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**Udog** · 03-27-2016, 08:37 AM

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

The following is based on Baseball America's top 30 prospects for each team:

-- Twins, Blue Jays, Giants are only three big league teams whose top 30 minor league prospects are all home-grown.

-- Braves (14), Padres/Phillies (19 each) have least home-grown top prospects.

-- Twins/Rangers (14 each), Royals (12) have most international top prospects.

-- Blue Jays (17), Rays (15), Reds/Pirates (13) have most high school prospects.

-- Braves have acquired 15 of their top 30 prospects via trade.

-- Giants (19), Angels (15), Astros (14) have most college top prospects.

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Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Happy Easter to those you believe.......

13) Oklahoma 80, Oregon 68-- Sooners made 12-24 on arc, jumped out quickly and made quick work of the Ducks. Buddy Hield scored 37, made 8-13 on arc and was too much for Oregon, which got only seven points from Dillon Brooks.

12) Villanova 64, Kansas 59-- Strange stat: since 2003, #2-seeds are now 13-5 against #1-seeds SU in regional finals.

Teams combined to go 10-40 on arc in this brickfest. Jayhawks got zero bench points in this game. Bupkus. Bill Self is 2-4 in regional finals; he was favored in all six games.

11) Was reminded yesterday of Jeff Van Gundy's wish that any 3-point shot that is banked in only count as two points. I wouldn't be against that.

10) Greedy bastard update: Gas is back up to $2.29 in beautiful downtown Colonie, after it had gotten down to $2.03 last month. I'm told gas was in $1.60's in Ohio this winter. Price here went up a dime in one day here-- greedy bastards.

9) Home plate ump in Toronto-Philly game Friday looks like he is 15 years old; guy got drilled by a foul ball, he takes his mask off and I'm like, "Why is a kid umping the plate in a big league game?" They said his name; he is already in the majors, too.

8) I'm not a big fan of Reds' TV guy Thom Brennaman; he is brutally honest, but for a spring training game, thats good, because you learn stuff about the Reds' roster you might need for fantasy baseball. Cincinnati is in a major rebuild mode.

He and Chris Walsh were whining about the Reds playing three night games in Wrigley field on their first road trip-- guess they don't like cold weather.

7) Atlanta-Colorado-Milwaukee-Cincinnati-- lot of NL teams are rebuilding.

6) Brennaman was killing the Reds' lineup, saying because no one good hits behind Joey Votto, he is likely to draw 200+ walks this season. Votto won't expand his zone to avoid walks, he just lets pitchers walk him. Maybe he should bat leadoff.

5) Fact of Life: baseball players get hurt a lot, thats hard part of fantasy baseball, it is so aggravating. Brewers lost reliever Will Smith this weekend: he tore the LCL in his knee, when he was putting his shoe on. Seriously.

Imagine if you owned the Brewers and were paying Will Smith $1.475M this year and he blows his knee out putting his shoes on? He is a professional athlete!!!! Oy.

4) Singer Huey Lewis was in uniform and in the Giants' dugout Saturday; no word on whether he got hurt putting his shoes on, and Lewis is 65.

3) Rumors have Pitt Panthers going after Vandy coach Kevin Stallings, who has done well with the Commodores, going 332-220 there, 138-142 in SEC play. Vandy loses so much in football that 138-142 sounds like a great record-- Stallings has been there for 17 years. I'm not even sure Pitt is a better hoop job than Vanderbilt, money aside. Pretty sure he would get a substantial raise in Pittsburgh.

2) Early spread for next weekend: Villanova -1.5 over Oklahoma.

1) CIT tournament has a great mascot matchup today: Cal-Irvine is down south to play Coastal Carolina, the Anteaters against the Chanticleers. Top that.

**Udog** · 03-27-2016, 08:37 AM

Syracuse vs. Virginia: Elite Eight betting preview

Virginia has been a great bet in the later part of the season and during their tourney run, going 11-2-1 ATS in its last 14 games overall.

No. 10 Syracuse Orange vs. No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers (-8, 124)

Game to be played at United Center, Chicago, IL

A much-anticipated night of all-ACC action in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight begins in Chicago on Sunday when top-seeded Virginia meets No. 10 seed Syracuse in the Midwest Region final. The Cavaliers contended for their third straight regular-season crown in the high-powered conference while the Orange finished ninth and squeaked into the NCAA Tournament, but both are a win away from joining a league mate in North Carolina or Notre Dame - who play later in the evening - in the Final Four.

Virginia will be playing for its first Final Four berth since 1984 after shooting 56.1 percent to fend off Iowa State 84-71 on Friday. "I feel like we've just gotten better and better," ACC Player of the Year Malcolm Brogdon told reporters following a 12-point effort versus the Cyclones. "We've battled through our ups and downs, and it's a huge accomplishment." Syracuse is used to long tournament runs, but this one - in a season where coach Jim Boeheim was suspended for nine games by the NCAA and the squad dropped five of six down the stretch - has defied the odds. "These guys have fought all year, and every game we've been behind, we've been in some tough situations, and they've battled through them all year," Boeheim told the media after his team erased a late nine-point lead to tip Gonzaga 63-60 on Friday.

TV: 6:09 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: No. 1 seed Virginia opened as 8-point favorites over No. 10 Syracuse and the line has yet to move off that number. The total saw immediate action however. The Over/Under opened at a low 122 and was very quickly bet up two whole points to the current number of 124. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (22-13, 19-15 ATS, 17-17 O/U): The Orange's trademark zone defense has stifled opponents in the tournament, allowing an average of 53.7 points. Leading scorer Michael Gbinije (17.8 points per game) has topped the 20-point mark in his last two games and guard Trevor Cooney has broken free from a late-season slump by averaging 13.3 points and shooting 50 percent from 3-point range in the tournament. Boeheim is in the Elite Eight for the seventh time and is seeking his fifth Final Four berth.

ABOUT VIRGINIA (29-7, 19-14-1 ATS, 14-20 O/U): While Brogdon has been an inconsistent tournament performer, shooting 36.8 percent from the floor in eight career games, fellow senior Anthony Gill has been a steady leader. Gill had 23 points and eight rebounds versus Iowa State, is averaging 20.3 points on 71.9 percent shooting in this year's tournament and has scored in double figures in all but one of those eight career March Madness contests. Another senior, Mike Tobey, has emerged in this year's Big Dance with 36 points on 17-of-23 shooting in 44 minutes off the bench.

TRENDS:

* Syracuse is 4-0 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Virginia is 12-3-1 ATS in its last 16 games overall.
* Under is 4-0 in Syracuse's last four NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 11-2 in Virginia's last 13 versus Atlantic Coast conference opponents.

CONSENSUS: Bettors are all over the dog in this matchup with 65 percent of wagers on Syracuse. As for the total, bettors think while the game may not be a high scoring affair, it will go over the low number with 64 percent on the over.

Notre Dame vs. North Carolina: Elight Eight betting preview

The Tar Heels are 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS since the start of postseason play.

No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels (-10, 155)

Game to be played at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

Top-seeded North Carolina may be peaking at just the right time and only ACC-rival Notre Dame stands in the way of a trip to the Final Four. The Tar Heels have won eight straight games – the last three in the NCAA Tournament by a combined 50 points – as they prepare to take on sixth seed Notre Dame in the East Regional final on Sunday at Philadelphia.

“One game away,” North Carolina forward Brice Johnson told reporters after his team shot 51.6 percent from the field in a 101-86 win over Indiana on Friday. “We’re not done. We’ve got to go out there and play.” Senior point guard Marcus Paige’s revival is taking the Tar Heels’ offense to a new level after he matched the program record in the NCAA Tournament with six 3-pointers and scored 21 on Friday – his highest output since registering the same against Notre Dame on Feb. 6. The Fighting Irish won that contest 80-76 at home, but were held to 30 percent shooting in a 78-47 loss to North Carolina in the ACC tournament semifinals. Notre Dame has won six games combined in consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time in its history and reached the Elite Eight for the second straight year after losing to Kentucky in 2015.

TV: 8:49 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: No. 1 seeded North Carolina opened as big 10.5-point favorites over Notre Dame, but early money was backing the Irish, moving the line to the current number of Tar Heels -10. As for the total, the number opened at 156 and has been bet down one point to the current number of 155. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (24-11, 16-16-1 ATS, 16-17 O/U): Forward V.J. Beachem has been a major factor in the NCAA Tournament while averaging 17.3 points in three games – more than five above his seasonal average – and draining 9-of-17 from 3-point range. Point guard Demetrius Jackson leads the team in scoring (15.5) and assists (4.7) while forward Zach Auguste (14.3 points, team-high 10.9 rebounds) has 22 double-doubles. The Irish have won their three NCAA games by a combined 13 points after a 61-56 triumph against Wisconsin on Friday and go after their first Final Four appearance since 1978.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (31-6, 18-18-1 ATS, 19-18 O/U): Johnson (16.8 points, 10.5 rebounds) has recorded 22 double-doubles to tie Billy Cunningham (1964) for the single-season team record and needs 13 boards to boast the most in program history for one campaign. Paige, who struggled shooting most of this season (39.6 percent), may still be the key to unlock a sixth NCAA title for the Tar Heels after making 11-of-21 from 3-point range in the last three games. Paige told reporters, “I just wanted to stay aggressive, and the rim looked pretty big to me (Friday) so I hope it’s just the arena so I can do it again on Sunday.”

TRENDS:

* Notre Dame is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* North Carolina is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Notre Dame's last six games versus a team with a winning SU record.
* Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

CONSENSUS: Bettors think 10-points is too many to be favored by at this point in the tourney and early on 58 percent of wagers are backing Notre Dame. When it comes to the total, 67 percent of wagers are on the over.

**Udog** · 03-27-2016, 08:38 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Sunday, March 27

Notre Dame @ North Carolina

Game 711-712
March 27, 2016 @ 8:49 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Notre Dame
67.568
North Carolina
74.970
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
North Carolina
by 7 1/2
159
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
North Carolina
by 10
154 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Notre Dame
(+10); Over

Syracuse @ Virginia

Game 713-714
March 27, 2016 @ 6:09 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Syracuse
70.545
Virginia
75.623
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Virginia
by 5
129
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Virginia
by 8
123 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Syracuse
(+8); Over

New Jersey Tech @ Columbia

Game 715-716
March 27, 2016 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Jersey Tech
49.015
Columbia
64.597
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Columbia
by 15 1/2
150
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Columbia
by 9 1/2
144
Dunkel Pick:
Columbia
(-9 1/2); Over

UC Irvine @ Coastal Carolina

Game 717-718
March 27, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
UC Irvine
58.213
Coastal Carolina
50.631
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
UC Irvine
by 7 1/2
142
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
UC Irvine
by 4
134
Dunkel Pick:
UC Irvine
(-4); Over

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Sunday, March 27

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NOTRE DAME (24 - 11) vs. N CAROLINA (31 - 6) - 3/27/2016, 8:45 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NOTRE DAME is 4-2 against the spread versus N CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
N CAROLINA is 3-3 straight up against NOTRE DAME over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SYRACUSE (22 - 13) vs. VIRGINIA (29 - 7) - 3/27/2016, 6:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
VIRGINIA is 2-1 against the spread versus SYRACUSE over the last 3 seasons
VIRGINIA is 3-0 straight up against SYRACUSE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW JERSEY TECH (20 - 14) at COLUMBIA (23 - 10) - 3/27/2016, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBIA is 51-32 ATS (+15.8 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
NEW JERSEY TECH is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY TECH is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY TECH is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY TECH is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY TECH is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBIA is 1-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY TECH over the last 3 seasons

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UC-IRVINE (27 - 9) at COASTAL CAROLINA (21 - 11) - 3/27/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UC-IRVINE is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as a road favorite of 3 points or less or pick over the last 3 seasons.

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

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NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, March 27

Syracuse lost 73-64 at Virginia Jan 24, despite going 13-30 on arc in that game; Orange allowed only 53.7 ppg in first three tourney wins, albeit vs seeds 7-15-11. In regional finals since 2005, teams seeded #6 or lower are 11-2 vs spread. Much like Iowa St., Syracuse has no depth, so fouls are an issue. Virginia is 16-3 in its last 19 games, with losses to teams in top 25; Cavaliers shoot 40.3% on arc, have #16 eFG%, are #87 in experience. Virginia played only two kids more than 28:00 Friday; Syracuse played four kids 32:00+ Friday. Dogs are 8-5 vs spread in last 13 Midwest Region finals.

Notre Dame beat North Carolina 80-76 at home Feb 6; outscoring UNC 31-16 on foul line (Heels led by 9 at half), then got squashed by 31 in ACC tourney three weeks ago. Irish won five of last six games; in last two, they outscored foes 14-3 in last 1:00 of game. Carolina won its last eight games; they made 11-20 on arc Friday, unusual for them (32% for year). UNC cored 89.7 ppg in three tourney wins; only two kids played more than 29:00 Friday. In regional finals since 2005, teams seeded #6 or lower are 11-2 vs spread. Favorites covered four of last five East Region finals.

CIT
NJIT lost 65-56 at Columbia Dec 12, going 5-25 on arc, while getting outscored 19-7 on foul line (NJIT was 7-16). Highlanders are 9-3 in last 12 games; this is their first true road game since Feb 25- they're 4-2 last six true road games. Columbia won four of its last five games; they start four seniors (#50 in experience). Lions last played Wednesday, NJIT on Thursday, but this is bus trip game, so travel not an issue.

Cal-Irvine won first two CIT games by total of 4 points, both on foreign soil; they ran out to 21-5 lead at ULL, hung on to win despite 7-foot-6 Ndiaye not playing. Anteaters are 17-4 in last 21 games, 19-0 vs teams ranked below #150. #162 Coastal Carolina lost by 11 at Hawai'i in its one game vs top 100 team this year- they allowed 59 ppg in winning first three CIT games. Chanticleers are #28 team in experience- they won last five home games.

NCAAB

Sunday, March 27

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Trend Report
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6:00 PM
NJIT vs. COLUMBIA
No trends available
Columbia is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Columbia's last 5 games at home

6:09 PM
SYRACUSE vs. VIRGINIA
No trends available
Virginia is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Virginia's last 16 games

8:49 PM
NOTRE DAME vs. NORTH CAROLINA
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of North Carolina's last 20 games
North Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

9:00 PM
UC IRVINE vs. COASTAL CAROLINA
UC Irvine is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
No trends available

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Announcement

Sunday's NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 3/27

Sunday's NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 3/27

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