The Bum's 2016 NCAA Basketball News-Trends-Picks !

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, JANUARY 30

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BU at LEH 07:00 PM

LEH -7.5

O 150.5

RID at CAN 07:00 PM

RID +6.0

U 155.5

DREX at CWM 07:00 PM

CWM -9.5

SCST at HOW 07:00 PM

SCST +3.0

WCU at MER 07:00 PM

WCU +13.0

O 127.5

TXST at APP 07:00 PM

APP -2.5

O 136.0

SIE at QUIN 07:00 PM

SIE -1.5

O 151.0

MONM at MRST 07:00 PM

MONM -13.0

UTA at CCAR 07:00 PM

O 148.0

DUKE at ND 07:00 PM

ND +1.5

U 152.5

GASO at TROY 08:00 PM

GASO +4.5

O 156.5

ARST at ULL 08:00 PM

ARST +3.5

U 154.5

UALR at ULM 08:00 PM

ULM +2.0

O 131.5

ALST at PV 09:00 PM

ALST +6.5

OKST at OKLA 09:00 PM

OKLA +2.0

U 163.0

SIUE at BEL 09:00 PM

BEL -19.0

O 145.5

GSU at USA 09:00 PM

GSU -3.0

U 143.5

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

— 76ers 122, Kings 119— Cousins had 46 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists in losing cause.

— Celtics 113, Pistons 109 OT— Boston is 10-4 in January.

— T’wolves 111, Magic 105 OT— Rubio had 22 points, 8 boards, 8 assists for Minnesota.

— Duke 84, Notre Dame 74— Irish lost four of last five games after a 16-2 start.

— Oklahoma State 68, Oklahoma 66— Cowboys’ first win in Norman since 2004.

— Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson pulled out of a plan to build a $1.9 billion domed stadium for the Raiders in Las Vegas. Now the Raiders will put up $1.15B for the stadium.

**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but………

13) St Louis Cardinals have to send the Astros $2M and two draft picks as payment for the hacking scandal that saw one of their employees hit with criminal charges.

12) Kid named Mathias on Purdue makes 49% (49-100) of his 3-pointers, a superior shooter. Was very frustrating watching the Boilermakers play at Nebraska Sunday and the kid who is guarding Mathias would leave him to help out on dribble penetration. No!!!!!

A 49% 3-point shooter is like a 73.5% 2-point shooter; you never leave a guy like that, but the old school “help defense” school of thinking says you should. No bueno. Mathias had 19 points but Nebraska pulled the upset anyway. Never leave a great 3-point shooter.

11) These teams had the most turnovers in any college hoop game this season: Manhattan 40, Western Carolina 34, New Hampshire 34.

The common thread of those three games? They all came against West Virginia.

10) Joel Embiid played less than one year (23 games) in college at Kansas, scoring 11.2 pts/game in 23.2 mpg; he then missed two full seasons because of injury. Now he has emerged as a force in the NBA, scoring 20.3 pts/game in 25.4 mpg in 31 games for the 76ers.

Both very impressive and very surprising.

9) Kenny Smith took a night off from the TNT studios last week and the result was a great debate between Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal on whether the Cavaliers need more help to defend their championship. Good spirited debate; less people makes for better TV.

8) Employees at the Albany Times-Union, the main newspaper in my hometown, haven’t had a raise in 3,376 days, or 9.25 years. Long time.

7) What four colleges have the most players in this year’s Super Bowl?

Alabama, LSU, Stanford aren’t surprising, but Rutgers having four guys in it is.

6) FOX Sports’ Steve Lavin compared Utah hoop coach Larry Krystkowiak’s coaching style to Robert Duvall in The Great Santini, where Duvall was a military parent who used tough love in raising his kids. Lavin is great with movie references but not sure that was a compliment.

5) If you care about such things, Eastern Washington is 8-1 vs spread in Big Sky games this season.

4) Someone on MLB Network was touting Dwight Evans as a Hall of Fame over the weekend; ugh. Evans is like Keith Hernandez; an outstanding defensive player who wasn’t a great player, but was a really, really good player on very good teams. I’d vote Hernandez for the HOF before I’d vote for Evans and I wouldn’t vote for Hernandez.

3) More bad injury news from the Big East: Xavier loses PG Edmond Sumner for the season with a torn ACL, joining Creighton’s Maurice Watson on the sidelines with a knee injury.

2) This is a quote in the Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook, a preseason hoop guide, from Arizona coach Sean Miller:

“Allonzo Trier has been in the gym more this summer than some guys who consider themselves hard workers would’ve done over two summers………..his body, his waist, his body fat— he looks like a different person and that’s through hard work. It is an obsession for him to become a great player and it’s so fun to be around him because he is maturing.”

Consider then, that Trier was later declared ineligible for most of the season due to having PED’s in his system. Maybe he really did get in a car accident and maybe a relative did give him PED’s to recover, but in today’s world, it isn’t difficult to be cynical.

1— Speaking of Arizona, the road team is 9-0-2 vs spread in Arizona’s Pac-12 games so far this season. With Trier eligible again, the Wildcats are going to be a fashionable Final Four pick.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Tuesday, January 31

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OHIO U (13 - 6) at W MICHIGAN (6 - 14) - 1/31/2017, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W MICHIGAN is 49-31 ATS (+14.9 Units) in home games in January games since 1997.
W MICHIGAN is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
OHIO U is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
W MICHIGAN is 25-43 ATS (-22.3 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
OHIO U is 3-1 against the spread versus W MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
W MICHIGAN 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




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TOLEDO (11 - 10) at BALL ST (14 - 7) - 1/31/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TOLEDO is 25-44 ATS (-23.4 Units) in road games off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
TOLEDO is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
TOLEDO is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
BALL ST is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
BALL ST is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
BALL ST is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
BALL ST is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BALL ST is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
BALL ST is 2-2 against the spread versus TOLEDO over the last 3 seasons
TOLEDO is 3-1 straight up against BALL ST 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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CREIGHTON (19 - 3) at BUTLER (18 - 4) - 1/31/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUTLER is 31-20 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 31-20 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 34-18 ATS (+14.2 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 since 1997.
BUTLER is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CREIGHTON is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in all games this season.
CREIGHTON is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in all lined games this season.
CREIGHTON is 57-37 ATS (+16.3 Units) in road games in January games since 1997.
CREIGHTON is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.


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




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C MICHIGAN (14 - 7) at BUFFALO (9 - 12) - 1/31/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
C MICHIGAN is 30-50 ATS (-25.0 Units) in road games in January games since 1997.
BUFFALO is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after allowing 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 2-2 against the spread versus C MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 2-2 straight up against C MICHIGAN 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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MISSISSIPPI ST (13 - 7) at OLE MISS (12 - 9) - 1/31/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OLE MISS is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when the total is 150 to 159.5 over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
OLE MISS is 3-1 against the spread versus MISSISSIPPI ST over the last 3 seasons
OLE MISS is 3-1 straight up against MISSISSIPPI ST 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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KENT ST (11 - 10) at E MICHIGAN (13 - 8) - 1/31/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KENT ST is 119-90 ATS (+20.0 Units) in road games since 1997.
KENT ST is 119-90 ATS (+20.0 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
KENT ST is 40-20 ATS (+18.0 Units) in road games after scoring 80 points or more since 1997.
E MICHIGAN is 66-93 ATS (-36.3 Units) in January games since 1997.
E MICHIGAN is 103-140 ATS (-51.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.


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




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MIAMI OHIO (9 - 12) at BOWLING GREEN (8 - 13) - 1/31/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOWLING GREEN is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOWLING GREEN is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
BOWLING GREEN is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
BOWLING GREEN is 2-2 against the spread versus MIAMI OHIO over the last 3 seasons
BOWLING GREEN is 2-2 straight up against MIAMI OHIO 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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IOWA (12 - 10) at RUTGERS (12 - 10) - 1/31/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IOWA is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
RUTGERS is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
RUTGERS is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 3 seasons.
RUTGERS is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
RUTGERS is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
RUTGERS is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.


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




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PITTSBURGH (12 - 9) at N CAROLINA (19 - 4) - 1/31/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 28-51 ATS (-28.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 28-51 ATS (-28.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 16-30 ATS (-17.0 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 13-30 ATS (-20.0 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 25-39 ATS (-17.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 286-235 ATS (+27.5 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
N CAROLINA is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in all home games this season.
N CAROLINA is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in home lined games this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
N CAROLINA is 2-1 against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
N CAROLINA is 2-1 straight up against PITTSBURGH 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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WAKE FOREST (12 - 9) at BOSTON COLLEGE (9 - 13) - 1/31/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WAKE FOREST is 74-111 ATS (-48.1 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
WAKE FOREST is 71-108 ATS (-47.8 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON COLLEGE is 2-1 against the spread versus WAKE FOREST over the last 3 seasons
WAKE FOREST is 2-1 straight up against BOSTON COLLEGE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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MARYLAND (19 - 2) at OHIO ST (13 - 9) - 1/31/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OHIO ST is 49-31 ATS (+14.9 Units) in home games in January games since 1997.
OHIO ST is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
OHIO ST is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home games off a loss against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
OHIO ST is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in home games after allowing 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
MARYLAND is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) in all games this season.
MARYLAND is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) in all lined games this season.
MARYLAND is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) as an underdog this season.
MARYLAND is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) against conference opponents this season.
MARYLAND is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MARYLAND is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.


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




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GEORGE WASHINGTON (12 - 9) at RHODE ISLAND (13 - 7) - 1/31/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGE WASHINGTON is 16-32 ATS (-19.2 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGE WASHINGTON is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGE WASHINGTON is 17-30 ATS (-16.0 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGE WASHINGTON is 82-110 ATS (-39.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
RHODE ISLAND is 101-135 ATS (-47.5 Units) in all home games since 1997.
RHODE ISLAND is 101-135 ATS (-47.5 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
RHODE ISLAND is 59-95 ATS (-45.5 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
RHODE ISLAND is 26-46 ATS (-24.6 Units) in home games in January games since 1997.
RHODE ISLAND is 49-71 ATS (-29.1 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
RHODE ISLAND is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
RHODE ISLAND is 3-0 against the spread versus GEORGE WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
RHODE ISLAND is 2-1 straight up against GEORGE WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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TEMPLE (11 - 11) at TULANE (4 - 17) - 1/31/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEMPLE is 199-156 ATS (+27.4 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
TULANE is 26-40 ATS (-18.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
TULANE is 26-40 ATS (-18.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
TULANE is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
TULANE is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
TULANE is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TULANE is 60-88 ATS (-36.8 Units) in January games since 1997.
TULANE is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
TULANE is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) in home games off a loss against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
TULANE is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.


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




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LOYOLA-IL (16 - 7) at MISSOURI ST (14 - 9) - 1/31/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOYOLA-IL is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) in all games this season.
LOYOLA-IL is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) in all lined games this season.
LOYOLA-IL is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
LOYOLA-IL is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
LOYOLA-IL is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
LOYOLA-IL is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
LOYOLA-IL is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
LOYOLA-IL is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
LOYOLA-IL is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
MISSOURI ST is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
MISSOURI ST is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 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
LOYOLA-IL is 4-1 against the spread versus MISSOURI ST over the last 3 seasons
LOYOLA-IL is 4-1 straight up against MISSOURI ST over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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DAVIDSON (11 - 8) at ST JOSEPHS (10 - 10) - 1/31/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST JOSEPHS is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST JOSEPHS is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
ST JOSEPHS is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ST JOSEPHS is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
DAVIDSON is 182-132 ATS (+36.8 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
DAVIDSON is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 3 seasons.
DAVIDSON is 178-136 ATS (+28.4 Units) after a conference game since 1997.


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




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AKRON (18 - 3) at N ILLINOIS (13 - 8) - 1/31/2017, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


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




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GEORGIA (13 - 8) at KENTUCKY (17 - 4) - 1/31/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGIA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
KENTUCKY is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGIA is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
KENTUCKY is 2-2 against the spread versus GEORGIA over the last 3 seasons
KENTUCKY is 4-0 straight up against GEORGIA 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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TENNESSEE (12 - 9) at AUBURN (14 - 7) - 1/31/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TENNESSEE is 60-38 ATS (+18.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games since 1997.
TENNESSEE is 110-79 ATS (+23.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
AUBURN is 2-2 against the spread versus TENNESSEE over the last 3 seasons
TENNESSEE is 3-1 straight up against AUBURN 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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VANDERBILT (10 - 11) at TEXAS A&M (11 - 9) - 1/31/2017, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS A&M is 2-1 against the spread versus VANDERBILT over the last 3 seasons
TEXAS A&M is 2-1 straight up against VANDERBILT 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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DAYTON (15 - 5) at FORDHAM (9 - 12) - 1/31/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FORDHAM is 215-262 ATS (-73.2 Units) in all games since 1997.
FORDHAM is 215-262 ATS (-73.2 Units) in all lined games since 1997.
FORDHAM is 165-206 ATS (-61.6 Units) as an underdog since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
DAYTON is 3-0 against the spread versus FORDHAM over the last 3 seasons
DAYTON is 3-0 straight up against FORDHAM 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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W VIRGINIA (17 - 4) at IOWA ST (13 - 7) - 1/31/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IOWA ST is 234-180 ATS (+36.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
IOWA ST is 70-41 ATS (+24.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
W VIRGINIA is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) when the total is 150 to 159.5 since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
IOWA ST is 2-2 against the spread versus W VIRGINIA over the last 3 seasons
IOWA ST is 2-2 straight up against W VIRGINIA 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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WISCONSIN (18 - 3) at ILLINOIS (13 - 9) - 1/31/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ILLINOIS is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.


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




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GEORGETOWN (12 - 10) at DEPAUL (8 - 13) - 1/31/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGETOWN is 166-208 ATS (-62.8 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
DEPAUL is 6-13 ATS (-8.3 Units) in all games this season.
DEPAUL is 6-13 ATS (-8.3 Units) in all lined games this season.
DEPAUL is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 2 seasons.
DEPAUL is 10-24 ATS (-16.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
DEPAUL is 66-93 ATS (-36.3 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
DEPAUL is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
DEPAUL is 10-24 ATS (-16.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
GEORGETOWN is 3-2 against the spread versus DEPAUL over the last 3 seasons
GEORGETOWN is 5-0 straight up against DEPAUL over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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BOISE ST (13 - 7) at COLORADO ST (14 - 8) - 1/31/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOISE ST is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
BOISE ST is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
BOISE ST is 30-17 ATS (+11.3 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
BOISE ST is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
BOISE ST is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.


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




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WYOMING (14 - 8) at SAN DIEGO ST (11 - 9) - 1/31/2017, 11:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WYOMING is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO ST is 3-1 against the spread versus WYOMING over the last 3 seasons
SAN DIEGO ST is 4-1 straight up against WYOMING 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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MANHATTAN (8 - 15) at FAIRFIELD (9 - 10) - 1/31/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MANHATTAN is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
FAIRFIELD is 4-1 against the spread versus MANHATTAN over the last 3 seasons
FAIRFIELD is 3-2 straight up against MANHATTAN 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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DENVER (13 - 9) at ORAL ROBERTS (7 - 16) - 1/31/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1997.
DENVER is 85-57 ATS (+22.3 Units) in January games since 1997.
DENVER is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ORAL ROBERTS is 84-112 ATS (-39.2 Units) in all games since 1997.
ORAL ROBERTS is 84-112 ATS (-39.2 Units) in all lined games since 1997.
ORAL ROBERTS is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
ORAL ROBERTS is 17-32 ATS (-18.2 Units) in home games after a conference game since 1997.


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

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, January 31

Creighton is 1-2 since losing PG Watson for year, losing by 20 at Georgetown in only road game since then- they were 3-0 in Big East road games before he got hurt. Butler won four of last five games, but got upset by Hoyas last game; Bulldogs are 3-1 as home favorite, winning by 17-8-5-8 points. Butler won three of last four games with Creighton, winning by 3-13 in last two games played here. Bluejays won first meeting 75-64 at home Jan 11 (before Watson got hurt), shooting 72.7% inside arc (24-33). Big East home favorites of 6+ points are 14-8-1 vs spread.

Ole Miss is 1-3 at home in SEC contests; dogs covered three of the four games. Rebels are 0-2-1 vs spread as home favorites; their only home win was by 11 over Tennessee. Rebels are turning ball over 22% of time in SEC games. Mississippi State is 2-2 as a road underdog, losing last two away games by 7-9 points; they lost three of last four games overall. Ole Miss won five of last six games with Mississippi State, winning last five series games in Oxford, by 7-18-19-6-8 points. SEC home favorites of 5 or less points are 4-14 vs spread this season.

Iowa is 3-0 vs Rutgers in Big 14 play, winning 90-76 in only visit here LY. Hawkeyes won first meeting with Rutgers this year 68-62 at home, rallying back from 9 down with 9:44 left to play. Iowa lost three of last four games overall, is 0-4 on Big 14 road, losing by 22-3-35-12 points (0-4 vs spread). Rutgers is 1-8 in Big 14, blowing 9-point lead in last 3:21 vs Wisconsin last game; Scarlet Knights are 1-2 in their own gym, losing by 13 to Penn St, 9 to Northwestern. Big 14 home teams are 7-5 vs spread in games where number was 2 or less points.

Wake Forest led Duke by 10 with 4:01 left Saturday, lost by hoop, a brutal loss for young team; Deacons are 1-3 as a road underdog, losing away games by 16-17-5 points with lone win at NC State. Boston College lost last five games but covered last three; they’re 3-1 as a home dog, upsetting NC State/Syracuse. BC won three of last five games with Wake Forest; home side won six of last seven series games. BC lost 79-66 at Wake in first meeting this year Jan 3, in game BC led by 5 early in second half. ACC road favorites of 6 or less points are 4-7-1.

Ohio State is 3-2 in its last five games, with four of five decided by 6 or less points; Buckeyes are 2-2 at home in Big 14, losing to Purdue by 1, Northwestern by 2. Maryland is 11-1 this season in games decided by 8 or less points, despite being #319 experience team in country; Terrapins won/covered all Big 14 road games- they covered last six games overall. Maryland is 2-1 vs Ohio State in Big 14 games, splitting pair of games here. Terps swept Ohio State LY, winning by 35 at home, 66-61 in Columbus. Big 14 home favorites of 3 or less points are 12-6.

Missouri State lost its last two games by a point each; they’re 3-2 SU at home, 1-4 vs spread as a home favorite. Loyola won six of its last eight games (7-1 vs spread); they covered last four road games, are 2-0 vs spread as a road underdog, with road losses by 4-12-3 points (2-3 SU on road). Loyola won four of last five games with Missouri State, winning last two games here, by 3-13 points. Ramblers won first meeting this year 77-71 at home, rallying back from down 11 points in second half. MVC home favorites of less than 5 points are 6-4-1 vs spread.

St Joe’s lost four of last five games (last four decided by 5 or less points) but covered last three; they’re 2-2 at home in A-14, beating George Washington by 5, LaSalle by 1- they lost at home to George Mason/Richmond. Davidson won three of its last four games; they’re 2-2 on A-14 road, beating Saint Louis, Fordham, losing by 4 at George Washington, 8 at LaSalle. Home side won both St Joe’s-Davidson games in A-14 play; Wildcats lost 75-70 in only visit here, in ’15. A-14 road favorites of 5 or less points are 1-5 against the spread.

Akron is 8-0 in MAC, 4-4 vs spread, 2-1 as road favorite, winning road games by 4-4-10 points at Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Miami. 4 of Zips’ 8 MAC wins are by 5 or less points. Northern Illinois lost its last two home games, to Ohio/Kent; Huskies are 2-2 at home in MAC, with both wins by four points. NIU is turning ball over 21.7% of time in MAC games. Akron is 5-2 in its last seven games with NIU but they’re 1-5 in last six visits to DeKalb, losing last two games here by 1-3 points. MAC road favorites are 6-5-1 vs spread this season.

Auburn is 2-2 at home in SEC, winning last two home games, by 4-20 points; they won three of last four games overall after their upset win at TCU Saturday. Pearl’s old team Tennessee won four of last five games, is 2-2 on SEC road, winning at A&M/Vandy, losing by 13 at Florida, 11 at Ole Miss. Tennessee is 10-1 in its last 11 games with Auburn, thrashing undermanned Tigers 97-59 in SEC tourney LY. Vols won three of last four visits here, but lost 83-77 in LY’s visit. SEC home teams are 5-12 vs spread in games with spread of 2 or less points.

Vanderbilt lost three of its last five games, is 2-2 on SEC road, 3-1 as a road underdog, losing by 3 at Alabama, 8 at Georgia; they won at LSU/Florida. Texas A&M is 2-2 on road, 1-3 as a road favorite, beating LSU by 30, Georgia by 1, losing to Tennessee/Arkansas. Aggies’ last four games were all decided by 4 or less points. Aggies are turning ball over 25.6% of time in SEC games. Home side won five of six Vandy-Texas A&M games; Commodores lost last two visits here, by 11-9 points. SEC home favorites of 5+ points are 13-11-1 vs spread this season.

West Virginia is 17-4 this year, with all four losses by 4 or less points; Mountaineers are forcing turnovers 23.9% of time, but are just 2-2 on Big X road, losing at Texas Tech/K-State by total of five points. Iowa State is 3-1 at home in Big X, with only loss by 4 to Kansas; Cyclones’ last five games were all decided by 7 or less points. West Virginia swept Iowa State by 5-10 points LY, after losing five of first six Big X meetings with the Cyclones. WVU is 1-3 in Ames, losing by 2-17-20 points. Big X road favorites of 3 or less points are 4-2 against the spread.

Wisconsin won its last ten games with Illinois, winning last four visits here, by 4-6-12-8 points. Badgers won their last five games overall (2-3 vs spread); they’re 3-1 on Big 14 road, winning last two road games in OT- they’re 1-2 as a road favorite. Illinois lost four of last five games, is 3-1 at home in league, with only loss by 6 to Maryland. Home side covered 8 of their 9 Big 14 games. Teams are shooting 55.9% inside arc vs Illini. Wisconsin is forcing turnovers 21.5% of time in conference games. Big 14 road favorites of 3+ points are 1-6 vs spread.

Colorado State won/covered its last three games, is 7-2 vs spread in Mountain West games this year; Rams are 3-1 at home in MW, with only loss by 13 to New Mexico. Boise is 4-1 on MW road, with only loss by 9 at Fresno. Rams/Broncos split their 12 Mountain West games; CSU won first meeting this year 74-73 at home, after being down 6 with 4:04 left in game, winning despite going 5-23 on arc, 17-30 on line. Broncos lost last two visits to Ft Collins, by 6-4 points- they lost here in double OT LY. Mountain West home favorites of 3 or less points are 4-6.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Tuesday, January 31

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Trend Report
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6:00 PM
OHIO vs. WESTERN MICHIGAN
Ohio is 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Ohio's last 24 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Western Michigan's last 5 games when playing at home against Ohio
Western Michigan is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Ohio

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JANUARY 31, 7:00 PM
MIAMI (OHIO) vs. BOWLING GREEN
Miami (Ohio) is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Miami (Ohio) is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Bowling Green is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Miami (Ohio)
Bowling Green is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Miami (Ohio)

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JANUARY 31, 7:00 PM
WAKE FOREST vs. BOSTON COLLEGE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Wake Forest's last 6 games on the road
Wake Forest is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston College's last 7 games at home
Boston College is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

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JANUARY 31, 7:00 PM
MANHATTAN vs. FAIRFIELD
Manhattan is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Manhattan's last 7 games on the road
Fairfield is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Fairfield is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games

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JANUARY 31, 7:00 PM
MARYLAND vs. OHIO STATE
Maryland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Maryland's last 17 games on the road
Ohio State is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Ohio State's last 10 games

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JANUARY 31, 7:00 PM
KENT STATE vs. EASTERN MICHIGAN
Kent State is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Eastern Michigan
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Kent State's last 9 games on the road
Eastern Michigan is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Eastern Michigan is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games at home

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JANUARY 31, 7:00 PM
TOLEDO vs. BALL STATE
Toledo is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Toledo is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Ball State's last 5 games
Ball State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home

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JANUARY 31, 7:00 PM
MISSISSIPPI STATE vs. MISSISSIPPI
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Mississippi State's last 9 games on the road
Mississippi State is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Mississippi is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games at home
Mississippi is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

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JANUARY 31, 7:00 PM
GEORGE WASHINGTON vs. RHODE ISLAND
The total has gone OVER in 10 of George Washington's last 14 games on the road
George Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Rhode Island is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against George Washington
Rhode Island is 2-8-1 ATS in its last 11 games when playing at home against George Washington

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JANUARY 31, 7:00 PM
CENTRAL MICHIGAN vs. BUFFALO
Central Michigan is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Central Michigan's last 8 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Buffalo's last 8 games when playing at home against Central Michigan
Buffalo is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Central Michigan

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JANUARY 31, 7:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. NORTH CAROLINA
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against North Carolina
Pittsburgh is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against North Carolina
North Carolina is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of North Carolina's last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh

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JANUARY 31, 7:00 PM
CREIGHTON vs. BUTLER
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Creighton's last 6 games on the road
Creighton is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Butler's last 6 games when playing Creighton
Butler is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Creighton

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JANUARY 31, 7:00 PM
IOWA vs. RUTGERS
Iowa is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Iowa is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Rutgers's last 5 games at home
Rutgers is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home

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JANUARY 31, 7:35 PM
OTTAWA vs. UMKC
No trends available
UMKC is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
UMKC is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home

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JANUARY 31, 8:00 PM
LOYOLA OF CHICAGO vs. MISSOURI STATE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Loyola of Chicago's last 5 games on the road
Loyola of Chicago is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Missouri State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Loyola of Chicago
Missouri State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Loyola of Chicago

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JANUARY 31, 8:00 PM
DAVIDSON vs. SAINT JOSEPH'S
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Davidson's last 5 games on the road
Davidson is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Saint Joseph's is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Saint Joseph's is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games at home

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JANUARY 31, 8:00 PM
TEMPLE vs. TULANE
Temple is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Temple's last 5 games on the road
Tulane is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Temple
Tulane is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Temple

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JANUARY 31, 8:00 PM
AKRON vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Akron is 4-8-1 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Akron's last 20 games on the road
Northern Illinois is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Akron
Northern Illinois is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home

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JANUARY 31, 9:00 PM
WISCONSIN vs. ILLINOIS
Wisconsin is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Illinois
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Wisconsin's last 6 games when playing on the road against Illinois
Illinois is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
Illinois is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

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JANUARY 31, 9:00 PM
VANDERBILT vs. TEXAS A&M
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Vanderbilt's last 7 games on the road
Vanderbilt is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Texas A&M is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Texas A&M is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games

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JANUARY 31, 9:00 PM
GEORGIA vs. KENTUCKY
Georgia is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games on the road
Georgia is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Kentucky
Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Georgia
Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Georgia

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JANUARY 31, 9:00 PM
DAYTON vs. FORDHAM
Dayton is 4-6-2 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Dayton is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Fordham's last 7 games when playing at home against Dayton
Fordham is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Dayton

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JANUARY 31, 9:00 PM
GEORGETOWN vs. DEPAUL
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Georgetown's last 6 games when playing on the road against DePaul
Georgetown is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against DePaul
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of DePaul's last 8 games when playing Georgetown
DePaul is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Georgetown

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JANUARY 31, 9:00 PM
BETHESDA vs. GRAND CANYON
No trends available
Grand Canyon is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Grand Canyon is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

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JANUARY 31, 9:00 PM
BOISE STATE vs. COLORADO STATE
Boise State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Boise State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Colorado State
Colorado State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boise State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado State's last 5 games when playing Boise State

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JANUARY 31, 9:00 PM
TENNESSEE vs. AUBURN
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tennessee's last 6 games when playing on the road against Auburn
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Tennessee's last 19 games on the road
Auburn is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Auburn is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

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JANUARY 31, 9:00 PM
WEST VIRGINIA vs. IOWA STATE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of West Virginia's last 6 games on the road
West Virginia is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Iowa State's last 7 games
Iowa State is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games at home

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JANUARY 31, 11:00 PM
WYOMING vs. SAN DIEGO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Wyoming's last 9 games on the road
Wyoming is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego's last 6 games

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JANUARY 31, 11:00 PM
WYOMING vs. SAN DIEGO STATE
Wyoming is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against San Diego State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Wyoming's last 7 games when playing on the road against San Diego State
San Diego State is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home
San Diego State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Wyoming

[StarDust Bum]

Pac-12 Snapshot
January 30, 2017

While UCLA made the early headlines in the Pac-12, they now trail Arizona and Oregon in the Pac-12 in what is shaping up to be a great race in the second half of the conference season. Right now, only four Pac-12 teams look like they are in good shape to make the NCAA Tournament, but two other teams are in the mix and there have been competitive efforts from some of the squads in the bottom half of the league. Here is a look at the teams in the mix for the conference race and postseason berths.

Favorite – Arizona (9-0 S/U, 4-3-2 ATS): Arizona started the season with some turmoil with injuries and the cloudy status of Alonzo Trier. The Wildcats wound up beating Michigan State on the opening game, but that win wound up losing some strength and losses to Butler and Gonzaga left the Wildcats without a top 50 win in the non-conference season. Arizona has delivered nine consecutive wins to start the conference season ahead of next weekend’s big game at Oregon, the lone regular season meeting. Arizona already beat UCLA and USC on the road though they will have late February meetings with those teams at home. The Wildcats won’t have an amazing overall resume when Selection Sunday comes around as to get a #1 seed they might need to run the table. Despite the limited experience, the size and talent on this squad will still make Arizona a contender for a deep March Madness run looking to get to Final Four that will be played in Glendale, Arizona.

Contender – UCLA (6-3 S/U, 2-7 ATS): The Bruins still have the shortest future odds of any Pac-12 team to cut down the nets in early April, but after making big waves in a 13-0 non-conference campaign with a win over Kentucky, the Pac-12 schedule has taken a toll on Steve Alford’s team. This is the most efficient offensive team in the nation, but in allowing 81 points per game in Pac-12 play the offense faces a lot of pressure to post big numbers. Three road wins show that the Bruins can still be a serious contender in this league and in February they will get revenge opportunities against the three teams that they have lost to while closing the conference season with five of the final seven games at home. With six remaining games vs. the bottom of the conference, the Bruins are still in good shape to post a strong league record and be in the mix for the title if Arizona and Oregon slip.

Overachiever – Oregon (8-1 S/U, 8-1 ATS): After winning the regular season and tournament titles in the Pac-12 last season, Oregon earned a somewhat controversial #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Ducks held their own, but were bounced in the regional final for a 31-7 season. Expectations remained high this season with a great returning roster, but a 2-2 start raised serious questions. Oregon responded with a long winning streak that was just snapped last weekend with a loss at Colorado, the first S/U or ATS loss for the Ducks in conference play. Oregon did beat UCLA at home by two points while also narrowly winning at Utah, but a bumpy path may be ahead in the first half of February, drawing Arizona, UCLA, USC, and Utah in succession. Next week’s game with Arizona in Eugene might look like the conference title game, but in reality, the Ducks could have a few more losses coming as they close the season with five of the final seven on the road. This might be a team that falls short of last season’s championship run though it should still be a fine season and the Ducks will have the potential to win a few games in March.

Sleeper – Utah (6-3 S/U, 6-2-1 ATS): There looks like a clear separation between Utah and the top three teams in the Pac-12 standings and the Utes would also trail USC and perhaps California in NCAA Tournament consideration for the moment, likely on the wrong side of the bubble with a lack of quality wins despite a 15-6 overall record. At 6-3 in conference play, Utah won’t play Arizona or UCLA again and the road game at Oregon looks like the only extremely difficult remaining game in conference play. An 8-1 run the rest of the way looks possible and while 14-4 might not be enough to take the league title it isn’t completely out of the question with the teams at the top set for upcoming head-to-head matchups. Utah’s home win over USC is the best on its resume as there are no top 50 wins for the Utes who played a very light non-conference schedule. A bad loss to San Francisco will also hamper the profile, but Larry Krystkowiak has led Utah to back-to-back 13-5 Pac-12 seasons and despite this looking like a step-back season overall, that mark is pretty realistic and would likely be enough to get the Utes back into the Big Dance.

Enigma – USC (5-4 S/U, 3-6 ATS): After the great run in March 2013 taking Florida Gulf Coast to the Sweet 16 as a #15 seed, Andy Enfield endured two challenging seasons at USC before a solid 21-win season last year brought the Trojans to the NCAA Tournament. This year’s team is on pace to fly past last season’s record, but major questions are there for a really young team that went 13-0 with some close calls against marginal competition in the non-conference season. The win over SMU at home is all that stood out on the resume until last week’s huge home win over rival UCLA. That brought USC to 5-4 in Pac-12 play and gave the team just its fifth top 100 win. The Trojans will be favored to win the next three games before facing Oregon, UCLA, and Arizona in succession as a late season slide is possible for this squad. The win count is likely going to be strong and those two top 25 caliber wins should be enough to get the Trojans into the NCAA Tournament, but it just isn’t clear how good this team is given that two Pac-12 road losses came by 23 and 22 points and the two other Pac-12 losses came at home.

Bubble Team – California (6-3 S/U, 4-5 ATS): Last season, the Bears were upset as a #4 seed in the NCAA Tournament by Hawai’i for a sour finish to an up-and-down season for a very talented team. This year’s team could compile a similar overall record but a dearth of quality wins will leave the Bears potentially sweating on Selection Sunday. California has played a fairly high quality schedule, but they just haven’t won any of the big games outside of a narrow one-point win at USC, one of just three wins away from home all season long. The 6-3 Pac-12 mark includes losses to the top three teams in the league, but the Bears are going to have to play Arizona and Oregon again as well as playing Utah and Colorado twice each for a rather difficult remaining conference schedule that will also include five of the final seven games on the road. The defensive numbers are excellent and with potential NBA lottery pick Ivan Rabb plus a possible next level prospect in senior Jabari Bird the potential is there for the Bears, but unless they come up with a big upset over Arizona or Oregon, the margin of error will be very small for this squad the rest of the way.

Dark Horse – Colorado (2-7 S/U, 2-6-1 ATS): The Buffaloes are not a threat to win the Pac-12 title, but they are a team well outside the NCAA Tournament radar right now that could make a strong late season run to have a chance at inclusion. An uneven 10-3 non-conference campaign featured quality wins over Texas and Xavier before starting 0-7 in Pac-12 play. Colorado had to play five of the first seven games on the road in league play and the home games were difficult games vs. UCLA and USC. Colorado got a huge win last weekend over Oregon and while they face the Ducks on the road in a few weeks, they don’t have to play UCLA, USC, or Arizona the rest of the way. Ultimately back-to-back overtime losses to Washington and Washington State probably sealed the fate of the Buffaloes, but this is a team that is a lot stronger than the record shows and one of the most experienced squads in the conference has a chance to make some late season noise with a favorable remaining schedule.

Pac-12 Notes: Arizona (9-0) and Oregon (8-1) meet up next weekend for the first time with the winner considered to be in the driver’s seat in the Pac-12 race. Not since 2003-04 has a Pac-12 champion finished as good as 17-1 and 10 of the last 12 seasons, the champion finished with at least three conference losses. On the other end of the spectrum, 0-9 Oregon State is in danger of being the first team to fail to win a conference game in Pac-12 play since the Beavers went 0-18 in 2007-08. None of the nine losses for Oregon State have come by fewer than seven points and the remaining schedule is difficult with next week’s home game with Arizona State likely the best remaining opportunity for a squad that made the NCAA Tournament last season but has been hindered by injuries to two key players this season.

[StarDust Bum]

Trends to Watch - Tuesday
January 30, 2017

Bounce-back Mode

Kentucky has lost two straight games for the first time since last February as the Wildcats coincidentally also lost back-to-back contests to Kansas and Tennessee. The Wildcats host Georgia at Rupp Arena as UK owns a 1-5 ATS mark the last six games.

North Carolina had it seven-game winning streak snapped in Saturday’s blowout loss at Miami. The Tar Heels return to the court, hosting Pittsburgh at home as UNC has covered six consecutive games at Chapel Hill.

Big Ten Trio

Iowa goes for the season sweep of Rutgers as the Hawkeyes are 0-4 SU/ATS in conference road games. Dating back to last season, Iowa owns a 2-8 SU/ATS mark inside the Big 10 on the highway, while Rutgers is riding a six-game UNDER streak.

Maryland seeks its seventh consecutive win and cover with a trip to Ohio State. The Terrapins have compiled a perfect 4-0 SU/ATS record as a road underdog in Big 10 action as Maryland opened as an underdog in Columbus.

Wisconsin travels to Illinois looking for its 11th straight victory over the Fighting Illini since January 2011. The Badgers have cashed in nine of the last 10 meetings, including four straight covers at Illinois as a road favorite.

MAC Attack

Ohio has won each of the past two meetings with Western Michigan, including an 89-58 blowout of the Broncos in early January. The Bobcats are 3-1 SU and 2-1-1 ATS on the road in conference action, while the Broncos are looking to snap a four-game skid.

Toledo has owned Ball State recently by going 5-1 in the last six matchups, but the Cardinals have covered four times as an underdog. The Rockets have struggled on the highway in league play at 1-3 SU/ATS, while Ball State has won five of its past six games overall.

Both Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green have stumbled to 2-6 conference records, as these teams split a pair of meetings last season. The Redhawks are 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS on the road inside the MAC, while the Falcons are 1-5 SU/ATS in the previous six contests overall.

Central Michigan shoots for its fourth straight victory as the Chippewas face Buffalo. The Bulls are coming off consecutive losses, but Buffalo has won three of four times this season off two straight defeats.

The home team has won each of the past five meetings between Kent and Eastern Michigan as the two squads meet in Ypsilanti. The Eagles are 0-3 ATS in their last three as a home favorite.

Akron looks to start 9-0 in MAC play as the Zips visit Northern Illinois. The Zips have lost in their last two visits to NIU, while the Huskies have dropped their past two home contests.

SEC Streakers

Mississippi has posted a 6-3-1 ATS record in the last 10 games as the Rebels face in-state rival Mississippi State. However, Ole Miss is 4-8-1 ATS this season in the favorite role, while the Bulldogs have lost four straight meetings in Oxford.

Tennessee looks to extend its winning streak to four following recent home underdog victories over Kentucky and Kansas State. The Volunteers head to Auburn as the Tigers have cashed in four of the past six games, while coming off a win as a 10 ½-point underdog at TCU on Saturday. Auburn has struggled against Tennessee over the years by losing nine of the past 10 meetings, but the only win in this stretch came last season at home.

Both Vanderbilt and Texas A&M look to improve on a 3-5 conference record, as the Commodores have lost five of their past six league games. The Aggies have stumbled to a 1-6 ATS mark in the past seven games as a favorite, including a 1-4 ATS record as a home favorite in SEC play.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Tip Sheet
January 31, 2017

Before delving into tonight’s 27-game card and rewind Monday’s action in Bonus Nuggets, let’s break down a pair of 9:00 p.m. Eastern tips that’ll be provided by the World Wide Leader. Brent Musburger’s legendary broadcasting career will come to a close at Rupp Arena, where Kentucky will take on Georgia. Also, Iowa State will take on West Virginia in a Big 12 scrap in Ames.

**Georgia at Kentucky**

-- Both teams are in dire need of a win here. Kentucky can’t take a third home loss and feel like it’s still one of the top candidates for a No. 1 seed – at least for the time being. Georgia would suddenly start to feel confident about its bubble hopes with a resume-bolstering win at Rupp Arena. As of early this morning, most betting shops had John Calipari’s team installed as a 16.5-point home favorite.

-- Kentucky (17-4 straight up, 12-9 against the spread) is 10-2 SU and 8-4 ATS at home, but it took that second home loss Saturday night to Kansas. The Jayhawks overcame a raucous crowd and the presence of Michael Buffer during the announcement of the starting lineups, capturing a 79-73 win as seven-point underdogs. Freshman sensation Josh Jackson led KU with 20 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Frank Mason had a game-high 21 points, while Landen Lucas scored 13 before fouling out. In the losing effort, Derek Willis and Malik Monk scored 18 points apiece. De’Aaron Fox struggled with 10 points, two rebounds and two assists compared to five turnovers. ‘Bam’ Adebayo finished with 10 points and eight boards, but he also coughed up four turnovers. Isaiah Briscoe had 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

-- Kentucky is in a first-place tie with South Carolina atop the SEC standings. The Wildcats and Gamecocks, who are both 7-1 in league play, lead Alabama and Florida by one game. UGA is 4-4 in SEC action.

-- Calipari’s freshmen-laded squad is ranked eighth in the Associated Press’s poll, eighth in the RPI Rankings and third at KenPom.com. UK is 4-4 against the RPI Top 50 and 9-4 versus the Top 100. They have notable neutral-court wins over North Carolina and Michigan St. UK has convincing home victories over Arkansas (97-71), South Carolina (85-69), vs. Valpo (87-63), vs. Texas A&M (100-58) and vs. Auburn (92-72). The ‘Cats have also won at Ole Miss (99-76) and at Vandy (87-81).

-- Monk is averaging an SEC-high 21.7 points per game thanks to quality percentages from the field (49.7%), 3-point land (39.6%) and the free-throw line (82.8%). Fox (15.9 PPG) is averaging an SEC-best 5.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Briscoe averages 14.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, while Adebayo is contributing 13.3 points and 6.9 RPG with a team-best 35 blocked shots.

-- UK senior reserve Mychal Mulder (6.5 PPG) is expected to miss a fourth straight game with an illness.

-- Kentucky hasn’t ever lost three in a row since Calipari took over in 2009-2010. The streak will be on the line tonight after the loss to KU was preceded by an 82-80 setback at Tennessee.

-- Georgia (13-8 SU, 9-8 ATS) has just three wins in seven road games, but it has covered the number at a 5-2 ATS clip in those road assignments. Mark Fox’s team is 5-1 ATS with two outright wins in six games as an underdog. The Dawgs are 2-0 ATS as double-digit ‘dogs.

-- Georgia recovered from a nine-point halftime deficit to rally past Texas for a 59-57 win Saturday at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens. The Bulldogs failed to cover the spread as six-point home ‘chalk,’ but they avoided a three-game losing streak when Longhorns’ freshman center Jarrett Allen saw his jump hook in the paint go in and out at the buzzer. Yante Maten scored 21 points and pulled down seven rebounds, while J.J. Frazier scored 14 points.

-- Maten leads UGA in scoring (19.7 PPG), rebounding (7.7 RPG), field-goal percentage (53.6%) and blocked shots (1.5 BPG). Frazier (15-5 PPG) paces the team in assists (4.2 APG), free-throw percentage (89.2%) and steals (2.0 SPG). However, Frazier is shooting at career-low 27.3 percent from 3-point range.

-- According to Joe Lunardi of ESPN, Georgia is currently a part of his “Next Four Out” in his latest edition of ‘Bracketology.’ The Bulldogs are No. 52 at KenPom.com and No. 51 in the RPI Rankings. They’ve 0-4 against the RPI Top 50 and 5-7 in the Top 100.

-- Four of UGA’s best wins have come by double-digit margins, while another came by eight points. The Bulldogs own home scalps of Vanderbilt (76-68) and UNC Asheville (60-46), in addition to victories at Ga. Tech (60-43), at Auburn (96-84) and at Ole Miss (69-47). They lost in overtime at Florida (80-76) when Maten fouled out in regulation and also fell by six at home to South Carolina.

-- Kentucky has won six in a row in this rivalry, going 4-2 ATS. The Wildcats overcame an early double-digit deficit and being down by five at intermission to beat UGA 93-80 in last year’s SEC Tournament semifinals. They slipped ahead of the number for the first time with 55 seconds left and took the cash as 10.5-point ‘chalk.’ Willis had 14 points and seven rebounds, while Briscoe had 12 points and seven boards. Meanwhile, Maten had 20 points and Frazier finished with 19 points and five assists compared to only one turnover.

-- The ‘over’ is 13-8 overall for UK, 7-5 in its home games.

-- The ‘under’ is 9-8 overall for UGA, 4-3 in its road contests.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**West Virginia at Iowa State**

-- As of early this morning, most books had West Virginia (17-4 SU, 8-8 ATS) listed as a 2.5-point favorite at Iowa St. Bob Huggins’s team brings to Ames a 3-2 SU record and a 2-3 ATS mark in its road games.

-- West Virginia is seeking a third straight win even though it’s mired in a 2-6 ATS slump. After losing at home in overtime to Oklahoma by two and dropping a 79-75 decision at Kansas State, the Mountaineers have posted home wins over Kansas and Texas A&M. They failed to get the money in Saturday’s 81-77 win over the Aggies as 15-point home ‘chalk.’ Jevon Carter led the winners with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Esa Ahmad contributed 14 points, six assists, four rebounds and two blocked shots.

-- Carter is leading four WVU players averaging in double figures with his 12.2 PPG average. He’s also pacing WVU in assists (4.7 APG) and steals (3.0 SPG). Senior forward Nathan Adrien, a Morgantown High School product, is averaging 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He had a season-high 22 points when the Mountaineers beat the No. 1 team in the nation at home (Baylor on Jan. 10) for the third time in school history.

-- WVU is ranked seventh in the nation in scoring with an 87.8 PPG average. The Mountaineers are tops in the nation in forcing turnovers (22.7 per game)

-- Since joining the Big 12, WVU has lost three of four games against ISU in Ames.

-- Iowa State (13-7 SU, 9-8 ATS) has won eight of its 10 home games while going 4-3 ATS. The Cyclones have been home underdogs just once, losing 76-72 to Kansas as 2.5-point home ‘dogs.

-- Steve Prohm’s team has dropped three of its last five games both SU and ATS, including Saturday’s 84-78 loss at Vandy as a 2.5-point road ‘chalk.’ Monte Morris had a game-high 25 points at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville. He handed out three helpers without a turnover, becoming the schol’s all-time leader in assists with 666. Donovan Jackson scored 16 points thanks to 4-of-6 shooting from downtown. Matt Thomas also hit 4-of-6 from long distance in a 14 points-effort, while Deonte Burton finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.

-- Morris leads the Cyclones in scoring (16.4 PPG), assists (5.8 APG) and field-goal percentage (47.7%). Burton (13.6 PPG) paces them in rebounding (6.9 RPG), steals (1.6 SPG) and blocks (1.4 BPG). Nazareth Mitrou-Long (15.3 PPG) is averaging 4.8 RPG and has a 58/34 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Thomas (11.8 PPG) is shooting a team-best 41.2 percent from 3-point range.

-- According to Lunardi at ESPN, ISU is currently a No. 7 seed that would face Minnesota in the Round of 64. He has WVU as a No. 3 seed that would take on Princeton.

-- WVU won both head-to-head meetings both SU and ATS last season, including an 81-76 triumph as a five-point road underdog on Feb. 2 of 2016. Daxter Miles Jr. had 11 points and five rebounds for the winners, while Morris had nine points and 10 assists without a turnover in the losing effort.

-- The ‘under’ is 10-7 overall for ISU, 5-2 in its home contests.

-- The ‘over’ is 10-5-1 overall for WVU, 3-1-1 in its road outings. The ‘over’ has cashed at an 8-1-1 clip for WVU in its last 10 games.

-- ESPN2 will have the telecast at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Xavier’s expectations in March took a serious blow Monday when the school revealed that Edwin Sumner has a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Sumner was averaging 15.0 points and 5.0 assists per game.

-- North Carolina forward Theo Pinson is ‘out’ of Tuesday’s home games vs. Pittsburgh. Pinson is averaging 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. The Tar Heels were favored by 19 points early this morning. The junior missed Saturday’s loss at Miami due to the ankle injury sustained in a home win over Virginia Tech last week.

-- Vanderbilt is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games as an underdog. The Commodores are five-point underdogs tonight at Texas A&M. This game will tip at 9:000 p.m. Eastern on ESPNU.

-- Colorado State has won three in a row both SU and ATS and is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games. The Rams, who are 5-2 ATS as favorites for the season, are short 1.5-point home favorites tonight vs. Boise State.

-- Like CSU, Boston College owns an 8-2 spread record in its last 10 games. The Eagles are 5.5-point home underdogs tonight vs. Wake Forest at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPNU.

-- Iowa star Peter Jok is ‘questionable’ tonight at Rutgers due to a back injury. Jok is averaging 21.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

-- Musburger will be joining Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN), a streaming network dedicated to sports gambling that will launch Monday. The network’s shows will be broadcast from the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas. Other shows on the network will feature the likes of Jimm Vaccaro, Chris Andrews and Matt Youmans. Musburger’s nephew, Brian Musburger, is the founder chairman of VSiN.

-- Phil Forte suffered through most of Travis Ford’s final season in Stillwater without any way of helping while taking a medical redshirt due to an injury. On Monday night in Norman, the fifth-year senior drained a 3-point jumper from the left wing with 11 seconds left for the go-ahead bucket in OSU’s first win in Norman since 2004. Jawun Evans helped the Cowboys to their fourth consecutive win both SU and ATS with 24 points.

-- Duke won an 84-74 decision at Notre Dame as a 1.5-point road favorite last night. The win was the Blue Devils’ second straight to improve to 17-5 overall and 5-4 in the ACC. Grayson Allen and Jayston Tatum led the way with 21 and 19 points, respectively.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Panthers (12-9) at Tar Heels (19-4)
Date: January 31, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- It's fair to say that No. 12 North Carolina and Pittsburgh are hurting after their most recent games.

It's just that degree of suffering for these teams looks vastly different as they go into Tuesday night's Atlantic Coast Conference matchup at the Smith Center.

First-place North Carolina (19-4, 7-2 ACC) had its seven-game winning streak snapped Saturday at Miami.

"We have some major wounds that need to be healed," Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said Monday.

But nothing quite like last-place Pittsburgh (12-9, 1-7), which is stuck in a six-game losing streak after a couple of particularly disturbing results.

"We're struggling. That's obvious with what's going on with the outcomes of our games," Pittsburgh coach Kevin Stallings said. "Things don't get any easier, obviously having to play Carolina. They look like one of the best teams in the country to me. We know we've got our hands very full with that.

"We have to focus on continuing to try to get better and to try do the things to help us be a good team."

Williams described the Tar Heels as lacking energy in the Miami game.

"We didn't have enough guys with a high motor," Williams said. "You're not going to beat teams (in this league) unless you have your best effort."

Perhaps most troublesome was guard Joel Berry's two-point outing that included 0-for-8 shooting from the field. But Williams said after Berry struggled in the ACC opener at Georgia Tech that he responded in the next game with a sterling performance at Clemson.

Pittsburgh is coming off home losses to Louisville -- by a 106-51 score that reflected the largest margin of defeat ever for an ACC home team -- and to Clemson, which had shared last place with the Panthers.

"We played a little better on Saturday but we're going to have to do better than that if we want to have success we want," said Stallings, who's in his first season at Pittsburgh.

This begins a three-game road stretch for the Panthers, who also go to Duke and Boston College.

North Carolina is unbeaten in 11 home games this season.

Pittsburgh has the league's leading scorer in Jamel Artis (21.1 points per game) and third-leading scorer in Michael Young (20.3).

On the flip side, North Carolina has the top scoring team in the conference at 88.3, while Pittsburgh's scoring defense is second-to-last by allowing 77.3 points per outing.

"Our starters in some cases, particularly on defense, haven't been very productive," Stallings said.

North Carolina swingman Theo Pinson, who didn't play this season until mid-January because of a broken foot, will miss the Pittsburgh game after suffering an ankle injury last week. He also sat out the game at Miami.

The severity of Pinson's latest injury seems unclear as Williams said again that he's awaiting additional updates.

"I'd love to have him back because I think he adds so much to our team," Williams said.

Meanwhile, Stallings is somewhat familiar with North Carolina's campus. While Vanderbilt's coach, he made numerous visits to Chapel Hill a few years ago when his son, Jacob Stallings, was a catcher for the school's baseball team.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Terrapins (19-2) at Buckeyes (13-9)
Date: January 31, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 17 Maryland travels to Ohio State for a Big Ten game on Tuesday night matching two teams going in opposite directions.

Maryland (19-2, 7-1) is tied for the Big Ten lead with Wisconsin as it reaches the midpoint of the conference schedule. The Terrapins have won six in a row since their only Big Ten loss at home to Nebraska and 12 of their last 13.

Ohio State (13-9, 3-6) is struggling through one of its worst seasons in 13 years under coach Thad Matta. The Buckeyes are next to last in the Big Ten standings and are coming off a bad 85-72 loss on Saturday night at Iowa, which played without injured star Peter Jok, the Big Ten's leading scorer.

Meanwhile, Maryland won its fourth straight Big Ten road game on Saturday, coming away from Minnesota with an 85-78 victory fueled by freshman Justin Jackson's career-high 28 points that included 5-of-5 3-point shooting and 10 rebounds.

"We're just trying to win the next game, that's really what we're doing," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. "I've been around a lot of teams. This team just stays so focused on the task at hand. If we can just maintain that, none of the other stuff really matters."

The Terrapins are 5-0 on the road this season and off to their best overall start in program history since the 1998-99 team had the same record through 21 games.

They're the only Big Ten team without a road loss in conference play, and so playing in Value City Arena shouldn't be a big deal for these road warriors.

The two teams last met there exactly one year ago in Columbus with Maryland winning 66-61 on Jan. 31, 2016, when Melo Trimble scored 20 points.

Turgeon has found success this season by keeping the team relaxed away from home.

"We're in the middle of five out of seven on the road," Turgeon said. "You better be together and you better have fun while you're doing it."

Nothing is more fun than winning and Maryland is having success thanks to Trimble, who was named to the final 10 for the Bob Cousy Award on Monday, and a talented trio of freshmen. Jackson, Kevin Huerter and Anthony Cowan Jr. have combined for 35.6 points, 8.4 assists and 15.6 rebounds in Maryland's five road wins.

"We don't call them freshmen, we call them young guys," Turgeon said. "They're good players. They don't think about the stage. They're just playing basketball."

Trimble is still the leader as the point guard, averaging 17.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.

"I think Trimble is one of the best guards in college basketball in all that he does," Matta said.

After Ohio State started the Big Ten schedule with four straight losses, it appeared to be turning the ship around, winning three of its next four before hitting the wall at Iowa.

But the Buckeyes' roller-coaster efforts have typified their season so far. Matta knows Ohio State will have to play better than it did Saturday night to hang with red-hot Maryland.

The Buckeyes have five players scoring in double figures, led by Jae'Sean Tate at 14.0 points per game. Trevor Thompson is close to averaging a double-double (10.5 points, 9.3 rebounds).

"We have to play our best basketball (Tuesday) night," Matta said. "To quote (former Ohio State football coach) Jim Tressel a few years ago, we have to be better than we are."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bluejays (19-3) at Bulldogs (18-4)
Date: January 31, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS -- Creighton showed signs that it might be back on track after struggling to replace its floor leader.

Creighton lost starting point guard Maurice Watson Jr. to a torn ACL in his left knee in a 72-67 win over Xavier on Jan. 16. The Bluejays were beaten by visiting Marquette 102-94 on Jan. 21 and host Georgetown 71-51 four nights later before rebounding to rout visiting DePaul 83-66 on Saturday.

"There has been a lot of adjustments, tinkering and experimentation, for lack of a better word, to try to figure out what's best going forward," coach Greg McDermott said.

McDermott said the defensive intensity was much improved against DePaul. McDermott is hoping for a similar result when No. 22 Creighton (19-3, 6-3) takes on No. 16 Butler (18-4, 7-3) on Tuesday in Big East action at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

However, McDermott said a team can't change everything.

"Your identity can't totally change," he said. "It's just different people executing what you need to do. Transition offense is a big part of what we do. We'll get better on the court as we adjust without Maurice, but defensive rebounding is where we are going to have to hang our hat because if you're not good in that area, you are putting so much pressure on an offense that is a lot different than it used to be."

Creighton senior forward Cole Huff isn't sure if the Bluejays completely turned the corner.

"It's hard to tell, this is just one game," Huff said. "Obviously it's a step in the right direction. there are a lot of things we have to watch on film and clean up. Butler came here and I know they weren't too happy with the result. I know they are going to make some changes, play a lot harder and do some things differently and we're going to have to answer the call."

The Bluejays downed the visiting Bulldogs 75-64 on Jan. 11.

Butler suffered its first home loss of the season with an 85-81 loss to Georgetown on Saturday. Bulldogs coach Chris Holtmann was frustrated with the defensive effort as the Hoyas shot 72.7 percent in the second half, 63.8 percent for the game.

"We got a little outside of who we need to be and who our identity needs to be," Holtmann said. "That's disappointing. I'll accept responsibility for that."

Senior forward Andrew Chrabascz said he should have done a better job getting the team ready.

"That falls on my shoulders," he said. "Every night you got to be ready. Now we have to play a very good Creighton team and we have to prepare well for them."

Chrabascz said the team had played well defensively in the previous few games.

"So it was a step back," Chrabascz said. "We have to make sure we put our hard hats and get ready to compete in practice."

Holtmann said his players shouldn't have underestimated Georgetown.

"If our guys don't understand they've got to prove it every night based on where we were picked in the league (sixth)," Holtmann said. "Georgetown was picked ahead of us in the league."

Holtmann said if his players don't understand that, then he's done a bad job communicating it and his players aren't as aware as he believes they are.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bulldogs (13-8) at Wildcats (17-4)
Date: January 31, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- No. 8 Kentucky, which slipped four spots in the new Associated Press poll after consecutive losses to Tennessee and Kansas, looks to get back on track when Georgia visits Rupp Arena on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats are 17-4 overall and tied for first place in the Southeastern Conference at 7-1. Georgia (13-8, 4-4) is coming off a 59-57 win over Texas in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge.

"Georgia's good," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "I just watched their game with Texas and they had Texas A&M beat. We don't play and you'll get beat again. I think we'll be ready to play. How the game plays out I don't know. We'll see."

Calipari headed back to the drawing board with two points of emphasis: toughness and turnovers.

"Toughness is a skill, to be like a hard, scrappy player. That's a skill, just like ball-handling and shooting is a skill," Calipari said. "Fighting for rebounding, it's a skill. If passing and shooting and dribbling can be taught and mastered, then so can that other stuff. So you get in here and you make them fight each other.

"You put the guards and the bigs -- you put Tai (Wynyard) and Bam (Adebayo) against guys that don't want to fight and let them just maul them. And then you're like, 'OK, if you want to accept that and let go of the rope, then you can't be playing.' So figure out, 'How do I do this that I can withstand all this stuff.'"

Turnovers are more obvious, jumping off the boxscore.

"Turnovers lead to easy baskets on the other end," Calipari said. "We gave 21 points up last game from turnovers. Can't win a game that way. The other thing is it becomes a 50-50 ball and I'm fighting for my life.

"I figure out a way to go get those balls. Now, you may not get all of them, but you can't give them all of them. The toughness late in the game, mentally the toughness, physically, that's what I'm talking about."

Kentucky committed 17 turnovers in blowing a 12-point lead to lose to Kansas on Saturday.

"Casual play," Calipari said. "I showed them all 17. Aggressive turnovers don't lead to baskets on the other end. The casual turnovers, you're just dribbling it across and you lose it? The look-away pass to the wing when you didn't have to. What's the hardest play I can make? When a guy is open right there, throw it.

"This is all stuff that when you're coaching young kids that you have to go through and you have to reinforce. We went back to some of our older defensive drills just to get them in a different mindset."

Kentucky is led by freshman guard Malik Monk at 21.7 points per game. Freshman guard De'Aaron Fox checks in at 15.9, sophomore guard Isaiah Bricscoe at 14.0 and freshman forward Adebayo at 13.3.

Georgia is topped by junior forward Yante Maten, who averages 19.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Next come senior guard J.J. Frazier at 15.5 points and junior guard Juwan Parker at 9.7.

Monk and Maten rank Nos. 1 and 2 in the SEC in scoring.

"Maten has hurt us over the years simply by being physical," Calipari said. "So it's a tough matchup for us."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Badgers (18-3) at Fighting Illini (13-9)
Date: January 31, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

Ethan Happ has made Wisconsin the team to beat in the Big Ten Conference.

All one has to do is look at Saturday's game against Rutgers for proof. On a day when no one in a Badgers uniform could make a shot, Happ merely unfurled a 32-point, six-rebound, three-assist gem to carry them past the Scarlet Knights 61-54 in overtime at Madison Square Garden.

Happ and No. 10 Wisconsin will try to at least keep pace with co-leader Maryland atop the conference when it visits Big Ten foe Illinois on Tuesday night at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill.

The 6-foot-10 Happ is the only player in Division I averaging at least 13 points, nine rebounds, 2.5 assists, two steals and one block per game. His emergence as a go-to player offensively, teamed with the Badgers' traditionally tough defense, will make them a tough out late into March -- and perhaps into April.

"It's so fun for me to be on the court with a guy like that," Wisconsin guard Zak Showalter said of Happ. "I've kind of tried to be that guy that plays every possession as hard as I can. But to see him playing the way he is, which is exciting to see, I'm playing off him now."

In surviving Rutgers, the Badgers (18-3, 7-1 Big Ten) overcame 33 percent shooting, including a dreadful 3-of-25 effort from beyond the 3-point line. Happ canned 12 of 18 shots, scoring seven of their 16 overtime points, and could have sniffed 40 points had he not finished a Shaq-esque 8 of 16 at the foul line.

"My biggest takeaway from the game is not to give up when you're not shooting well," Happ said. "To pull it out was an amazing team win. I never had any doubt (of winning) until the game is really over. I was ecstatic."

The Fighting Illini (13-9, 3-6) almost pulled off a season-turning win Saturday at Penn State, chopping a 22-point second-half deficit down to three with two minutes left before the Nittany Lions held them off 71-67.

Illinois harbored hopes of surprising the experts and achieving an NCAA Tournament berth this season, but it will need a big February and early March to pull that off. It's been hampered by poor defense in Big Ten games, allowing opponents to convert a ghastly 49.2 percent from the field and 37.2 percent on 3-pointers.

"They've got to play with more of a nastiness and a chip prior to getting behind," Illini coach John Groce told the Champaign News-Gazette after the loss to Penn State. "We've got to capture that. We've got to find a way to affect them defensively for 40 minutes."

Offense hasn't been the issue for Illinois, which is averaging 75.5 points and has five players averaging at least 8.7 points. The marquee performer is 6-5 senior forward Malcolm Hill, who's averaging 17.5 points and is capable of going off for 30 any night.

But if the Illini are going to pull off the upset, they'll have to get the job done defensively. Specifically, they'll have to figure out a way to keep Happ from getting happy.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mountainers (17-4) at Cyclones (13-7)
Date: January 31, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

On the surface, it seems like a dream matchup.

When No. 7 West Virginia visits Iowa State on Tuesday night for a Big 12 game at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, it will be the Mountaineers' ferocious full-court pressure against the Cyclones' cool point guard, Monte Morris.

The team that forces 22.7 turnovers per game against the preseason All-America pick who has committed only 23 turnovers in 20 games. The team averaging nearly 12 steals per game versus the team guilty of just 10.1 turnovers per game.

Something has to give here. But it might not necessarily be advantage West Virginia (17-4, 5-3) if it harries Morris and Iowa State (13-7, 5-3) into a few more mistakes than usual, or advantage Cyclones if they don't cough up a spate of live-ball turnovers.

"It's more than stealing the ball, it's about wearing people down," Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins said to the Morgantown (W.Va.) Dominion Post. "Go back to the Virginia game, people were talking about how tired they were. It's not just stealing the ball. There are other positives from it."

Such as upping the tempo just enough to perhaps force a team to play a half-step quicker than it wants to, leading to quick shots that produce fast-break points on the other end. That's the game within a game every West Virginia opponent faces.

Beating the pressure is one thing, knowing when to try to score against it or pull the ball back out and run your offense with about 20 seconds remaining on the shot clock is another. And this is where the styles could make this fight a classic.

Few lead guards in the college game have Morris' discretion at knowing when to push pace or not gamble against the numbers. The senior averages five assists for every turnover, joining Jeff Hornacek as the only players in school history with 1,000 points, 600 assists and 200 steals.

How Morris fares -- and what kind of help he receives from backcourt mates Nazareth Mitrou-Long and Matt Thomas -- figures to determine if Iowa State gets the big win it could use to fortify its resume for an at-large bid or slips closer to the bubble.

"Teams that have beaten them -- Texas Tech, Oklahoma -- have had limited turnovers," Cyclones coach Steve Prohm said. "You have to be strong with the ball and do the fundamental stuff well. You can't bring too many people to the ball."

Iowa State is coming off an 84-78 loss at Vanderbilt on Saturday in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, a game that certainly was winnable when it owned an 11-point first-half lead. But the Cyclones gave up 13 3-pointers to blow the lead and the game against a sub-.500 opponent.

The Mountaineers posted a win in the same event Saturday, forcing 23 turnovers by Texas A&M in an 81-77 decision in Morgantown. That result, coming after a resounding rout of Kansas on Jan. 24, bumped West Virginia up 11 spots in this week's poll.

But it's back to the Big 12 grind until the NCAA Tournament for West Virginia, and Huggins knows there won't be too many easy marks.

"By and large, the scores are close, and that's what happens in league play," he said.

[StarDust Bum]

TOP 25 BEST BETS:

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

PITT at UNC 07:00 PM

UNC -19.0

U 160.0

MD at OSU 07:00 PM

MD +2.5

O 142.0

CRE at BUT 07:00 PM

BUT -6.5

U 149.5

WVU at ISU 09:00 PM

WVU -3.0

U 154.5

WIS at ILL 09:00 PM

ILL +7.5

U 132.5

UGA at UK 09:00 PM

UK -16.5

U 153.0