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**Udog** · 03-24-2017, 08:27 AM

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Prop bets for tonight’s NCAA tournament games:

— Total 3-point field goals made by Wisconsin/Florida: 14½

— Total 3-point field goals made by UCLA-Kentucky: 16½

— Total 3-point field goals made by South Carolina-Baylor: 13½

— Total 3-point field goals made by Butler/North Carolina: 14½

— Largest lead of the game by Wisconsin/Florida: 12½

— Largest lead of the game by UCLA/Kentucky: 14½

— Largest lead of the game by South Carolina/Baylor: 13½

— Largest lead of the game by Butler/North Carolina: 16½

**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Wrapping up a terrific Thursday……

13) Xavier 73, Arizona 71— Wildcats led by 8 with 3:45 left; going to be a long summer for Sean Miller, who is 220-66 at Arizona, 107-37 in conference games, but 13-6 in NCAA games, 0-3 in regional finals. Lot of winning, but no Final Fours. This year, he lost in the regional semis.

From Feb 11-March 1, Xavier lost six games in a row; they looked like a dead team without their injured PG Edmond Somner- their upset of Butler in the Big East tournament got them in this tournament- they at least would’ve had to play a play-in game otherwise. Great coaching job by Chris Mack; they switched to a more passive 2-3 zone and it has worked.

Musketeers are first 11-seed in a regional final since Dayton three years ago, a team coached by Archie Miller, Sean’s brother.

12) Oregon 69, Michigan 68— Wolverines were 11-31 on arc, 14-27 inside arc, forced only five Oregon turnovers in an exciting, tense game. Ducks get to Elite 8 despite not having their best shot blocker Boucher, who is out for the year.

When Oregon hired Dana Altman as coach seven years ago, he was like their 5th choice for the job. Guys they wanted to hire didn’t want to coach in Oregon. Sometimes not getting what you want is the best thing that can happen.

11) Gonzaga 61, West Virginia 58— WVU games are hard to ref; they’re physical as hell, and they miss a lot of shots, so there is a ton more bodily contact in their games than a normal game, and lot more calls to make/not make. Mountaineers were 5-23 on arc, 11-37 inside arc in this game; you don’t deserve to win shooting like that, but thought Gonzaga got the better of the whistle in this game.

How happy were the Zags when Arizona got beat? Xavier is on a roll, but reality is, they’re an 11-seed whose starting point guard is in street clothes. They’ll still be tough, but would you rather play a healthy Arizona team? I think not.

10) Kansas 98, Purdue 66— Purdue’s best player is a really good 6-9 kid, muscular, so of course they ran up and down with Kansas, going 10-27 on arc, 14-29 inside arc. Game was 47-40 at the half, too fast for the Boilers, who went in tank in last 10:00.

9) Then there was the day at UMass; Pat Kelsey signed a contract Tuesday to be the new coach of the Minutemen, but 30 minutes before a 4:00 press conference Thursday, with band/cheerleaders/fans waiting, Kelsey backed out of the deal and went back to Winthrop (we think).

Conspiracy theories abound: Kelsey went to college at Xavier; if Chris Mack leaves his alma mater for a new job, Xavier would probably want to hire Kelsey. Time will tell, but looks like Kelsey could be staying at Winthrop for a long time, unless Mack changes jobs.

8) Georgetown fired John Thompson III Thursday, after 13 years with the Hoyas; last two years, Georgetown was 12-24 in Big East games. Two years ago, Hoyas were 22-11, 12-6 in Big East- they lost to Utah in the second round of NCAA’s. Not good enough.

Former NFL commish Paul Tagliabue, a Georgetown alum, is heading the search committee. No idea where they turn for a coach, unless Hornets’ assistant Patrick Ewing is interested.

7) In the history of major league baseball, 866 players have worn #22, making it the most popular number. #80 is the lowest number that has never been worn in a big league game.

6) Detroit Tigers’ 2B Ian Kinsler’s dad has been a prison warden in Arizona for 25 years; doesn’t sound like a fun job.

5) Virginia Cavaliers lost 65-39 to Florida Saturday, ending a 23-11 season; in five days since then, three Cavaliers have transferred out of the program. Must be a good story there.

4) In his great playing career, John Stockton dished out 15,806 assists; 2nd-best on that list is Jason Kidd, with 12,091. Thats amazing- 3,715 more assists than anyone else who ever played the game. Stockton, by the way, played 19 seasons; he played every game in 17 of them.

3) Jeff Van Gundy said this on TV Wednesday night, working the Knicks-Jazz game: “Lot of (NBA) teams have shut it down for the season already.” It was March 22, four weeks before the regular season ends. Not a great commentary on the league.

2) If I had to choose my all-time starting five in NBA history, it would be: Kareem at center, Bill Russell at power forward, then Lebron James, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson on perimeter.

1— Quite a set of games Thursday; three great ones and Purdue’s tank job. Good entertainment. Hopefully tonight’s four games will be just as much fun. I’m definitely looking forward to the Kentucky-UCLA game.

**Udog** · 03-24-2017, 08:35 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Friday, March 24

Butler @ North Carolina

Game 877-878
March 24, 2017 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Butler
73.097
North Carolina
77.142
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
North Carolina
by 4
158
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
North Carolina
by 7 1/2
152 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Butler
(+7 1/2); Over

UCLA @ Kentucky

Game 875-876
March 24, 2017 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
UCLA
74.362
Kentucky
77.901
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kentucky
by 3 1/2
174
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
UCLA
by 1
168 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Kentucky
(+1); Over

South Carolina @ Baylor

Game 873-874
March 24, 2017 @ 7:25 pm

Dunkel Rating:
South Carolina
64.570
Baylor
76.144
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baylor
by 11 1/2
133
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baylor
by 3
137 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Baylor
(-3); Under

Wisconsin @ Florida

Game 871-872
March 24, 2017 @ 9:55 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Wisconsin
72.466
Florida
76.443
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 4
126
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
by 1 1/2
131 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Florida
(-1 1/2); Under

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Friday, March 24

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WISCONSIN (27 - 9) vs. FLORIDA (26 - 8) - 3/24/2017, 9:55 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
FLORIDA is 126-93 ATS (+23.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
FLORIDA is 75-47 ATS (+23.3 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
WISCONSIN is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WISCONSIN is 148-109 ATS (+28.1 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
FLORIDA is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in road games after allowing 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.

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

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S CAROLINA (24 - 10) vs. BAYLOR (27 - 7) - 3/24/2017, 7:25 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BAYLOR is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
S CAROLINA is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
S CAROLINA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
S CAROLINA is 30-15 ATS (+13.5 Units) in road games after scoring 80 points or more since 1997.

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

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UCLA (31 - 4) vs. KENTUCKY (31 - 5) - 3/24/2017, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UCLA is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) when the total is 160 to 169.5 over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 20-32 ATS (-15.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 18-29 ATS (-13.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
KENTUCKY is 85-59 ATS (+20.1 Units) in March games since 1997.
UCLA is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
UCLA is 2-1 against the spread versus KENTUCKY over the last 3 seasons
UCLA is 2-1 straight up against KENTUCKY 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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BUTLER (25 - 8) vs. N CAROLINA (29 - 7) - 3/24/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N CAROLINA is 292-240 ATS (+28.0 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
BUTLER is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 95-67 ATS (+21.3 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
BUTLER is 72-34 ATS (+34.6 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
BUTLER is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) against ACC opponents since 1997.
BUTLER is 55-33 ATS (+18.7 Units) in March games since 1997.
BUTLER is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games when playing with 5 or 6 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 144-103 ATS (+30.7 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
BUTLER is 72-34 ATS (+34.6 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.
BUTLER is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 76-42 ATS (+29.8 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
BUTLER is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in a NCAA tournament games over the last 3 seasons.
BUTLER is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BUTLER is 78-55 ATS (+17.5 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
BUTLER is 1-0 against the spread versus N CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
BUTLER is 1-0 straight up against N CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NCAAB
Short Sheet

Friday, March 24

Wisconsin at Florida, 9:55 PM ET
Wisconsin: 11-3 ATS after 1 or more consecutive unders
Florida: 2-11 ATS in road games after allowing 60 points or less

South Carolina at Baylor, 7:25 PM ET
S Carolina: 1-7 ATS after 2 straight games giving up 9 or less offensive rebounds
Baylor: 6-0 ATS after 2 consecutive non-conference games

UCLA at Kentucky, 9:35 PM ET
UCLA: 6-15 ATS when the total is 160 to 169.5
Kentucky: 69-40 ATS after a win by 6 points or less

Butler at North Carolina, 7:05 PM ET
Butler: 12-3 ATS as a neutral court underdog of 6.5 to 12
N Carolina: 8-18 ATS in road games after 1 or more consecutive unders

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, March 24

Friday’s NCAA tournament games
Roy Williams has been a 1-seed in four regionals where 1-4 seeds all made it to this point; he advanced to Final Four three of those four years. Since 1993, North Carolina is 12-1 in this round, losing to Wisconsin two years ago; Tar Heels are #113 experience team, starting three juniors two seniors- they’re 14-2 outside ACC, but didn’t play any Big East teams. Butler won six of last eight games; they beat 13/12-seeds to get here last weekend. Bulldogs are #63 experience team, starting three seniors- they’re in Sweet 16 for first time since Brad Stevens bolted for NBA. Since ’06, 1-seeds are 8-10 vs spread when facing a 4-seed in this round, 3-0 the last two years.

Before last week, South Carolina hadn’t won an NCAA game since 1973; Gamecocks scored 93-88 points in beating Marquette/Duke LW after coming into tourney on 3-6 skid. Carolina has two terrific seniors (Thornwell/Notice) but otherwise is very young- they force turnovers 24.5% of time (#4). Baylor is 13-0 outside Big X; they scored 91-82 points in wins over New Mexico St/USC last week. Bears are #102 experience team starting two sophs, two juniors- they’re #305 at protecting the ball, bit of a red flag. Since 2009, 7-seeds are 4-0 in Sweet 16 games against 3-seeds. Gamecocks were in NYC in November, beating Syracuse in Brooklyn.

UCLA made 10-23 on arc, won 97-92 in 83-possession track meet at Rupp Arena Dec 3, where six of 10 starters were freshmen. Six Bruins scored between 13-19 points. UCLA plays #15 pace but have thin bench (#331 minutes); they won 12 of last 13 games, are 15-0 outside Pac-12, with wins over Texas A&M/Kentucky of SEC. Kentucky won its last 13 games; they’re 12-2 outside the SEC, splitting pair with Pac-12 (beat ASU by 46). Wildcats play #22 pace; their subs play #217 minutes- they had to work in both games last week, wins over No Kentucky/Wichita State. Over last two years, Pac-12 teams are 13-2 vs SEC teams (both losses Kentucky over ASU).

Wisconsin is 16th team in last 30 years to upset a 1-seed in 2nd round; previous 15 teams went 8-7 SU in this round, 7-5 vs spread as an underdog. Badgers are #59 experience team; they’ve got guys who’ve played/won a lot together (115-34 last four years, 13-3 in NCAA games)- they’re 7-1-1 vs spread in last nine NCAA tourney games as an underdog. Florida won its two games LW by 15-26 points, after coming in on a 1-3 skid; Gators are #71 experience team, starting a junior, two seniors- they weren’t in last two NCAA’s, so this is new for players/coach. Florida is #11 in country at defending the arc; like just about everyone, they prefer a faster pace than Wisconsin.

NCAAB

Friday, March 24

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Trend Report
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7:09 PM
BUTLER vs. NORTH CAROLINA
No trends available
North Carolina is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of North Carolina's last 9 games

7:29 PM
SOUTH CAROLINA vs. BAYLOR
No trends available
Baylor is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing South Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baylor's last 6 games

9:39 PM
UCLA vs. KENTUCKY
No trends available
Kentucky is 1-2-2 ATS in its last 5 games
Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

9:59 PM
WISCONSIN vs. FLORIDA
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 6 games
Florida is 12-3 SU in its last 15 game

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**Udog** · 03-24-2017, 08:38 AM

NCAAB

Friday, March 24

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NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 betting preview and odds: Butler vs. North Carolina
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Butler is trying to knock off a No. 1 seed for the third time after doing so in 2010 and 2011. The Bulldogs are 20-4-2 ATS in their last 26 NCAA Tournament games.

Butler Bulldogs vs North Carolina Tar Heels (-7.5, 153)

Game to be played at FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee

Butler has a history of pulling off upsets in the NCAA Tournament, but the fourth-seeded Bulldogs face a tough matchup against No. 1 seed North Carolina in the South Region semifinals Friday in Memphis, Tenn. Butler is trying to knock off a No. 1 seed for the third time after doing so in 2010 and 2011 en route to back-to-back championship game appearances.

The Bulldogs breezed through the first weekend with relative ease as they never trailed in wins over Winthrop 76-64 and Middle Tennessee 74-65, and spent a total of 1:18 tied in those contests. The Tar Heels had a much tougher time and had to rally from a five-point deficit in the final three minutes of a 72-65 victory over Arkansas in the second round. “Sometimes you need games like that,” North Carolina guard Joel Berry II told reporters. “We haven’t had a game like that in a while. Now we know we can win a game when we’re down five with three minutes to go.” The Tar Heels are in the Sweet 16 for the third straight year and the ninth time in the past 13 seasons.

TV: 7:09 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: The Tar Heels hit the board as 7-point favorites and that number has yet to move. The total opened at 152.5 and has been bet up half-point to the current number of 153.

INJURY REPORT:

Butler - No injuries to report

North Carolina - G Joel Berry II (Questionable, ankle), G Kenny Williams (Out For Season, knee)

ABOUT BUTLER: The Bulldogs have been crisp on offense in the tournament, shooting 50 percent overall and 47 percent from 3-point range, with Memphis transfer Avery Woodson (8.9 points) going 8-of-14 from behind the arc. They’ll need to continue that to keep pace with North Carolina, and Butler also needs to keep limiting its turnovers – the Bulldogs average 10.2 per game, ninth-fewest in the nation. Swingman Kelan Martin (16 points, 5.8 rebounds) leads the Bulldogs in scoring and rebounding, while forward Andrew Chrabascz (11.1 points, 4.5 rebounds) and freshman guard Kamar Baldwin (10 points) also score in double digits.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA: The Tar Heels nearly met their match with Arkansas’ frenetic style of play, but their up-tempo game should match up better against the Bulldogs. North Carolina has no shortage of offensive weapons, beginning with swingman Justin Jackson (18.1 points, 4.7 rebounds) and forwards Kennedy Meeks (12.7 points, 9.1 rebounds) and Isaiah Hicks (12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds). The biggest question for the Tar Heels is the status of Berry (14.4 points, 3.7 assists), who has been hobbled by an ankle injury and struggled to a 2-for-13 shooting performance against the Razorbacks.

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games as an underdog.
* Bulldogs are 20-4-2 ATS in their last 26 NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 4-0 in Bulldogs last 4 overall.
* Under is 9-1-1 in Tar Heels last 11 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 4-1 in Tar Heels last 5 games as a favorite of 7.0-12.5.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-eight percent of users are taking the underdog Butler Bulldogs and OVER is grabbing 62 percent of the action on the totals.

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**Udog** · 03-24-2017, 08:41 AM

NCAAB

Friday, March 24

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NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 betting preview and odds: South Carolina vs Baylor
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

South Carolina had barely began celebrating the victory over the Blue Devils in the locker room when Martin told his squad, "Hey, let's go win this thing."

(7) South Carolina Gamecocks vs (3) Baylor Bears (-3.5, 135)

Game to be played at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

Seventh-seeded South Carolina takes part in the school's first Sweet 16 under the current NCAA Tournament format when it faces third-seeded Baylor on Friday night in the East Region at Madison Square Garden in New York. And Gamecocks coach Frank Martin, whose team advanced thanks to what some are calling the biggest win in school history -- an 88-81 upset of second-seeded Duke on Sunday night, wants to make sure his team isn't satisfied just to be there.

South Carolina, which tied Arkansas for third place in the SEC, had barely began celebrating the victory over the Blue Devils in the locker room when Martin told his squad, "Hey, let's go win this thing." Mighty big talk for a team that hadn't won an NCAA Tournament game in 44 years until knocking off No. 10 seed Marquette 93-73 in the first round but Martin wasn't backing down when asked about the comment during a press conference this week. "I was too emotional to talk," Martin said, "and at the same time I want those kids to believe (that) you guys have earned the right to go to the Sweet 16, that means you're good enough to play anyone in the country. ... I thought it was a powerful moment to let them know. It's doesn't mean that we're going to win it but I believe we can win it." With No. 1 Villanova and No. 2 Duke out of the way in the East, Baylor, which began the year unranked, also has it sights set on getting to the Final Four as All-American forward Johnathan Motley told reporters: "I'm thankful for the opportunity and I want to take advantage of it."

TV: 7:29 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: The Baylor Bears opened as 3-point favorites over South Carolina and by Monday afternoon that number was up a half point to -3.5. The total hit the board at 136.5 and has been bet down to 135.

INJURY REPORT:

South Carolina - G Kory Holden (Out For Season, eligibility).

Baylor - No injuries to report.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA: SEC Player of the Year Sindarius Thornwell was somewhat under the radar nationally until Sunday's upset of Duke when the 6-5 senior guard filled up the stat sheet with 24 points, six rebounds and a team-high five assists as the Gamecocks exploded for 65 second-half points. Thornwell leads the team in scoring (21.4), rebounding (7.3) and steals (2.2) while shooting 39.8 percent from 3-point range and is the leader of a tough and physical defense that forced 18 Duke turnovers. Chris Silva, a 6-9 sophomore forward, added a career-high 17 points to go along with 10 rebounds against the Blue Devils and is averaging 10.0 points and 5.8 rebounds.

ABOUT BAYLOR: This marks the fourth time in 14 seasons under Scott Drew that the Bears made it to the Sweet 16 and they've advanced to the Elite Eight twice with wins over Saint Mary's in 2010 and Xavier in 2012 while losing to No. 2 seed Wisconsin in 2014. Motley, a 6-10 junior forward who has played himself into NBA lottery consideration, leads the team in scoring (17.3) and led the Big 12 in rebounding (9.9), and had 19 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in the Bears' 82-78 second-round victory over USC. Junior point guard Manu Lecomte (12.3) is the only other player averaging in double figures but 7-0 junior forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., who averages 9.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks, and junior guard Al Freeman, who had 21 points in the team's 91-73 first-round victory over New Mexico State, have also been impact performers.

TRENDS:

* Gamecocks are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Bears are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 vs. Southeastern.
* Over is 7-0 in Gamecocks last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 6-1 in Bears last 7 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite.
* Underdog is 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 60 percent of users are taking chalk with the Baylor Bears and Over is picking up 54 percent of the totals wagers.

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**Udog** · 03-24-2017, 08:44 AM

NCAAB

Friday, March 24

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NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 betting preview and odds: UCLA vs. Kentucky
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lonzo Ball had one of his most impressive performances of the season in the second round and should be motivated to play well against the freshman backcourt of Kentucky.

UCLA Bruins vs Kentucky Wildcats (PK, 165.5)

Game to be played at FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee

UCLA knows what it takes to defeat Kentucky, and the third-seeded Bruins try to take down the No. 2 seed Wildcats for the second time this season when they meet in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 on Friday at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn. UCLA defeated Kentucky on Dec. 3 in 2015 and again in 2016, each time when the Wildcats were ranked No. 1 in the coaches' poll.

The Bruins earned their latest victory against Kentucky much the way they've beaten every team on their schedule this season, getting balanced scoring on high-percentage shots from their starting five. UCLA's five starters scored from 14 to 19 points and Aaron Holiday contributed 13 off the bench in the 97-92 win in December. The Wildcats lean on 6-3 freshmen guards Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox, who each had big games in the earlier meeting against the Bruins. Monk, who averages 20 points, scored 24 in December, and Fox, who averages 16.1, scored 20. The key matchup could be between 6-10 freshman forwards Bam Adebayo of Kentucky and T.J. Leaf of UCLA, who logged double-doubles in their earlier matchup.

TV: 9:39 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: UCLA hit the board as 1-point favorites but that number quickly jumped the fence and, as of Thursday afternoon, Kentucky was sitting at -1. The total meanwhile, has slowly and continually been fading since opening at 169. the current number is 165.5.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Kentucky is a dog for just the second time all year. The first occasion did not go well as they were handed a 22-point defeat in Gainesville." - Power Sports.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: “The line has seemingly settled at pick ‘em, after UCLA opened as a 1-point favorite. A bit of sharp money came in on Kentucky +1. However, the betting action has been dead even on the game for the last day and a half.” - Lines Manager at GTBets.

INJURY REPORT:

UCLA - G Armani Dodson (Out Indefinitely, shoulder), G Prince Ali (Out For Season, knee), F Alex Olesinski (Out For Season, foot)

Kentucky - F Sacha Killeya-Jones (Out Indefinitely, illness)

ABOUT UCLA (31-4 SU, 17-18 ATS, 16-17-2 O/U): Bruins freshman point guard Lonzo Ball had one of his most impressive performances of the season in the second round and should be motivated to play well against the freshman backcourt of Kentucky. Ball had 18 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and one turnover in the 79-67 victory Sunday against Cincinnati, shooting 7-for-10 from the floor and 4-for-7 from 3-point range. He had 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the first meeting with the Wildcats, so they have a blueprint of the damage he can inflict.

ABOUT KENTUCKY (31-5 SU, 18-17-1 ATS, 17-19 O/U): Isaiah Briscoe is the third starting guard for the Wildcats and also has good size at 6-3, and is the best rebounder in the backcourt, posting four double-doubles this season and ranking second on the team at 5.4 rebounds. The Bruins need to decide who to put on Briscoe, and that could be Ball, who has the length at 6-6 to keep him off the glass. That would require UCLA senior guard Bryce Alford to guard Fox or Monk, and he doesn't have the foot speed to stay in front of either one.

TRENDS:

* Bruins are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games.
* Wildcats are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 6-1 in Bruins last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 12-2 in Wildcats last 14 games following a straight up win.
* Bruins are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 58 percent of users are siding with UCLA and Under is picking up 52 percent of the totals wagers.

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**Udog** · 03-24-2017, 08:47 AM

NCAAB

Friday, March 24

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NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 betting preview and odds: Wisconsin vs. Florida
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Something's gotta give: Florida is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 non-conference games, while Wisconsin is 7-1 ATS in its last eight non-conference games.

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Florida Gators (-2, 131.5)

Game to be played at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

Florida and Wisconsin are two of the most impressive teams in the NCAA Tournament, and one is about to move a step closer to another Final Four trip. The fourth-seeded Gators and eighth-seeded Badgers square off Friday in New York City in an intriguing Sweet 16 matchup in the East Region.

Florida, of course, won back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007 and returned to the Final Four in 2014, while Wisconsin is aiming for its third Final Four berth in the last four seasons. The Badgers became the only team in the nation to advance to four straight Sweet 16s when they upset No. 1 overall seed Villanova in the Round of 32 last weekend thanks to continued terrific play from Bronson Koenig. "We talked about the legacy we want to leave," the senior guard said this week. "Getting to the Final Four is one of the goals we talked about since the end of last season." The Gators held Virginia to 39 points in the second round and hope to get another strong performance out of Devin Robinson as they aim to derail the Badgers.

TV: 9:59 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: The Gators opened as 1.5-point chalk against the Badgers and that number has been bet up half-point to an even 2. The total hit the betting board at 131.5 and briefly faded to 131 before returning to the opening number, where it currently stands.

INJURY REPORT:

Wisconsin - No injuries to report.

Florida - C John Egbunu (Out For Season, knee), F Dontay Bassett (Out For Season, foot)

ABOUT WISCONSIN: The Badgers have two key seniors with multiple Final Four experience in Koenig, who has drained 11 3-pointers en route to 45 points through two games of this event, and Nigel Hayes, who is averaging 17.5 points and nine boards through two NCAA contests. Ethan Happ, who notched at least 10 points and eight rebounds in five straight games, is another cause for concern for the Gators. On the downside for Wisconsin, its bench shot a collective 5-of-16 in the Big Dance and the reserves totaled three points against Villanova.

ABOUT FLORIDA: The Gators are 8-1 all-time in the Sweet 16 and have an excellent shot at improving that mark if Robinson continues to shine. The junior forward had 14 points and 11 rebounds against Virginia and is averaging 19 points - way up from his season average of 11.4 - through the first two games of the tournament. On the other hand, Florida's leading scorer on the season is KeVaughn Allen, a normally sweet-shooting sophomore who is 1-of-13 from 3-point range and 3-of-21 overall in the tournament, totaling 11 points in the Gators' two victories.

TRENDS:

* Badgers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog of 0.5-6.5.
* Gators are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games as a favorite of 0.5-6.5.
* Under is 10-1 in Badgers last 11 games as an underdog.
* Under is 12-3-1 in Badgers last 16 neutral site games.
* Under is 6-1 in Gators last 7 games following a ATS win.

CONSENSUS: 55 percent of users are siding with the underdog Badgers. As for the total, 53 percent of wagers are taking the Over.

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Announcement

Friday's NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 3/24

Friday's NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 3/24

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