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Conference Championship Betting Previews
AAC Conference Championship Game Betting Preview
The Huskies might have sealed at least an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament already, but the Tigers definitely need a victory to gain a bid.
Memphis Tigers vs. Connecticut Huskies (-5.5, 139.5)
Two teams that endured many ups and downs in the regular season will meet for the American Athletic Conference tournament title Sunday when fifth seeded Connecticut takes on No. 6 seed Memphis in Orlando, Fla. UConn lost four of seven before winning its last three and the Tigers have won four of five after a stretch in which they slumped to 3-8.
The Huskies, who beat Memphis twice during the regular season, followed up their heart-stopping four-overtime triumph against Cincinnati on Friday with a solid effort in a 77-62 win over top seed Temple on Saturday. “(The players) were focused and determined to get to this championship game,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie, whose team has lost in the final two straight years, told reporters. “. … These young men came out and played with resilience. They were tough. They played with heart.” Memphis has raised its level of play on offense a few notches, averaging 82 points in the last three games after routing both Tulsa and Tulane in the tournament. The Huskies might have sealed at least an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament already, but the Tigers definitely need a victory to gain a bid.
TV: 3:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
BETTING STATS:
Memphis - 19-14 SU, 13-17 ATS, 15-15 O/U
Connecticut - 23-10 SU, 15-13-1 ATS, 13-15-1 O/U
POWER RANKINGS: Memphis Tigers (-0.523) - Connecticut Huskies (-4.89) = Connecticut -4.367
ABOUT MEMPHIS (19-14): The Tigers have gotten contributions from many different players on the offensive end in the first two games of the tournament and forced Tulane into 18 turnovers in the semifinals. Freshman Dedric Lawson is averaging 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and three assists in the tournament while senior Shaq Goodwin scored 16 on Saturday while making 8-of-14 from the field. Guard Avery Woodson, who is scoring 9.6 per game and has made 77 from 3-point range this season, is doubtful after suffering a shoulder injury Friday.
ABOUT CONNECTICUT (23-10): Daniel Hamilton is playing some of his best basketball at the right time in the tournament while averaging 25.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, five assists and turning the ball over just three times in two games. Freshman Jalen Adams, who drained a 62-foot shot to send Friday’s game to a fourth overtime, has poured in 33 points in the tournament and forward Shonn Miller scored 19 on Saturday. The Huskies need a big game from 7-0 center Amida Brimah, who boasts 16 rebounds and eight blocked shots in the tournament.
TRENDS:
* Tigers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 4-1 in Tigers last 5 neutral site games.
* Over is 4-0-1 in Huskies last 5 neutral site games.
* Over is 5-1 in Huskies last 6 vs. American Athletic Conference.
Big Ten Conference Championship Game Betting Preview
Michigan State (plus-11.7) and Purdue (plus-11.3) rank first and second, respectively, in the country in rebounding margin.
Purdue Boilermakers vs. Michigan St Spartans (-4, 142.5)
Denzel Valentine has flirted with a triple-double in both of Michigan State's wins in the Big Ten tournament, but it was A.J. Hammons' near-miss at the feat last month that made the biggest difference in a Purdue victory. Hammons and his 13th-ranked Boilermakers eye for a repeat of that overtime win Sunday when they square off in the championship game against Valentine and his third-ranked Spartans in Indianapolis.
Valentine tallied 27 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists against Purdue on Feb. 9, but Hammons' 19 points, 13 boards and career-high tying eight blocks proved to be just enough in an 82-81 home triumph in which the Boilermakers won despite blowing an 18-point second-half advantage. Hammons was nearly as dominant in Saturday's 76-59 semifinal win over Michigan, finishing with 27 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks for the fourth-seeded Boilermakers, who have won their two tournament games by an average of 24 points. No. 2 seed Michigan State was pushed to the limit later Saturday as it made its way to the conference title game for the third straight season, edging Maryland 64-61. Valentine has done nothing to damage his candidacy for national player of the year honors over two games in Indianapolis, averaging 18.5 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, CBS
BETTING STATS:
Purdue - 26-7 SU, 17-11-1 ATS, 15-14 O/U
Michigan St - 28-5 SU, 22-10 ATS, 16-16 O/U
POWER RANKINGS: Purdue Boilermakers (-13.99) - Michigan St Spartans (-17) = Michigan St -3.01
ABOUT PURDUE (26-7): Hammons (15.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 blocks) has scored in double figures in 14 straight outings and became the only the third player in school history to amass 900 career rebounds Saturday while also moving within 14 blocks of breaking Joe Barry Carroll's school mark (349). Fellow senior and defensive stopper Rapheal Davis tied a career high with 24 points in the Boilermakers' lone head-to-head meeting with Michigan State and is three points shy of becoming the eighth player in school history with 1,000 career points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists. Purdue has shot at least 50 percent from the field in six straight games, converting 56.4 of their field goals and 45.9 percent of its 3-point attempts over that span.
ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (28-5): Valentine (19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.6 assists) is averaging 21.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 8.8 assists during the Spartans' last 13 games (12-1) and is almost certain to become the first player to average 19 points, seven assists and seven boards since the NCAA began tracking assists in 1983-84. Bryn Forbes (14.6 points) drilled a Big Ten-record 11 3-pointers en route to a career-high 33 points in Michigan State's penultimate regular-season game, but the nation's top long-distance shooter is only 4-of-17 from long-range and has totaled 27 points over his last three outings. Michigan State is 25-of-29 from the foul line in Indianapolis, although Valentine (8-of-9) and Matt Costello (6-of-6) were the only Spartans to attempt a foul shot Saturday.
TRENDS:
* Boilermakers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Spartans are 12-1 ATS in their last 13 vs. Big Ten.
* Over is 7-0 in Boilermakers last 7 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings.
SEC Conference Championship Game Betting Preview
No. 1 seed Texas A&M edged past Florida in the quarterfinals on Friday before ending LSU’s tournament run with a 71-38 demolition on Saturday.
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Texas A&M Aggies (+3.5, 141.5)
Texas A&M reached its first conference tournament final since 1990 with a dominating performance on Saturday. The Aggies will try to turn that into their first tournament title since winning the Southwest Conference in 198 when they face Kentucky in the SEC tournament final on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.
No. 1 seed Texas A&M edged past Florida in the quarterfinals on Friday before ending LSU’s tournament run with a 71-38 demolition on Saturday. The Aggies held the Tigers to 20.6 percent shooting and bottled up freshman star Ben Simmons in the easy win, marking their eighth straight victory overall. One of those eight straight wins came over the Wildcats 79-77 in overtime on Feb. 20, and No. 2 seed Kentucky earned its chance to avenge that defeat by easing past Alabama in the quarterfinals and rallying from a second-half deficit against Georgia in a 93-80 win on Saturday. “We’re built for this,” Wildcats forward Alex Poythress told reporters. “We needed a tough game like this that we had to go back and forth, down a little bit, a little adversity. I felt like we responded real well.”
TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN
BETTING STATS:
Kentucky - 25-8 SU, 17-16 ATS, 18-14-1 O/U
Texas A&M - 26-7 SU, 15-11-2 ATS, 11-17 O/U
POWER RANKINGS: Kentucky Wildcats (-12.4) - Texas A&M Aggies (-12.65) = Texas A&M -0.25
ABOUT KENTUCKY (25-8, 13-5 SEC): The Wildcats are playing in the SEC tournament final for the sixth time in coach John Calipari’s seven years as head coach and going for their fourth title in that span – second in a row. Kentucky leaned on its backcourt combination of Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray to keep them in the game early, and the two ended up with a combined 51 points while playing 39 minutes apiece, before spreading out the scoring during the second half comeback. “We kind of try to figure out the different ways to score and just got it done,” forward Marcus Lee told reporters. “We’re not set in stone of who’s supposed to score and who’s supposed to get things done. We just try to help each other as much as we can.”
ABOUT TEXAS A&M (26-7, 13-5): The Aggies earned the top spot in the SEC tournament thanks to that Feb. 20 win, in which Tyler Davis put back Danuel House’s missed at the buzzer to give them the victory. Jalen Jones led Texas A&M with 24 points in that game and was the only starter to reach double figures with 12 points on Saturday as the team had the luxury of resting its top unit for most of the second half. “I'm thrilled with the effort that we played with, especially on the defensive end,” Aggies coach Billy Kennedy told reporters. “I thought we did a really good job of being physical and walling up and forcing them to take some tough shots. Our bench came in and offensively did a really good job of moving the ball and played really unselfish.”
TRENDS:
* Wildcats are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Aggies are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 vs. Southeastern.
* Over is 4-0 in Wildcats last 4 neutral site games.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
AAC Conference Championship Game Betting Preview
The Huskies might have sealed at least an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament already, but the Tigers definitely need a victory to gain a bid.
Memphis Tigers vs. Connecticut Huskies (-5.5, 139.5)
Two teams that endured many ups and downs in the regular season will meet for the American Athletic Conference tournament title Sunday when fifth seeded Connecticut takes on No. 6 seed Memphis in Orlando, Fla. UConn lost four of seven before winning its last three and the Tigers have won four of five after a stretch in which they slumped to 3-8.
The Huskies, who beat Memphis twice during the regular season, followed up their heart-stopping four-overtime triumph against Cincinnati on Friday with a solid effort in a 77-62 win over top seed Temple on Saturday. “(The players) were focused and determined to get to this championship game,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie, whose team has lost in the final two straight years, told reporters. “. … These young men came out and played with resilience. They were tough. They played with heart.” Memphis has raised its level of play on offense a few notches, averaging 82 points in the last three games after routing both Tulsa and Tulane in the tournament. The Huskies might have sealed at least an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament already, but the Tigers definitely need a victory to gain a bid.
TV: 3:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
BETTING STATS:
Memphis - 19-14 SU, 13-17 ATS, 15-15 O/U
Connecticut - 23-10 SU, 15-13-1 ATS, 13-15-1 O/U
POWER RANKINGS: Memphis Tigers (-0.523) - Connecticut Huskies (-4.89) = Connecticut -4.367
ABOUT MEMPHIS (19-14): The Tigers have gotten contributions from many different players on the offensive end in the first two games of the tournament and forced Tulane into 18 turnovers in the semifinals. Freshman Dedric Lawson is averaging 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and three assists in the tournament while senior Shaq Goodwin scored 16 on Saturday while making 8-of-14 from the field. Guard Avery Woodson, who is scoring 9.6 per game and has made 77 from 3-point range this season, is doubtful after suffering a shoulder injury Friday.
ABOUT CONNECTICUT (23-10): Daniel Hamilton is playing some of his best basketball at the right time in the tournament while averaging 25.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, five assists and turning the ball over just three times in two games. Freshman Jalen Adams, who drained a 62-foot shot to send Friday’s game to a fourth overtime, has poured in 33 points in the tournament and forward Shonn Miller scored 19 on Saturday. The Huskies need a big game from 7-0 center Amida Brimah, who boasts 16 rebounds and eight blocked shots in the tournament.
TRENDS:
* Tigers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 4-1 in Tigers last 5 neutral site games.
* Over is 4-0-1 in Huskies last 5 neutral site games.
* Over is 5-1 in Huskies last 6 vs. American Athletic Conference.
Big Ten Conference Championship Game Betting Preview
Michigan State (plus-11.7) and Purdue (plus-11.3) rank first and second, respectively, in the country in rebounding margin.
Purdue Boilermakers vs. Michigan St Spartans (-4, 142.5)
Denzel Valentine has flirted with a triple-double in both of Michigan State's wins in the Big Ten tournament, but it was A.J. Hammons' near-miss at the feat last month that made the biggest difference in a Purdue victory. Hammons and his 13th-ranked Boilermakers eye for a repeat of that overtime win Sunday when they square off in the championship game against Valentine and his third-ranked Spartans in Indianapolis.
Valentine tallied 27 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists against Purdue on Feb. 9, but Hammons' 19 points, 13 boards and career-high tying eight blocks proved to be just enough in an 82-81 home triumph in which the Boilermakers won despite blowing an 18-point second-half advantage. Hammons was nearly as dominant in Saturday's 76-59 semifinal win over Michigan, finishing with 27 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks for the fourth-seeded Boilermakers, who have won their two tournament games by an average of 24 points. No. 2 seed Michigan State was pushed to the limit later Saturday as it made its way to the conference title game for the third straight season, edging Maryland 64-61. Valentine has done nothing to damage his candidacy for national player of the year honors over two games in Indianapolis, averaging 18.5 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, CBS
BETTING STATS:
Purdue - 26-7 SU, 17-11-1 ATS, 15-14 O/U
Michigan St - 28-5 SU, 22-10 ATS, 16-16 O/U
POWER RANKINGS: Purdue Boilermakers (-13.99) - Michigan St Spartans (-17) = Michigan St -3.01
ABOUT PURDUE (26-7): Hammons (15.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 blocks) has scored in double figures in 14 straight outings and became the only the third player in school history to amass 900 career rebounds Saturday while also moving within 14 blocks of breaking Joe Barry Carroll's school mark (349). Fellow senior and defensive stopper Rapheal Davis tied a career high with 24 points in the Boilermakers' lone head-to-head meeting with Michigan State and is three points shy of becoming the eighth player in school history with 1,000 career points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists. Purdue has shot at least 50 percent from the field in six straight games, converting 56.4 of their field goals and 45.9 percent of its 3-point attempts over that span.
ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (28-5): Valentine (19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.6 assists) is averaging 21.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 8.8 assists during the Spartans' last 13 games (12-1) and is almost certain to become the first player to average 19 points, seven assists and seven boards since the NCAA began tracking assists in 1983-84. Bryn Forbes (14.6 points) drilled a Big Ten-record 11 3-pointers en route to a career-high 33 points in Michigan State's penultimate regular-season game, but the nation's top long-distance shooter is only 4-of-17 from long-range and has totaled 27 points over his last three outings. Michigan State is 25-of-29 from the foul line in Indianapolis, although Valentine (8-of-9) and Matt Costello (6-of-6) were the only Spartans to attempt a foul shot Saturday.
TRENDS:
* Boilermakers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Spartans are 12-1 ATS in their last 13 vs. Big Ten.
* Over is 7-0 in Boilermakers last 7 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings.
SEC Conference Championship Game Betting Preview
No. 1 seed Texas A&M edged past Florida in the quarterfinals on Friday before ending LSU’s tournament run with a 71-38 demolition on Saturday.
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Texas A&M Aggies (+3.5, 141.5)
Texas A&M reached its first conference tournament final since 1990 with a dominating performance on Saturday. The Aggies will try to turn that into their first tournament title since winning the Southwest Conference in 198 when they face Kentucky in the SEC tournament final on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.
No. 1 seed Texas A&M edged past Florida in the quarterfinals on Friday before ending LSU’s tournament run with a 71-38 demolition on Saturday. The Aggies held the Tigers to 20.6 percent shooting and bottled up freshman star Ben Simmons in the easy win, marking their eighth straight victory overall. One of those eight straight wins came over the Wildcats 79-77 in overtime on Feb. 20, and No. 2 seed Kentucky earned its chance to avenge that defeat by easing past Alabama in the quarterfinals and rallying from a second-half deficit against Georgia in a 93-80 win on Saturday. “We’re built for this,” Wildcats forward Alex Poythress told reporters. “We needed a tough game like this that we had to go back and forth, down a little bit, a little adversity. I felt like we responded real well.”
TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN
BETTING STATS:
Kentucky - 25-8 SU, 17-16 ATS, 18-14-1 O/U
Texas A&M - 26-7 SU, 15-11-2 ATS, 11-17 O/U
POWER RANKINGS: Kentucky Wildcats (-12.4) - Texas A&M Aggies (-12.65) = Texas A&M -0.25
ABOUT KENTUCKY (25-8, 13-5 SEC): The Wildcats are playing in the SEC tournament final for the sixth time in coach John Calipari’s seven years as head coach and going for their fourth title in that span – second in a row. Kentucky leaned on its backcourt combination of Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray to keep them in the game early, and the two ended up with a combined 51 points while playing 39 minutes apiece, before spreading out the scoring during the second half comeback. “We kind of try to figure out the different ways to score and just got it done,” forward Marcus Lee told reporters. “We’re not set in stone of who’s supposed to score and who’s supposed to get things done. We just try to help each other as much as we can.”
ABOUT TEXAS A&M (26-7, 13-5): The Aggies earned the top spot in the SEC tournament thanks to that Feb. 20 win, in which Tyler Davis put back Danuel House’s missed at the buzzer to give them the victory. Jalen Jones led Texas A&M with 24 points in that game and was the only starter to reach double figures with 12 points on Saturday as the team had the luxury of resting its top unit for most of the second half. “I'm thrilled with the effort that we played with, especially on the defensive end,” Aggies coach Billy Kennedy told reporters. “I thought we did a really good job of being physical and walling up and forcing them to take some tough shots. Our bench came in and offensively did a really good job of moving the ball and played really unselfish.”
TRENDS:
* Wildcats are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Aggies are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 vs. Southeastern.
* Over is 4-0 in Wildcats last 4 neutral site games.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
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