holds its annual competitions: the Skills Challenge, 3-point Shootout, and of course, the Slam Dunk Contest. Outside of some rules and format tweaking over the years, this fun evening has remained a rock-solid appetizer to Sunday’s ASG finale.

NBA All-Star Weekend is also the most betting-friendly event during the pro basketball schedule. Online sportsbooks offer odds on just about every All-Star Saturday Night event, as well as props for the All-Star Game, and even offer wagering on the NBA Celebrity Game, which takes place on the Friday.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the exciting wagering options for the NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto:

All-Star Celebrity Game

Comedian Kevin Hart is now a staple of NBA All-Star festivities, kind of like how "The Fresh Prince" was in the early 90’s. The diminutive funny man – retired from Celebrity Game action – is now the coach of an All-Star Celebrity team, facing off against Canadian hip-hop star Drake, who has close ties with the host Toronto Raptors – when he’s not busy cheering for the Golden State Warriors.

Oddsmakers have Drake’s Team Canada squad set as 2.5-point underdogs, but I don’t know how. Drake actually has some real athletes on his roster, including Canadian tennis star Milos Raonic (8/1 to win MVP), along with former NBA players Tracy McGrady (7/4) and Rick Fox (6/1), and former WNBA standout Tammy Sutton-Brown (15/1).

Toss in TV and film personalities Stephan James (25/1) (plays Jesse Owens in an upcoming movie), “Property Bros” Drew (20/1) and Jonathan Scott (20/1) (one of which renovates houses, so he’s man strong), and actor/singer Kris Wu (15/1) (seems fit enough), and Team Canada could control the boards and get up and down the floor pretty quick against a slightly doughier Team Hart.

Hart’s roster – dubbed Team USA – does have some talent, like former NBA players in Chauncey Billups (6/1) and Muggsy Bogues (3/1), as well as current WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne (2/1). But even those two former NBA pros are on the shorter side. And that’s being nice. Behind the actual basketball players are ex “Mr. Mariah Carey” Nick Cannon (8/1), Joel David Moore (25/1) (the tall, geeky guy from Dodgeball), former SNL crack-up Jason Sudeikis (20/1), and actor Anthony Anderson (25/1), who is playing in his third NBA Celebrity Game.

The total for Friday’s All-Star Celebrity Game is set at 109.5 points.

Taco Bell Skills Challenge

The Skills Challenge has undergone some facelifts in recent years. Last February, they went to a bracket format, which had players going head-to-head to advance rather then moving on based on their overall times. While this doesn’t seem fair, the NBA couldn’t care less about fairness and they’re sticking to the tourney style.

You know what would really make things interesting? Make every contestant eat Taco Bell 45 minutes before the Skills Challenge. You wouldn't see anyone "lollygagging" from station to station then. Those guys would be a big hurry to finish. That'll mix it up.

Instead, this time around, the Association has opened the field to non-guards - more specifically big men DeMarcus Cousins (17/2 to win), Anthony Davis (8/1), Draymond Green (5/1), and rookie standout Karl-Anthony Towns (10/1). Things like the bounce pass and 3-point shot could be troublesome for the bigs, but we’re in a new age of hoops now, where even a 7-footer is a threat from downtown.

As for the guards, defending champ Patrick Beverly (9/2) is back, joined by Isaiah Thomas (33/10), Jordan Clarkson (5/1), and C.J. McCollum (5/1). Seeing as no player taller than 6-foot-4 has ever won the Skills Challenge, it’s a safe bet to stick with the guards when handicapping the field.

But if you have to go big (both figuratively and literally), Cousins could be the play at +850. Boogie isn’t afraid to pull up from deep and is shooting better than 35 percent from beyond the arc on the season, including going 7 for 11 in his last three games heading into Wednesday. Thank goodness there’s no “biting your tongue” aspect to the competition, because Cousins would be a bust for sure.

Foot Locker 3-Point Contest

The 3-point shootout is the wild card of the All-Star Weekend. It has produced the most long-shot winners of any of the three major events on All-Star Saturday Night, and while Stephen Curry did win as a +300 favorite last year, it’s about as predictable as a Donald Trump debate response.

Before Curry broke Craig Hodges’ single-round record last year, San Antonio’s Marco Belinelli won the 2014 event as a +800 underdog. The year before that, Kyrie Irving hit at +550. In 2012, Kevin Love won at +500. James Jones was +450 when he won in 2011, following Paul Pierce (+400) in 2010 and Daequan Cook (+750) in 2009.

In fact, before Chef Curry cooked up a winner at 3/1, the slimmest odds to come in over the past seven seasons was Jason Kapono at +350 in 2008 – and he was the fourth overall favorite on the board in New Orleans that year.

For the 2015 3-point contest, Curry is an overwhelming +225 chalk heading toward the weekend. And that will likely change, with the public jumping all over the NBA MVP at plus money. Behind him on the board are teammate Klay Thompson (7/2), J.J. Redick (5/1), Devin Booker (11/2), Kyle Lowry (11/2), James Harden (8/1), Khris Middleton (8/1), and Chris Bosh (12/1).

As mentioned above, if you like someone other than Curry, it’s best to sit on this until Saturday night and watch the plus-money tick up. It’ll be like dropping a tri-color money ball if that long shot happens to come through. SPLASH!

Verizon Slam Dunk Contest

Zach LaVine is trying to do something only three other leapers have done in the history of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, and that’s win back-to-back titles. Michael Jordan did it in ’87 and ’88, Jason Richardson did it in ’02 and ’03, and Nate Robinson did it in ’09 and ’10.

Oddsmakers have pegged the T-Wolves high-riser as a runaway favorite to win the dunk off Saturday, posting him at -250. That leaves pretty big payouts on the other three contestants, with Will Barton at +360, Aaron Gordon at +485, and Andre Drummond going off as a 9/1 long shot.

The dunk contest has been dominated by the betting favorites in recent years, with seven of the last nine winners coming into the event among the top two favorites and at +350 odds or lower. The only two dunkers to pull off an upset were John Wall in 2014 (+450) and Robinson in 2009 (+450) with the Kryptonite.

LaVine won in 2015 at -110 and his current price tag of 2/5 puts him on the same level as past champs like Blake Griffin (-250 in 2011) and Dwight Howard (-180 in 2009). And so he should be. The second-year pro out of UCLA is the perfect combination of explosive hops, size (big enough to get tough dunks down but small enough to look cool), and power.

Not sure how large a bet you can get down on these All-Star props at your online book, but something tells me it might not be worth the hefty cost on the fave (a $100 wager will get you $40). You might be better off throwing flyers on Barton and Gordon and hoping LaVine misses some tough dunks early on.

As for Drummond, well… the dunk contest has never been kind to bigs (outside of freaks like Howard). Watching a near 7-footer dunk is like watching a Liam Neeson from Taken play Hide and Go Seek with a bunch of toddlers (I will look for you, and I will find you…). Maybe if Drummond brings out ex-girlfriend and Disney star-gone-bad Jennette McCurdy and jumps over her or something, he’d have a chance. Even then…

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


YALE at DART 07:00 PM

YALE -9.5 BEST BET


DAY at URI 07:00 PM

DAY -2.0 BEST BET


NIAG at SPC 07:00 PM

SPC -7.5


BRWN at HARV 07:00 PM

BRWN +7.0


OHIO at BUFF 07:00 PM

BUFF -4.0 BEST BET


PENN at CLMB 07:00 PM

PENN +10.0


USC at ASU 08:00 PM

USC +1.0 BEST BET


UCLA at ARIZ 09:00 PM

ARIZ -12.0


MONM at RID 09:00 PM

MONM -5.0

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Panthers (15-11) at Shockers (18-6)
Date: February 13, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Wichita State has only lost two games in three years during Missouri Valley Conference play. While one came against Northern Iowa just over a year ago, none have come at Charles Koch Arena.

The No. 25 Shockers look to extend the longest active home winning streak in the country Saturday against the surging Panthers.

Wichita State (18-6, 12-1) is 47-2 in its last 49 conference games with one of those defeats coming at Northern Iowa on Jan. 31, 2015. The Shockers need just two more wins to clinch at least a share of a third straight MVC title, and a three-game homestand could help them achieve that.

They've won 43 straight on their own court, including 24 in league play by an average of 19.4 points.

Wichita State has won four in a row at home over the Panthers (15-11, 7-6) and took the first meeting this season, 74-55 on the road Jan. 20 behind 56.5 percent shooting overall and 8 of 15 from 3-point range.

Ron Baker had 21 points and seven rebounds in that meeting, but he's been limited to 9.8 and 5.8 in six games since. However, that drop in production is partly due to the Shockers winning five of those games by an average of 24.0 points.

They coasted to a 74-48 win at Drake on Tuesday with Baker and Shaquille Morris leading the way with 11 points apiece. Wichita State got points from 11 others and the bench had a 34-5 scoring advantage in an impressive display of depth.

"When healthy, I think we're one of the most balanced teams around," coach Gregg Marshall said. "We've got a lot of guys who can put the ball in the basket."

The Shockers are also capable of preventing opponents from doing that. They're the stingiest team in the MVC, ranking first in scoring defense (60.7) and opponent field-goal percentage (38.7).

Wichita State has been even better over the last three games, limiting teams to 53.7 points and 28.0 percent from the field.

The Panthers, though, will present a challenge. They've averaged 71.4 points on 47.3 percent shooting during a five-game win streak following a four-game skid.

Jeremy Morgan led four players in double figures with a career-high 21 points and UNI went 10 for 23 from long range in an 83-69 victory over Missouri State on Wednesday.

Morgan, who also added eight rebounds and five assists, only managed three points on 1-of-6 shooting against Wichita State last month. He's averaged just 4.8 points in five career meetings.

The Panthers have won both games this season against ranked opponents, stunning then-No. 1 North Carolina on Nov. 21 and then-No. 5 Iowa State on Dec. 19.

However, both those victories came at home and they haven't beaten a Top 25 foe on the road since winning at No. 16 Wichita State on Dec. 30, 2006. That's UNI's only road win over a ranked opponent in program history.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Horned Frogs (11-13) at Mountainers (19-5)
Date: February 13, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

West Virginia's Jonathan Holton had one of his best performances of the season against TCU last month. His return from suspension gives him a chance to better that effort.

After splitting four games without Holton, the No. 10 Mountaineers go for an eighth straight win over the last-place Horned Frogs in this Big 12 matchup Saturday.

Holton was suspended four games for an undisclosed violation of team rules, leaving West Virginia (19-5, 8-3) without its second-leading rebounder (7.5 per game) and fifth-leading scorer (9.7 ppg).

The senior forward finished two points shy of his season high Jan. 4, scoring 15 on 6-of-8 shooting with six boards in a 95-87 win over TCU (11-13, 2-9).

Holton's return should bolster the Mountaineers on the glass after they were outrebounded in each of the last two games, falling 75-65 to sixth-ranked Kansas on Tuesday following an 80-69 victory over then-No. 15 Baylor last Saturday.

"If you're not mentally ready to go this is a hard league to play in," coach Bob Huggins told the team's official website.

Huggins is also looking for the Mountaineers to show improvement shooting after connecting on 37.3 percent from the floor - 5 of 20 from 3-point range - against the Jayhawks.

"You just can't miss that many shots," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. "You can't miss that many transition opportunities. We had all kinds of transition opportunities and we didn't convert one."

Daxter Miles Jr. had a forgettable game against Kansas, scoring two points while missing 7 of 8 shots. He had a season-high 20 points against the Bears three days earlier and contributed 14 at TCU last month.

Jaysean Paige had a team-high 20 points in that matchup as West Virginia improved to 7-0 all-time against the Horned Frogs.

Remaining perfect in the series will keep West Virginia tied atop the Big 12 as fellow co-leaders Kansas and Oklahoma meet in Norman later in the day.

Huggins, though, isn't taking the Horned Frogs lightly since they shot 57.7 percent from the floor and 9 for 17 from long range against the Mountaineers. They ended a seven-game skid in conference play by beating visiting Oklahoma State 63-56 on Monday, but have lost five straight league road games by an average of 19.2 points.

"They're playing better and they're going to play better because they are coached well," Huggins said of his counterpart Trent Johnson. "He coaches them up. I think because they were young on the perimeter they were maybe a little more inside-oriented the last time we played them. Then they started making shots. They are very capable of making shots as they did the other day against Oklahoma State."

TCU had 44 points and shot 65.2 percent in the second half against the Cowboys.

Brandon Parrish led the way with 15 points off the bench, but he was held to five against West Virginia last month. He was even worse in the last visit to Morgantown on Jan. 24, 2015, scoring three points in an 86-85 overtime defeat.

TCU has lost 32 of its last 33 games against ranked opponents, including 11 in a row during which it has allowed 78.7 points and 51.6 percent shooting.

The Horned Frogs have lost 34 consecutive such matchups on the road, dating to a win over No. 24 Hawaii on Jan. 19, 1998.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wildcats (18-6) at Gamecocks (21-3)
Date: February 13, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Recall last season's meetings between Kentucky and South Carolina and one might immediately pass the next off as a waste of time. It's probably a valid response when one team converts more field goals in 40 minutes than the other did in 80.

But the Wildcats are no longer a near or unanimous No. 1 the way they were in those games. And the Gamecocks aren't blindly scrambling for their first respectable season under Frank Martin.

Instead, when they meet Saturday in Columbia, one will fall from a three-way tie atop the SEC and the other will have done away with possibly the biggest threat standing in the way of a regular-season crown.

The teams find themselves here with a little give on the part of No. 22 Kentucky (18-6, 8-3) and plenty of take from South Carolina (21-3, 8-3). The Wildcats won last season's meetings by an average score of 67.5-43.0, limiting the Gamecocks to 25 field goals on 23.1 percent shooting.

John Calipari's team marched on unbeaten until the Final Four, while Martin settled for a 17-16 season after going 28-38 in his first two at the school.

The improvement hasn't been so subtle this season.

While no longer in the Top 25 and long departed from their 15-0 start, the Gamecocks followed last Saturday's 81-78 victory at then-No. 8 Texas A&M with Wednesday's 94-83 home win over LSU - the other team that enters Saturday at 8-3 in the league.

A treble of consecutive victories over each of the teams closest to them in the standings is the next step, which would also secure them their first 22-win season since finishing 23-15 in 2005-06.

"Enjoy being tied for first place. You've earned it," Martin told his team after the win over the Tigers. "But it's not time to celebrate."

Sindarius Thornwell scored 24 points, and the team's No. 2 scorer has averaged 19.2 on 41.2 percent shooting in his last five after posting 11.6 and 34.2 marks through 19 games. Top scorer Michael Carrera is at 20.3 points on 55.8 percent in his last seven after scoring 11.6 on 47.1 through 17.

Kentucky has won eight of the last nine meetings, but the loss came under circumstances similar to now with then-No. 17 Kentucky falling 72-67 at South Carolina on March 1, 2014. Dating to that win, Thornwell has averaged 16.0 points in three meetings, but it's come on 27.3 percent shooting.

While the Gamecocks are 13-0 at home for the first time since 1997-98 - when they lost their 14th game to eventual national champion Kentucky to end a 22-game home streak - the Wildcats are 2-5 on the road with four losses coming against unranked SEC foes.

There's also the matter of Kentucky having some key players either out, questionable or at least limited.

"I think if you look around the country, everybody on the road is struggling. When you're not a dominating team, it's hard to win on the road. ... I'd like to see how we respond," Calipari said.

"We don't have Alex (Poythress). Dom(inique Hawkins) is still probably 80 percent. Jamal (Murray) didn't practice (Thursday). He bumped knees and did it in the game, so he didn't practice. It'll be - this is a great test for us. They don't lose many games there and they're playing well."

So is Kentucky after Tuesday's 82-48 win followed a 80-61 win over Florida last Saturday. Both were at home, but the Wildcats shot a combined 51.8 percent and hit 53.7 percent of their 3-pointers.

Most of that's came from Murray, who had 24 points versus Georgia after a personal-best 35 against Florida and went a combined 14 of 20 from long range.

Calipari focused on the other end, where the Wildcats held the Bulldogs to 22.0 percent - reminiscent of some of those 2014-15 efforts.

"Now, we are back playing defense. We are really working on our team defense," he said. "If you make it an emphasis, they will do it."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Hoyas (14-11) at Friars (18-7)
Date: February 13, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Providence hasn't won since a tight contest at Georgetown two weeks ago.

These Big East rivals meet again Saturday, with the visiting Hoyas looking to hand the 20th-ranked Friars a fourth straight defeat.

Providence (18-7, 6-6) is in danger of dropping out of the Top 25 after a 96-91 loss in double overtime at Marquette on Wednesday. The Friars were swept by a Golden Eagles team below them in the standings.

'The two losses to these guys here is devastating, how we lost them both,' coach Ed Cooley said. 'That's on me as the coach. Hopefully I do a better job if we're fortunate to play them again.'

First his club has to face Georgetown (14-11, 7-5) again after winning 73-69 on the road Jan. 30. Stars Ben Bentil and Kris Dunn each scored 26 points and got to the line for 10 attempts.

"They have two players that are elite, and they played like it," said Georgetown coach John Thompson III after that contest.

Bentil turned in an elite performance Wednesday with a career-high 42 points while Dunn had 17 points, seven boards and six assists. It wasn't enough to prevent the Friars from moving to the verge of their first four-game slide in three seasons.

'Devastating loss,' said Cooley, whose club is tied for sixth in the conference and seeing its NCAA Tournament seeding drop thanks to this skid.

Last month's loss to Providence started a three-game slide for Georgetown, which ended it with Monday's 92-67 rout of a St. John's team that has the nation's longest losing streak at 15 straight. D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera scored 24 and Isaac Copeland had 23 and eight boards for the Hoyas, who weren't complaining about the caliber of their opponent.

"We needed a game like this, especially with Providence coming up on Saturday," Copeland said. "They're one of the toughest teams in the conference and the nation, so we needed a game like this to build our confidence up and be able to go on the road and get a win."

Smith-Rivera and L.J. Peak combined for 37 points the last time these teams met. Copeland was held to two points in 19 minutes but he is averaging 17.3 points on 50 percent shooting with 20 total rebounds in the three games since.

"He's been all over the place, which I've said all along he has the ability to do," Thompson said. "He's been really locked in and focused on pursuing rebounds, he's getting deflections, he's coming up with loose balls, his defense has been pretty good and all of a sudden now the points come, so I just think he's been playing a complete game."

This contest features the Big East's top three scorers, with Bentil averaging 20.6 points, Dunn 17.0 and Smith-Rivera 16.7. Peak, who started his first 12 games, is second in the conference among reserves with a 12.8 scoring average.

Providence's 2-4 home conference mark is the third-worst in the Big East. Georgetown has dropped three straight on the road since winning 81-72 over then-No. 5 Xavier on Jan. 19.