Announcement

**Udog** · 03-17-2017, 08:26 AM

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

— Kind of cheesy of Indiana to fire Tom Crean about 90 seconds after the NCAA tournament started. Will they go after native son Steve Alford?

— Clippers actually gave Blake Griffin his birthday off; he didn’t go to Denver for LA’s game last night. Oy.

— North Dakota hoop coach Brian Jones makes $100,000 a year. Not a lot for a D-I coach.

— Dwayne Wade is out for the year with a fractured elbow.

— Friend of mine who works at a sports book in Las Vegas wrote 867 betting tickets in just over nine hours Wednesday night. This is a great week to be in the desert.

— Virginia is only team in NCAA tournament with only one player averaging double figures.

**********

Armadillo: Wrapping up the first real day of March Madness

Night games
Xavier 76, Maryland 65— When Xavier’s kids sat down to watch TV at 5:30 Sunday, they had to nervous as to whether they were in the field of 68 or not. Now they’ve advanced to the round of 32. Terrapins won a lot of games with an extremely young nucleus held together by junior PG Trimble; that wasn’t enough here, as Xavier big man O’Mara had a career night, scoring 18 points.

Villanova 76, Mt St Mary’s 56— Wildcats dozed thru first half, led 30-29, then did what they had to do in second half to advance. Villanova needs to step up its game Saturday. Over last seven years, #1 seeds are 23-5 SU in second round games, but they did lose five times, as favorites of 11.5-8-6.5-4.5.9.5 points. Wildcats were last of those five teams, losing to NC State in 2015.

Purdue 80, Vermont 70— Game was only 37-36 at half, but Boilermakers win/cover- Vermont didn’t score in last 1:16 as Purdue covered on a FT with 0:28 left America East teams are now 6-7 vs spread in this round the last 13 years- Albany 5-1, rest of the league 1-6.

St Mary’s 85, VCU 77— Announcer on A-14 tournament last weekend said this: “If VCU plays a team with experienced guards, they could be in trouble in NCAA’s.” That is exactly what went on here. Gaels ran a clinic on half-court offense and move on to play Saturday.

Florida State 86, Florida Gulf Coast 80— Not often a game starts 2-2 with both baskets on dunks, but this one did. This game was like a fierce playground battle between arch-rivals; teams combined to go 10-41 on the arc, but Seminoles got to foul line 39 times. Bacon had 25 for FSU; you could say he was…..sizzling.

Wisconsin 84, Virginia Tech 74— Badgers made 13-31 on arc, will next play Villanova, which could be a good game— Wisconsin starts four seniors who’ve played a lot of ball together. Bronson Koenig was 8-17 behind the arc; thats a lot of 3’s for one guy to take.

Iowa State 84, Nevada 73— Wolf Pack only played six guys in this game; difficult to play as hard as they do and not sub much— their legs go late in game, which shows in their shooting. When Nevada has better depth next year, they’re going to be a handful.

Good trivia; Nevada player Jordan Caroline’s dad is Simeon Rice, who was a really good player in the NFL. His granddad is JC Caroline, who played 10 years for the Bears and intercepted Johnny Unitas’ first career pass and ran it back for a touchdown.

Arizona 100, North Dakota 82— Fighting Hawks went right at Arizona and got their butts kicked, but what a year they had, making NCAA’s for first time. In 2018-19 they move to the Summit League, which is a better league, so they’ll need to upgrade their recruiting. Video from this game won’t hurt, at least the offensive part of it.

Arizona-St Mary’s Saturday will be an interesting game.

Afternoon games
Notre Dame 60, Princeton 58— Tigers had a wide-open 3-pointer to take lead with 0:05 but Cannady missed, and Irish survive/advance. Cannady grew up five minutes outside South Bend. Princeton won Ivy title on Sunday; thought noon Thursday game was a tough draw for them, but they played well- too bad they were 8-31 on arc.

Virginia 76, NC-Wilmington 71— Seahawks led by 14 in first half, but Cavaliers used big run to grab 30-29 lead at half- Virginia held UNCW off in second half. Hard to believe Kevin Keatts will still be Seahawks’ coach next year; he’s done great work there, and the $$$ leagues should come calling this week or next.

Butler 76, Winthrop 64— Bulldogs outscored Winthrop 20-5 on foul line; Woodson made 6-10 on arc for Butler. Big South is now 2-6 vs spread in this round the last nine years. This was Eagles’ first trip to NCAA’s since 2010, when Gregg Marshall was their coach— terrific year for them.

Gonzaga 66, South Dakota State 46— Zags were only up 26-22 at half, but they methodically pulled away in second half and won easily- they held Jackrabbits’ star Daum to 17 points. Zags might’ve covered spread had they not gone 8-18 on foul line. There will be pressure on Gonzaga Saturday, when they play Vandy-Northwestern winner to get to Sweet 16.

West Virginia 86, Bucknell 80— Mountaineers were up 27-12 eight minutes in; there was a few minutes when Bucknell couldn’t get ball over half-court, but then Bison got gritty and hung in there- they got within five points a few times in second half. West Virginia-Notre Dame is a high quality second round game Saturday.

Florida 80, East Tennessee State 65— Game was 33-32 at half, but Gators outscored ETSU 21-6 on foul line, got lot of run-out hoops after Bucs’ turnovers to pull away in second half. Second round game with Virginia will be a much different style game.

Middle Tennessee State 81, Minnesota 72— Last two seasons, Blue Raiders are 5-0 vs SEC/Big 14 teams, winning by average of 12.6 pts/game. This was a 12-seed beating a 5-seed, but not an upset. MTSU was favored by a point. Richard Pitino lost his poise, got T’d up near the end when Gophers were down nine- -they were already going to lose, but not his finest moment.

Northwestern 68, Vanderbilt 66— Vandy scored with 0:17 left to take lead, then one of their best guys screwed up, fouling on purpose— did he think a) they were behind? b) they were up 3? c) they had a foul to give? Whatever, it was a colossal screw-up.

Northwestern makes their foul shots and advances, so we get 120 more shots of the Seinfeld lady on TV Saturday (her son is a sub on Northwestern).

**Udog** · 03-17-2017, 08:44 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Friday, March 17

Cal Davis @ Kansas

Game 837-838
March 17, 2017 @ 6:50 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cal Davis
46.277
Kansas
75.728
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas
by 29 1/2
139
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas
by 22 1/2
145 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas
(-22 1/2); Under

USC @ SMU

Game 835-836
March 17, 2017 @ 3:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
USC
64.776
SMU
76.376
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
SMU
by 11 1/2
134
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
SMU
by 6 1/2
139 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
SMU
(-6 1/2); Under

Kansas State @ Cincinnati

Game 847-848
March 17, 2017 @ 7:25 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kansas State
68.799
Cincinnati
75.417
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cincinnati
by 6 1/2
134
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cincinnati
by 3 1/2
130 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cincinnati
(-3 1/2); Over

Kent State @ UCLA

Game 845-846
March 17, 2017 @ 9:55 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kent State
53.995
UCLA
74.747
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
UCLA
by 21
168
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
UCLA
by 18
161
Dunkel Pick:
UCLA
(-18); Over

Rhode Island @ Creighton

Game 843-844
March 17, 2017 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Rhode Island
71.990
Creighton
64.531
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Rhode Island
by 7 1/2
146
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Creighton
by 1
141 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Rhode Island
(+1); Over

Iona @ Oregon

Game 841-842
March 17, 2017 @ 2:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Iona
61.280
Oregon
69.337
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oregon
by 8
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oregon
by 15
15 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Iona
(+15); Over

Michigan State @ Miami-FL

Game 839-840
March 17, 2017 @ 9:20 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Michigan State
63.310
Miami-FL
73.138
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami-FL
by 10
120
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami-FL
by 2
125 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Miami-FL
(-2); Under

New Mexico St @ Baylor

Game 833-834
March 17, 2017 @ 12:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Mexico St
61.939
Baylor
65.520
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baylor
by 3 1/2
128
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baylor
by 12 1/2
135
Dunkel Pick:
New Mexico St
(+12 1/2); Under

Wichita State @ Dayton

Game 831-832
March 17, 2017 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Wichita State
70.338
Dayton
69.258
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Wichita State
by 1
138
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Wichita State
by 6 1/2
145 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dayton
(+6 1/2); Under

Northern Kentucky @ Kentucky

Game 829-830
March 17, 2017 @ 9:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Northern Kentucky
54.679
Kentucky
78.818
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kentucky
by 24
147
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kentucky
by 19 1/2
153
Dunkel Pick:
Kentucky
(-19 1/2); Under

Oklahoma State @ Michigan

Game 827-828
March 17, 2017 @ 12:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma State
71.544
Michigan
76.036
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Michigan
by 4 1/2
159
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Michigan
by 2
154
Dunkel Pick:
Michigan
(-2); Over

Jacksonville St @ Louisville

Game 825-826
March 17, 2017 @ 2:45 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Jacksonville St
49.389
Louisville
76.570
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Louisville
by 27
139
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Louisville
by 20
134
Dunkel Pick:
Louisville
(-20); Over

Seton Hall @ Arkansas

Game 823-824
March 17, 2017 @ 1:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seton Hall
70.031
Arkansas
66.606
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seton Hall
by 3 1/2
154
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arkansas
by 1
146 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seton Hall
(+1); Over

Texas Southern @ North Carolina

Game 821-822
March 17, 2017 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas Southern
48.091
North Carolina
79.570
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
North Carolina
by 30 1/2
161
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
North Carolina
by 26 1/2
154 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
North Carolina
(-26 1/2); Over

Marquette @ South Carolina

Game 819-820
March 17, 2017 @ 9:50 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Marquette
69.187
South Carolina
63.678
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Marquette
by 5 1/2
142
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
South Carolina
by 1 1/2
148
Dunkel Pick:
Marquette
(+1 1/2); Under

Troy @ Duke

Game 817-818
March 17, 2017 @ 7:20 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Troy
56.444
Duke
78.455
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Duke
by 22
147
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Duke
by 19
153 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Duke
(-19); Under

**Udog** · 03-17-2017, 08:45 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Friday, March 17

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TROY (22 - 14) vs. DUKE (27 - 8) - 3/17/2017, 7:20 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TROY is 20-12 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all games this season.
TROY is 20-12 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
TROY is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in all neutral court games this season.
TROY is 14-7 ATS (+6.3 Units) after a conference game this season.
TROY is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing on a neutral court this season.
TROY is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in all tournament games this season.
TROY is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DUKE is 59-83 ATS (-32.3 Units) in March games since 1997.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MARQUETTE (19 - 12) vs. S CAROLINA (22 - 10) - 3/17/2017, 9:50 PM
Top Trends for this game.
S CAROLINA is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MARQUETTE is 138-95 ATS (+33.5 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
S CAROLINA is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest since 1997.
S CAROLINA is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEXAS SOUTHERN (22 - 11) vs. N CAROLINA (27 - 7) - 3/17/2017, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N CAROLINA is 291-239 ATS (+28.1 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
N CAROLINA is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) after allowing 80 points or more this season.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SETON HALL (21 - 11) vs. ARKANSAS (25 - 9) - 3/17/2017, 1:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SETON HALL is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
SETON HALL is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
SETON HALL is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SETON HALL is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
SETON HALL is 41-27 ATS (+11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
SETON HALL is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
ARKANSAS is 76-118 ATS (-53.8 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
ARKANSAS is 27-51 ATS (-29.1 Units) in road games off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
ARKANSAS is 16-30 ATS (-17.0 Units) in road games after allowing 80 points or more since 1997.
ARKANSAS is 89-134 ATS (-58.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
ARKANSAS is 60-90 ATS (-39.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JACKSONVILLE ST (20 - 14) vs. LOUISVILLE (24 - 8) - 3/17/2017, 2:45 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOUISVILLE is 15-8 ATS (+6.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
LOUISVILLE is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in road games after a conference game this season.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 21-39 ATS (-21.9 Units) after allowing 80 points or more since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOUISVILLE is 1-0 against the spread versus JACKSONVILLE ST over the last 3 seasons
LOUISVILLE is 1-0 straight up against JACKSONVILLE ST over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OKLAHOMA ST (20 - 12) vs. MICHIGAN (24 - 11) - 3/17/2017, 12:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MICHIGAN is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in all neutral court games this season.
MICHIGAN is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing on a neutral court this season.
MICHIGAN is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in all tournament games this season.
OKLAHOMA ST is 114-79 ATS (+27.1 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

N KENTUCKY (24 - 10) vs. KENTUCKY (29 - 5) - 3/17/2017, 9:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KENTUCKY is 85-58 ATS (+21.2 Units) in March games since 1997.
N KENTUCKY is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games this season.
N KENTUCKY is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all lined games this season.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WICHITA ST (30 - 4) vs. DAYTON (24 - 7) - 3/17/2017, 7:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DAYTON is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all games this season.
DAYTON is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
DAYTON is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) on Friday nights this season.
WICHITA ST is 19-11 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all games this season.
WICHITA ST is 19-11 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
WICHITA ST is 19-11 ATS (+6.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
WICHITA ST is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) after a conference game this season.
WICHITA ST is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
WICHITA ST is 81-54 ATS (+21.6 Units) in road games after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW MEXICO ST (28 - 5) vs. BAYLOR (25 - 7) - 3/17/2017, 12:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW MEXICO ST is 40-23 ATS (+14.7 Units) in March games since 1997.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

USC (25 - 9) vs. SMU (30 - 4) - 3/17/2017, 3:10 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAL DAVIS (23 - 12) vs. KANSAS (28 - 4) - 3/17/2017, 6:50 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MICHIGAN ST (19 - 14) vs. MIAMI (21 - 11) - 3/17/2017, 9:20 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MICHIGAN ST is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
MIAMI is 110-81 ATS (+20.9 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
MIAMI is 137-104 ATS (+22.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
MICHIGAN ST is 39-27 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 39-27 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 31-20 ATS (+9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 11-19 ATS (-9.9 Units) in all games this season.
MIAMI is 11-19 ATS (-9.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
MIAMI is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) as a favorite this season.
MIAMI is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IONA (22 - 12) vs. OREGON (29 - 5) - 3/17/2017, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IONA is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) off a win against a conference rival this season.
OREGON is 39-26 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 39-26 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 67-44 ATS (+18.6 Units) in March games since 1997.
OREGON is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) after a conference game this season.
OREGON is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) after scoring 80 points or more this season.
OREGON is 31-20 ATS (+9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
IONA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in a neutral court game where the total is 150 to 154.5 since 1997.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RHODE ISLAND (24 - 9) vs. CREIGHTON (25 - 9) - 3/17/2017, 4:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CREIGHTON is 39-27 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CREIGHTON is 39-27 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
CREIGHTON is 16-8 ATS (+7.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
RHODE ISLAND is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) off a win against a conference rival this season.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KENT ST (22 - 13) vs. UCLA (29 - 4) - 3/17/2017, 9:55 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KENT ST is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in first round tournament games since 1997.
UCLA is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.
KENT ST is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in road games off a win against a conference rival this season.
KENT ST is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KENT ST is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
UCLA is 19-31 ATS (-15.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 14-24 ATS (-12.4 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 17-28 ATS (-13.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KANSAS ST (21 - 13) vs. CINCINNATI (29 - 5) - 3/17/2017, 7:25 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS ST is 12-5 ATS (+6.5 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 this season.
CINCINNATI is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) as a neutral court favorite of 3 points or less or pick over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 30-48 ATS (-22.8 Units) in road games in March games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CINCINNATI is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Udog** · 03-17-2017, 08:49 AM

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, March 17

Friday’s NCAA games
Day games
Oklahoma State lost its last three games, all to Kansas/Iowa St; Cowboys went 20-12 against the hardest schedule in country, winning five Big X road games- they lost by 1 at Maryland, their only Big 14 opponent. Michigan is in NCAA’s for 6th time in last seven years; they’re 10-2 in last 12 games, winning four games in Big 14 tourney last week after the team plane slid off the runway while trying to leave Michigan Wednesday. Wolverines are #62 experience team led by senior PG Walton. Last eight years, underdogs are 20-11-1 vs spread in 7-10 games.

Baylor lost in first round last two years, as a 3-seed and 5-seed; that doesn’t happen much. Bears went 5-6 in last 11 games after a 20-1 start that had them #1 in country; 8 of their 11 non-league wins were by 15+ points. New Mexico State is in NCAA’s for 5th time in last six years; they went 1-3 vs spread in previous four visits, losing by 13-20-4-19 points. Aggies won their last five games overall; they beat Bakersfield in WAC final, after Roadrunners won in four OT’s the night before, so they got little fortunate there. Aggies are #147 experience team, Baylor #109.

Seton Hall won five of its last six games, Arkansas eight of its last ten; good 8-9 game here. Seton Hall starts three juniors and senior who won Big East tourney LY, then lost to Gonzaga by 16 in first round- it was their first NCAA’s since ’06. Pirates lost 81-76 to Florida, its only SEC opponent this season. In first three years of refigured Big East, league is 9-6 vs spread in first round games. Arkansas is 11-1 outside SEC, losing at Minnesota by 14; Razorbacks are #18 experience team. Last eight years, underdogs are 20-10 vs spread in 8-9 games.

Oregon won eight of last nine games but lost best shot blocker Boucher for season with injury; Ducks lost Pac-12 final by 3 to Arizona- they’re 13-0 vs teams ranked outside the top 100, with seven wins by 17+ points. Oregon played 7 guys in Pac-12 final, with four starters playing 33+ minutes. Iona won Alaskan Shootout in November; they’re 7-4 outside MAAC, losing by 21 at Florida State. Gaels make 39.7% on arc (#16); they won true road game in OT in MAAC final to get to this point. Last four years, underdogs are 10-6 vs spread in 3-14 games.

Jacksonville State is in NCAA’s for first time; JSU coach Harper was in twice while at Western Kentucky, losing in this round by 15-7 points to Kentucky/Kansas. Gamecocks are 0-2 vs top 50 teams this season, losing to TCU by 19, Maryland by 26. Louisville won its last four first round games (1-2-1 vs spread), winning by 7-31-7-2 points. This is only 3rd time in last 30 years Cards are #1 or #2 seed- they won 1st round games by 20-31 those years. Over last 8 years, OVC teams are 6-1-1 vs spread in this round. Since ’08, #2 seeds favored by 20+ points are 1-3 vs spread.

North Carolina was “only” 8-4 in its last 12 games, losing by 15 at Miami, 20 at Virginia; UNC is 3-4 in its last seven games away from Chapel Hill- they won their last 14 first round games. Last six times they were a 1-seed, Tar Heels are 3-2-1 vs spread in first round. Texas Southern lost at Arizona by 22, Louisville by 31, Cincinnati by 38, Baylor by 26 as they played guarantee games in December to cover their budget. Tigers won at Rice/LaSalle; their coach is Mike Davis, who used to coach at Indiana. Since 2004, SWAC teams are 1-6 vs spread in this round.

Rhode Island is in NCAA’s for first time since ’99 (lost to Charlotte in OT); Rams won their last eight games, are strong defensive team that holds foes to 29.2% on arc, #2 in country. Creighton was 18-1 when PG Watson got hurt; they’re 7-8 since then. Bluejays made 45%+ on arc in four of those seven wins. Creighton is 12-0 outside Big East, but that was with Watson in lineup. URI beat Cincinnati on a neutral court, lost by 3 at Providence in two of its pre-conference games. Last eight years, underdogs are 17-14-1 vs spread in 6-11 games, 5-3 last two years.

Night games
Wichita State beat Sean Miller’s Arizona team in LY’s tourney; they draw Sean’s brother Archie here. Shockers are 10-3 outside MVC, 3-4 vs top 60 teams this season- they’re #262 experience team. Wichita’s bench plays 4th-most minutes in country. Dayton had won nine games in row before losing to GW/Davidson in last two; Flyers are #34 experience team, starting four seniors- they shot 40%+ from arc in each of last eight games. Dayton is 2-1 in this round under Miller, losing 70-51 to Syracuse LY. Last four years, MVC teams are 6-1 vs spread in this round.

Kansas State gets extra day of rest, with this game Friday instead of Thursday after Tuesday tilt in Dayton. Wildcats were 27-36 on foul line in Dayton foulfest Tuesday; they’ve won four of last five games, are 12-1 outside Big X. Cincinnati is 7-3 in its last ten games after starting season 22-2; Bearcats won by point in OT at Iowa State in December, a team that swept Kansas State this year, by 5-8 points. Cincy is 1-3 in last four first-round games, with four games decided by total of 11 points. Last 7 years, dogs are 15-12-1 vs spread in 6-11 games.

South Carolina lost six of last nine games (went 4-6 in last 10 LY) but made tourney due to 13-0 pre-conference schedule with wins over Clemson/Memphis. Carolina won by 15-14 vs couple of lesser Big East teams (DePaul/St John’s). Marquette is best 3-point shooting team in tourney (43%); Eagles beat Vandy by 24, Georgia by 10 in two games vs SEC opponents. Carolina is #5 in country at defending 3’s. Crowd in Greenville figures to support home-state Gamecocks, but Duke fans will root for Wojo’s team. Last six years, dogs are 14-9-1 vs spread in 7-10 games.

Duke is 1-4 vs spread in its last five 1st-round games, losing SU as a 2-seed/3-seed to Lehigh, Mercer; Blue Devils won ACC tourney LW, are 12-3 in last 15 games- they’re #266 in experience, starting two frosh and a soph (all very talented). Troy finished T6 in Sun Belt (15th-rated league); Trojans won 10 of last 12 games- they went 6-6 vs #335 pre-conference schedule- they lost by 5 at USC. Last ten years, 2-seeds are 22-18 vs spread in this round (7-5 last three years). Since ’07, Sun Belt teams are 7-3 against the spread in this round.

PG Lonzo Ball hurt his left thumb in UCLA’s last game; he is their engine, so if he isn’t 100%, Bruins won’t play well, but we won’t be able to tell until game starts. UCLA won 10 of last 11 games; they beat W. Michigan of MAC by 14 in December. Bruins won seven of last eight first round games; they were underdog in 3 of last 4. Kent State is in NCAA’s for first time since ’08; Golden Flashes won nine of last ten games; they start a frosh, two sophs- they lost at Oregon St by 19, the worst team in Pac-12. Since ’03, MAC teams are 8-6 vs spread in this round, 1-3 last four years.

Kentucky won its last 11 games; they’re 10-3 outside SEC, beating Cleveland St of Horizon by 31 in November. Wildcats won last six first round games (3-3 vs spread); they’re #341 experience team, better not look ahead to Wichita/Dayton winner, because Northern Kentucky has to excited as hell to be here, for first time. Norse won six in row, 10 of last 11 games; they lost by 31 at West Va, but game was only 36-29 at the half. Last five years, Horizon teams are 1-4 vs spread in this round. Last ten years, 2-seeds are 22-18 vs spread in this round (7-5 last three years).

Michigan State/Miami both lost three of last four games; Spartans are 8-2 in last ten first round game- they lost as a 2-seed LY, as an 18-point favorite. Miami won its last five first round games but was higher seed in all five games. ‘canes are #264 experience team that plays #338 tempo- their bench plays #321 minutes. MSU’s bench plays most minutes in country- they start three freshmen, which is why they aren’t as consistent (8-9 in last 17 games) as most Izzo teams. MSU plays #242 tempo. Last eight years, underdogs are 20-10 vs spread in 8-9 games.

**Udog** · 03-17-2017, 08:52 AM

NCAAB

Friday, March 17

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Trend Report
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12:15 PM
OKLAHOMA STATE vs. MICHIGAN
No trends available
Michigan is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Michigan's last 9 games

12:40 PM
NEW MEXICO STATE vs. BAYLOR
No trends available
Baylor is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
Baylor is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games

1:30 PM
SETON HALL vs. ARKANSAS
No trends available
Arkansas is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arkansas's last 6 games

2:00 PM
IONA vs. OREGON
No trends available
Oregon is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Oregon is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games

2:45 PM
JACKSONVILLE STATE vs. LOUISVILLE
No trends available
Louisville is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Louisville is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games

3:10 PM
USC vs. SOUTHERN METHODIST
No trends available
Southern Methodist is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Southern Methodist's last 8 games

TBA
ARKANSAS vs. SETON HALL
No trends available
Seton Hall5-1-1 SU in its last 7 games

TBA
FURMAN vs. SAINT PETER'S
Furman is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Furman's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Saint Peter's last 9 games
Saint Peter's is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games

4:00 PM
TEXAS SOUTHERN vs. NORTH CAROLINA
No trends available
North Carolina is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of North Carolina's last 7 games

4:30 PM
RHODE ISLAND vs. CREIGHTON
No trends available
Creighton is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Creighton's last 7 games

6:50 PM
UC DAVIS vs. KANSAS
No trends available
Kansas is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Kansas is 7-13-1 ATS in its last 21 games

7:10 PM
WICHITA STATE vs. DAYTON
No trends available
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Dayton's last 12 games
Dayton is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games

7:20 PM
TROY vs. DUKE
No trends available
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Duke's last 5 games
Duke is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

7:27 PM
KANSAS STATE vs. CINCINNATI
No trends available
Cincinnati is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 6 games

9:20 PM
MICHIGAN STATE vs. MIAMI
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games

9:40 PM
NORTHERN KENTUCKY vs. KENTUCKY
No trends available
Kentucky is 6-12-1 ATS in its last 19 games
Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

9:50 PM
MARQUETTE vs. SOUTH CAROLINA
No trends available
South Carolina is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
South Carolina is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games

9:57 PM
KENT STATE vs. UCLA
No trends available
UCLA is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of UCLA's last 6 games

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**Udog** · 03-17-2017, 01:09 PM

NCAAB

Friday, March 17

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Friday's NCAA Tournament first round betting preview: South Region
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The Kentucky Wildcats are 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine NCAA tournament games and giving 20 points to Northern Kentucky in the Round of 64 Friday.

The South Region of the NCAA tournament sees the bulk of its Round of 64 games tip off Friday. Here's your March Madness betting cheat sheet for those contests:

No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks vs. No. 9 Seton Hall Pirates (+1, 146.5)

Played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina

Seton Hall, back in the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season, needs to be at its very best if it has designs on advancing to the Sweet Sixteen. The ninth-seeded Pirates, who lost in the first round as a No. 6 seed last season, face eighth-seeded Arkansas on Friday in the South Region in Greenville, S.C.

The tournament selection committee was not kind to the Pirates, who have the unenviable task of knocking off a 25-win team in Arkansas before a potential matchup Sunday with top-seeded North Carolina. The unquestioned leader of the Pirates is 6-10 junior forward Angel Delgado, who leads the nation with 26 double-doubles and 13.1 rebounds per game. The Razorbacks, who lost to Kentucky in the SEC tournament final Sunday, return to the tournament after a one-year absence led by the quartet of Dusty Hannahs, Daryl Macon, Jaylen Barford and Moses Kingsley. Kingsley, a 6-10 senior forward from Nigeria who averages 11.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks, is the only member of the foursome who was with the Razorbacks when they lost to North Carolina in the second round in 2015.

TV: 1:30 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Arkansas opened as big as -2.5 and action on Seton Hall trimmed that spread to -1. The total opened 146.5.

ABOUT SETON HALL (21-11): After Delgado, the Pirates look to Khadeen Carrington and Desi Rodriguez to do the bulk of the scoring. The juniors, who combine to average 32.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists, are strong 3-point shooters at 36 percent or better. Ismael Sanogo, who returned from injury in a two-point loss to NCAA overall No. 1 seed Villanova in the Big East tournament, averages 5.7 rebounds and is the one of the top defenders for coach Kevin Willard, who guided his team to five straight wins to close the regular season.

ABOUT ARKANSAS (25-9): While Hannahs and Macon are the top scorers and 3-point shooters, the Razorbacks have success by sharing the ball. Hannahs scored 20 or more points only three times despite averaging 14.6 points and Macon (13.3) overcame a tough stretch during conference play to average 16.6 over the final three games. Barford, meanwhile, came on during the season's final month with eight straight games in double figures.

TRENDS:

* Pirates are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games as underdogs.
* Razorbacks are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 vs. Big East.
* Over is 5-1-1 in Pirates last 7 NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 5-1 in Razorbacks last six overall.

No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 16 Texas Southern Tigers (+26.5, 154.5)

Played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina

North Carolina has some unfinished business to take care of in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels' mission to complete their task begins on Friday when the No. 1 seed in the South Region takes on 16th-seeded Texas Southern in Greenville, S.C.

Last season, North Carolina advanced to the national championship game before losing to Villanova on a 3-pointer at the buzzer. This time around, both schools are No. 1 seeds and could potentially meet in the title game once again, but the first step for the Tar Heels is to get past the SWAC champion Tigers. Texas Southern has won nine straight games and certainly won't be intimidated after playing Arizona, Louisville, Cincinnati and Baylor earlier this season. That said, the Tigers lost each of those games by 20-plus points and may be overwhelmed by a Tar Heels team that has never failed to make the Elite Eight as a No. 1 seed under coach Roy Williams.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: North Carolina opened as a 26-point favorite and was bet up to -26.5. The total opened at 154.5 points.

ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN (23-11, 2-6 ATS): The Tigers are not an elite defensive team as they rank 168th nationally in points allowed per game, but they held Grambling State to 57 points in the SWAC semifinals and limited Alcorn State to 50 to win the tournament title. Kevin Scott had 15 points and 12 rebounds in that one and has really upped his rebounding in the last five games. Zach Lofton leads the team in scoring at 17 points per game but has totaled 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting in the last two contests.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (27-7, 16-14-2 ATS): The Tar Heels were a surprise No. 1 seed according to some experts after they lost to Duke in the semifinals of the ACC tournament, although they did defeat Wisconsin, Florida State, Notre Dame, Duke and Louisville earlier in the season. Justin Jackson has emerged as the best player on the team - and in the ACC, according to the league's award voters - after averaging 18.1 points to lead four double-digit scorers for North Carolina. Joel Berry II (14.8 points) has combined with Jackson to make 166 3-pointers, while Kennedy Meeks (12.6 points, 9.1 rebounds) posted 19 points and 12 boards in the semifinal loss to Duke.

TRENDS:

* Tigers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games as an underdog of 13.0 or greater.
* No. 1 seeds went 11-6-1 ATS in last year's NCAA tournament
* Tar Heels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games.
* Over is 4-0 in Tar Heels last 4 NCAA Tournament games.

No. 7 Dayton Flyers vs. No. 10 Wichita State Shockers (-6, 145)

Played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Wichita State won 30 games, but that was only good enough to earn a No. 10 seed in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament. The Shockers, who won both the regular season and tournament titles in the Missouri Valley Conference, will take on seventh-seeded Dayton on Friday in Indianapolis.

Wichita State is making its sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and needs to avoid looking ahead to a possible revenge game against No. 2 seed Kentucky. The Shockers were an undefeated No. 1 seed in 2014 when they fell 78-76 in the second round against an eighth-seeded Wildcats squad. The Flyers won the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and bring plenty of experience with seniors Charles Cooke, Kendall Pollard and Scoochie Smith guiding the school to its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament. Dayton will need to turn its momentum quickly after a disappointing end to the season that saw it drop the regular-season finale to George Washington before bowing out against ninth-seeded Davidson in its first A-10 tournament game.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: Wichita State opened as a 7.5-point favorite and action on Dayton has moved the line down to WSU -6. The total opened at 148 points and is down to 145.

ABOUT WICHITA STATE (30-4): The Shockers were knocked down the seeding despite their 30-win pedigree because of a weak strength of schedule, but coach Gregg Marshall doesn't see any difference between his team this year and clubs of the past few seasons. "We had an undefeated team, and we have a team that went to the Final Four," Marshall told reporters. "This team's comparable. It really is. We've got so many weapons defensively. We play hard, try to play smart. ... We're very deep, pretty big, athletic, skilled, and talented. It's a good formula." Wichita State does not have a player averaging more than Markis McDuffie's 11.8 points but has five players averaging at least 9.2.

ABOUT DAYTON (24-7): The Flyers won nine straight before stumbling down the stretch but remain confident behind seniors like Cooke, who leads the team in scoring at an average of 16.1 points and recorded double figures in each of the last nine games. Smith, who is third on the team in scoring (13.5) and paces Dayton in assists (4.5), and Cooke combined for 26 points in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season but Pollard was held to four points on 2-of-7 shooting as the seventh-seeded Flyers fell to No. 10 seed Syracuse 70-51. Pollard and Smith were freshmen on the 2013-14 squad that reached the Elite Eight and helped the team win two games in the Tournament as sophomores in 2014-15.

TRENDS:

* Shockers are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 NCAA Tournament games.
* Flyers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games as underdogs.
* Under is 10-4 in Shockers last 14 games as favorites.
* Over is 11-1 in Flyers' last 12 overall.

No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats vs. No. 11 Kansas State Wildcats (+3.5, 130.5)

Despite leading his program to its best season in 15 years, Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin wasn't particularly happy with the NCAA Tournament committee's opinion of his team on Selection Sunday or where it had to go to prove itself. The sixth-seeded Bearcats attempt to earn a bit more respect Friday when they head to Sacramento, Calif. to face No. 11 seed Kansas State in first-round action of the South region.

A little over an hour after losing to SMU in the American Athletic Conference title game Sunday, Cincinnati learned it was being shipped out to the west coast for the third time in four years - both previous trips to Spokane, Wash. resulted in early tournament exits. "I think that it's pretty obvious that nobody was really impressed with (the Bearcats winning 29 games)," Cronin told reporters. ". … (In three of the four years our seniors) go the NCAA Tournament, they’re in Spokane twice and Sacramento once. It’s really not easy for their families." The Wildcats notched their first NCAA Tournament victory in five years under coach Bruce Weber on Tuesday, upending fellow No. 11 seed Wake Forest 95-88 in First Four action at Dayton, Ohio. In addition to shooting 66 percent from the field, Kansas State fell one point short of its best offensive output of the season and topped its scoring average entering the contest by 24 points.

TV: 7:27 p.m., truTV

LINE HISTORY: Cincinnati opened as a 3.5-point favorite while the total opened at 130.5.

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (21-13): Wesley Iwundu entered Tuesday as the only Big 12 player among the top 15 in scoring (12.5 points), field-goal percentage (47.5), free-throw percentage (75), rebounding (6.4) and assists (3.4) and only improved on those marks - finishing with a career-high 24 points (6-of-9 from the floor, 11-of-13 from the line), six boards and seven assists. Sophomore guard Kamau Stokes (11.9 points) continued to commit turnovers at a high rate - at least four in eight of his last 11 outings - but made up for it with a career-high 22 points. Senior forward D.J. Johnson (11.4 points) shot 8-for-9 on Tuesday to improve his Big 12-best field-goal percentage to 62.6 and is 13-of-15 from the floor since the end of the regular season.

ABOUT CINCINNATI (29-5): Troy Caupain (10.1 points, team-high 4.6 assists) became the program's leader in career assists during Sunday's 71-56 setback against SMU, getting the two he needed to pass Deonta Vaughn's school record of 511, and he and Vaughn are the only two players in school history with more than 1,200 points and 500 assists in a career. Although Jacob Evans (team-high 13.7 points) had a rare off-day versus the Mustangs with 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting, the sophomore guard still averaged 17 points on 16-of-28 from the field - including 8-of-10 beyond the arc - during the AAC tournament. After ending the regular season as a 64.4-percent foul shooter, fellow All-AAC tournament selection Gary Clark (10.7 points, 7.9 boards overall) went 22-of-24 from the free-throw line during the thee-day event.

TRENDS:

* Wildcats are 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.
* Bearcats are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 vs. Big 12.
* Over is 5-1 in Wildcats last 6 neutral site games as an underdog.
* Under is 44-17 in Bearcats last 61 non-conference games.

No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 15 Northern Kentucky Norse (+20, 152.5)

Played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Kentucky begins its bid for a ninth NCAA Tournament title when it meets No. 15 Northern Kentucky on Friday in the first round of the South Region in Indianapolis and coach John Calipari made it clear how the Wildcats can reach the pinnacle. "What happens for us the rest of the way will all be based on how we play ... it'll be all based on defense,'' Calipari said after the Wildcats won the SEC title with an 82-65 victory over Arkansas on Sunday.

Kentucky, which won the NCAA title in 2012, finds itself in a difficult region that includes No. 1 seed North Carolina, No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Butler and No. 8 Arkansas, as UCLA (11), Kentucky and North Carolina (tied for third with five) won the most NCAA Tournament titles. The Wildcats are once again loaded with freshmen talent led by the backcourt of Malik Monk (20.5 points per game) and De'Aaron Fox (SEC-most 4.9 assists). The Norse won the Horizon League tournament as the No. 4 seed with a 59-53 victory over Milwaukee on March 7 in its fifth Division I season, and first with postseason eligibility. "We got another game to play," 6-7 sophomore forward Drew McDonald, who leads Northern Kentucky in scoring and rebounding, told reporters. "I got the chills just thinking about it."

TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: Kentucky opened as a 19-point favorite and has been bet up to -20 while the total has moved from 154 points to 152.5.

ABOUT NORTHERN KENTUCKY (24-10): McDonald, a first-team all-Horizon League selection, averages 16.4 points and 7.7 rebounds after recording 14 and 12 versus Milwaukee for his 11th double-double of the season. Senior guard Cole Murray (10.2 points) helped the Norse lead the Horizon in 3-pointers made at 8.7 per game by making a league-best 3.1, shooting 40.4 from beyond the arc overall while hoisting 244. Junior guard Lavone Holland II (14.3 points, team-high 4.1 assists) and freshman forward Carson Williams (10.5 points, 5.8 rebounds) are Northern Kentucky's other top scoring threats.

ABOUT KENTUCKY (29-5): Monk and Fox (16.1 points) receive much of the attention, but Bam Adebayo could be the key to the Wildcats' success. The 6-foot-10 forward averages 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds, and has the ability to be an intimidating presence in the paint with a team-leading 52 blocks. Sophomore guard Isaiah Briscoe (12.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists) is considered a seasoned veteran at Kentucky and is arguably the Wildcats' best all-around player.

TRENDS:

* Norse are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Wildcats are 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine NCAA Tournament games.
* Over is 6-1 in Norse last seven overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Wildcats last six NCAA tournament games.

No. 3 UCLA Bruins vs. No. 14 Kent State Golden Flashes (+18, 161.5)

Played at Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California.

UCLA ended the regular season ranked No. 3 in the nation in the coaches' poll, but was eliminated in the semifinals of the Pac-12 tournament, leaving the Bruins seeded third in the South Region heading into their first-round game Friday against 14th-seeded Kent State in Sacramento. The Bruins showed few vulnerabilities while going unbeaten in nonconference play, then came back to beat the three Pac-12 teams that defeated them earlier in the season, but UCLA couldn't capitalize on its strengths in the 86-75 semifinal loss to Arizona.

A major area of concern for UCLA is the health of freshman Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf. Ball injured his left thumb Friday night when it was jammed by an air ball in the first half against Arizona and he finished with one of his least productive games of the season, totaling eight points, five assists and six rebounds - the first time since Dec. 1 he didn't reach double figures in at least one of those categories. Leaf sprained his left ankle March 1 and missed the following game against Washington State, but has been close to his scoring (16.2) and rebounding (8.3) averages in the last two games. Kent State earned its first tournament berth since 2008 by beating rival Akron in the Mid-Atlantic Conference tournament final on Saturday, its fourth win in six days.

TV: 9:57 p.m. ET, truTV

LINE HISTORY: UCLA opened as a 17-point favorite and has been bet up to -18. The total opened at 161.5 points, the highest total on the board for the Round of 64.

ABOUT UCLA (29-4): Bryce Alford is the only current UCLA player who experienced the runs to the Sweet Sixteen in 2014 and 2015, and the senior guard is surely enjoying the moment after the Bruins missed out on the postseason a year ago. His shooting percentages have skyrocketed over the previous three seasons, but he does enter this tournament showing recent flashes of his past. He shot 1-for-10 from 3-point range against Arizona and is a combined 5-for-25 from beyond the arc in the past three games, a trend that can't continue if UCLA hopes for another deep run.

ABOUT KENT STATE (22-13): The Bruins and Kent State have two common opponents in Oregon State and Western Michigan, with UCLA going 3-0 in those games and the Golden Flashes 0-2. Look for Kent State to pass the ball inside to 6-8 forward Jimmy Hall, who leads the team in scoring (18.9), rebounding (10.5), assists (2.6) and blocked shots (1.4). Hall received solid help against Akron from 6-1 sophomore guard Jaylin Walker, who scored a career-high 30 points, and Walker's ability to penetrate to the basket might give UCLA problems.

TRENDS:

* Golden Flashes are 5-1 ATS in their last six games as underdogs.
* Bruins are 4-1 ATS in their last five NCAA Tournament games as favorites.
* Under is 8-1 in Golden Flashes last nine overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Bruins last six overall.

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**Udog** · 03-17-2017, 01:12 PM

NCAAB

Friday, March 17

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Friday's NCAA Tournament first round betting preview: East Region
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The Blue Devils are 107-35 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, marking the best winning percentage in tournament history.

(14) New Mexico State Aggies vs (3) Baylor Bears (-12.5, 134)

Game to be played at BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma

After finishing tied for second place in the powerful Big 12 Conference, Baylor held out hope for a program-best No. 2 seed despite suffering a 70-64 quarterfinal loss to Kansas State in the conference tournament. Instead, the Bears matched a school record with a No. 3 seeding in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament but also got their best-case scenario by being placed in the Tulsa quadrant, where they will face 14th-seeded WAC champion New Mexico State in the first round Friday.

It's roughly a five-hour drive from Waco to Tulsa for Baylor fans, who will be hoping the Bears can avoid a third straight first-round loss. Baylor has garnered a No. 3 seed for the fourth time (2010, 2012, 2015) and will be looking to avoid a history-making setback against the Aggies. The Bears fell to Yale 79-75 as a fifth seed last year and were edged 57-56 by Georgia State as a No. 3 in 2015, but a top-5 seed has not lost in the first round in three consecutive years. New Mexico State, which overcame a 13-minute field-goal drought to win the WAC tournament with a 70-60 comeback victory over defending champion Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday, is no stranger to March Madness as it makes its fifth appearance in the Tournament in six years.

TV: 12:40 p.m. ET, truTV

LINE HISTORY: Baylor opened as 12-point favorites and that number has been bet up half-point to 12.5. The total opened at 135.5 and within an hour was bet down to 134.5 before returning to the opening number. Late in the week the 135.5 began to fad and by Thursday afternoon had settled at 134.5.

ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE (28-5 SU, 3-2 ATS, 2-3 OU): The Aggies finished tied for second place in the WAC regular-season standings with Grand Canyon at 11-3, one game behind Cal State Bakersfield (12-2) in their first campaign under coach Paul Weir, a long-time assistant under Marvin Menzies before he departed in April to take the job at UNLV. The cupboard hardly was bare, however, as six of the team's seven top scorers returned - including senior guard Ian Baker, who earned WAC Player of the Year honors after averaging 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Baker followed that by being named MVP of the WAC tournament, scoring all 15 of his points in the title game in the second half, while 6-7 sophomore forward Eli Chula, an All-Conference Second Team pick who is averaging 12.4 points and a team best nine rebounds, and junior guard Braxton Huggins (13.6 points, 86 3-pointers) also were named to the All-Tournament Team.

ABOUT BAYLOR (25-7 SU, 14-13 ATS, 10-16-1 OU): The early exit from the Big 12 tournament was viewed by some to be a blessing in disguise for the Bears, who lost six of their final 11 games as they seemed to wear down in the final month. "We'll take the positive, go home, get rest, get healthy, practice a little bit and hopefully execute like Kansas State did come next week," coach Scott Drew told reporters. Junior forward Johnathan Motley, who dislocated a finger in the loss to Kansas State but returned to the game, is a semifinalist for the Naismith Award and leads the team in scoring (17.3 points) and the Big 12 in rebounding (9.9) while junior point guard Manu Lecomte, slowed by a sprained ankle over the final three weeks of the season, also is scoring in double digits (12.4 points) while averaging a team-best 3.9 assists and shooting 42.2 percent from 3-point range.

TRENDS:

* Aggies are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 neutral site games as an underdog.
* Bears are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games.
* Under is 13-3 in Aggies last 16 games as an underdog.
* Under is 5-1 in Aggies last 6 NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 5-0 in Bears last 5 games following a straight up loss.

(11) Southern California Trojans vs (6) Southern Methodist Mustangs (-6, 139.5)

Game to be played at BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Sixth-seeded SMU is riding a 16-game winning streak as it tries to snap a stretch of almost three decades without an NCAA Tournament victory Friday when it takes on 11th seed USC in the first round of the Eastern Regional in Tulsa, Ok. The Mustangs are winners of a school-record 30 games this season, but have not won a contest in the Big Dance since defeating Notre Dame in the first round in 1988.

SMU lost just once if its last 27 games on the way to the American Athletic Conference title and coach Tim Jankovich told reporters it takes a team with great character, maturity and chemistry to accomplish that type of run. The Mustangs’ small rotation – six active players averaging more than eight minutes – will get a challenge from USC, which rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to knock off Providence 75-71 in the First Four on Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio. The Trojans are also 5-1 all-time against SMU, including a 78-73 triumph in Los Angeles on Nov. 25, but USC coach Andy Enfield has plenty of respect for the Mustangs. “They’re a terrific basketball team,” Enfield said after the win Wednesday. “. … They’re big, they’re long, they’re very skilled.”

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, truTV

LINE HISTORY: SMU opened as 6.5-point favorites over USC and that line briefly dropped to 6 before returning to the opening number. The total opened at 139.5 and has been bet down to 138.

ABOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (28-5 SU, 3-2 ATS, 2-3 OU): The Trojans have shown plenty of character this season as well, rallying from at least 10 points down to win 12 games after scoring 46 in the second half on Wednesday. Sophomore forward Bennie Boatwright led the way with a career-high 24 points against Providence and tops a balanced offense at 15.1 overall - just ahead of 6-11 sophomore Chimezie Metu (14.5, 7.9 rebounds, 54.2 percent shooting). Junior point guard Jordan McLaughlin (13.2 points, 5.4 assists) runs the show and scored 18 while hauling in a career-best 10 rebounds Wednesday.

ABOUT SOUTHERN METHODIST (25-7 SU, 14-13 ATS, 10-16-1 OU): Junior forward Semi Ojeleye, who was named AAC Player of the Year, leads the way for the Mustangs at 18.9 points per game while draining 42.8 percent from 3-point range. SMU shoots 40.3 percent from behind the arc overall and senior guard Sterling Brown (13.3 points) along with sophomore guard Shake Milton (13.1, team-high 4.5 assists) both make at least 42 percent from long range. Senior forward Ben Moore also contributes 11.6 points and a team-most 7.9 rebounds for the Mustangs, who are third in the nation in scoring defense (59.8).

TRENDS:

* Mustangs are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 games following a ATS win.
* Mustangs are 20-5-1 ATS in their last 26 games overall.
* Trojans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Over is 6-1 in Trojans last 7 non-conference games.
* Over is 7-0-1 in Mustangs last 8 overall.

(15)Troy Trojans vs (2) Duke Blue Devils (-20, 153.5)

Game to be played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina

After running through the loaded ACC tournament bracket, Duke now turns its attention to the NCAA Tournament East Region, which the second-seeded Blue Devils will begin with a matchup against No. 15 seed Troy on Friday in Greenville, S.C. The Blue Devils are in the NCAA Tournament for the 33rd time under coach Mike Krzyzewski and the 22nd season in a row.

The Trojans earned their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2003 with a 59-53 win over Texas State on Sunday, completing an unlikely run through the Sun Belt tournament as the No. 6 seed. They face an even bigger uphill climb against the Blue Devils, who started the season as the top-ranked team in the nation and have recently started to play like it again. Duke has endured numerous injuries, along with the one-game suspension and continued scrutiny surrounding star guard Grayson Allen’s apparent propensity for tripping opponents, and had dropped three of four heading into the ACC tournament. But the streaky Blue Devils are riding a hot streak into the NCAA Tournament after beating Clemson, Louisville, North Carolina and Notre Dame – the latter three all received top-five seeds Sunday.

TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: Duke opened as 19-point favorites and that number has went up a full point to an even 20. The total opened at 152 and has been bet up 1.5-points to 153.5.

ABOUT TROY (22-14 SU, 20-12 ATS, 19-13 OU): The Trojans have won six straight entering the NCAA Tournament despite going 1-for-17 from 3-point range against Texas State – usually a kiss of death for a team that led the Sun Belt with 305 made 3s. NBA legacy Wesley Person Jr. (14.8 points) is the biggest 3-point bomber, making 92-of-230 this season, but Kevin Baker (8.2 points, 3.1 assists), Jeremy Hollimon (12.1 points) and Juan Davis Jr. (7.3 points) are threats. The ability to hit the outside shot, coupled with a talented if undersized post duo in Jordon Varnado (16.5 points, 7.1 rebounds) and former Florida forward DeVon Walker (7.9 points, 6.3 rebounds), make the Trojans a dangerous matchup.

ABOUT DUKE (27-8 SU, 15-18-1 ATS, 16-17-1 OU): When healthy, the Blue Devils are one of the deepest, most talented teams in the nation, and they came out of the ACC tournament grind relatively unscathed. Guard Luke Kennard (20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds) and forward Amile Jefferson (10.9 points, 8.2 rebounds) have been the most consistent contributors, but freshman forward Jayson Tatum (16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds) came on strong after an early-season knee injury and Duke is not the same team when Allen (14.1 points, 3.5 assists) isn’t healthy. Freshman guard Frank Jackson (10.7 points) and defensive whiz Matt Jones (6.8 points, 1.7 steals) give the Blue

TRENDS:

* Trojans are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Blue Devils are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite.
* Blue Devils are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite of 13.0 or greater.
* Under is 6-1 in Trojans last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 12-2 in Blue Devils last 14 non-conference games.

(10) Marquette Golden Eagles vs (7) South Carolina Gamecocks (-1.5, 145)

Game to be played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina

South Carolina gets some home cooking for its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 13 years when it faces Marquette on Friday in Greenville, S.C. The seventh-seeded Gamecocks, who are led by SEC Player of the Year and leading scorer Sindarius Thornwell, haven't won a tournament game since 1973 while the 10th-seeded Golden Eagles are in for the first time under coach Steve Wojciechowski.

Frank Martin's team got off to a strong start, winning 19 of its first 23 games but stumbled a bit down the stretch, dropping six of nine contests. Thornwell, who also leads the team in rebounding, P.J. Dozier and Duane Notice are the top performers for a South Carolina team that had eight players who average at least 14 minutes. The Golden Eagles, who are back in the tournament after qualifying in eight straight seasons from 2006 to 2013, also have a balanced squad led by freshman Markus Howard, the nation's top 3-point shooter. Jajuan Johnson, Luke Fischer and Katin Reinhardt provided the senior leadership for Marquette, which went 1-2 against Seton Hall, a team South Carolina lost to by three points in December.

TV: 9:50 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: South Carolina opened as 1.5-point favorites and that number hasn’t moved all week. The total opened at 148 and has been dropping all week, settling at 145.

ABOUT MARQUETTE (19-12 SU, 16-15 ATS, 16-15 OU): Led by Howard, who hits at 54.9 percent from beyond the arc, and Andrew Rowsey, the Golden Eagles are the top 3-point shooting team in the country at 43 percent. Wojciechowski's team can also convert from the foul line (77.9 percent) and closed with four wins in its last six games to get off the tournament bubble. Rowsey, a 5-10 guard and UNC Asheville transfer, has come on since taking over the point guard duties,scoring 18 points or more in seven of the last 11 games for Marquette.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (22-10 SU, 11-16-2 ATS, 11-17-1 OU): The offense numbers for the Gamecocks won't thrill anyone as they shoot 41.4 percent from the field and average 72 points. Thornwell improved his scoring by more than seven points per game from his junior season thanks to improved shooting, but the 6-5 guard is still not great in that regard at 43.9 percent. Dozier, a sophomore, more than doubled his scoring output from last season, and combines with Chris Silva and Maik Kotsar to give the Gamecocks three solid rebounders.

TRENDS:

* Golden Eagles are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. Southeastern.
* Gamecocks are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
* Over is 7-1 in Golden Eagles last 8 neutral site games.
* Over is 5-0 in Gamecocks last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

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**Udog** · 03-17-2017, 01:16 PM

NCAAB

Friday, March 17

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Friday's NCAA Tournament first round betting preview: Midwest Region
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Tom Izzo's Spartans were upset by a No. 15 seed in the Tournament last season. This year, they're the underdog vs. Miami.

No. 10 Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. No. 7 Michigan Wolverines (-2.5, 153.5)

Game to be played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

Seventh-seeded Michigan looks to build off its incredible run in the Big Ten Tournament when it takes on No. 10 seed Oklahoma State in the first round of the Midwest Region in Indianapolis on Friday. The Wolverines almost missed the conference tournament after their charter plan skidded off the runway en route to Washington, but proceeded to win four games in four days - capped by a 71-56 victory against Wisconsin in Sunday's final - to lift their first conference tournament championship since 1998 and guarantee a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan won two straight meetings with the Cowboys, including a 75-72 triumph in the Sweet 16 in 1992. Oklahoma State won 10 of its last 14 games - but lost its last three - to earn an NCAA Tournament bid after missing out on the Big Dance in 2016. The Cowboys made the tournament four times in the last five years, but failed to win a game since advancing to the regional semifinal in 2005. Oklahoma State is led by dynamic point guard Jawun Evans, who was named to the All-Big 12 First Team after averaging 19 points and 6.2 assists, and hopes to continue his recent scoring tear - 26.7 points over his last three games - by leading the Cowboys to their first win against the Wolverines since 1982.

TV: 12:15 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: The Wolverines opened this 10-7 matchup as slight one-point favorites and bettors like Michigan here, moving hte line to the current number of -2.5. The total hit the board at 155 and has been bet down a point and a half to the current number of 153.5.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE: Evans scored a game-high 29 points and Jeffrey Carroll, who earned All-Big 12 Second-Team honors, added 21 points and seven rebounds in the 92-83 loss to eventual Big 12 Tournament champion Iowa State in the quarterfinals. Evans scored 20 or more points in three straight games and has achieved the feat 14 times during 2016-17. Phil Forte III, who needs one more start to move into third place on the Cowboys' all-time list, leads the nation in free-throw percentage (95.3) and made both attempts against the Cyclones to extend his streak to 20 in a row.

ABOUT MICHIGAN: Derrick Walton Jr. was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten tournament after averaging 20.5 points and 6.3 assists in the Wolverines' four victories. Walton Jr. led the way with 22 points and seven assists while fellow senior Zak Irvin added 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists against Wisconsin in the championship game. "All the adversity we've been through … we stuck together as a family and got the job done," Irvin told reporters. "We're playing well right now, have a lot of momentum and are ready for the NCAA Tournament."

TRENDS:

* Oklahoma State is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games as an underdog.
* Michigan is 6-0 ATS in its last six neutral site games.
* Over is 6-0 in Oklahoma State's last six neutral site games.
* Over is 4-0 in Michigan's last four non-conference games.

(14) Iona Gaels vs. (3) Oregon Ducks (-15, 152)

Game to be played at Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

After having its hopes for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament dashed by Arizona, Oregon was assigned a third seed and sent to the Midwest Region for a first-round matchup against 14th-seeded Iona in Sacramento on Friday. The Ducks lost 83-80 to Arizona in Saturday’s Pac-12 tournament title game in their first contest without senior forward Chris Boucher, who will miss the Tournament with a knee injury.

Pac-12 Player of the Year Dillon Brooks averages 16.3 points to lead the Ducks, who received a No. 1 seed last season but lost to Oklahoma in the Elite Eight. Oregon needs to regroup after falling to Arizona without Boucher, a key part of the team's imposing frontline who averaged 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks coming off the bench. “We’ve got to bounce back from here, and we’ve got the group to do it,” Ducks coach Dana Altman told reporters. “(Our guys) are very competitive. I’d sure like to work with them three more weeks, but to do that, we’ve got to think about one game at a time.” The Ducks need to be careful not to underestimate Iona, which averages 80.5 points and earned the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's automatic bid for the second straight year after defeating Siena in the MAAC tournament championship game.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: The Ducks hit the board as pretty big 16-point favorites for this first round matchup. They have been faded slightly however, now sitting at -15. The total opened at 151.5 and was bet up slightly to the current number of 152

ABOUT IONA: The Gaels’ offense revolves around Jordan Washington, a 6-8 senior forward averaging 17.9 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 55.1 percent. The deep backcourt includes Sam Cassell Jr., Rickey McGill and Jon Severe, who is averaging 11.3 points and converting 43 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. The Gaels, whose resume includes a win over Nevada along with surprising losses to Delaware, Fairfield and Quinnipiac, defeated Rider and Monmouth before edging Siena 87-86 in overtime last Monday.

ABOUT OREGON: Forward Tyler Dorsey scored 23 points in the loss to Arizona and appears to be peaking at the right time for the Ducks, who were Pac-12 co-champions after closing the regular season with eight straight wins. Boucher’s absence will place a greater burden on forward Jordan Bell, who averages 10.7 points and 8.1 rebounds while recording 72 blocks but will need to avoid foul trouble against Washington. Boucher’s replacement, Kavell Bigby-Williams, finished with three points, six rebounds and two blocks in 14 minutes off the bench against Arizona.

TRENDS:

* Iona is 0-4 ATS in its last four NCAA Tournament games.
* Oregon is 5-1 ATS in its last six games as a favorite of -13 or greater.
* Under is 6-1 in Iona's last seven non-conference games.
* Over is 4-1 in Oregon's last five games overall.

(15) Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs. (2) Louisville Cardinals (-20, 134)

Game to be played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

A year after a self-imposed postseason ban, Louisville returns to the NCAA Tournament with a first-round matchup against Jacksonville State on Friday in Indianapolis. The Cardinals earned the second seed in the Midwest Region, finishing in a tie for second in the ultra-competitive ACC before being knocked out by Duke in the quarterfinals of the conference tourney.

Led by sophomore guard Donovan Mitchell, who paced the team in scoring (15.7) and topped the ACC in steals (2.1), Louisville secured several wins over tournament teams from the conference and also knocked off Kentucky, Purdue and Wichita State in a challenging non-conference slate. The 15th-seeded Gamecocks of the Ohio Valley Conference earned the fourth seed in the league tourney after a 9-7 regular season before pulling off back-to-back upsets in a run to the title. It is the first NCAA Tournament appearance for the program and it comes in coach Ray Harper's first season at the helm. Louisville could face a dangerous Michigan squad - which just rolled to the Big Ten tournament crown - in the second round in what would be a rematch of the 2013 national championship.

TV: 2:45 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Cardinals as massive 22-point favorites, but bettors think that may be a few too many points, as the number has dropped back down a bit to a still hefty Louisville -20. The total hit the board at 133.5 and has moved up a half-point to 134.

ABOUT JACKSONVILLE STATE: Junior guard Malcolm Drumwright was named MVP of the OVC tournament after averaging 16.3 points while shooting 51.4 percent. He leads the way in a balanced attack that features four double-digit scorers and a fifth contributor - sophomore forward Christian Cunningham (8.4 points) - who leads the team in rebounding (8.2) and finished third in the OVC in shooting percentage (61.5). The Gamecocks led the league in scoring defense (68.2) and held opponents to an average of 56.5 points during their current four-game winning streak.

ABOUT LOUISVILLE: Junior Quentin Snyder (12.7) and sophomore Deng Adel (11.9) follow Mitchell on the team's scoring list but the trio combines to shoot just 40.7 percent, relying plenty on a perimeter game that produced nearly 75 percent of the team's 3-pointers. Senior forward Mangok Mathiang averaged 13 points and 8.3 rebounds over the last three games and junior 7-footer Anas Mahmoud made all three of his attempts in the loss to Duke and is 17-for-24 over a seven-game stretch. Coach Rick Pitino is seeking his third national crown in his 21st appearance in the tournament and needs one win to tie Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (54) for fourth on the event's all-time list.

TRENDS:

* Jacksonville State is 6-0 ATS in its last six neutral site games.
* Louisville is 5-0 ATS in its last five non-conference games.
* Under is 7-1 in Jacksonville State's last eight neutral site games.
* Under is 7-0 in Louisville's last seven versus Ohio Valley Conference opponents.

No. 11 Rhode Island Rams vs. No. 6 Creighton Bluejays

Game to be played Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

On track for a possible top-eight NCAA Tournament seed two months ago with an 18-1 start, Creighton instead settled for a No. 6 seed after losing star point Maurice Watson Jr. to injury and going 7-8 in its final 15 games. That seed also entails a first-round Midwest Region matchup Friday against 11th-seeded Rhode Island in Sacramento.

The Bluejays also were a sixth seed in the Big East Tournament but beat third-seeded Providence (70-58) and seventh-seeded Xavier (75-72) before falling to top-seeded and defending national-champion Villanova 74-60 in Saturday’s tourney title game. Creighton is making its first NCAA appearance since 2014 when Doug McDermott, son of current coach Greg McDermott, and the third-seeded Bluejays were routed 85-55 by sixth-seeded Baylor in the second round. Rhode Island, meanwhile, will be making its first Big Dance appearance since 1999. The Rams finished tied for third in the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season but wound up winning the conference title and the league’s automatic bid after winning three games in three days in Pittsburgh.

TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: Despite being the 6-seed in this matchup the Bluejays hit the board as only slight 1-point favorites and the line has yet to move off of that number. The total opened at 142.5 and has been bet down a point to the current number of 141.5.

ABOUT RHODE ISLAND: Despite ending the regular season on a five-game win streak, the Rams were on the NCAA tourney bubble entering the postseason but coach Dan Hurley’s squad removed any doubt by beating St. Bonaventure (74-63), Davidson (84-60) and VCU (70-63) in the conference tournament. Junior guard E.C. Matthews (14.9 points), senior forward Hassan Martin (14.1 points) and junior guard Jared Terrell (12.6) are the leading scorers, and Matthews and Terrell combined for 39 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the Atlantic 10 title game. Senior forward Kuran Iverson (7.4 boards) and Martin (7.0) are the leading rebounders for Rhode Island, which owns an average rebound margin of plus-2.9.

ABOUT CREIGHTON: The Bluejays are making their sixth postseason and fourth NCAA tourney appearance in Greg McDermott’s seven seasons at the helm after reaching the NIT quarterfinals a year ago. Junior guard Marcus Foster, a transfer from Kansas State, leads the team in scoring at 18.3 points per game and was an All-Big East first-team and all-conference tournament selection. Foster has plenty of help in 7-foot freshman center Justin Patton (13.1 points, team-most 6.2 rebounds) and sophomore guard Khyri Thomas, who averaged 12.4 points and led the squad with 51 steals in being selected Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

TRENDS:

* Rhode Island is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games overall.
* Creighton is 1-8-1 ATS in its last 10 NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 4-1 in Rhode Island's last five non-conference games.
* Under is 6-1 in Creighton's last seven games overall.

(16) UC Davis Aggies vs. (1) Kansas Jayhawks

Game to be played at BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Top-seeded Kansas begins its quest for a fourth NCAA Tournament title and first since 2008 when it takes on 16th seed UC Davis in the opening round of the Midwest Regional Friday night in Tulsa, Ok. The Jayhawks come in with a little more rest than expected after being upset by TCU on March 9 in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals and make their record 28th consecutive appearance in the Big Dance.

“I think our guys are excited,” Kansas coach Bill Self told the Kansas City Star. “We’ve been seeded high several times. We have played up to expectations a few, certainly haven’t played up to expectations more than we wish to count. Hopefully, this is a year we go in with a free mind and certainly a focus that has been better than in some years past.” The Jayhawks are expected to have second-leading scorer Josh Jackson back in the lineup after he was suspended for the TCU game for being issued multiple traffic violations. Big West champion UC Davis earned a 67-63 victory over North Carolina Central in the First Four Wednesday at Dayton, Ohio in the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Aggies’ coach Jim Les beat Kansas in the opening round in 2006 when he took Bradley to the Sweet Sixteen.

TV: 6:50 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Kansas opened its opening round matchup with UC Davis as hefty 22.5-point chalk and have since been bet up to -23. The total hit the board at 144.5 and has yet to move off of that number.

ABOUT UC DAVIS (23-12 SU, 18-12-1 ATS, 12-18-1 O/U): The Aggies lean on their defense, which has held four consecutive opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field after limiting the Eagles to 35.8 on Wednesday. Junior forward Chima Moneke (14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds), the Big West tournament MVP, scored 18 and hauled in 12 boards Wednesday for his third double-double in four games. Senior guard Brynton Lemar lead the team in scoring (16.1), sophomore guard Siler Schneider (10.3) is also in double figures and senior guard Darius Graham chips in a team-high 3.2 assists.

ABOUT KANSAS (28-4 SU, 11-18-1 ATS, 14-16 O/U): Despite going 16-2 to win their 13th straight Big 12 regular-season title, the Jayhawks played in plenty of close games along the way – going 10-1 in contests decided by six points or fewer in league play. Senior point guard Frank Mason III had a lot to do with that success rate, averaging team highs of 20.8 points and 5.1 assists while draining 48.7 percent from 3-point range. Jackson, a 6-8 freshman, averages 16.4 points on 51.1 percent shooting from the floor and junior guard Devonte’ Graham (13.1) has also contributed to a team scoring 82.7 points per game.

TRENDS:

* UC Davis is 3-0-1 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Kansas is 0-5 ATS in its last five games as a favorite of -13 or greater.
* Under is 7-0 in UC Davis' last seven games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Kansas' last six games following a SU loss.

(9) Michigan State Spartans vs. (8) Miami Hurricanes

Game to be played at BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma

An intriguing 8-9 matchup in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament has No. 8 seed Miami of the Atlantic Coast Conference taking on No. 9 Michigan State of the Big Ten in a first-round game in Tulsa, Okla., on Friday. Both teams come in having lost three of their last four after losing in the quarterfinals of their respective conference tournaments, though the Spartans have a long history of tournament success under coach Tom Izzo.

Miami is one of the better defensive teams in the country, holding opponents to 63.7 points per game, but the Hurricanes also struggle to score at times, failing to reach 65 points in their last six contests. Senior guard Davon Reed averages 15 points to lead the offensive attack, with nearly half his baskets coming from 3-point range, while guard Ja'Quan Newton adds 13.4 points. Michigan State had its share of growing pains as it relies on a quartet of freshmen, led by high-flying forward Miles Bridges, the team's leading scorer (16.7 points) and rebounder (8.3 rebounds). Forward Nick Ward is an undersized force inside (13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds) at 6-8, though both Bridges and Ward must avoid foul trouble because the Spartans' frontcourt has very little depth.

TV: 9:20 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers pegged the slightly more consistent Hurricanes as slight 2.5-point favorites and the line has yet to move off of that number. The total also hasn't seen any movement as it currently sits at the low opening number of 125.5.

ABOUT MIAMI: Coach Jim Larranaga is hoping his team will show some more passion for winning than they did in the ACC tournament loss to North Carolina, with the Hurricanes getting outhustled and outplayed by the Tar Heels from the start. Larranaga had his share of success in the NCAAs, taking George Mason to the Final Four in 2006 (including a first-round win over the Spartans), so he can certainly motivate a team. But Miami must play with much more passion against a Michigan State team that is hungry to make up for last year's first-round loss or it could be a short stay in the Big Dance.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE: A young lineup is giving Izzo fits this season, especially with the team's penchant for turnovers, as Michigan State ranked next-to-last in the Big Ten in turnover margin at minus-3.2. Against a solid defensive team like Miami, the Spartans are going to look to push the ball up the floor even more than they usually do, but if it only results in turnovers, it won't help. Point guards Cassius Winston and Tum Tum Nairn must make good decisions in the open floor, getting Michigan State easy baskets or the Miami defense could be the difference in this matchup.

TRENDS:

* Michigan State is 4-0 ATS following an ATS loss.
* Miami is 0-7 ATS in its last seven non-conference games.
* Over is 5-0 in Michigan State's last five versus ACC opponents.
* Under is 6-0 in Miami's last six games overall.

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Friday's NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 3/17

Friday's NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 3/17

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