Announcement

**StarDust Bum** · 03-07-2018, 10:48 AM

BYU's loss lets Big Ten bubble teams breathe easy - for now
March 7, 2018

No. 6 Gonzaga might have some new fans in Big Ten country.

A 74-54 win over BYU in the West Coast Conference Tournament title game Tuesday night gave the Bulldogs an automatic bid to the NCAAs. Gonzaga would have made the NCAA Tournament regardless, so the Zags' victory opened one more precious at-large berth for other contenders.

Nebraska and Penn State can breathe easy, at least for one more night.

The Big Ten's bubble teams can only watch now while other schools get a chance to impress the selection committee. It's an excruciating wait until the bracket is announced this weekend because the Big Ten tourney ended Sunday after being moved up a week earlier than normal in order to play at Madison Square Garden in New York.

What can help the Cornhuskers and Nittany Lions is if the favorites win the automatic bids in the remaining conference tournaments in order to leave as many at-large berths open as possible.

Gonzaga did them a favor by blowing out BYU . The Cougars (24-10, 67 RPI) likely lost their only shot to get into the NCAAs.

Elsewhere on the bubble, Notre Dame and Syracuse each won on the first day of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament to keep their hopes alive. The schedule picks up Wednesday with the Big East, Big 12 and Pac-12 joining the conference tourney fray. Schools like Marquette, Oklahoma and Arizona State get their first cracks at strengthening resumes and making postseason runs to stay fresh in the minds of the members of the selection committee.

All Nebraska and Penn State can do is wait.

ON THE RISE

Notre Dame. The Irish (19-13, 69 RPI) had some nervous moments late in their three-point victory over 24-loss team Pittsburgh in the first round of the ACC Tournament. But Notre Dame did get 19 points and 33 minutes from star forward Bonzie Colson in his third game back from injury. Next up: a chance to get to 20 wins on Wednesday against Virginia Tech (21-10, 51 RPI). Unlike the 80-75 loss to the Hokies in late January, the Irish should have Colson and Matt Farrell for this rematch. Farrell missed the first game with a bad ankle.

Syracuse. Finally, an ACC tourney win for the Orange (20-12, 39 RPI). The 73-64 victory over Wake Forest sets up an important matchup for Syracuse on Wednesday against No. 12 North Carolina (22-9, 6 RPI). The Orange could use a win over a Top 10 RPI team to strengthen its chance to get back into the NCAAs after a one-year absence.

Saint Mary's. The 20th-ranked Gaels (28-5, 43 RPI) might have been on safe ground no matter how BYU fared against Gonzaga on Tuesday night. At the very least, the Cougars' loss means that the selection committee won't have to weigh whether to take more than two WCC squads.

FADING HOPES

Nebraska. The Cornhuskers (22-10) won eight of their last nine in the regular season to finish fourth in the Big Ten. But the last impression that the Cornhuskers left on the selection committee was a loss to Michigan in their first game of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday. At No. 64 in the RPI, Nebraska's lone win against Quadrant 1 teams (1-6) came against the Wolverines in January.

Penn State. See above. It's hard to tell how the weeklong layoff between the conference tournament and Selection Sunday will have on Big Ten bubble teams. The Nittany Lions (21-13, 77 RPI) are 3-8 against Quadrant 1 teams, with all three victories against No. 17 Ohio State.

BYU. The Cougars were 2-3 against Quadrant 1 teams coming into Tuesday, and they couldn't build on their biggest win of the season after defeating Saint Mary's in the WCC semis.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-07-2018, 10:50 AM

Coaches on the hot seat heading into conference tourneys
March 7, 2018

Mark Fox might need an improbable run through the Southeastern Conference tournament to save his coaching job.

He's hardly alone on the college basketball hot seat.

From Georgia's Fox to Pittsburgh's Kevin Stallings to UConn's Kevin Ollie, numerous coaches went into conference tournaments knowing their jobs could be in jeopardy without a few more wins.

Excluding employment decisions that might be affected by myriad off-the-court issues, such as Auburn (Bruce Pearl) and Arizona (Sean Miller), here are some schools that might soon be looking for a new coach, if they haven't already started the process:

GEORGIA

In a year where Kentucky and Florida ceded their dominance at the top of the Southeastern Conference standings, the Bulldogs squandered an opportunity for a breakthrough.

It could mark the end of Fox's nine-year tenure , which has featured only two NCAA Tournament appearances (both of which were one-and-done).

While hardly a traditional powerhouse, Georgia certainly expected better from a team that featured Associated Press SEC player of the year Yante Maten. The Bulldogs are just 16-14 (7-11 SEC) heading into Wednesday's first-round matchup against Vanderbilt in the conference tournament.

After weather issues delayed his team's arrival in St. Louis by four hours, Fox said on a hastily assembled teleconference that there have been no discussions with athletic director Greg McGarity about his job status.

''I have not been told that we have to win a certain number of games to advance through the tournament,'' Fox said. ''I'd really like this tournament, like every game we've played the last nine years, to be about our team and these kids and trying to find them some success. It should not be about the coach.''

Ten years ago, in an SEC tournament remembered for a tornado striking the Georgia Dome, the Bulldogs pulled off a stunning SEC triumph after finishing last during the regular season. That performance saved Dennis Felton's job for the moment, but he didn't even make it through another full season.

Fox appears to be in a similar situation, requiring five wins in five days to even get a shot at Year 10.

PITTSBURGH

The Panthers capped a historically awful season with a 67-64 loss to Notre Dame in the opening round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament Tuesday night .

Now the question is: Will Stallings return for a third year?

While it would be unusual to fire a coach after such a short tenure, these are dark times in Pittsburgh. Stallings' team lost all 19 games against ACC opponents this season and is just 24-41 overall since he arrived from Vanderbilt.

Also working against Stallings: He wasn't a popular choice from the outset, and the current athletic director, Heather Lyke, isn't the one who hired him.

''We knew this was going to be a little bit of a tough season,'' Stallings said. ''We didn't know it was going to be this tough.''

CONNECTICUT

Ollie has the 2014 national championship on his resume, as well as an American Athletic Conference title from just two seasons ago. But the Huskies have taken a significant fall since then.

After slipping to 16-17 last season, UConn is just 14-17 - and 7-11 in the league - heading into its AAC tournament opener against SMU on Thursday.

Athletic director David Benedict plans to evaluate Ollie after the season , and it's clear the boss isn't happy with the state of the program, which is also facing an NCAA investigation. On the other hand, Ollie's lucrative contract would require a buyout of some $10 million.

''When you come to a place like UConn, you don't expect to hope to get to the tournament. You expect that it's a foregone conclusion,'' Benedict told the Hartford Courant. ''It's important we get that figured out because we need to be a tournament team.''

IOWA

Fran McCaffery brushed off questions about his job security , despite an unexpectedly dismal season that ended last week with an overtime loss to Michigan in the earlier-than-usual Big Ten Tournament.

While the overall body of work and a contract extension may give McCaffery some extra security, there's no doubt the Hawkeyes faithful is on edge after a 14-19 campaign that included just five wins in 20 games against conference opponents. More troubling, Iowa wasn't even competitive at times, losing eight Big Ten games by double-digit margins and finishing last in the league in scoring defense.

''The season did not go as we hoped,'' McCaffery said. ''No question.''

The Hawkeyes could be headed for another long season if sophomore star Tyler Cook decides to leave.

LOUISVILLE

One of college basketball's most prestigious jobs could be opening up unless the Cardinals decide to remove the interim from David Padgett's title.

Padgett took over as coach after the firing of Rick Pitino, and any hope of keeping the job likely depends on at least making the NCAA Tournament.

Even then, there are other issues to consider.

All the uncertainty swirling around the NCAA coaching ranks because of an ongoing FBI probe could actually work in Padgett's favor, since some of the top potential candidates have been linked to the scandal. But being a former Pitino assistant could be a major strike against Padgett, especially if Louisville's new administration wants a totally clean reboot to the post-Pitino era.

The Cardinals' NCAA hopes took a blow last week when they lost to No. 1 Virginia on a buzzer-beating shot , so they've got some work to do in the ACC Tournament. Louisville (19-12, 9-9) faces Florida State (20-10, 9-9) in the first of four games Wednesday, a contest that will likely determine which school remains in the NCAA mix for at least one more day.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-07-2018, 11:02 AM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

LOU at FSU 12:00 PM
FSU -2.5
U 151.0

TXST at CCAR 12:30 PM
TXST +2.0

BC at NCST 02:00 PM
NCST -3.5

AFA at UNLV 02:00 PM
AFA +9.5

ASU at COLO 03:00 PM
ASU -7.0
O 146.5

UALR at APP 03:00 PM
APP -5.0

CSU at USU 04:30 PM
CSU +6.0
U 146.0

CAL at STAN 05:30 PM
STAN -8.5

FAMU at HAMP 06:00 PM
HAMP -8.5

MASS at LAS 06:00 PM
LAS -5.5
O 144.5

USA at TROY 06:00 PM
TROY -5.0

AMCC at UNO 06:00 PM
AMCC +1.5

**StarDust Bum** · 03-07-2018, 06:32 PM

Evening Best Bets:

SJU at GTWN 07:00 PM
SJU -3.5
O 144.0

OKLA at OKST 07:00 PM
OKST +1.0

USM at FIU 07:00 PM
U 136.5

ND at VT 07:00 PM
VT +2.0
O 141.5

VAN at UGA 07:00 PM
UGA -2.5

SJSU at WYO 07:00 PM
WYO -13.5
U 148.0

COLG at BUCK 07:30 PM
BUCK -8.5

UTEP at UTSA 07:30 PM
UTEP +3.0
O 138.0

MORG at COOK 08:00 PM
COOK -1.5
O 158.0

FOR at GW 08:30 PM
GW -6.0

ARST at ULM 08:30 PM
ULM +4.0

CARK at LAM 08:30 PM
O 153.0

SYR at UNC 09:00 PM
SYR +7.5

MISS at SCAR 09:00 PM
SCAR -2.5

ORST at WASH 09:00 PM
ORST -2.5
U 140.0

ISU at TEX 09:30 PM
ISU +5.0

DEP at MARQ 09:30 PM
MARQ -5.5

LT at UNT 09:30 PM
LT -3.5

FAU at UAB 10:00 PM
UAB -10.0

WSU at ORE 11:30 PM
U 147.5

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2018, 10:49 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Wrapping up a winter Wednesday

13) ACC— Louisville 82, Florida State 74— Louisville’s interim coach David Padgett turned 33 last month; I’m guessing the last five months have been a blur for him, but his Cardinals played a great first half, leading 41-22 before hanging on at the end for their 20th win. Louisville will likely go on probation; has Padgett does enough to earn the full-time coaching gig?

Boston College upset NC State 91-87; they play Clemson Thursday.

12) Pac-12— Colorado 97, Arizona State 85— Sun Devils beat Xavier, Kansas before Christmas, were ranked 3rd in country at one point, but they lost five of their last six games, went 8-11 in Pac-12 play, and have zero right to bitch if they get left out of the Field of 68. Their RPI was 65 after this loss to Colorado, which made 13-21 3-pointers in this game.

Oregon State and Oregon both advanced with overtime wins; Beavers’ three games with Washington this season were decided by total of 8 points.

11) A-14— UMass upset LaSalle 69-67; Explorers were 1-16 on arc, Minutemen 10-23.

10) Big X— Oklahoma State 71, Oklahoma 60— Sooners lost eight of their last 10 games, losing their last 10 games away from Norman. Bracketology people still have Oklahoma in the field of 68, but they’re not a very good team right now.

9) Mountain West— UNLV 97, Air Force 90 OT— Huge sigh of relief from the desert, as Rebels snap a 5-game losing skid and get their 20th win of the season. UNLV-Nevada Thursday; Wolf Pack crushed UNLV 101-75 in Las Vegas last week, but the Rebels won earlier in Reno.

8) Kansas center Udoka Azubuike won’t play in this week’s Big 12 tournament in Kansas City after he sprained the MCL in his left knee during practice Tuesday.

7) Los Angeles Rams are having an interesting offseason; they traded MLB Alec Ogletree to the Giants Wednesday for 4th and 6th-round draft picks- the move clears $5M in cap room, which begs the question as to just how much money they’re going to pay Aaron Donald this spring.

Ogletree was the quarterback of the defense, so it’ll be interesting to see who the new MLB will be and where that $5M in cap space is used. I’m pretty sure the Rams have five picks in the 6th round of the draft— they must think this draft is deep with talented players.

6) Missouri’s star recruit Michael Porter Jr was supposed to be America’s best freshman, but he played 2:00 in the season opener, then left with a back injury, hasn’t played since. He returns today in St Louis for the SEC tournament; how will his presence change the Tigers’ chemistry?

5) Big East— St John’s 88, Georgetown 77— Hoyas beat St John’s twice during the season, but Red Storm shot 67% inside arc in this game and move on to play top-seeded Xavier Thursday. Hoyas lost their last five games; they took 32 3’s, only 30 2-point shots in this game.

4) C-USA— Tex-San Antonio 71, UTEP 58— Roadrunners went 11-7 in C-USA this year, after going 26-61 the previous five years; they’re 9-2 in last 11 games and play Marshall today.

3) SEC— South Carolina 85, Ole Miss 84— Gamecocks made 12-21 on arc, only 19-34 on foul line. Ole Miss buried a 3 from deep in left corner to cover the spread at the buzzer.

2) Sun Belt— Texas State 73, Coastal Carolina 66— Bobcats snapped a 9-game losing skid with win here; six of those nine losses were by 4 or fewer points or in OT.

1) For me, today and tomorrow are just as much fun as the first round of the NCAA tournament; dozens of games all over the country, teams either positioning for seeding next week, or trying to shock the world and get in the field of 68.

Today is 14 or 15 hours of great action; enjoy!!!

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2018, 10:50 AM

AAC Conference Tournament First Round betting preview and odds

The last of the major tourneys to get underway during college basketball conference tournament week is the American Athletic Conference (AAC). Cincinnati, Wichita St., Houston, and Tulsa all earned byes directly to the quarterfinals and the conference's other eight teams will battle Thursday in Orlando.

Tournament to be played at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

Southern Methodist Mustangs vs Connecticut Huskies (+2, 131.5)

Connecticut and SMU have each had plenty of success at the American Athletic Conference Tournament. But the former champions, thanks in large part to injuries and rebuilding seasons, kick off the tournament Thursday in Orlando, Fla. The ninth-seeded Mustangs won the tournament in 2015 and 2017 while the eighth-seeded Huskies prevailed in 2016 and went to the finals two other times.

Junior guard Jalen Adams, who leads the Huskies in scoring, ignited UConn's run to the 2016 conference tournament title the last time it was played at Orlando's Amway Center. Adams leads the Huskies with 18.5 points and averaged 24.5 points over his past four games. Vital adds 14.6 points and a team-best 5.4 rebounds while junior wing Terry Larrier - who graduates in May and plans to go pro after this season - adds 14.0 points and 4.7 rebounds.

The Mustangs have lost eight of nine without leading scorer Shake Milton (broken bone in right hand) and he is not expected to play this week. Junior guard Jahmal McMurray (14.4 points in 20 games) is leading the Mustangs with 18.9 points in the nine contests without Milton (18.0 points). Sophomore guard Jimmy Whitt is adding 10.9 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds in that stretch, which SMU played with seven scholarship players. Senior Ben Emelogu II leads the conference in 3-point shooting (47.5 percent) and adds 10.3 points while freshman starter Ethan Chargois averages 9.4 points and 4.4 rebounds.

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVEMENT:

Southern Methodist opened as 2-point favorites and the total hit betting boards at 131.5. Neither number has moved as of Wednesday night.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Mustangs are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss.
* Huskies are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 vs. American Athletic Conference.
* Under is 4-0-1 in Mustangs' last 5 neutral site games.
* Over is 6-2 in Huskies' last 8 overall.
* Favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.

South Florida Bulls vs Memphis Tigers (-7.5, 133)

Memphis takes on South Florida in an American Athletic Conference Tournament first-round contest Thursday at Amway Center in Orlando, with the Tigers looking for a little stability and revenge. The 12th-seeded Bulls come in having won two straight, including a 24-point blowout of the fifth-seeded Tigers a week ago which has helped fuel speculation that Memphis coach Tubby Smith may be on his way out.

USF comes in hot behind the play of 6-11 junior forward Malik Martin (6.4 points, 4.7 rebounds), who averaged 17 points and 7.5 rebounds in the two victories last week. Martin’s interior play should open things up for the Bulls’ two deadly outside shooters, with Stephan Jiggetts (team-high 12.4 points, 3.2 assists) and Payton Banks (11.6 points) both connecting on 59 3-pointers this season.

Memphis is still trying to find its offensive rhythm after the loss for the season of leading scorer Jeremiah Martin (18.9 points) to a broken left foot three games ago. Junior Kareem Brewton has stepped into the point guard role in Martin’s absence and is coming off a career-high 22-point effort in a win over East Carolina on Sunday. Smith has had trouble at times getting his team to focus on the court, and he'll have even more in the AAC Tournament as the rumors of former Memphis All-American Penny Hardaway replacing Smith swirl around the program.

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVEMENT:

Memphis opened as 7-point favorites and that number was quickly bet up to -7.5 (no word on whether or not Penny Hardaway rumors contributed to this move). The total hit betting boards at 133 and has yet to move.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Bulls are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 neutral site games.
* Tigers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. American Athletic Conference.
* Over is 5-0 in Bulls' last 5 neutral site games.
* Over is 8-2 in Tigers' last 10 overall.
* Bulls are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.

Tulane Green Wave vs Temple Owls (-5.5, 143)

No. 7 seed Temple and 10th-seeded Tulane are set for their rubber match Thursday in the first round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The winner will advance to Friday's quarterfinal matchup with No. 2 seed Wichita State. The Owls and Green Wave split two meetings this season with each winning on the other's home court. Tulane won 85-75 at Temple in late December behind Melvin Frazier's 25 points, but the Owls got revenge in early February with an 83-76 road win thanks to Shizz Alston Jr.'s 15 points and a career-high 10 assists.

Entering this matchup, Temple has lost four of its last five as some of its key players have stumbled to the finish line. Quinton Rose is the team's top scorer (14.9 points) and has scored in double figures in 10 straight games. Alston averages 13 points but has shot only 31.3 percent over the last five outings - and he hasn't attempted a foul shot in four straight games.

Tulane has won only once in its last nine outings and that victory came against last-place South Florida. The Green Wave have the nation's 200th-ranked offense entering Wednesday's action, and their last two games (49 points and 51 points) have been particularly problematic. They have shot just 33 percent from the field in those two outings and are 7-of-28 from 3-point range, not to mention 33 combined turnovers.

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVEMENT:

Temple opened as 5.5-point favorites and as of Wednesday night that number has yet to move. The total hit betting boards at 143 and has also been steady.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Green Wave are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Owls are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 neutral site games.
* Under is 6-0 in Green Wave's last 6 neutral site games.
* Over is 12-3-1 in Owls' last 16 neutral site games.
* Green Wave are 1-5-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.

East Carolina Pirates vs Central Florida Knights (-13.5, 128.5)

Central Florida is hoping the momentum from a win in its regular-season finale will carry over to a first-round contest in the American Athletic Conference Tournament against East Carolina Thursday at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. The sixth-seeded Knights topped Tulane on Sunday to snap a three-game losing streak, while the Pirates, the 11th seed, come into the tournament having dropped five straight.

Guard B.J. Tyson leads the way offensively for interim coach Michael Perry, averaging 15 points while playing 36.4 minutes a game. Fellow guards Isaac Fleming (12.9 points, 5 assists) and Shawn Williams (12.2 points) give the Pirates lots of firepower on the perimeter, though they'll have to deal with the defensive pressure applied by the Knights. The Pirates rank last in the AAC in 3-point field-goal percentage, hitting just 30.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Coach Johnny Dawkins' squad is third in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 61.3 points, but UCF only averages 62.8 points, making the margin for defeat very narrow. Guard B.J. Taylor has helped with that some since he returned in mid-January from a foot injury, averaging a team-best 15.5 points, including six 20-point performances in the last 12 games. With 7-6 Tacko Fall out of the Knights' lineup, much of the inside work has fallen on senior A.J. Davis, who has been outstanding, ranking second in the AAC in rebounding with 8 boards per game.

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVEMENT:

Central Florida opened as big 13.5-point favorites and as of Wednesday night that number has yet to move. The total hit betting boards at 128.5 and has also been steady.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Pirates are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Knights are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 neutral site games.
* Over is 12-4 in Pirates' last 16 overall.
* Under is 4-0 in Knights' last 4 neutral site games.
* Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2018, 10:51 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Thursday, March 8

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

SMU (16 - 15) vs. CONNECTICUT (14 - 17) - 3/8/2018, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SMU is 17-36 ATS (-22.6 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
SMU is 17-36 ATS (-22.6 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.
SMU is 18-34 ATS (-19.4 Units) in road games in all tournament games since 1997.
CONNECTICUT is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) as a neutral court underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.
SMU is 33-22 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SMU is 33-22 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
SMU is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SMU is 48-27 ATS (+18.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games since 1997.
CONNECTICUT is 10-18 ATS (-9.8 Units) in all games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 10-18 ATS (-9.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

S FLORIDA (10 - 21) vs. MEMPHIS (19 - 12) - 3/8/2018, 2:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
S FLORIDA is 9-17 ATS (-9.7 Units) in all games this season.
S FLORIDA is 9-17 ATS (-9.7 Units) in all lined games this season.
MEMPHIS is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
S FLORIDA is 5-1 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 4-2 straight up against S FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

TULANE (14 - 16) vs. TEMPLE (16 - 14) - 3/8/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TULANE is 29-44 ATS (-19.4 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
TULANE is 29-44 ATS (-19.4 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
TULANE is 19-33 ATS (-17.3 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
TULANE is 19-32 ATS (-16.2 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
TULANE is 94-133 ATS (-52.3 Units) off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
TULANE is 17-33 ATS (-19.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
TULANE is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
TEMPLE is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all neutral court games over the last 3 seasons.
TEMPLE is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in a neutral court game where the total is 140 to 144.5 since 1997.
TEMPLE is 211-170 ATS (+24.0 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
TEMPLE is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing on a neutral court over the last 3 seasons.
TEMPLE is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all tournament games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

E CAROLINA (10 - 19) vs. UCF (18 - 12) - 3/8/2018, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E CAROLINA is 158-200 ATS (-62.0 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
E CAROLINA is 149-189 ATS (-58.9 Units) after a conference game since 1997.
E CAROLINA is 99-130 ATS (-44.0 Units) off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
E CAROLINA is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in first round tournament games since 1997.
UCF is 49-34 ATS (+11.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
UCF is 49-34 ATS (+11.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
UCF is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) as a favorite this season.

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

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

DAYTON (14 - 16) vs. VA COMMONWEALTH (17 - 14) - 3/8/2018, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DAYTON is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) in all games this season.
DAYTON is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
DAYTON is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) as an underdog this season.
DAYTON is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) against conference opponents this season.
DAYTON is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) after a conference game this season.

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

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

DUQUESNE (16 - 15) vs. RICHMOND (11 - 19) - 3/8/2018, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DUQUESNE is 21-39 ATS (-21.9 Units) in March games since 1997.

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

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

C MICHIGAN (19 - 13) vs. BUFFALO (23 - 8) - 3/8/2018, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 3-0 against the spread versus C MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 4-0 straight up against C MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

KENT ST (16 - 16) vs. BALL ST (19 - 12) - 3/8/2018, 2:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KENT ST is 75-52 ATS (+17.8 Units) in road games off a win against a conference rival since 1997.
KENT ST is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
BALL ST is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
BALL ST is 26-45 ATS (-23.5 Units) in March games since 1997.
BALL ST is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) after a conference game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
KENT ST is 3-1 against the spread versus BALL ST over the last 3 seasons
KENT ST is 3-1 straight up against BALL ST over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MIAMI OHIO (16 - 16) vs. TOLEDO (21 - 10) - 3/8/2018, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TOLEDO is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI OHIO is 14-7 ATS (+6.3 Units) as an underdog this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TOLEDO is 4-0 against the spread versus MIAMI OHIO over the last 3 seasons
TOLEDO is 4-0 straight up against MIAMI OHIO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

AKRON (14 - 17) vs. E MICHIGAN (20 - 11) - 3/8/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E MICHIGAN is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in road games when playing with 5 or 6 days rest since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
E MICHIGAN is 3-3 against the spread versus AKRON over the last 3 seasons
AKRON is 5-1 straight up against E MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

PROVIDENCE (19 - 12) vs. CREIGHTON (21 - 10) - 3/8/2018, 2:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PROVIDENCE is 49-71 ATS (-29.1 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
CREIGHTON is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
CREIGHTON is 66-38 ATS (+24.2 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent since 1997.
CREIGHTON is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) after allowing 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
PROVIDENCE is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
CREIGHTON is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in road games after scoring 80 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PROVIDENCE is 4-3 against the spread versus CREIGHTON over the last 3 seasons
PROVIDENCE is 4-3 straight up against CREIGHTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

BUTLER (19 - 12) vs. SETON HALL (21 - 10) - 3/8/2018, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUTLER is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BUTLER is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
SETON HALL is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
BUTLER is 44-27 ATS (+14.3 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 since 1997.
BUTLER is 73-38 ATS (+31.2 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
BUTLER is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) as a neutral court favorite of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.
BUTLER is 55-35 ATS (+16.5 Units) in March games since 1997.
BUTLER is 73-38 ATS (+31.2 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.
BUTLER is 77-45 ATS (+27.5 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SETON HALL is 3-3 against the spread versus BUTLER over the last 3 seasons
SETON HALL is 3-3 straight up against BUTLER over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

TCU (21 - 10) vs. KANSAS ST (21 - 10) - 3/8/2018, 12:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TCU is 160-199 ATS (-58.9 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
TCU is 179-228 ATS (-71.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
TCU is 112-147 ATS (-49.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS ST is 4-2 against the spread versus TCU over the last 3 seasons
KANSAS ST is 4-2 straight up against TCU over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

BAYLOR (18 - 13) vs. W VIRGINIA (22 - 9) - 3/8/2018, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W VIRGINIA is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) in conference tournament games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
W VIRGINIA is 4-2 against the spread versus BAYLOR over the last 3 seasons
W VIRGINIA is 5-1 straight up against BAYLOR over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

ALABAMA (17 - 14) vs. TEXAS A&M (20 - 11) - 3/8/2018, 1:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ALABAMA is 4-0 against the spread versus TEXAS A&M over the last 3 seasons
TEXAS A&M is 2-2 straight up against ALABAMA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

LSU (17 - 13) vs. MISSISSIPPI ST (21 - 10) - 3/8/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LSU is 17-30 ATS (-16.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
LSU is 21-34 ATS (-16.4 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
LSU is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
LSU is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
MISSISSIPPI ST is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
MISSISSIPPI ST is 31-15 ATS (+14.5 Units) after failing to cover the spread in 3 or more consecutive games since 1997.
MISSISSIPPI ST is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.

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

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

SAN DIEGO ST (19 - 10) vs. FRESNO ST (21 - 10) - 3/8/2018, 5:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO ST is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO ST is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
SAN DIEGO ST is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
FRESNO ST is 6-1 against the spread versus SAN DIEGO ST over the last 3 seasons
FRESNO ST is 5-2 straight up against SAN DIEGO ST over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

UC-RIVERSIDE (9 - 21) vs. CAL DAVIS (21 - 9) - 3/8/2018, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAL DAVIS is 34-22 ATS (+9.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CAL DAVIS is 34-22 ATS (+9.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
CAL DAVIS is 43-24 ATS (+16.6 Units) after allowing 80 points or more since 1997.
CAL DAVIS is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
UC-RIVERSIDE is 88-63 ATS (+18.7 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAL DAVIS is 4-2 against the spread versus UC-RIVERSIDE over the last 3 seasons
CAL DAVIS is 5-1 straight up against UC-RIVERSIDE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

LONG BEACH ST (15 - 17) vs. CS-FULLERTON (17 - 11) - 3/8/2018, 5:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LONG BEACH ST is 4-11 ATS (-8.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CS-FULLERTON is 3-3 against the spread versus LONG BEACH ST over the last 3 seasons
LONG BEACH ST is 4-2 straight up against CS-FULLERTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

HAWAII (17 - 12) vs. UC-IRVINE (16 - 16) - 3/8/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HAWAII is 30-48 ATS (-22.8 Units) in March games since 1997.
HAWAII is 74-50 ATS (+19.0 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
UC-IRVINE is 22-41 ATS (-23.1 Units) in road games after scoring 80 points or more since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
UC-IRVINE is 3-3 against the spread versus HAWAII over the last 3 seasons
UC-IRVINE is 3-3 straight up against HAWAII over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CAL POLY-SLO (9 - 21) vs. UC-SANTA BARBARA (22 - 8) - 3/8/2018, 11:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAL POLY-SLO is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) in all games this season.
CAL POLY-SLO is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
CAL POLY-SLO is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) as an underdog this season.
CAL POLY-SLO is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) against conference opponents this season.
CAL POLY-SLO is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games in March games over the last 3 seasons.
CAL POLY-SLO is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) after a conference game this season.
CAL POLY-SLO is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
CAL POLY-SLO is 0-10 ATS (-11.0 Units) off a loss against a conference rival this season.
CAL POLY-SLO is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) after allowing 80 points or more this season.
CAL POLY-SLO is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) after failing to cover the spread in 3 or more consecutive games this season.
CAL POLY-SLO is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CAL POLY-SLO is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
UC-SANTA BARBARA is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in all games this season.
UC-SANTA BARBARA is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
UC-SANTA BARBARA is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 this season.
UC-SANTA BARBARA is 47-27 ATS (+17.3 Units) in March games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
UC-SANTA BARBARA is 5-1 against the spread versus CAL POLY-SLO over the last 3 seasons
UC-SANTA BARBARA is 5-1 straight up against CAL POLY-SLO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

N DAKOTA (12 - 19) vs. MONTANA (23 - 7) - 3/8/2018, 3:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

N COLORADO (21 - 11) vs. WEBER ST (20 - 10) - 3/8/2018, 5:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WEBER ST is 4-2 against the spread versus N COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
WEBER ST is 6-0 straight up against N COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

SOUTHERN UTAH (12 - 18) vs. IDAHO (22 - 8) - 3/8/2018, 8:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
IDAHO is 3-3 against the spread versus SOUTHERN UTAH over the last 3 seasons
IDAHO is 5-1 straight up against SOUTHERN UTAH over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

PORTLAND ST (20 - 12) vs. E WASHINGTON (18 - 13) - 3/8/2018, 11:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

MISSOURI-KC (10 - 21) vs. GRAND CANYON (20 - 10) - 3/8/2018, 3:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
GRAND CANYON is 5-1 straight up against MISSOURI-KC over the last 3 seasons

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

CS-BAKERSFIELD (12 - 17) vs. UTAH VALLEY ST (21 - 9) - 3/8/2018, 5:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH VALLEY ST is 1-0 against the spread versus CS-BAKERSFIELD over the last 3 seasons
CS-BAKERSFIELD is 5-2 straight up against UTAH VALLEY ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CHICAGO ST (3 - 28) vs. NEW MEXICO ST (25 - 5) - 3/8/2018, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO ST is 1-0 against the spread versus NEW MEXICO ST over the last 3 seasons
NEW MEXICO ST is 7-0 straight up against CHICAGO ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

UTRGV (15 - 16) vs. SEATTLE (19 - 12) - 3/8/2018, 11:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 1-0 against the spread versus UTRGV over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 6-1 straight up against UTRGV over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NC CENTRAL (16 - 15) vs. SAVANNAH ST (15 - 16) - 3/8/2018, 6:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAVANNAH ST is 2-2 straight up against NC CENTRAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NORFOLK ST (14 - 18) vs. N CAROLINA A&T (19 - 13) - 3/8/2018, 8:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NORFOLK ST is 2-1 straight up against N CAROLINA A&T over the last 3 seasons

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2018, 10:52 AM

NCAAB

Thursday, March 8

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DAYTON @ VCU
DAYTON

The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dayton's last 6 games when playing VCU
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dayton's last 10 games
VCU

The total has gone OVER in 5 of VCU's last 6 games when playing Dayton
The total has gone OVER in 8 of VCU's last 12 games
SOUTHERN METHODIST @ CONNECTICUT
SOUTHERN METHODIST

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Southern Methodist's last 5 games
Southern Methodist is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Connecticut
CONNECTICUT

The total has gone OVER in 6 of Connecticut's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Connecticut's last 6 games when playing Southern Methodist
CENTRAL MICHIGAN @ BUFFALO
CENTRAL MICHIGAN

The total has gone OVER in 6 of Central Michigan's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Central Michigan's last 5 games when playing Buffalo
BUFFALO

Buffalo is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Central Michigan
Buffalo is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games
LOUISVILLE @ VIRGINIA
LOUISVILLE

Louisville is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Louisville is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Virginia
VIRGINIA

Virginia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Louisville
Virginia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
XAVIER @ ST. JOHN'S
XAVIER

Xavier is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Xavier is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. John's
ST. JOHN'S

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. John's's last 5 games when playing at home against Xavier
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. John's's last 5 games when playing Xavier
TCU @ KANSAS STATE
TCU

TCU is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games
TCU is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
KANSAS STATE

Kansas State is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing TCU
Kansas State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
ALABAMA @ TEXAS A&M
ALABAMA

Alabama is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Texas A&M
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Alabama's last 5 games when playing Texas A&M
TEXAS A&M

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas A&M's last 5 games when playing Alabama
Texas A&M is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
SOUTH FLORIDA @ MEMPHIS
SOUTH FLORIDA

South Florida is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of South Florida's last 6 games
MEMPHIS

Memphis is 19-3 SU in its last 22 games when playing South Florida
Memphis is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
BOSTON COLLEGE @ CLEMSON
BOSTON COLLEGE

The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston College's last 5 games
Boston College is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
CLEMSON

Clemson is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston College
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Clemson's last 5 games
PROVIDENCE @ CREIGHTON
PROVIDENCE

The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Providence's last 7 games when playing Creighton
Providence is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Creighton
CREIGHTON

The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Creighton's last 7 games when playing Providence
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Creighton's last 5 games
KENT STATE @ BALL STATE
KENT STATE

Kent State is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games when playing Ball State
Kent State is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Ball State
BALL STATE

The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ball State's last 5 games when playing Kent State
Ball State is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
UMASS @ GEORGE MASON
UMASS

The total has gone OVER in 11 of UMass's last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of UMass's last 5 games when playing George Mason
GEORGE MASON

The total has gone OVER in 5 of George Mason's last 6 games
George Mason is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing UMass
OKLAHOMA STATE @ KANSAS
OKLAHOMA STATE

Oklahoma State is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Oklahoma State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
KANSAS

Kansas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas's last 6 games
UMKC @ GRAND CANYON
UMKC

UMKC is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
UMKC is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games
GRAND CANYON

Grand Canyon is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing UMKC
Grand Canyon is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
UC RIVERSIDE @ UC DAVIS
UC RIVERSIDE

The total has gone UNDER in 7 of UC Riverside's last 9 games when playing UC Davis
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of UC Riverside's last 8 games
UC DAVIS

UC Davis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
UC Davis is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing UC Riverside
UNLV @ NEVADA
UNLV

The total has gone OVER in 4 of UNLV's last 5 games when playing Nevada
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of UNLV's last 9 games
NEVADA

Nevada is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nevada's last 5 games when playing UNLV
COLORADO @ ARIZONA
COLORADO

The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing Arizona
Colorado is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
ARIZONA

The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arizona's last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Arizona's last 7 games
NORTH DAKOTA @ MONTANA
NORTH DAKOTA

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of North Dakota's last 6 games when playing Montana
North Dakota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
MONTANA

Montana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing North Dakota
Montana is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games
GEORGIA @ MISSOURI
GEORGIA

Georgia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Missouri
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Georgia's last 7 games when playing Missouri
MISSOURI

The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Missouri's last 7 games when playing Georgia
Missouri is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
SAN DIEGO STATE @ FRESNO STATE
SAN DIEGO STATE

San Diego State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego State's last 5 games
FRESNO STATE

Fresno State is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing San Diego State
Fresno State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Diego State
CAL STATE-BAKERSFIELD @ UTAH VALLEY
CAL STATE-BAKERSFIELD

Cal State-Bakersfield is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Utah Valley
Cal State-Bakersfield is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games
UTAH VALLEY

Utah Valley is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Utah Valley is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Cal State-Bakersfield
LONG BEACH STATE @ CAL STATE-FULLERTON
LONG BEACH STATE

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Long Beach State's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Long Beach State's last 7 games when playing Cal State-Fullerton
CAL STATE-FULLERTON

The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cal State-Fullerton's last 7 games when playing Long Beach State
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Cal State-Fullerton's last 10 games
STANFORD @ UCLA
STANFORD

The total has gone OVER in 5 of Stanford's last 6 games when playing UCLA
Stanford is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
UCLA

The total has gone OVER in 5 of UCLA's last 6 games when playing Stanford
UCLA is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games when playing Stanford
NORTHERN COLORADO @ WEBER STATE
NORTHERN COLORADO

Northern Colorado is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Northern Colorado is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
WEBER STATE

Weber State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Northern Colorado
Weber State is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
DUQUESNE @ RICHMOND
DUQUESNE

The total has gone OVER in 4 of Duquesne's last 5 games when playing Richmond
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Duquesne's last 14 games
RICHMOND

Richmond is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Duquesne
Richmond is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Duquesne
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL @ SAVANNAH STATE
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL

No trends to report
SAVANNAH STATE

No trends to report
NEW ORLEANS @ SAM HOUSTON STATE
NEW ORLEANS

No trends to report
SAM HOUSTON STATE

No trends to report
MIAMI-OHIO @ TOLEDO
MIAMI-OHIO

The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami-Ohio's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami-Ohio's last 6 games when playing Toledo
TOLEDO

Toledo is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Miami-Ohio
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toledo's last 6 games
LSU @ MISSISSIPPI STATE
LSU

The total has gone OVER in 10 of LSU's last 12 games when playing Mississippi State
The total has gone OVER in 9 of LSU's last 13 games
MISSISSIPPI STATE

The total has gone OVER in 10 of Mississippi State's last 12 games when playing LSU
Mississippi State is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
TULANE @ TEMPLE
TULANE

The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tulane's last 5 games when playing Temple
Tulane is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games
TEMPLE

Temple is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Tulane
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Temple's last 5 games when playing Tulane
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI @ MIDDLE TENNESSEE
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Southern Mississippi's last 8 games
Southern Mississippi is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
MIDDLE TENNESSEE

Middle Tennessee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Southern Mississippi
Middle Tennessee is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
NOTRE DAME @ DUKE
NOTRE DAME

Notre Dame is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Notre Dame's last 5 games
DUKE

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Duke's last 5 games
Duke is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
TEXAS @ TEXAS TECH
TEXAS

Texas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Texas Tech
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games when playing Texas Tech
TEXAS TECH

The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas Tech's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas Tech's last 6 games when playing Texas
MARQUETTE @ VILLANOVA
MARQUETTE

The total has gone OVER in 5 of Marquette's last 6 games when playing Villanova
Marquette is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
VILLANOVA

Villanova is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing Marquette
Villanova is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games
UTSA @ MARSHALL
UTSA

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of UTSA's last 5 games
UTSA is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
MARSHALL

Marshall is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Marshall's last 6 games
NORFOLK STATE @ NORTH CAROLINA A&T
NORFOLK STATE

No trends to report
NORTH CAROLINA A&T

No trends to report
GEORGE WASHINGTON @ SAINT LOUIS
GEORGE WASHINGTON

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of George Washington's last 5 games when playing Saint Louis
George Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
SAINT LOUIS

Saint Louis is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing George Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Saint Louis's last 5 games when playing George Washington
CENTRAL ARKANSAS @ STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
CENTRAL ARKANSAS

No trends to report
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN

No trends to report
SOUTHERN UTAH @ IDAHO
SOUTHERN UTAH

The total has gone OVER in 5 of Southern Utah's last 7 games when playing Idaho
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Southern Utah's last 6 games
IDAHO

Idaho is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Southern Utah
Idaho is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
BAYLOR @ WEST VIRGINIA
BAYLOR

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baylor's last 5 games when playing West Virginia
Baylor is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
WEST VIRGINIA

West Virginia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Baylor
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of West Virginia's last 5 games when playing Baylor
CHICAGO STATE @ NEW MEXICO STATE
CHICAGO STATE

Chicago State is 1-24 SU in its last 25 games
Chicago State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Mexico State
NEW MEXICO STATE

New Mexico State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago State
New Mexico State is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games
HAWAII @ UC IRVINE
HAWAII

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Hawaii's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Hawaii's last 8 games when playing UC Irvine
UC IRVINE

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of UC Irvine's last 6 games
UC Irvine is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games
EAST CAROLINA @ CENTRAL FLORIDA
EAST CAROLINA

The total has gone OVER in 6 of East Carolina's last 8 games
East Carolina is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Central Florida
CENTRAL FLORIDA

Central Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing East Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Central Florida's last 12 games
AKRON @ EASTERN MICHIGAN
AKRON

Akron is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Eastern Michigan
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Akron's last 5 games when playing Eastern Michigan
EASTERN MICHIGAN

Eastern Michigan is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Eastern Michigan is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
UTAH STATE @ BOISE STATE
UTAH STATE

The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Utah State's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah State's last 6 games when playing Boise State
BOISE STATE

Boise State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Utah State
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boise State's last 7 games
NORTH CAROLINA @ MIAMI
NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of North Carolina's last 16 games when playing Miami
MIAMI

Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Miami's last 16 games
OREGON STATE @ USC
OREGON STATE

Oregon State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Oregon State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing USC
USC

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of USC's last 5 games
USC is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oregon State
SOUTH CAROLINA @ ARKANSAS
SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of South Carolina's last 8 games when playing Arkansas
ARKANSAS

Arkansas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing South Carolina
Arkansas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing South Carolina
BUTLER @ SETON HALL
BUTLER

Butler is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Seton Hall
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Butler's last 23 games
SETON HALL

Seton Hall is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Seton Hall is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
LOUISIANA TECH @ OLD DOMINION
LOUISIANA TECH

The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Louisiana Tech's last 19 games
Louisiana Tech is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
OLD DOMINION

Old Dominion is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Old Dominion is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Louisiana Tech
UAB @ WESTERN KENTUCKY
UAB

UAB is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
UAB is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
WESTERN KENTUCKY

The total has gone OVER in 6 of Western Kentucky's last 7 games
Western Kentucky is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games
PORTLAND STATE @ EASTERN WASHINGTON
PORTLAND STATE

Portland State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Portland State's last 11 games when playing Eastern Washington
EASTERN WASHINGTON

Eastern Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Eastern Washington is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
UTRGV @ SEATTLE
UTRGV

UTRGV is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
UTRGV is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
SEATTLE

Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing UTRGV
Seattle is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
CAL POLY @ UC-SANTA BARBARA
CAL POLY

The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cal Poly's last 5 games
Cal Poly is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing UC-Santa Barbara
UC-SANTA BARBARA

UC-Santa Barbara is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Cal Poly
UC-Santa Barbara is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Cal Poly
WYOMING @ NEW MEXICO
WYOMING

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Wyoming's last 6 games when playing New Mexico
Wyoming is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
NEW MEXICO

New Mexico is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Mexico's last 6 games
OREGON @ UTAH
OREGON

Oregon is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Oregon's last 10 games when playing Utah
UTAH

The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Utah's last 10 games when playing Oregon
Utah is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Oregon

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2018, 10:54 AM

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, March 8

ACC tournament, Brooklyn
Virginia beat Louisville twice this season, once last week when they scored five points in last 0:01 to stun the Cardinals 67-66 in Louisville. Cavaliers won last six series games, with five of the six wins by 8+ points. Virginia won its last five games overall- they won their first ACC tourney game the last four years, all by 12+ points. Louisville played a great first half in its win over Florida St yesterday, leading 41-22 before holding on for 82-74 win- only two Cardinals played more than 28:00, but it was only their second win in their last six games.

Notre Dame rallied from 17 down to beat Virginia Tech 71-65 last nite; Irish are 14-4 with Colson in lineup, can take themselves off bubble with win here, but ND is playing or 3rd day in row, while Duke has been off since Saturday. Duke beat Notre Dame 88-66 at home in only meeting this season; Blue Devils are 4-5 in ACC meetings with the Irish. Duke won six of its last seven games, with only loss by point at Virginia Tech. Duke is 12-2 in their first ACC tourney game the last 14 years, with four of last five of those wins by 4 or fewer points.

Miami hit a 3 at buzzer to win 91-88 in Chapel Hill last Tuesday, after blowing 16-point 2nd half lead; Hurricanes won six of last nine games with UNC. Tar Heels beat Miami by 25 in LY’s ACC tourney, after losing to them during season. Miami won its last four games by total of 8 points; they won their first ACC tourney game the last eight years. Carolina jogged past Syracuse last night; all five starters played 30:00- no sub played more than 8:00. Last six times UNC won its first ACC tourney game, they won their second game that week five times.

Big East tournament, NYC
Creighton/Providence split a pair of games this year; Friars won 7 of last 10 series games- they lost 70-58 to Bluejays in LY’s Big East tourney. Bluejays lost four of their last six games overall; they’re 6-6 since 6-9 F Krampelj was lost for season with an injury. Providence lost four of its last seven games; they’re 5-9 vs top 50 teams this season. Creighton won its conference tourney opener nine of last 11 years; Friars won their first Big East tourney game three of last four years. Creighton covered once in its last five games as a favorite; Friars are 6-5 as an underdog.

Seton Hall beat Butler twice this year, 90-87 in Hinkle, then 77-70 at home five days ago, when Bulldogs went 8-25 on arc; Pirates won last three series games, after losing seven of first eight Big East meetings. Seton Hall won four of last five games overall; they’re 4-3 as an underdog this season- Butler is 6-5 as a favorite. Bulldogs lost five of their last seven games, losing in double OT to St John’s- they’re in NY/NJ area for second weekend in row. Hall is 7-2 in last nine ACC tourney first round games; Butler in 0-4 in Big East tourney since joining league.

Big X tournament, Kansas City
Kansas C Azubuike is out this week with an injury; Jaayhawks’ bench had been playing 3rd-least minutes in country. Oklahoma State beat Kansas twice this season, 84-79 in Lawrence, then 82-64 at home five days ago; teams split last 10 meetings overall. O-State won four of its last five games overall; they beat Oklahoma fairly easily yesterday, playing only two guys more than 26:00. Kansas had won five in row before getting spanked in Stillwater Saturday. Jayhawks are 25-5 in last 30 Big X tourneys (they lost in 1st round LY), OSU lost in first round last five years.

West Virginia beat Baylor twice this season, 57-54 at home, then 71-60 in Waco; WVU won five of last six series games- they went WWL in last two Big X tourneys. Mountaineers are 4-3 in their last seven games; they’re 11-6 vs top 50 teams this season. Baylor lost three of its last four games; they’re turning ball over 19.6% of time in Big X games, worst in Big X. West Virginia forces turnovers 20.3% of time in league games; they lost five of last seven games away from home. Bears won three of last four first round conference tourney games.

SEC tournament, St Louis
Michael Porter Jr was Mizzou’s big recruit this year; he played 2:00 in opener, then sat out rest of season with a back injury- he is expected to make his return here. How does that impact the Tigers’ chemistry/rotation? Mizzou beat Georgia 68-56 at home in only meeting this year; it was Tigers’ 2nd win in eight SEC meetings with the Dawgs. Georgia lost three of its last five games, but crushed Vandy yesterday, leading by 21 at half- no Dawg played more than 30:00. Missouri won seven of its last ten games-they won three of last five games away from home.

Conference USA tournament, Frisco, TX
Western Kentucky got smoked 101-73 at UAB five days ago, after beating Blazers 77-69 at home in first meeting this year; UAB is 5-4 in C-USA meetings- teams split pair of games in this event. UAB won its last three games; they had fairly easy time with Florida Atlantic last nite, winning by 11 in game they led by 10 at half- only two Blazers played more than 28:00. WKU lost its last two games after a 15-2 run; they’re 7-7 vs teams ranked in top 125. UAB is 1-7 vs top 100 teams; Saturday’s win over the Hilltoppers being the only win.

Mountain West tournament, Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas
UNLV snapped a 5-game skid with OT win over Air Force yesterday; they used four starters 36:00+. Rebels got whacked 101-75 at home by Nevada last Wednesday- they had upset the Wolf Pack in Reno in first meeting this year. Nevada won four of last six meetings, both overall and in this arena. Nevada won six of its last seven games; they played six guys in their last game, a loss in San Diego- PG Drew is done (achilles)- Wolf Pack played three guys 38:00+ against the Aztecs. Mooring had 31 points in the win at Reno, only 5 points in the rematch.

Pac-12 tournament, T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Stanford/UCLA split a pair of games this season; Cardinal won 107-99 in double OT in first meeting (rallied from 12 down with 5:44 left), then lost rematch 89-73 in Westwood. Bruins won five of last seven meetings overall. Stanford won five of its last six games; they pounded rival Cal last nite, with only two Cardinal playing more than 27:00. UCLA split its last six games; they’re 3-6 in Pac-12 road games this season. Bruins won their first conference tourney game five of last six years; last eight times Stanford won its opener, they went 3-5 in second tourney game.

Oregon needed OT to beat Washington St last nite; Ducks trailed by 11 in 2nd half, then by 4 in OT. Three Ducks played 39:00+; a 4th starter played 35:00. Utes won 66-56 in Eugene in only meeting this year, snapping a 9-game series skid against Oregon. Ducks are 3-0 vs Utah in this event. Oregon won four of its last five games; three of their last six games went to OT- they’re 12-3 in last 15 Pac-12 tournament games. Utah won its first Pac-12 tourney game four of last five years; they won six of last seven games overall, with only loss by 16 at home to USC.

Big West tournament, Anaheim
Hawai’i/Cal-Irvine are meeting for third time in three weeks; Rainbows won by point in Bren Center in first meeting- Anteaters won rematch 66-57 on the islands. Irvine is 7-3 in its last ten games with Hawai’i, winning both meetings in this event. Rainbows won four of their last six games, three of last four on road- over last 11 years, they’re 3-8 in first conference tourney game of season. Irvine is 9-4 in last 13 Big West tourney games, winning its first tourney game the last six years. Anteaters won eight of their last ten games overall.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2018, 10:55 AM

ACC Conference Tournament quarterfinals betting preview and odds

It's on to the quarterfinals for the final eight teams remaining in the ACC conference tournament in Brooklyn. The top four seeds - Virginia, Duke, Miami, and Clemson - will be fresh off their double-bye and will be ready to take on all challengers Thursday at Barclays Center.

Tournament to be played at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Louisville Cardinals vs Virginia Cavaliers (-7.5, 122)

Ninth-seeded Louisville needed to make a statement in the ACC Tournament and they did just that Wednesday, surviving a second-half comeback from No. 8 seed Florida State in the second round at the Barclays Center to defeat the Seminoles 82-74 and fortify its NCAA Tournament resume. Now the Cardinals get another crack at upending top-seeded Virginia, who earned a double bye into the quarterfinals after capturing the regular-season ACC championship

The Cardinals came oh so close to pulling off the upset of Virginia last Thursday, but the Cavaliers overcame a five-point deficit in a wild final minute and won on a De'Andre Hunter 3-pointer as time expired to give No. 1 Virginia a 67-66 victory and a perfect 9-0 road record in ACC play. The Cavaliers won the first meeting of the year between the teams, 74-64, and they have now won five straight and six of the last seven against the Cardinals.

The Cavaliers did what they do best in their late rally against the Cardinals a week ago, holding Louisville to 36.4 percent shooting in the second half and 41.3 percent for the game, the 28th opponent that failed to shoot 50 percent against Virginia this year. All-ACC first-team guard Kyle Guy, who suffered an MCL sprain in the season-ending win over Notre Dame but should be ready, only managed 10 points in that win over Louisville but finished the regular season ranked sixth in the ACC in 3-pointers per game (2.5) and 18th in scoring (team-high 13.9 points per game).

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVEMENT:

Virginia opened as 7.5-point favorites and as of Wednesday night that number has yet to move. The total hit betting boards at 122 and has also been steady.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Cardinals are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.
* Cavaliers are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games overall.
* Over is 4-0-1 in Cardinals' last 5 neutral site games.
* Under is 37-14-1 in Cavaliers' last 52 vs. Atlantic Coast.
* Cardinals are 1-4-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.

Boston College Eagles vs Clemson Tigers (-4, 140)

Clemson enters the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday in Brooklyn, N.Y. looking to build upon a breakthrough season, one in which the fourth-seeded Tigers have won 22 games and all but assured themselves of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. Clemson’s quarterfinal matchup against Boston College is what coach Brad Brownell sees as a continuation of his program’s maturation process despite the Tigers losing four of their past six games.

The Eagles play their third game in three days after opening the tournament with wins over Georgia Tech and North Carolina State. Jerome Robinson, the second-leading scorer in the conference in the regular season at 20.7 points per game, scored 26 in Wednesday's victory over the Wolfpack and Ky Bowman is averaging 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists so far in the tournament. Nik Popovic is averaging 17.5 points through two tournament games, and pulled down seven rebounds Wednesday despite missing time with a lower right leg injury.

Second-team All-ACC honoree Marcquise Reed is 10th in the league in scoring at 16.4 points per game and second in steals (1.77). The Tigers will need more production from Gabe DeVoe and Shelton Mitchell, who combined to average 24.4 points per game but finished with a combined four in Saturday’s loss at Syracuse. Clemson ranks 25th in the country in scoring defense (65.3 points per game allowed) and 27th in field-goal percentage defense (40.8).

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVEMENT:

Well rested Clemson opened as 4-point favorites and as of Wednesday night that line has not moved. The total hit betting boards at 140 and has also been steady heading into game day.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Tigers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up loss.
* Over is 15-5-1 in Eagles' last 21 overall.
* Under is 6-2 in Tigers' last 8 neutral site games.
* Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.

North Carolina Tar Heels vs Miami Hurricanes (OFF)

Miami hopes to carry over the momentum from a four-game winning streak to end the regular season when it takes on 11th-ranked North Carolina in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The third-seeded Hurricanes won those four games, including a buzzer-beater at sixth seed North Carolina, by a combined eight points.

The Hurricanes placed six players in double figures and shot 54.8 percent from the field - 11-of-22 from 3-point range - in the 91-88 win at North Carolina on Feb. 27 as Ja’Quan Newton drained a long 3-pointer as time expired. The Hurricanes won’t have sophomore guard Bruce Brown Jr. (foot), who leads the team in rebounds (7.1) and assists (4.0) while sitting third on the team in scoring (11.4), but the team is 7-3 without him.

The Tar Heels rebounded from two straight losses to end the regular season by dominating Syracuse 78-59 in Wednesday’s second round, holding the Orange to 31.7 percent from the field. Senior swingman Theo Pinson recorded 16 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two steals for North Carolina in the win over Syracuse while junior guard Kenny Williams scored 17. The Tar Heels won easily Wednesday without a big night from senior guard Joel Berry II, who managed just eight points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field and is 5-for-20 in the last two games since scoring 31 versus Miami.

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVEMENT:

The spread and total for this matchup are late arriving and remain OFF early Thursday morning.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Tar Heels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
* Hurricanes are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 4-1 in Tar Heels last 5 neutral site games.
* Under is 8-2-1 in Hurricanes last 11 neutral site games.
* Under is 11-5 in the last 16 meetings.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Duke Blue Devils (OFF)

Defending champion Duke enters the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday in Brooklyn, N.Y., playing some of its best basketball of the season, as the second-seed and fourth-ranked team in the nation aims for its 12th league title in 20 seasons. The Blue Devils face 10th seed Notre Dame after closing the regular season with six wins in their final seven games, allowing just 58 points per game in that stretch since playing more zone defense.

The Irish held off Pittsburgh in the opening round before rallying from 21 points down with 15 minutes left to upend Virginia Tech in the second round Wednesday 71-65. Bonzie Colson, who missed 15 games due to injury before returning last week, followed his 19-point performance Tuesday with 12 points and seven rebounds against the Hokies. Notre Dame, which shot 10-for-29 from 3-point range against Virginia Tech, has won seven of its past 10 entering the quarterfinals.

Freshman Marvin Bagley III tied for the conference scoring lead at 20.7 points per game and led the league with 11.2 rebounds per contest, earning the potential NBA lottery pick ACC player of the year and freshman of the year honors. Grayson Allen averaged 15.5 points per game while ranking sixth in the ACC in steals per game (1.68) and fifth free-throw shooting (85 percent). The Blue Devils led the conference and ranks sixth nationally in scoring (85.1 points per game), and in the past 16 games have held opponents to 29.1 percent shooting from 3-point range.

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVEMENT:

The spread and total for this matchup are late arriving and remain OFF early Thursday morning.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Fighting Irish are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS win.
* Blue Devils are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Under is 4-0 in Fighting Irish last 4 vs. Atlantic Coast.
* Under is 7-0 in Blue Devils last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2018, 10:56 AM

Big East Conference Tournament Quarterfinals betting preview and odds

The Big East Quarterfinals are set and while a few of the programs remaining can be fairly confident they'll be dancing come Selection Sunday, a few may need another win or two to secure an invitation.

Tournament to be played at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York

St. John's Red Storm vs Xavier Musketeers (Off, Off)

Xavier rolled to a 27-4 regular-season record and a 15-3 conference mark to hold off Villanova by one game. But being the top seed in the Big East Tournament doesn't guarantee a thing - especially considering the Musketeers won both regular-season games against the Red Storm by just 11 combined points.

St. John's rallied from a six-point halftime deficit to earn an 88-77 triumph over Georgetown in opening-round action, as Shamorie Ponds' 26 points led five players in double figures. Ponds will be looking to lead the Red Storm to the upset after averaging a sensational 24.5 points in two regular-season meetings with the Musketeers.

Quick hands have been a trademark of this season's edition of the Red Storm; they averaged 8.7 steals per game in the regular season, ninth-most in the country.

Trevon Bluiett, who led Xavier and ranked sixth in the conference at 19.4 points per game, has already made his mark in Musketeer annals, ranking second all-time in scoring while making the most 3-pointers in school history. The Musketeers ranked 10th in the nation at 84.5 points per game while placing seventh in Division I in free-throw success rate (78.5 percent).

BETTING STATS:

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Red Storm are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 7-1 in Red Storm last 8 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 4-1 in Musketeers last 5 overall.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

Providence Friars vs Creighton Bluejays (-4, 147.5)

Both Providence and Creighton hope to have done enough to merit an NCAA Tournament berth, but a long run this week at the Big East Tournament would cement the honor. Creighton fell out of the national rankings after an 85-81 loss at Marquette in the finale of the regular season, but it defeated league heavyweight Villanova two games before that and lost to regular-season champ Xavier by one point on Feb. 10.

Friar Kyron Cartwright is one of three seniors among the top four scorers on the team, led by Rodney Bullock (14.1), and that group is looking to guide the program to a school-record fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Sophomore Alpha Diallo, who ranks second on the team in scoring (12.3), had 21 points and Cartwright added 20 along with seven assists in an 85-71 win over the Bluejays at home Jan. 20 to split the season series.

Bluejays Senior Marcus Foster earned All-Big East first team honors for the second straight time after finishing fourth in the league in scoring (20.3) and fifth in 3-point percentage (42.6). Fellow guard Khyri Thomas is second on the team in scoring (15.5) and picked up Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second year in a row while also earning a second team placement overall.

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVEMENT: Creighton opened as 4-point chalk and that number has yet to move heading into game day. The total hit the board at 147.5 and hasn't moved off the opening number.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Bluejays are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 8-1 in Friars last 9 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 6-1 in Bluejays last 7 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings.
* Favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.

Marquette Golden Eagles vs. Villanova Wildcats (Off, Off)

Villanova, ranked third in the nation, has won four of five with three 90-point performances during that stretch. The Wildcats rank first in the country in scoring (87.2) and are in excellent shape to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, particularly if they go deep in this event. They can continue to solidify that position by beating the Golden Eagles, who slipped by DePaul on Wednesday and can essentially clinch an NCAA Tournament spot by upsetting the Wildcats.

The Golden Eagles defeated the Blue Demons, 72-69, in Wednesday's nightcap, riding Andrew Rowsey's 25 points and Sam Hauser's 16 to the opening-round win. The third member of Marquette's big three is Markus Howard, who scored only four points on 2-of-6 shooting versus DePaul to mark his lowest-scoring game of the season. Howard erupted for 37 points in the first meeting with Villanova in early January before the Wildcats held him to 13 points on 5-of-18 shooting in the rematch in late January.

Jalen Brunson, a candidate for National Player of the Year, averages 19.0 points and 4.8 assists while shooting well from the field (52.8 percent), the 3-point line (40.5) and the foul line (80.6). He has plenty of help in the form of Mikal Bridges (17.6 points), who has exceeded his season average in six straight games, and four other players who average double-digit points on the season. One of those is Big East Freshman of the Year Omari Spellman (10.9 points, 7.8 rebounds), who is just 6-of-17 from the field over the last two outings and totaled four points in the two earlier meetings with Marquette.

BETTING STATS:

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Golden Eagles are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Thursday games.
* Wildcats are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games.
* Over is 5-1 in Golden Eagles last 6 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 8-1 in Wildcats last 9 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.

Butler Bulldogs vs Seton Hall (+1, 147.5)

Six days after closing the regular season together, Butler and Seton Hall will meet again Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament. The Pirates, behind the play of Khadeen Carrington and Angel Delgado, pulled out a 77-70 victory Saturday at home to complete a sweep of the season series with the Bulldogs.

Carrington and Delgado have enjoyed great success against the Bulldogs this season. Carrington has put up 54 points and eight assists while making 15-of-30 from the field and 10-of-14 from the 3-point line in two games, while Delgado has 49 points and 25 rebounds this season. Seton Hall's Desi Rodriguez was named to the All-Big East second team, missed the final three regular season games with a sprained knee, but is expected to suit up Thursday, while fellow senior Ismael Sanogo is listed as questionable by coach Kevin Willard.

Bulldog Kelan Martin was one of three unanimous selections to the All-Big East first team and is a contender for Player of the Year, is close to scoring 2,000 career points. The 6-7 forward from Louisville is sitting on 1,961 career points, and his 657 this season are the fifth-most in school history.

Myles Powell will undoubtedly be the face of the Pirates next season with his four starting mates set to graduate, but the sophomore is already garnering recognition for his play. The 6-2 guard was named the Big East Most Improved Player after averaging 15.6 points and shooting 38.4 percent from 3-point territory this season.

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVEMENT: Butler opened as 1-point favorites and as of Thursday morning that number has yet to move. The total hit betting boards at 147.5 and has also held at the opening number.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Pirates are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Pirates are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2018, 10:58 AM

Big 12 Conference Tournament Quarterfinals betting preview and odds

The Big 12 Quarterfinals are set and while most of the programs remaining can be fairly confident they'll be dancing come Sunday, a few may need another win or two to secure a spot among the field of 68. Including upset-minded Oklahoma State, who'll have to do something very rare, by beating Kansas three times in one year.

Games to be played at Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri

TCU Horned Frogs vs. Kansas State Wildcats (+2.5, 143)

TCU will end its 20-year NCAA Tournament drought next week but first the Horned Frogs would like to tack on some victories in the Big 12 Championship in Kansas City. Fifth-seeded TCU faces fourth-seeded Kansas State in Thursday's quarterfinals and has won four of its last five games entering the conference tournament.

Senior guard Kenrich Williams has recorded 12 double-doubles and the second-team All-Big 12 selection averages 12.9 points and a team-leading 9.3 rebounds and 53 steals. Senior forward Vladimir Brodziansky, a third-team All-Big 12 choice, shoots 57.7 percent from the field while leading the squad in scoring (15.2) and blocked shots (50), while sophomore Desmond Bane (13.1) drained a team-best 57 3-pointers. The Horned Frogs rank second in the Big 12 in scoring (83.6) and lead the league in field-goal percentage (50), 3-point percentage (40) and have scored 80 or more points on 21 occasions.

Junior forward Dean Wade earned first-team All-Big 12 honors with a splendid season in which he posted team-best averages of 16.7 points and 6.4 rebounds, and recorded 11 20-point outings and four double-doubles. Junior guard Barry Brown Jr. averages 16.6 points as a second-team All-Big 12 selection and is also a member of the All-Defensive Team behind a team-best 59 steals. The Wildcats rank second in the Big 12 in scoring defense (67.5 per game) and steals (7.8), and held eight opponents to fewer than 60 points.

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND MOVES: Despite being the higher seed Kansas State hit the board as 2.5-point dogs and that's where the number sat as of Thursday morning. It seems to be bettors have the same feeling books do, with 65 percent of public wagers on the Horned Frogs according to our Covers Consesnsus. The total opened at 144 and was quickly bet down to the current number of 143.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* TCU is 7-0-1 ATS in its last seven games following a SU loss.
* TCU is 16-5 ATS in its last 21 neutral site games.
* Kansas State is 0-4 ATS in its last four neutral site games.
* Over is 8-2 in TCU's last 10 neutral site games.
* Under is 6-0 in Kansas Staet's last six games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Kansas Jayhawks (-2, 151)

Top-seeded Kansas will be without sophomore center Udoka Azubuike when it begins its quest to win the Big 12 Tournament championship with Thursday's quarterfinal matchup with ninth-seeded Oklahoma State at Kansas City. The 7-foot Azubuike sprained the MCL in his left knee during a scrimmage on Tuesday and the ninth-ranked Jayhawks hope to have the nation's most efficient shooter (77.4 percent) back for their first game in next week's NCAA Tournament.

Azubuike, a third-team All-Big 12 selection, leaves a big hole in the middle as he averages 13.7 points and a team-leading 7.1 rebounds. Senior guard Devonte' Graham, the Big 12 Player of the Year, will be counted on even more than usual and he is the lone player nationally averaging at least 17 points (17.6), seven assists (7.2) and 1.7 steals with fewer than three turnovers (2.7) per game.

Oklahoma State defeated Kansas twice in the regular season as underdogs and certainly bolstered its NCAA Tourney hopes with Wednesday's 71-60 victory over Oklahoma. Senior wing Jeffrey Carroll (team-best 15.1 points) and senior point guard Kendall Smith (12.9) are the lone players averaging in double digits, but sophomore guard Cameron McGriff (8.7) was the star against the Sooners by making a career-best four 3-point attempts as he contributed 18 points and nine rebounds.

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND MOVES: Kansas opened the thrid matchup between these two teams as slight 2-point faves and that;'s where the number sits as of Thursday morning. The total opened at 151.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Oklahoma State is 5-0 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Oklahoma State is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 neutral site games.
* Under is 4-0 in Oklahoma State's last four overall.
* Under is 4-0 in Kansas' last four neutral site games.
* Underdog is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.

Texas Longhorns vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (-5.5, 131)

No. 13 Texas Tech hopes to be getting healthy enough to make a run through the Big 12 Tournament. The second-seeded Red Raiders - with leading scorer Keenan Evans back on the floor - plays Texas in Thursday's quarterfinals at Kansas City.

Evans was hobbled by a toe injury in the final weeks of the season but returned strong in the regular-season finale, scoring 23 points against TCU to help snap the Red Raiders' four-game losing streak. Evans leads the Red Raiders with 17.4 points, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals and had a career-high 38 points - including a game-winning 17-foot buzzer-beater - in the overtime win against Texas on Jan. 31.

The Longhorns, who beat Iowa State without standout freshman Mohamed Bamba on Wednesday, split the season's meetings with Texas Tech. Texas hopes it got off the bubble by beating the Cyclones but knows it can improve its resume by beating the Red Raiders. Bamba was averaging 13.0 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.8 blocks before missing three games with a toe injury but freshman Jericho Sims has picked up the slack in that stretch, averaging 12.3 points and 10.3 rebounds.

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND MOVES: Oddsmakers opened the Red Raiders as 5.5-point favorites and that's the number as of Thursday morning. The total hit the board at 131.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Texas is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games following an ATS loss.
* Texas Tech is 0-4-1 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Under is 15-6 in Texas' last 21 neutral site games.
* Over is 4-0 in Texas Tech's last four games overall.
* Texas is 5-1 ATS in the last five meetings.

Baylor Bear vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (-5, 140.5)

Baylor stumbled at the end of the season and looks to avoid further troubles in the Big 12 Championship when it faces No. 18 West Virginia in Thursday's tournament quarterfinals at Kansas City. The sixth-seeded Bears were believed to be solidly in the NCAA Tournament but three defeats in the final four regular-season contests have dropped them toward the bubble and a one-and-done showing in the conference tourney could make for some nervous moments come Selection Sunday.

The Bears' bumpy finish began with a 71-60 loss to the Mountaineers and also includes 10-point setbacks versus TCU and Kansas State (0-3 ATS in those games). Baylor will look to the duo of senior guard Manu Lecomte (team-best 15.7 scoring average) and senior forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. (14.4 points, team-best 8.8 rebounds) to help shake the funk - Lecomte was a second-team All-Big 12 selection and Lual-Acuil Jr. was a third-team pick. Senior forward Terry Matson (10.8) won the Big 12's Sixth Man Award and he runs hot and cold with five games of 20 or more points and 13 others with nine or fewer.

The Mountaineers lead the Big 12 with 16.7 forced turnovers per game and exceeded that in two regular-season meetings with the Bears by forcing an average of 17.5. Those meeting were both won by West Virginia, limiting Baylor to an average of 57 points per contest. Senior guard Jevon Carter leads the in scoring at 17-points per game and had a Big 12-best 89 steals this season. Sophomore forward Sagaba Konate ranks second in the Big 12 with 101 blocked shots and the third-team all-conference choice averages 10.8 points and a team-leading 7.9 rebounds.

BETTING STATS:

BETTING ACTION AND MOVES: West Virginia has opened this matchup as 4.5-point favorites and have been bet up to -5 as of Thursday morning. That's reflected in our COvers Consensus with 75 percent of early bettors backing the Mountaineers. The total opened at 141 and is down to 140.5.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Baylor is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games overall.
* WestVirginia is 2-7-1 ATS in its last 10 neutral site games.
* Over is 5-1 in Baylor's last six games following a SU loss.
* Under is 4-1 in West Virginia's last five games vs. a team with awinning SU record.
* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2018, 11:01 AM

Wolverines lead early NCAA bids
March 7, 2018

NCAA Tournament: First 12 Tickets Punched

12 teams have punched their NCAA Tournament tickets in the last few days and can sit back and enjoy the madness this week around the country during the remaining conference tournaments. Here is a look at those teams and what to expect in the Big Dance next week.

Murray State – Ohio Valley (26-5) Projected #13 Seed

The Racers were a NCAA Tournament staple in the 1990s and Murray State has won tournament games in the past two appearances, beating Vanderbilt in 2010 and Colorado State in 2012. The OVC was a two-team contest this season and Murray State edge out Belmont for the regular season title and won 68-51 last weekend in the conference tournament final.

Size and depth could be an issue is several matchups with only one starter taller than 6’3” but the Racers held their own in a few quality tests this season, beating two of the better Missouri Valley teams in non-conference play while losing by just five against Middle Tennessee State and by just four hosting Auburn. The Racers are riding a 13-game winning streak into the Big Dance and this is an efficient shooting team that takes care of the ball.

Radford – Big South (22-12) Projected #16 Seed

Radford hit a 3-point shot at the buzzer in the Big South final for a dramatic entrance into the NCAA Tournament field. This is the third appearance for Radford, last losing 101-58 to North Carolina in the 2009 tournament. The Highlanders had a knack for winning close games to emerge from a tightly-packed Big South conference though they didn’t have to face regular season champion UNC-Asheville in the tournament path.

Size will be a big problem playing against a potential #1 seed in the tournament for Radford, though the Highlanders could be placed in a First Four matchup. Radford plays at one of the slowest paces in the nation as they would have a shot to disrupt the rhythm of a power conference team and they did compete reasonably well in respectable losses against Ohio State and Vanderbilt in non-conference tests.

Loyola-Chicago – Missouri Valley (28-5) Projected #12 Seed

The Ramblers would have received consideration for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid had they lost the conference final but ultimately would have likely been left out like many other Missouri Valley contenders in recent years. Loyola-Chicago won convincingly over Illinois-State in that final with the help of a 17-5 edge in fouls called to now enter the tournament on a 10-game winning streak.

Wins over Horizon Champion Wright State as well as a win at Florida in non-conference play stand out and this team a 2-point road loss is the only setback in the last 18 games. On the season Loyola-Chicago has shot 40 percent from 3-point range as this will be a team that could be pegged as an upset threat in the right matchup with the slow-paced Ramblers also ranking 25th nationally in defensive efficiency.

Lipscomb – Atlantic Sun (23-9) Projected #15 Seed

Lipscomb lost by double-digits in all four games vs. major conference foes but they did beat Belmont twice and after starting the season just 11-8 the Bisons have won 12 of the past 13 games, claiming the A-Sun tournament title with a 108-96 win over Florida Gulf Coast for the first ever NCAA Tournament berth for the program.

This team could be a threat against a top seed as few teams in the nation play as fast and the defense has been able to force a lot of turnovers. The starting lineup features no seniors as this group has played its best ball down the stretch and the Atlantic Sun has made some noise in the NCAA Tournament in recent years including Florida Gulf Coast losing by just six to Florida State last season. Junior Garrison Mathews sits 13th nationally in scoring this season posting more than 22 points per game.

Michigan – Big Ten (28-7) Projected #4 Seed

Usually the Big Ten tournament wraps up the college season leading into the selection show but this season Michigan will sit and wait week after winning the Big Ten tournament for the second straight season. This is a squad that might not want a break after winning four games in four days to close the season on a nine-game winning streak featuring wins over the top three other teams in the Big Ten. Expect the Wolverines to be a popular team to be projected to make a run to the second weekend of the tournament or further.

This year’s team has John Beilein’s best ever defense by the numbers since he took in Ann Arbor and the Wolverines do a lot of things right on offense by committing few fouls or turnovers, even though this is one of the nation’s worst free throw shooting teams. Mo Wagner could again emerge as a postseason star and senior Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman has carried the team down the stretch scoring nearly 17 points per game on the winning streak. Michigan’s non-conference profile lacks a top 40 win however and ultimately this team might be at risk to be over-seeded and overvalued.

Iona – Metro Atlantic (20-13) Projected #15 Seed

The Gaels haven’t won a NCAA Tournament game since 1980 but they will be in the field for the fifth time in seven seasons including the third straight trip. Iona was a #13 seed two years ago losing by 13 to Iowa State and a #14 seed last season losing by 16 to Oregon. This year’s team finished fourth in the MAAC regular season but once again found life in the tournament without having to play any of the top three teams.

Iona is one of the most experienced teams in the field and making the trip the past two seasons could help the team prepare for the next opportunity. The Gaels lost by 10 or fewer points vs. Syracuse, St. John’s, and Rhode Island as they held their own against the best teams they faced in non-conference play and hot shooting from a team that takes a great deal of 3-point shots could key an upset threat with Iona’s offense often playing up-tempo but with a very low turnover rate.

UNC-Greensboro – Southern (27-7) Projected #13 Seed

The Spartans beat NC State back in December in Raleigh while losing by six against Wake Forest and just 12 against top ranked Virginia to hold their own in three tests against the ACC. The Southern Conference featured three top 100 caliber teams as this was one of the stronger small conferences and UNC-Greensboro won both the regular season and tournament titles.

A high turnover rate is a bit of a concern for the Spartans but this is a quality defensive team that has very good size for a small conference program. The Spartans play at a slow pace and could give a favored squad a big test although closing out a game with poor free throw shooting numbers could be a recipe for heartbreak. This will still be one of the draws that teams in the #3-4 seed range will not want to be paired with.

Wright State – Horizon League (25-9) Projected #15 Seed

Wright State started the season 0-3 but has gone 25-6 since with a win over Georgia Tech on the road on the resume. Wright State didn’t have to play Oakland, Illinois-Chicago, or Northern Kentucky in the Horizon Tournament run but they actually went 6-0 against those three quality teams in league play but had four conference losses against lesser squads. The Raiders are led by a defense that has national top 50 rankings in several categories.

This is the first NCAA Tournament appearance for Wright State since 2007 with the program 0-2 in two previous appearances. The Horizon League has a pretty strong NCAA Tournament track record in the past two decades but several teams have left the conference in recent years. This year’s run for the Raiders has been even more impressive considering senior Justin Mitchell left the team in January.

College of Charleston – Colonial (26-7) Projected #14 Seed

College of Charleston has won 14 of the last 15 with the only loss an overtime loss in the regular season finale. The Cougars needed overtime to top Northeastern in the conference tournament final in a game between teams that shared the regular season title in the CAA. This is only the fifth season for College of Charleston in the conference since moving up from the Southern Conference with the Cougars last in the NCAA Tournament in 1999.

The only top 100 wins of the season for College of Charleston came in going 3-0 vs. Northeastern and the Cougars lost by 18 against Wichita State in the toughest test they faced, though also playing to within six against Rhode Island. This team will be a threat for an upset with a deliberate pace, one of the lowest turnover rates in the nation and nearly 77 percent free throw shooting as the Cougars won’t beat themselves with mistakes.

LIU-Brooklyn – Northeast (18-16) Projected #16 Seed

The Blackbirds can start planning to play Tuesday or Wednesday in Dayton as they look certain to be one of the worst rated teams to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. LIU-Brooklyn was just 10-8 to finish fourth in a Northeast Conference that ranks as the nation’s fourth weakest. The program made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2011-13 but this year’s run was unexpected.

LIU-Brooklyn didn’t even play a top 150 team this season with NEC regular season champion Wagner providing the best two wins of the season for the Blackbirds. This team plays up-tempo and can have some success scoring inside with a pair of imposing upperclassmen forwards while a pair of sharpshooting guards sits on the perimeter. There isn’t a lot to like on the resume for LIU-Brooklyn but former UMass head coach Derek Kellogg’s team has some momentum.

Gonzaga – West Coast (30-4) Projected #3 Seed

The Bulldogs don’t have last season’s record or NBA talent as matching last season’s run to the NCAA Championship game looks unlikely. However it is hard to discount a team that has come together to win the last 14 games mostly in blowouts while posting a number of quality non-conference wins including beating Ohio State, Texas, and Creighton.

This is one of the few teams nationally to be in the nation’s top 15 in both offensive and defensive efficiency with this year’s offense actually out-pacing last season’s Gonzaga offense. The roster has great size and scores effectively inside and out with the defensive numbers excellent inside the paint. In a fairly wide open national picture Gonzaga is a viable threat especially if they can grab opening weekend pod in relatively nearby Boise.

South Dakota State – Summit League (28-6) Projected #13 Seed

Two years ago South Dakota State had a similar record and played Maryland very tough in a 5/12 matchup, losing 79-74. With a coaching change last season the Jackrabbits had a lesser season but still won the Summit Tournament but drew Gonzaga playing as a #16 seed and were quickly eliminated. This could be South Dakota State’s best chance to win its first NCAA Tournament game with a veteran group that proved itself in November with wins over Iowa, Buffalo, and Ole Miss, while also playing right with Wichita State and Colorado.

Junior Mike Daum is one of the nation’s top scorers with 6’9” size while shooting 43 percent from 3-point range and 86 percent at the line. Depth is a bit of a concern with the Jackrabbits losing two contributors late in the season but the starting lineup features four upperclassmen and standout freshman David Jenkins. Few teams shoot as well as South Dakota State from 3-point range or at the line and SDSU had the second lowest turnover rate in the nation for a strong recipe for an upset.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2018, 11:06 AM

Big 12 Trends and Angles
March 8, 2018

Sprint Center - Kansas City, Missouri

Overall Betting Results
Favorites/Underdogs: 1-1 SU, 0-2 ATS
Over/Under: 0-2

Thursday, March 8

QUARTERFINALS

Matchup Records Skinny Projection

No. 4 Kansas State
Overall: 21-10 SU, 13-15 ATS
Totals: 10-17 O/U

No. 5 Texas Christian
Overall: 21-10 SU, 16-12-2 ATS
Totals: 21-9 O/U

No. 4 Kansas State vs. No. 5 Texas Christian (ESPN2, 12:30 p.m. ET)

The Wildcats split their two regular-season games with the Horned Frogs, winning in Manhattan by a 73-68 score back on Jan. 20, with TCU returning the favor in Fort Worth by a 66-59 count on Feb. 27. Kansas State didn't fare well in neutral-site games, going 1-2 SU and 0-3 ATS, so this will certainly be a test for them. And in nine conference games away from home, K-State was just 4-5 SU/5-4 ATS.

The Horned Frogs head into Kansas City on a roll, going 4-1 SU and 4-0-1 ATS over the past five outings. That includes their win against the Wildcats on Feb. 27. Total bettors have been liking TCU lately, too, as the 'over' is 4-1 across their past five outings. While K-State has struggled on neutral-site contests, the Horned Frogs are 16-5 ATS across the past 21 on a neutral-site floor. TCU is also 3-0-1 ATS in their past four against teams with a straight-up winning mark.

Kansas State 66
Texas Christian 67

No. 1 Kansas
Overall: 24-7 SU, 15-14-1 ATS
Totals: 14-16 O/U

No. 8 Oklahoma State
Overall: 19-13 SU, 10-20 ATS
Totals: 18-12 O/U

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 8 Oklahoma State (ESPNU, 2:30 p.m. ET)

The Jayhawks head to Kansas City for their first game of the conference tournament, and they'll face their kryptonite in the quarters. Kansas will face Oklahoma State, the only team to sweep them in conference play this season. The Cowboys just dusted Rock Chalk by an 82-64 count on March in Stillwater in the regular-season finale. OK State also got them at Allen Fieldhouse back on Feb. 3 by an 84-79 score.

Oklahoma State buried skidding Oklahoma in the first-round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, 71-60, covering as a one-point underdog. The Cowboys enter this game on a three-game roll, and that includes their victory against the Jayhawks. They have also covered five in a row, while the 'under' has hit in four straight. Lately, OK State has been very popular at the betting window for their consistency. They look to turn the Big 12 Tournament upside-down, but keep this in mind -- OK State has won four in a row just once this season, back on Nov. 21-Dec. 3, a stretch against Pittsburgh, Houston Baptist, Austin Peay and Mississippi Valley State.

Kansas 83
Oklahoma State 79

No. 2 Texas Tech
Overall: 23-8 SU, 13-13-1 ATS
Totals: 12-15 O/U

No. 7 Texas
Overall: 18-13 SU, 14-13 ATS
Totals: 13-13 O/U

No. 2 Texas Tech vs. No. 7 Texas (ESPN2, 7:00 p.m. ET)

The Red Raiders were flying high earlier in the season as a Top 10 team. However, while they managed to stay afloat in the ultra-competitive Big 12 to grab a two-seed, they are on a big-time slide. They were riding a four-game losing streak until knocking off TCU in the regular-season finale on Saturday. They're still just 0-4-1 ATS over the past five games. The Red Raiders are 2-1 SU/ATS in three neutral-site games this season.

The Longhorns fought off No. 10 seed Iowa State in the opening game, setting up this second-round match. The two Texas schools split against one another, with the Red Raiders holding off the Longhorns in overtime on Jan. 31, 73-71. Texas won the first meeting in Austin by a 67-58 score, covering both meetings this season. While Texas Tech is 5-10-1 ATS over their past 16 games, Texas is 3-2 ATS over the past five, and a respectable 9-6 ATS over the past 15. The Longhorns are 3-2 SU/2-3 ATS in five neutral-site games this season.

Texas Tech 69
Texas 66

No. 3 West Virginia
Overall: 22-9 SU, 13-14 ATS
Totals: 13-14 O/U

No. 6 Baylor
Overall: 18-13 SU, 14-10 ATS
Totals: 9-14 O/U

No. 3 West Virginia vs. No. 6 Baylor (ESPN2, 9:00 p.m. ET)

The Mountaineers had once climbed as high as No. 2 overall in the Top 25 rankings, but a mid-season swoon had them slipping. They finished up the season with three wins in their final four regular-season games, including a 71-60 victory at Baylor on Feb. 20. They also nipped the Bears 57-54 in Morgantown back on Jan. 9. While West Virginia managed a 3-1 SU record on neutral-site floors, they're just 1-3 ATS in those four outings. The 'under' is also 12-5-2 in the past 19 neutral-site games for the Mountaineers.

Baylor pieced together a five-game winning streak from Feb. 3-17 to give themselves a chance at an NCAA Tournament berth. That streak included wins over Kansas and Texas Tech, the one- and two-seeds in this tournament. However,the team that put an end to that streak was West Virginia, winning by 11 in Waco as a pick 'em in the most recent battle on Feb. 20. The 'under' hit in each of the two battles vs. WVU this season, and the 'under' is 4-1 in the past five in this series.

West Virginia 64
Baylor 57

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2018, 11:09 AM

ACC Trends and Angles
March 8, 2018

Venue: Barclays Center - Brooklyn, New York

Overall Betting Results
Favorites/Underdogs: 5-2 SU, 4-3 ATS
Over/Under: 4-3

Thursday, March 8

QUARTERFINALS
Matchup Records Skinny Projection

No. 9 Louisville
Overall: 20-12 SU, 16-13-1 ATS
Totals: 16-12-2 O/U

No. 1 Virginia
Overall: 28-2 SU, 18-8-1 ATS
Totals: 7-20 O/U

No. 9 Louisville vs. No. 1 Virginia (ESPN, 12:00 p.m. ET)

The Cavaliers and Cardinals are meeting for the second time in a week as Virginia pulled off the epic rally in the final seconds to shock Louisville, 67-66 as four-point road favorites. Virginia swept Louisville in the regular season, while winning four straight meetings with the Cardinals. UVA dropped only one conference game this season, but owns a 2-4 ATS record the last six contests.

The Cardinals advanced to the quarterfinals by eliminating another bubble team in Florida State on Wednesday, 82-74 to snap a two-game skid. Louisville has not won more than one game in the ACC tournament since joining the conference in 2015.

Louisville 62
Virginia 67

No. 12 Boston College
Overall: 19-14 SU, 15-12 ATS
Totals: 17-9-1 O/U

No. 4 Clemson
Overall: 22-8 SU, 15-12 ATS
Totals: 13-14 O/U

No. 12 Boston College vs. No. 4 Clemson (ESPN, 2:30 p.m. ET)

The Eagles are on a roll in the ACC tournament by beating Georgia Tech and N.C. State in the first two games. In Wednesday's 91-87 victory over the Wolfpack, BC shot 50% from the floor, while putting up at least 87 points in both ACC tournament wins. Boston College fell short against Clemson early in conference play, 74-70, but managed a cover as 5.5-point home favorites.

The Tigers dropped four of their final six regular season games, including a 55-52 defeat at Syracuse last Saturday. Clemson struggled on the road within ACC play this season from a pointspread perspective by covering only two of nine times away from Littlejohn Coliseum, while losing three straight road games.

Boston College 81
Clemson 85

No. 10 Notre Dame
Overall: 20-13 SU, 13-16 ATS
Totals: 14-14 O/U

No. 2 Duke
Overall: 25-6 SU, 19-10 ATS
Totals: 16-13 O/U

No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Duke (ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET)

The Blue Devils closed the season strong with a 6-1 SU/ATS record with the only defeat coming in the final seconds at Virginia Tech. Duke is riding a six-game UNDER streak, while allowing each opponent during this run to 64 points or fewer. The Blue Devils are seeking their second consecutive ACC tournament title, as Duke topped Notre Dame in last season's championship game, 75-69.

The Fighting Irish rallied past Virginia Tech on Wednesday, 71-65 to advance to the ACC quarterfinals for the fourth straight season. Since an 0-5 ATS run in late January, the Irish have covered six of their last 10 games, while winning four of their past five overall.

Notre Dame 65
Duke 77

No. 6 North Carolina
Overall: 23-9 SU, 17-13-1 ATS
Totals: 18-13 O/U

No. 3 Miami
Overall: 22-8 SU, 11-14 ATS
Totals: 13-12 O/U

No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 3 Miami (ESPN, 9:30 p.m. ET)

The Tar Heels look to avenge a buzzer-beating loss to Miami last week in Chapel Hill as UNC advanced to the quarterfinals by blowing out Syracuse on Wednesday. North Carolina ended a three-game ATS skid by covering as 7.5-point favorites in a 78-59 rout of the Orange, while facing Miami in the ACC tournament for the second straight year. Last season, the Tar Heels ripped up the Hurricanes, 78-53 by outscoring Miami in the second half, 44-24.

The Hurricanes are coming off three straight close victories over Boston College, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech in the final seconds to vault to the third seed in the ACC tournament. In fact, each of Miami's last four wins have come by three points or less, as the 'Canes are 3-9 ATS the last 12 games overall. In spite of being listed as an underdog in this contest, the 'Canes will be looking to end an 0-7 ATS run in their previous seven ACC tournament games.

North Carolina 80
Miami 68

Announcement

The Bum's College Basketball Best Bets/Trends/ News Thru The Madness !

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment