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**Udog** · 03-19-2019, 09:11 AM

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Odds to win the Valspar Championship golf tournament this week:

11-2- Dustin Johnson

10-1— Jason Day, Jon Rahm

16-1— Sergio Garcia

20-1— Paul Casey, Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson

25-1— Gary Woodland

33-1— Jim Furyk, Keegan Bradley, Lucas Glover

**********

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

13) Zion Williamson sat out three weeks with a knee injury, then came back over the weekend and played three games in three nights, playing 35-36-40 minutes; how is that smart? The games weren’t critical to Duke’s season; if Williamson had gotten hurt again, then what?

12) Meanwhile, Arkansas big man Daniel Gafford is bolting to the NBA after this, his sophomore season, and won’t play in the Razorbacks’ NIT game(s), because he could get hurt.

Williamson plays 35-36-40 minutes on consecutive nights in a mostly meaningless ACC tournament, but this kid won’t play in an NIT game? Oy.

11) San Francisco Dons were shunned by the NIT, then turned down both the CBI and CIT. Likewise for Texas-San Antonio and Jacksonville State.

10) Since 1985, 41 teams with a losing conference record have gotten an at-large bid to the NCAA’s; those teams went 20-21 in the first round, then 6-14 in the round of 32.

Teams in this tournament who were under .500 in conference:
St John’s, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Ohio State

9) Same day the Memphis Express signed Johnny Manziel, they lost QB Zach Mettenberger with an ankle injury, so Manziel is likely to play for Memphis this week.

8) 76-year old Jim Calhoun coached a D-III team in Connecticut this season; the coach was not only new, the team was- it was a men’s team in a school that previously had been an all-female school.

St Joseph’s Bluejays went 16-12 this season, losing in finals of their conference tournament.

7) Coaching carousel:
— Tulane fired coach Mike Dunleavy Sr
— Ohio U hired alum Jeff Boals as its new coach; Boals went 55-41 at Stony Brook, 31-17 in America East games.

6) When the NFL Draft rolls around next month, Giants and Eagles will both make three picks before Dallas picks anyone; the Redskins will pick twice before the Cowboys pick once.

5) Miami Dolphins signed Ryan Fitzpatrick Sunday; he was the 14th QB selected in the 2005 NFL Draft, and is going to become the first QB EVER to throw a pass for eight different NFL teams.

Considering he went to college at Harvard, thats a pretty amazing career, playing 16 years in the NFL, when you didn’t even get a college football scholarship.

4) It turns out that lions are excellent nappers. They hunt mostly at night, and digesting large amounts of meat protein involves effort, so lions often spend as many as 20 hours a day resting.

We’re talking about real-life lions, not Detroit Lions or Nittany Lions.

3) USC is raising its tuition 3.2% next year, up to $57,256 a year; not sure this week was the best time to announce that, after the scandal that broke last week about rich people making payoffs to get their under-qualified kids into these expensive schools, but thats what happened.

2) ACC Network starts up in August, and DirecTV is gong to carry it, which makes me wonder why the hell they don’t carry the Pac-12 Network?

1) Rumor mill has Nebraska firing basketball coach Tim Miles as soon as the Cornhuskers get KO’d from the NIT; Fred Hoiberg is listed as the #1 contender to be the new coach.

**Udog** · 03-19-2019, 09:14 AM

Tuesday's First Four Tips
Brian Edwards

The 2019 NCAA Tournament gets started with Tuesday’s First Four doubleheader in Dayton, OH. The winners advance to play again on Thursday, while the losers go home. It’s Tourney Time, folks, and that means there’s no tomorrow. Winners survive and move on, while losers go home in the one-and-done scenario that makes this event one of the best in all of sports.

**Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Prairie View A&M**

-- As of Monday night, most books had Fairleigh Dickinson (20-13 straight up, 18-13 against the spread) listed as a two-point favorite with a total of 149.5.

-- KenPom.com ranks FDU at No. 208 in the nation and Prairie View A&M is No. 209. The only team in the field ranked worse is North Carolina Central (No. 303).

-- FDU’s best win is a 77-66 victory at Princeton (No. 175 at K-Pom). The Knights lost 90-55 at Rutgers, 69-59 at Providence and 60-54 at South Florida.

-- FDU brings an eight-game winning streak to Dayton. The Knights won the Northeast Tournament by capturing an 85-76 win over St. Francis (PA.) in the finals. They won outright as four-point underdogs thanks to 63.8 percent shooting from the field, 53.8 percent shooting from long distance and 90.0 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Darnell Edge made all seven of his FTAs and scored 21 points. Jahlil Jenkins added 20 points, three assists and a pair of steals, while Kaleb Bishop finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots. Mike Holloway Jr. contributed 12 points and five assists, making 5-of-7 field-goal attempts.

-- Edge leads the Knights in scoring (16.4 points per game) and free-throw accuracy (88.5%), and he’s also drained 46.9 percent of his 3-pointers. Jenkins (13.5 PPG) averages team-bests in assists (4.6 APG) and steals (1.6 SPG) and has knocked down 87.4 percent of his FTAs. Holloway (12.5 PPG) averages 5.5 RPG and has 33 steals and a team-high 34 blocked shots.

-- FDU is ranked fifth in the nation in 3-point accuracy, splashing the nets from downtown at a 40.3 percent clip. The Knights are 30th in the country in field-goal percentage (47.8%).

-- FDU is looking for its first NCAA Tournament win in program history. The Knights are 0-5 in previous appearances.

-- Prairie View A&M (22-12 SU, 18-14-1 ATS) has won 11 games in a row and hasn’t tasted defeat since Feb. 9. The Panthers are 8-3 ATS during their winning streak and have covered the spread in six straight games. They won the SWAC Tournament with a 92-86 win over Texas Southern as two-point underdogs. Dennis Jones and Gary Blackston led six double-figure scorers with 17 points apiece. Jones had four assists and three steals, while Blackston finished with 17 points, six steals and four rebounds.

-- Like FDU, Prairie View A&M has just one win over a team in the K-Pom Top 200. The Panthers won their opener at Santa Clara (No. 185) by an 81-64 count. Some defeats of note include an 83-67 loss at Murray St., a 65-54 loss at Ga. Tech, a 74-66 loss at UNC Greensboro and a 91-80 loss at Baylor.

-- Blackston leads the Panthers in scoring (15.2 PPG) and rebounding (7.0 RPG). Jones (8.6 PPG) paces Prairie View A&M in assists (4.4 APG) and steals (2.1 SPG), while Devonte Patterson (13.0 PPG) and Gerard Andrus (10.0) are also double-figure scorers.

-- Prairie View A&M is in its second NCAA Tournament and first since 1998. The Panthers commit an average of 21.7 fouls per game, which is the fourth-most in the country. This stat is something for bettors looking at the total should keep in mind.

-- Prairie View A&M is ranked 34th in the nation at defending the 3-point line (31.3%). The Panthers don’t shoot well from long distance, however, making only 31.2 percent of their treys to rank No. 318 in the country.

-- The ‘over’ has hit in four consecutive contests for the Panthers to improve to 20-13 overall.

-- The ‘under’ has cashed in four of FDU’s past five games to improve to 17-14 overall.

-- Tip-off on TruTV is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. Eastern.

**Temple vs. Belmont**

-- As of Monday night, most books had Belmont (26-5 straight up, 19-10-1 against the spread) installed as a three-point favorite with the total in the 155-156 range. The Owls were +135 on the money line (risk $100 to win $135). For first-half wagers, the Bruins were favored by 1.5 points (with -115 or -120 juice) and the total was 72.5.

-- The Temple-Belmont winner will advance to face the East Region’s No. 6 seed, Maryland, on Thursday at 3:10 p.m. Eastern (or 30 minutes after the conclusion of Yale vs. LSU) in Jacksonville at Veterans Memorial Arena.

-- Belmont is a name hardcore college basketball fans are plenty familiar with, as is its head coach Rick Byrd, who has more than 800 career wins. The other coaches in this Tournament with more than 800 career victories? Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams and Jim Boeheim. This team went through anxiety galore from the time its 14-game winning streak was halted by Murray State at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament finals up until its name popped up on the screen during CBS’s Selection Show late Sunday afternoon.

-- Since 2004, Byrd has taken Belmont to seven NCAA Tournaments, four NIT appearances and one trip to the CIT quarterfinals. This is the Bruins’ eighth trip to the NCAA Tournament on Byrd’s watch and its first at-large berth. They are still seeking their first Tournament victory. This is the 65-year-old Byrd’s 33rd season with the program that was competing at the NAIA level up until 1996. Byrd has led the Bruins to at least 20 wins in nine consecutive seasons.

-- Belmont center Nick Muszynski was listed as ‘questionable’ due to an ankle injury sustained in the OVC Tournament semifinals, but he was upgraded to ‘probable’ Monday night. Muszynski, who was named the OVC Freshman of the Year, has averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.2 blocked shots in 29 games for the Bruins.

-- Belmont didn’t have Muszynski in its loss to Murray State by a 77-65 count in the finals of the OVC Tournament. Without Muszynski, the Racers outrebounded the Bruins by a 46-31 margin. Senior forward Dylan Windler had 17 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in defeat. Kevin McClain finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists without a turnover.

-- Windler averages a double-double (21.4 PPG, 10.7 RPG), makes 54.8 percent of his FGAs, 43.0 percent of his treys, 84.6 percent of his FTAs and averages 1.4 steals per game. The senior forward had 32 points and 21 rebounds in his team’s win over Austin Peay in the OVC Tournament semifinals, becoming just the fifth player in college basketball to produce a 30/20 game this year. Windler ranks 10th in the nation in rebounding, 14th in double-doubles with 17, 17th in 3-point accuracy, 27th in scoring and 49th in FG percentage. As a junior last season, he averages 17.3 points and 9.3 RPG.

-- McClain averages 16.3 PPG and has a 126/69 assist-to-turnover ratio. Grayson Murphy (9.8 PPG) ranks 12th in the country in assists (6.6 APG with a 204/77 assist-to-turnover ratio) and has a team-high 52 steals. He is a liability at the free-throw line, however, making only 57.8 percent of his attempts.

-- Belmont ranks third in the nation in road wins with 12. Only Stony Brook and UC Irvine, who have 13 apiece, have more road victories than the Bruins.

-- Belmont owns a 7-6 spread record in 13 games as a single-digit favorite.

-- During ESPN’s Tournament Challenge Marathon on Monday night, the network’s Jay Bilas said, “Belmont beats Temple. I think Maryland is better than Belmont, but I think Belmont will give them a hard time because they spread you and they have great cutting and they’re a fantastic passing team. Because of Maryland’s youth and their bigs that’ll have to chase, I think Belmont can do it.” Rece Davis added, “I’ve got Belmont going to the Sweet 16.” Seth Greenberg had this to say about Muszynski: “That dude is big, he’s physical and can pass and when he gets it, dudes are cutting like crazy.”

-- Temple (23-9 SU, 15-15 ATS) had won three games in a row until bowing out of the AAC Tournament quarterfinals in an 80-74 loss to Wichita St. as a 1.5-point favorite. The Shockers outscored the Owls 9-2 in the last 1:25. Shizz Alston Jr. scored a team-best 20 points in the losing effort. Quinton Rose added 17 points, six rebounds and three steals, while Ernest Aflakpui finished with 16 points and 19 boards. Nate Pierre-Louis was also in double figures with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists compared to just one turnover.

-- Temple head coach Fran Dunphy is retiring after this 29th season as a head coach in Philadelphia. From 1990-2006, Dunphy led Penn to nine NCAA Tournament appearances and five unbeaten seasons against Ivy League competition. After winning 310 games for the Quakers, Dunphy left for Temple in 2006. He has taken the Owls to eight NCAA Tournaments and two NITs. However, we must note that Dunphy’s NCAA Tournament record is an abysmal 3-15.

-- Temple is 2-5 SU against teams in the NCAA Tournament field. The Owls owns wins over Houston and UCF.

-- Alston leads the Owls in scoring (19.7 PPG), assists (5.0 APG) and free-throw accuracy (90.7%). The senior guard from Philadelphia also has 49 steals. Rose averages 16.5 PPG and has a team-best 68 steals. Pierre-Louis averages 13.3 points and 5.7 RPG.

-- Temple owns a 5-4-1 spread record with four outright victories in 10 games as an underdog.

-- The ‘over’ is 18-14 overall for the Owls after going 6-2 in their past eight outings.

-- The ‘over’ is 16-14 overall for the Bruins, but they’ve seen the ‘under’ cash in three straight contests.

-- This game will tip on TruTV 30 minutes after the conclusion of Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Prairie View A&M.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- With Murray State and Belmont in the field of 68, the OVC has multiple NCAA Tournament teams for the first time since 1987.

-- When I think of a sleeper team, I think of one that’s seeded fifth or worse. On that note, my sleeper for this year is sixth-seeded Iowa State.

-- If Seton Hall advances past Wofford, it will most likely face Kentucky. The Pirates beat the Wildcats on a neutral court back in non-conference play.

-- What double-digit seeds have the best chance of advancing to the Sweet 16? In order, I’d say Oregon, Murray State, Florida, UC Irvine and Northeastern.

-- Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson announced Monday that star sophomore forward Daniel Gafford is turning pro early and will not play in the NIT. Gafford averaged 16.9 points and 8.6 RPG for the Razorbacks, who are 5.5-point underdogs in Tuesday’s NIT opener at Providence. With Anderson’s job security in peril, this sure seems like a lame move. NBADraft.net has Gafford listed as the No. 20 overall pick in its latest mock draft. I remember South Carolina’s Renaldo Balkman dominating the 2006 NIT to go from possibly going undrafted to the No. 20 overall picks in the first round to the New York Knicks. Gafford should be playing and trying to improve his stock.

-- Anderson isn’t the only coach in the NIT who might need a deep run to retain his job. Many think that Alabama’s Avery Johnson could be in trouble for missing the NCAA Tournament for the third time during his four-year tenure. The Crimson Tide lost at the buzzer to Texas A&M, allowed a 21-point halftime lead to get away in a loss to Georgia St. and gave up a healthy second-half lead in a home loss to Auburn. If Johnson’s team avoids those outcomes, possibly just one or two of them, it would be in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, it’s a No. 1 seed in the NIT and hosts Norfolk St. on Wednesday at Coleman Coliseum. The Tide is an 18-point ‘chalk.’ Yes, Johnson has a large buyout but there’s the possibility that his agent is shopping for an NBA gig and he might leave on his own. If Johnson does leave in one way or another, potential Alabama targets could include Thad Matta, Andy Kennedy, Richard Pitino, Steve Prohm and Gregg Marshall.

**Udog** · 03-19-2019, 09:19 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Tuesday, March 19

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FARLEIGH DICKINSON (20 - 13) vs. PRAIRIE VIEW A&M (22 - 12) - 3/19/2019, 6:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FARLEIGH DICKINSON is 16-8 ATS (+7.2 Units) in all games this season.
FARLEIGH DICKINSON is 16-8 ATS (+7.2 Units) in all lined games this season.
FARLEIGH DICKINSON is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 this season.
FARLEIGH DICKINSON is 13-2 ATS (+10.8 Units) in March games since 1997.
FARLEIGH DICKINSON is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) after a conference game since 1997.

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

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BELMONT (26 - 5) vs. TEMPLE (23 - 9) - 3/19/2019, 9:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEMPLE is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
BELMONT is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all games this season.
BELMONT is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
BELMONT is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) when the total is 150 to 159.5 over the last 3 seasons.
BELMONT is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) after a conference game this season.
BELMONT is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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HOFSTRA (27 - 7) at NC STATE (22 - 11) - 3/19/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NC STATE is 65-42 ATS (+18.8 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
HOFSTRA is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) in road games this season.
HOFSTRA is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) in road lined games this season.
HOFSTRA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
HOFSTRA is 48-26 ATS (+19.4 Units) in road games after allowing 80 points or more since 1997.
HOFSTRA is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) after failing to cover the spread in 3 or more consecutive games since 1997.

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

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S DAKOTA ST (24 - 8) at TEXAS (16 - 16) - 3/19/2019, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 58-35 ATS (+19.5 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.
S DAKOTA ST is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) when the total is 150 to 159.5 over the last 3 seasons.
S DAKOTA ST is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
S DAKOTA ST is 99-72 ATS (+19.8 Units) after a conference game since 1997.
S DAKOTA ST is 30-14 ATS (+14.6 Units) off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
TEXAS is 46-69 ATS (-29.9 Units) in March games since 1997.

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

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ST FRANCIS-PA (18 - 14) at INDIANA (17 - 15) - 3/19/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST FRANCIS-PA is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in all games this season.
ST FRANCIS-PA is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in all lined games this season.
ST FRANCIS-PA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
ST FRANCIS-PA is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in road games this season.
ST FRANCIS-PA is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in road lined games this season.
ST FRANCIS-PA is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in non-conference games this season.
ST FRANCIS-PA is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 84-58 ATS (+20.2 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1997.

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

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CAMPBELL (20 - 12) at UNC-GREENSBORO (28 - 6) - 3/19/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CAMPBELL is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 60-88 ATS (-36.8 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.

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

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LIPSCOMB (25 - 7) at DAVIDSON (24 - 9) - 3/19/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DAVIDSON is 30-19 ATS (+9.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
DAVIDSON is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home games in March games since 1997.
DAVIDSON is 40-21 ATS (+16.9 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1997.
DAVIDSON is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
DAVIDSON is 53-26 ATS (+24.4 Units) off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
DAVIDSON is 166-131 ATS (+21.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
DAVIDSON is 104-63 ATS (+34.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
LIPSCOMB is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
LIPSCOMB is 24-9 ATS (+14.1 Units) in road games since 1997.
LIPSCOMB is 24-9 ATS (+14.1 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
LIPSCOMB is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.

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

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SAN DIEGO (21 - 14) at MEMPHIS (21 - 13) - 3/19/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 31-12 ATS (+17.8 Units) in home games in March games since 1997.
MEMPHIS is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) in home games in all tournament games since 1997.
MEMPHIS is 168-119 ATS (+37.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
SAN DIEGO is 183-146 ATS (+22.4 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
SAN DIEGO is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.
SAN DIEGO is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 22-7 ATS (+14.3 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1997.
SAN DIEGO is 59-38 ATS (+17.2 Units) in road games off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.

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

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ARKANSAS (17 - 15) at PROVIDENCE (18 - 15) - 3/19/2019, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARKANSAS is 84-128 ATS (-56.8 Units) in road games since 1997.
ARKANSAS is 84-128 ATS (-56.8 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
ARKANSAS is 14-24 ATS (-12.4 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
ARKANSAS is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) off a loss against a conference rival this season.
ARKANSAS is 100-148 ATS (-62.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
ARKANSAS is 68-100 ATS (-42.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
ARKANSAS is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 3 seasons.
PROVIDENCE is 43-65 ATS (-28.5 Units) in home games off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.

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

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LOYOLA-IL (20 - 13) at CREIGHTON (18 - 14) - 3/19/2019, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOYOLA-IL is 39-27 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOYOLA-IL is 39-27 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
LOYOLA-IL is 29-18 ATS (+9.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LOYOLA-IL is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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DAYTON (21 - 11) at COLORADO (21 - 12) - 3/19/2019, 11:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DAYTON is 23-37 ATS (-17.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DAYTON is 23-37 ATS (-17.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
DAYTON is 13-23 ATS (-12.3 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in home games after a conference game this season.

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

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CS-NORTHRIDGE (12 - 20) at UTAH VALLEY ST (24 - 9) - 3/19/2019, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CS-NORTHRIDGE is 7-20 ATS (-15.0 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1997.
CS-NORTHRIDGE is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH VALLEY ST is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CS-NORTHRIDGE is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) in all games this season.
CS-NORTHRIDGE is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) in all lined games this season.
CS-NORTHRIDGE is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) as an underdog this season.
CS-NORTHRIDGE is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) after a conference game this season.
CS-NORTHRIDGE is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

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

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IUPUI (16 - 16) at MARSHALL (19 - 14) - 3/19/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IUPUI is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
IUPUI is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
IUPUI is 72-99 ATS (-36.9 Units) after a conference game since 1997.
MARSHALL is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) in all games this season.
MARSHALL is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
MARSHALL is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) when the total is 160 to 169.5 this season.
MARSHALL is 6-13 ATS (-8.3 Units) after a conference game this season.
MARSHALL is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) off a loss against a conference rival this season.

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

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CORNELL (15 - 15) at ROBERT MORRIS (17 - 16) - 3/19/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CORNELL is 25-7 ATS (+17.3 Units) as a road underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.
CORNELL is 137-102 ATS (+24.8 Units) in road games since 1997.
CORNELL is 137-102 ATS (+24.8 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
CORNELL is 39-23 ATS (+13.7 Units) in road games after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.

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

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WRIGHT ST (21 - 13) at CLEMSON (19 - 13) - 3/19/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WRIGHT ST is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1997.

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

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**Udog** · 03-19-2019, 09:22 AM

NCAAB

Tuesday, March 19

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Trend Report
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Prairie View A&M @ Fairleigh Dickinson
Prairie View A&M
No trends to report
Fairleigh Dickinson
No trends to report

Campbell @ UNC Greensboro
Campbell
No trends to report
UNC Greensboro
UNC Greensboro is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
UNC Greensboro is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

Lipscomb @ Davidson
Lipscomb
No trends to report
Davidson
Davidson is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Davidson's last 5 games at home

Hofstra @ North Carolina State
Hofstra
Hofstra is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games
Hofstra is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games on the road
North Carolina State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of North Carolina State's last 5 games
North Carolina State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

St. Francis-Pennsylvania @ Indiana
St. Francis-Pennsylvania
No trends to report
Indiana
Indiana is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games

Wright State @ Clemson
Wright State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Wright State's last 6 games
Wright State is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
Clemson
Clemson is 18-4 SU in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Clemson's last 5 games

Cornell @ Robert Morris
Cornell
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cornell's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cornell's last 5 games on the road
Robert Morris
No trends to report

IUPUI @ Marshall
IUPUI
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of IUPUI's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of IUPUI's last 9 games on the road
Marshall
Marshall is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Marshall is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games at home

San Diego @ Memphis
San Diego
San Diego is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
San Diego is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Memphis
Memphis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis's last 5 games

Arkansas @ Providence
Arkansas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arkansas's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arkansas's last 5 games
Providence
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Providence's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Providence's last 11 games at home

South Dakota State @ Texas
South Dakota State
South Dakota State is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 16 of South Dakota State's last 23 games on the road
Texas
Texas is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games at home
Texas is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games

Loyola-Chicago @ Creighton
Loyola-Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Loyola-Chicago's last 5 games on the road
Loyola-Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Creighton
Creighton is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Creighton is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

Cal State-Northridge @ Utah Valley
Cal State-Northridge
Cal State-Northridge is 6-1-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Cal State-Northridge is 16-4-2 ATS in its last 22 games
Utah Valley
Utah Valley is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Utah Valley is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games at home

Temple @ Belmont
Temple
Temple is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Temple's last 6 games
Belmont
Belmont is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games
Belmont is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games

Dayton @ Colorado
Dayton
Dayton is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Dayton is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Colorado
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Colorado is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home

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

**Udog** · 03-19-2019, 09:24 AM

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, March 19

Tuesday’s play-in games
Prairie View was 1-11 in its pre-conference schedule, then went 20-1 in its league, which tells me their league sucks. Since 2003, SWAC teams are 2-15 in NCAA’s, winning play-in games LY and in 2010- they’re 2-7 overall in play-in games. Panthers are experience team #10 that forces turnovers 24.2% of time; they lost at Baylor/Ga Tech, both by 11 points. FDU won 14 of its last 16 games after starting season 6-11; they’re shooting 40.8% on arc this year- they’re experience team #152. NEC teams are 3-3 in play-in games, with last win three years ago.

Belmont won 14 of its last 15 games; they’re experience team #250 that starts two freshmen- they make 59.5% of their shots inside arc. Byrd is 0-7 in NCAA tourney games; this is first time he isn’t the lesser seed in a tourney game. Last six years, OVC teams are 0-6 in NCAA’s; this is tied for best seed they’ve had in last 15 years. Temple won six of last eight games, are 4-0 in OT this year; outgoing coach Dunphy is 2-11 in his last 13 NCAA tourney games. Owls’ subs play minutes #279. AAC teams are 8-7 SU in play-in/first round games, losing only play-in game in 2015.

Tuesday’s other tournament games
Motivation is the main variable in these “other” tournaments; I’ll give you some stats and some knowledge, but these games are really tough to decipher from the outside.

NC State played the worst non-conference schedule in country, which is why they’re here; Wolfpack started season 13-1, is 9-10 since then- they’re 16-2 vs teams ranked #90 ow lower. Hofstra was #1 seed in CAA but got beat in tourney; Pride is 5-3 in their last eight games- they are experience team #8 whose bench plays minutes #325. Hofstra is shooting 39.1% on arc.

South Dakota State has big guy (Daum) who scored 3,000+ career points; Jackrabbits were #1 seed in Summit but lost first tourney game. State lost by 8 at Memphis, by 4 at Nevada- they also lost at Tulane. Jackrabbits shoot 41.5% on the arc. Texas is 6-12 in its last 18 games after a 10-4 start; they’re experience team #280 that plays slow (#327) tempo games. Longhorns got PG Roach (suspension) back in their last game.

Indiana won four of its last five games after a 1-11 skid that ended their NCAA hopes; Hoosiers are experience team #285 that is shooting only 31.4% on arc this year. St Francis PA lost NEC final at home; Red Flash is experience team #58 that went 4-7 in its pre-conference schedule. St Francis lost by 25 at North Carolina, 38 at Va Tech, 37 at UCLA.

Campbell has a 5-9 guard who has scored 3,000+ points; they lost by 6 to Citadel in their only game this year vs a SoCon opponent. Camels won seven of their last nine games, are experience team #128- they score 38.3% of their points on the arc. NC-Greensboro is 28-6, losing finals of SoCon tourney to Wofford; Spartans beat Radford by 7, their one Big South opponent.

Lipscomb is 25-7, losing A-Sun tourney final at home; Bisons did win at TCU- they lost twice to Belmont, by 2-4 points, lost by 17 at Clemson, by 4 at Louisville. Lipscomb is experience team #48. Davidson won four of last five games but lost in A-14 semis; Wildcats are experience team #327 that plays slow (#319) pace. Davidson are 4-4 vs top 100 teams this weekend.

San Diego is experience team #15 that was disappointing 7-9 in WCC but won three games in WCC tourney; Toreros start four seniors, play only seven guys- they beat Colorado, lost by 3 at Washington, by 7 at Ole Miss. Memphis won eight of its last 11 games; they started five seniors in last game- three of their four subs were freshmen. Tigers play #6 pace in country.

Arkansas C Gafford quit to get ready for NBA Draft, won’t play here. Razorbacks won three of last four games, losing in first round of SEC tourney. Arkansas is experience team #341 that didn’t play any seniors in last game; they’re 9-3 outside the SEC. Providence is 5-8 in its last 13 games; they beat South Carolina by 11 in November. Friars are experience team #261.

Loyola is 6-6 outside MVC; they play slow (#348) tempo, are 0-3 vs top 100 teams, losing by 2 to Furman, 14 to Nevada, 14 at Maryland. Ramblers are #198 experience team. Creighton won five of last six games, lost by hoop to Xavier in Big East tourney; Bluejays are experience team #282 that shoot ball well (38.5% behind arc) but they don’t know anything else that well.

Dayton won five of last seven games; they’re 8-5 outside A-14 this year. Flyers are experience team #278 that plays slow (#321) pace. Dayton lost six of eight games vs top 100 teams, with wins over Butler/Davidson. Colorado won 10 of its last 13 games; Buffaloes are 9-3 outside the Pac-12- they’re experience team #318 that played the #299 non-conference schedule.

Cal-Northridge is experience team #340 in Gottfried’s first year as HC; Matadors went 5-10 in pre-conference games, then 7-10 in Big West games- they’re 6-7 freshman Diane is very good, but CSUN doesn’t have much depth (bench minutes #327). Utah Valley won eight of its last nine games; they beat Long Beach by 15 in only Big West game. Wolverines are experience team #89.

IUPUI lost seven of last nine games after starting out 6-4 in Horizon; Jaguars are 6-5 outside Horizon games- they’re #69 experience team play fairly fast pace (#120). Marshall won five of its last six games, went 12-8 in C-USA games; Thundering Herd plays chuck/duck (#7 tempo) and gets 37.6% of its points behind arc. Teams shoot 37.4% (#320) on arc vs IUPUI.

Cornell lost five of its last seven games; they’re 6-8 outside Ivy League. Big Red is experience team #46 that lost its last four road games, all by 9+ points. Robert Morris won four of its last six games but is 3-8 outside NEC; they’re experience team #134 that turns ball over 21.5% of time (#321). Cornell won its last two games, went 7-7 in Ivy but missed 4-team tournament.

**Udog** · 03-19-2019, 09:28 AM

669Farleigh Dickinson -670 Prairie View A M
FARLEIGH DICKINSON is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) in road games when the total is 140 to 149.5 in the current season.

671Belmont -672 Temple
TEMPLE is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in road games versus good 3 point shooting teams - making >=37% of their attempts over the last 2 seasons.

673Hofstra -674 Nc State
HOFSTRA is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) versus good teams - outscoring their opponents by 4+ points/game in the current season.

677St Francis Pa -678 Indiana
ST FRANCIS-PA is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) versus good shooting teams - making >=45% of their shots in the current season.

679Wichita St -680 Furman
FURMAN is 10-1 ATS (8.9 Units) versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.

681Campbell -682 Unc Greensboro
UNC-GREENSBORO is 60-88 ATS (-36.8 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.

683Lipscomb -684 Davidson
DAVIDSON is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) versus excellent teams - shooting >=45% with a defense of <=42% in the last 3 seasons.

685San Diego -686 Memphis
MEMPHIS are 11-1 ATS (9.9 Units) as a home favorite of 6 points or less or pick over the last 2 seasons.

687Arkansas -688 Providence
PROVIDENCE is 19-38 ATS (-22.8 Units) in home games off a loss by 10 points or more to a conference rival since 1997.

689Loyola Il -690 Creighton
LOYOLA-IL is 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) after a game committing 8 or less turnovers over the last 2 seasons.

691Dayton -692 Colorado
COLORADO is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) in home games after having won 4 or 5 of their last 6 games in the current season.

693Cs Northridge -694 Utah Valley St
CS-NORTHRIDGE is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in road games versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game in the current season.

705Iupui -706 Marshall
MARSHALL is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) versus good shooting teams - making >=45% of their shots after 15+ games in the current season.

715Nc Central -716 N Dakota St
N DAKOTA ST is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 4+ per game over the last 2 seasons.

717Toledo -718 Xavier
TOLEDO is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) after failing to cover 2 of their last 3 against the spread in the current season.

719Norfolk St -720 Alabama
NORFOLK ST is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) in road games versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game since 1997.

723Harvard -724 Georgetown
GEORGETOWN is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) in home games in non-conference games in the last 3 seasons.

725Sam Houston St -726 Tcu
TCU is 55-90 ATS (-44 Units) in home games after a game where they failed to cover the spread since 1997.

727Butler -728 Nebraska
NEBRASKA is 9-0 ATS (9 Units) in home games after having won 3 of their last 4 games over the last 2 seasons.

737Grand Canyon -738 W Virginia
W VIRGINIA is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) versus excellent ball handling teams - committing <=12 turnovers/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.

739C Michigan -740 Depaul
C MICHIGAN is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in road games versus good ball handling teams - committing <=14 turnovers/game after 15+ games in the current season.

741Howard -742 Coastal Carolina
HOWARD is 1-12 ATS (-12.2 Units) after playing 2 consecutive games as an underdog in the last 3 seasons.

743Stony Brook -744 S Florida
S FLORIDA is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) in home games after 3 straight games forcing opponent to commit 14 or less turnovers in the last 3 seasons.

745Loyola Marymount -746 Cal Baptist
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 81-117 ATS (-47.7 Units) versus teams who average 6 or less steals/game on the season since 1997.

747Uab -748 Brown
UAB is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) in road games after 4 straight games committing 14 or less turnovers over the last 2 seasons.

749Texas Southern -750 New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS are 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) when the line is +3 to -3 in the current season.

751Grambling -752 Utrgv
UTRGV is 8-2 ATS (5.8 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 in the current season.

755Presbyterian -756 Seattle
PRESBYTERIAN is 2-10 ATS (-9 Units) after 2 straight games forcing opponent to commit 11 or less turnovers since 1997.

757St Marys Ca -758 Villanova
VILLANOVA is 13-1 ATS (11.9 Units) off a no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.

759Old Dominion -760 Purdue
OLD DOMINION is 8-22 ATS (-16.2 Units) in road games after having won 5 or 6 of their last 7 games in the last 3 seasons.

761Murray St -762 Marquette
MURRAY ST is 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) versus good 3 point shooting teams - making >=37% of their attempts over the last 2 seasons.

763Vermont -764 Florida St
FLORIDA ST is 7-1 ATS (5.9 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game in the current season.

767Yale -768 Lsu
LSU is 7-1 ATS (5.9 Units) in road games vs. good free throw shooting teams - making >=72% of their attempts in the current season.

769Seton Hall -770 Wofford
WOFFORD is 9-0 ATS (9 Units) in road games after having won 15 or more of their last 20 games in the current season.

771Abilene Christian -772 Kentucky
ABILENE CHRISTIAN is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) after having won 8 or more of their last 10 games in the last 3 seasons.

773Minnesota -774 Louisville
MINNESOTA is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) versus bad pressure defensive teams - forcing <=12 turnovers/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.

775Bradley -776 Michigan St
MICHIGAN ST is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in road games after allowing 60 points or less in the current season.

777Florida -778 Nevada
FLORIDA is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) in road games versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game in the current season.

779Montana -780 Michigan
MICHIGAN is 11-1 ATS (9.9 Units) after 1 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.

781New Mexico St -782 Auburn
NEW MEXICO ST is 18-44 ATS (-30.4 Units) in road games after scoring 75 points or more 2 straight games since 1997.

783Northeastern -784 Kansas
NORTHEASTERN is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) versus good shooting teams - making >=45% of their shots after 15+ games in the current season.

787Baylor -788 Syracuse
SYRACUSE is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more in the current season.

793Fla Atlantic -794 Charleston So
FLA ATLANTIC is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 60%) over the last 2 seasons.

795St Francis Ny -796 Hampton
HAMPTON is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting <=18 free throws/game after 15+ games in the current season.

799Ucf -800 Va Commonwealth
VA COMMONWEALTH is 10-2 ATS (7.8 Units) after having won 6 or 7 of their last 8 games in the current season.

801Gardner Webb -802 Virginia
VIRGINIA is 11-0 ATS (11 Units) in road games after a game where they failed to cover the spread over the last 2 seasons.

803Oklahoma -804 Ole Miss
OKLAHOMA is 11-1 ATS (9.9 Units) in non-conference games in the current season.

805Iowa -806 Cincinnati
IOWA is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in road games versus good defensive teams - shooting pct defense of <=42% after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.

807Colgate -808 Tennessee
COLGATE is 6-0 ATS (6 Units) vs. winning teams in the current season.

809Iona -810 N Carolina
N CAROLINA is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in road games after 1 or more consecutive unders in the current season.

811Washington -812 Utah St
WASHINGTON is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) after 1 or more consecutive losses in the last 3 seasons.

813Ohio St -814 Iowa St
OHIO ST is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting <=18 free throws/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.

815Georgia St -816 Houston
GEORGIA ST is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) after 2 straight games - allowing a shooting pct. of 37% or less over the last 2 seasons.

819N Kentucky -820 Texas Tech
TEXAS TECH is 8-2 ATS (5.8 Units) versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game after 15+ games in the current season.

821Liberty -822 Mississippi St
MISSISSIPPI ST is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games vs. top caliber teams - outscoring their opponents by 12+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

825Oregon -826 Wisconsin
OREGON is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) in March games in the current season.

827Uc Irvine -828 Kansas St
UC-IRVINE is 9-0 ATS (9 Units) versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting <=18 free throws/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.

833Drake -834 Southern Utah
DRAKE is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) after a game with 5 or less offensive rebounds in the current season.

887Southern Miss -888 Longwood
SOUTHERN MISS are 7-0 ATS (7 Units) versus teams who make 8 or more 3 point shots/game on the season after 15+ games in the current season.

889Cs Bakersfield -890 Cs Fullerton
CS-BAKERSFIELD is 13-2 ATS (10.8 Units) versus good shooting teams - making >=45% of their shots after 15+ games since 1997.

891Kent St -892 La Monroe
LA-MONROE is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) in home games vs. winning teams over the last 2 seasons.

**Udog** · 03-19-2019, 10:17 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Tuesday, March 19

Fair Dickinson @ Prairie View

Game 669-670
March 19, 2019 @ 6:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Fair Dickinson
51.715
Prairie View
48.206
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Fair Dickinson
by 3 1/2
154
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Fair Dickinson
by 2
149
Dunkel Pick:
Fair Dickinson
(-2); Over

Belmont @ Temple

Game 671-672
March 19, 2019 @ 9:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Belmont
68.799
Temple
61.892
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Belmont
by 7
151
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Belmont
by 3 1/2
155 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Belmont
(-3 1/2); Under

Hofstra @ NC State

Game 673-674
March 19, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Hofstra
58.191
NC State
64.327
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NC State
by 6
168
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NC State
by 9 1/2
162
Dunkel Pick:
Hofstra
(+9 1/2); Over

St. Francis-PA @ Indiana

Game 677-678
March 19, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Francis-PA
54.211
Indiana
77.172
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 23
153
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 19
147
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-19); Over

IUPUI @ Marshall

Game 705-706
March 19, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
IUPUI
50.326
Marshall
60.287
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Marshall
by 10
173
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Marshall
by 8 1/2
167 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Marshall
(-8 1/2); Over

Cornell @ Robert Morris

Game 707-708
March 19, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cornell
49.648
Robert Morris
45.566
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cornell
by 4
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cornell
Pick
135
Dunkel Pick:
Cornell
Over

Wright State @ Clemson

Game 893-894
March 19, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Wright State
58.145
Clemson
69.784
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Clemson
by 11 1/2
138
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Clemson
by 14 1/2
130 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Wright State
(+14 1/2); Over

South Dakota St @ Texas

Game 675-676
March 19, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
South Dakota St
57.500
Texas
63.120
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 5 1/2
160
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas
by 9 1/2
153
Dunkel Pick:
South Dakota St
(+9 1/2); Over

Campbell @ NC-Greensboro

Game 681-682
March 19, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Campbell
46.993
NC-Greensboro
52.689
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NC-Greensboro
by 5 1/2
148
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NC-Greensboro
by 10 1/2
142
Dunkel Pick:
Campbell
(+10 1/2); Over

Lipscomb @ Davidson

Game 683-684
March 19, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Lipscomb
58.245
Davidson
56.357
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Lipscomb
by 2
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Davidson
by 2
149 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Lipscomb
(+2); Over

San Diego @ Memphis

Game 685-686
March 19, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
59.479
Memphis
67.927
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Memphis
by 8 1/2
158
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Memphis
by 6
152 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Memphis
(-6); Over

Arkansas @ Providence

Game 687-688
March 19, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arkansas
61.548
Providence
71.527
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Providence
by 10
151
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Providence
by 5 1/2
144
Dunkel Pick:
Providence
(-5 1/2); Over

Loyola-Chicago @ Creighton

Game 689-690
March 19, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Loyola-Chicago
57.758
Creighton
68.567
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Creighton
by 11
126
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Creighton
by 9
134
Dunkel Pick:
Creighton
(-9); Under

Northridge @ Utah Valley

Game 693-694
March 19, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Northridge
51.521
Utah Valley
59.728
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah Valley
by 8
162
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah Valley
by 12 1/2
157 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Northridge
(+12 1/2); Over

Dayton @ Colorado

Game 691-692
March 19, 2019 @ 11:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dayton
59.644
Colorado
66.456
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 7
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
by 5
138 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(-5); Over

**Udog** · 03-19-2019, 10:20 AM

Bet on more than the field of 64: NIT, CBI and CIT Tournament odds and best bets
Monty Andrews

Marcquise Reed and the Clemson Tigers are one of the biggest NCAA Tournament snubs, which makes them a good bet to win the NIT Tournament instead.

While the overwhelming majority of college basketball fans and bettors will be mesmerized by an NCAA Tournament featuring mammoth upsets, buzzer-beating victories and dominant individual and team performances, there's plenty of other great hoops action running at the same time – and these games come with their own wagering opportunities.

Here's a look at the teams to watch in the upcoming NIT, CBI and CIT tournaments.

National Invitational Tournament
Favorite to Win: Clemson Tigers

Picking a 2-seed as the favorite to win the entire tournament is a bold way to go, but there's a good reason for it. The Tigers are easily the biggest NCAA Tournament snub of the bunch, sitting 35th in the NCAA.com net rankings – better than exactly half of the teams invited to participate in March Madness. The Tigers own a top-30 scoring defense, and five of their previous six losses have come by just one or two points. Clemson has the talent and desire to run the NIT table; we like the chances of that happening.
Live Underdog: Furman Paladins

Entering the NIT as a No. 3 seed means the Paladins will likely have to go through both Clemson and Indiana just to reach the tournament championship. But this is a team that has proven itself capable of dominating at both ends of the floor, ranking in the top 60 in both scoring offense and scoring defense while boasting one of the top against-the-spread records in the country at 19-10 ATS. Don't be surprised to see the Paladins give Clemson a hard time in Round 2.
Cinderella Sleeper: Loyola-Chicago Ramblers

Who else? After stunning the college basketball world by making it all the way to the Final Four a season ago, the Ramblers find themselves once again playing the Cinderella role as a No. 7 seed. Loyola-Chicago finished atop the Missouri Valley Conference in the regular season but fell to Bradley in the conference tournament. The road to the NIT title will be a daunting one, but if any team in the tournament is capable of a Cinderella run, it's last year's Final Four darling.

College Basketball Invitational
Favorite to Win: DePaul Blue Demons

Big East representin'! The Blue Demons saw a rough season come to a disappointing end with a tournament loss to St. John's, capping a stretch of six losses in an eight-game stretch. But this is the same DePaul side that defeated the Red Storm and the Georgetown Hoyas in consecutive games in early March, crushing the Hoyas by 32 points in one of their most complete games of the season. DePaul ranked 68th in the nation in scoring offense, and is the most talented team in this tournament.
Live Underdog: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

Any team that averages better than 75 points per game is worth a look no matter what the seed – and while the Chanticleers are headed for a potential quarterfinal tilt with a powerhouse West Virginia team, don't sleep on the boys from Coastal Carolina. They averaged 76.3 points this season, and have an 11-point victory over conference champion and NCAA Tournament participant Georgia Southern on their resume. The Chanticleers might just be the best live underdog play available.
Cinderella Sleeper: UAB Blazers

You traditionally won't find many 20-win Division I outfits languishing in the CBI, but the Blazers saw their stock plummet after dropping a 61-59 decision to Old Dominion in the Conference USA tournament semifinal. Yet, while UAB has struggled to produce offense this season, it boasts one of the top defenses of any team not playing in the NCAA Tournament – and that counts for plenty, particularly if the Blazers rediscover their form from earlier this month. This is a team to watch.

CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament
Favorite to Win: Drake Bulldogs

This is not the tournament ETSU was supposed to be participating in – but a 60-58 loss to Northern Iowa in the semifinals of the Southern Conference tournament ended its shot at making it to March Madness. That said, this is still one of the most talented teams in the CIT field; bettors might have a hard time choosing between ETSU, Drake, and Texas State, all of whom own 24-9 records, but we like the Buccaneers by virtue of their strong roster balance and elite rebounding prowess.
Live Underdog: Florida International Golden Panthers

In an era where the 3-pointer is more prevalent than ever, the Golden Panthers have bucked the trend in the most dramatic way possible, averaging 82.6 points per game (17th in the country) despite shooting an abominable 30.6 percent from beyond the arc (335th). Not having to live and die by the long-range shot puts FIU in good position to surprise teams, beginning with Saturday's showdown with a Texas State team that shoots just 32.9 percent from 3-point range itself.
Cinderella Sleeper: New Orleans Privateers

When you haven't seen a team play much, you need to find something to go on – and given the Privateers' recent form, there might be something here. New Orleans is 6-3 SU and ATS in its previous nine games, asserting itself well despite losing team scoring leader Ezekiel Charles to an Achilles injury at the end of February. The Privateers are an impressive 14-6 since the beginning of January, and could make some noise if they continue their strong two-way play.

**Udog** · 03-19-2019, 10:23 AM

East Region NCAA bracket: March Madness betting odds and best bets
Jason Logan

The East is a beast this March Madness. That side of the NCAA Tournament bracket not only features No. 1 overall seed and national title favorite Duke, but also No. 2 Michigan State – the Big Ten tournament champ – and No. 3 LSU, which won the SEC regular season title.

Jason Logan breaks down the East Regional, pointing out the live underdogs, Cinderella sleeper, the best and worst ATS team, Over/Under value, and everything you need to tame the beasts in the East this March.

BETTING FAVORITE

The Duke Blue Devils, who are +220 favorites to win the national championship at FanDuel Sportsbooks, are -175 chalk to advance from the East Regional to the Final Four. And it’s easy to see why: top two NBA prospects, arguably the greatest college coach of all time, and the easiest path to Minneapolis in the entire bracket. Granted, Duke does have its soft spots, like scoring in a half-court set and shooting from the perimeter. But there’s no denying the talent on this team.

LIVE UNDERDOG

Central Florida has a very competitive No. 9-versus-No. 8 matchup with VCU in the Round of 64, but this Knights team is a tough matchup and checks off a lot of KenPom’s “Four Factors”, including ranking No. 58 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 36 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Central Florida plays a methodical pace, defends well, and has a game-changer in 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall. FanDuel Sportsbooks have UCF as a +5,550 long shot to win the East, due to being tracked for a second-round meeting with Duke.

POTENTIAL CINDERELLA

After Loyola-Chicago’s run to the Final Four last year, everyone is on the lookout for similarly-sculpted “Cinderellas”. Liberty fits the mold, with an efficient offense, solid 3-point shooting, and a defense that protects the rim and allows only 60.8 points per game. The Flames, who moved from +8 to +7 for an opening-round matchup with Mississippi State, suck all the energy out of the gym with one of the slowest tempos in the country (66.5 poss per game). Liberty is a +10,000 long shot to win the East Regional with a possible run in with Duke in the Sweet 16.

BEST ATS TEAM

The Spartans really put the green in “Go Green! Go White”, finishing the season with a 24-10 ATS record. Michigan State went 2-1 ATS in the Big Ten tournament, including covering as a 1.5-point underdog in a comeback win over rival Michigan in the final. Tom Izzo’s team opens as 18.5-point chalk versus Bradley (opened -20) but hasn’t covered just once in its last six NCAA Tournament games.

WORST ATS TEAM

The Saint Louis Billikens were a No. 6 seed in the A-10 tournament and headed for a life outside of the NCAA Tournament. However, a red-hot postseason run sees them among the field of 68. Saint Louis is just 16-18-1 ATS this season – worst among East Regional teams – but has covered in three straight games (all as a dog) and is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 contests. The Billikens are getting 10.5 points as a No. 13 seed versus No. 4 Virginia Tech in the opening round.

BEST OVER TEAM

The LSU Tigers topped the total in 61 percent of their games this season, posting a 19-12-1 Over/Under mark. Louisiana State put up more than 81 points per game while allowing an average of 73 points against and enters the tournament in turmoil. Head coach Will Wade has been suspended due to his role in a federal investigation, leaving interim Tony Benford to whether the madness of March.

BEST UNDER TEAM

When you think Duke, you think of all that offensive firepower behind Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett. That knee-jerk could be why Coach K’s kids have been a solid Under play this season. The Blue Devils are 9-23-1 Over/Under – staying below the total almost 72 percent of the time – and allowing just under 68 points per game. With the public puffing up their totals on a nightly basis, the wise move has been to swoop in and take the Under. It also helps that Duke doesn’t pose much threat from outside, making just 7.3 3-pointers per outing.

SHORTEST TRAVEL IN ROUND OF 64

The Duke Blue Devils will only have to travel about three and a half hours from Chapel Hill to Columbia, South Carolina for their opening round game versus the winner of NC Central and North Dakota State. Dukies generally travel well during the tournament, so expect a solid home-court edge for the Blue Devils inside for Colonial Life Arena. FYI: Zion is from South Carolina.

LONGEST TRAVEL IN THE ROUND OF 64

A pair of Virginia based teams rack up the frequent flyer miles in the East Regional, with Liberty traveling 2,751 miles and Virginia Tech going 2,674 miles to San Jose, California for the Round of 64. The No. 4 Hokies may have the worst hand out of these two programs, having to play Saint Louis at 9:57 p.m. ET on Friday night. Their latest start time all season was 8 p.m. ET.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Besides Duke’s star-studded roster, basketball bettors should keep a close eye on Yale standout Miye Oni in the East Regional. The 6-foot-6 guard ranks just behind Duke’s R.J. Barrett in KenPom’s offensive rating, averaging 17.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists for the Bulldogs. He powers a Yale offense putting up 81 points and drew a reported 20 pro scouts to the Ivy League tournament.

**Udog** · 03-19-2019, 10:26 AM

Midwest Region NCAA bracket: March Madness betting odds and best bets
Andrew Caley

The Midwest is probably the toughest region in this March Madness. That side of the NCAA Tournament bracket not only features top seed UNC, but fellow blue bloods No. 2 Kentucky and No. 4 Kansas. Plus, the SEC and Big 12 conference champions in No. 5 Auburn and No. 6 Iowa State.

Andrew Caley breaks down the Midwest Regional, pointing out the live underdogs, Cinderella sleeper, the best and worst ATS team, Over/Under value, and everything you need to tame the beasts in the Midwest this March.

BETTING FAVORITE

The Midwest Region is going to be a war of attrition in 2019. It is probably the deepest in the tournament, with at least five teams that you can a make a legitimate case to emerge victorious. However, it’s the North Carolina Tar Heels who are favorites to win the Midwest Region, as well as the third overall favorites to . And for good reason too. The Heels have two wins over Duke (albeit with Zion) and were a hair away from going 3-0 (against him). They won 15 of 16 before the loss to Duke (the other loss was to Virginia) and have a win over fellow No. 1 seed Gonzaga. North Carolina is well coached, has a fantastic mix of veteran leadership (Cameron Johnson/Luke Maye) and young talent (Coby White), and rank in the top 10 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. They are a real threat for the title.

LIVE UNDERDOG

There is no shortage of live dogs in the Midwest. But the value bets are No. 5 Auburn and No. 6 Iowa State at 8/1. Both are coming off conference tournament championship runs and are more than capable of extending those runs in the big dance. Auburn is one of the best 3-point shooting teams around and led the nation in steals, while Iowa State had some puzzling losses this year, but is playing its best basketball of the season right now. They are deep and are terrific shooters, while the defense is coming around. It wouldn’t be that surprising to see either of these teams in Minneapolis.

POTENTIAL CINDERELLA

No. 8-seed Utah State could make some serious noise in the tournament. The Aggies can really play at both ends of the floor and have the Mountain West player of the year in Sam Merril (21.2 points per game). But if you’re looking for the team with the real “it” factor, look no further than the Wofford Terriers. You might think a Southern Conference champion on the seven line is ranked too high, but they may actually be under-seeded. The Terriers and enter the tournament winners of 20 consecutive games rank in the top 20 in the KenPom rankings. They also shoot 3’s. A lot of ‘em. And they rank second in the nation hitting 41.6 percent of them. Fletcher Magee is awesome. This is the type of team the casual tourney can really get behind and they are 18/1 to win the Midwest.

BEST ATS TEAM

Not only is North Carolina the favorite to win the Midwest, it was a favorite among bettors as well. At 21-10-2 ATS the Tar Heels had the ninth best ATS record in the country, covering spreads of all sizes. They ended the season covering the number in their last four games, including as 4.5-point underdogs in their 74-73 loss to Duke in the ACC semifinals. However, the Tar Heels are just 8-10-1 ATS over the last five years in the NCAA Tournament.

WORST ATS TEAM

Is this fate? The worst ATS team in the Midwest is North Carolina’s Round 1 opponent, Iona. The Gaels went a less than profitable 13-19 ATS this year, but it could have been much worse. Iona failed to cover the spread in each of its first 11 games this season. But the Gaels enter their matchup with the Tar Heels hot ATS, covering eight of their last nine games down the stretch on their way to a fourth consecutive MAAC title. The 24.5 points they’ll be getting against UNC is the most they’ve seen all season.

BEST OVER TEAM

Kansas might be the most over-seeded team in the whole Tournament, while also being the best Over bet of all the Midwest squads. Only the VMI Keydets cashed more Overs than the Jayhawks did in Division I, going 21-12-1 O/U this season. Kansas scores 75.4 points per game while allowing 70.1, but the big reason for all the Overs has been inconsistent play at both ends of the floor. Kansas lost Udoka Azubuike to a season-ending injury as well as Lagerald Vick and the lack of depth behind Dedric Lawson has show. The total for Kansas’ opener against Northeastern is at 144.

BEST UNDER TEAM

Hey! A Pac-12 team is the best at something! Yup, Washington is the Midwest region’s best Under bet heading into the tournament at 23-11-1, fifth best in the country. The Pac-12’s, um, best team is the perfect recipe for Under success. The Huskies work their tails off on the defensive end and they can’t score. Washington ranks 30th in opponent points per game at a low 64.4, while scoring just 68.9. But that could also be a product of playing in a terrible conference. The total for the Huskies opening round matchup with Utah State is 135.

SHORTEST TRAVEL IN ROUND OF 64

If you were looking for another reason to back a team like Wofford in the tourney, here it is. The Terriers could have a strong backing in the stands for their opening round matchup against Seton Hall, as they only have to travel about 370 miles to Jacksonville, Florida.

LONGEST TRAVEL IN ROUND OF 64

Talk about jet lag. Two teams in the Midwest will have to log about 2.400 miles in order to reach the destination of their opening round matchups. Washington will have to cross the country for its matchup with Utah State (which isn’t exactly a short trip either). The Northeastern Huskies will also have to cover that distance as they head out west to Salt Lake City for their matchup with Kansas.

PLAYER TO WATCH

There are a lot of great players in this Region. Sam Merril of Utah State, Dedric Lawson of Kansas, Fletcher Magee can all take over games. But the player to watch is North Carolina freshman guard Coby White. When the season began all the talk about the freshman in Chapel Hill was centered around Nassir Little. But now it’s all White. He scores 16.2 points per game on 43.1 percent from the floor, while adding 4.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. It already feels like there is no moment too big for the 6-5 guard. White can fly down the court, take you off the dribble and shoot. And that hair is so cool.

**Udog** · 03-19-2019, 10:29 AM

South Region NCAA bracket: March Madness betting odds and best bets
Rohit Ponnaiya

The South is all about defense this year with three of the top-five teams in the country in terms of Adjusted Defensive Efficiency (Virginia, Wisconsin and Kansas State) and other strong defensive units including Oregon, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, Old Dominion and UC Irvine. Throw in a couple of high-scoring teams like Tennessee and Purdue and you've got the makings of an entertaining round of games and bets.

We break down the South Regional with a live underdog, Cinderella sleeper, the best and worst ATS and O/U teams, and other betting notes so you can beat the odds in your bracket.

BETTING FAVORITE

Virginia is the No. 2 ranked team in the county in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll. UVA has a dominant defense (allowing an NCAA-low 55.1 points per game) and an offense featuring Kyle Guy, De'Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome who help the Cavs shoot at the fourth-best 3-point clip in the nation (40.9 percent).

According to KenPom, Virginia has the best Adjusted Efficiency Margin in the nation and currently have 6/1 odds to win the National Championship. UVA deserves the Chalk for good reason but their loss to Florida State in the ACC Tournament semifinals, proved that they are mortal, which brings us to...

LIVE UNDERDOG

It might be a bit unfair to have a #5 seed as a live dog, but if anyone has the ability to beat UVA at their own game in this region it's Wisconsin.

Like Virginia, Wisconsin also has an excellent defense. Wisconsin actually has the third-best defense in the country according to the KenPom Adjusted Defensive Efficiency rating, two spots ahead of Virginia. They also have one of the best big men in college in Ethan Happ, who can do pretty much everything (except hit free throws) with 17.5 ppg, 10.1 rpg and 4.5 apg for the Badgers.

The Badgers and Cavaliers played against each other back in November and while UVA pulled out a relatively comfortable victory thanks to a big first half, Wisconsin almost crawled back into the game by locking down on defense late. The final score in that matchup was 53-46 for Virginia. With both teams playing at a slow pace and having excellent defenses, Wisconsin should be able to keep things close and as long as they're within striking distance they could pull out ahead, just like FSU.

POTENTIAL CINDERELLA

UC Irvine. You might be seeing a pattern start to form but as the saying goes: "defense wins championships." The Anteaters are yet another team in this conference which prides itself on D, holding opponents to just 40.7 percent shooting from 2-point range, the best number in the nation. They're also 10th in the country in rebounding rate, snagging 54.7 percent of all available boards.

In the first round they have a matchup with Kansas State who also have a tough defense and play at a slow pace. KSU could also be missing one of their best players (and most efficient scorer) in Dean Wade who missed the Big 12 Tournament with a foot injury and might not be ready to go for Friday's game. The Anteaters also won't have to travel too far for this game in San Jose (less than 400 miles) while KSU will have to travel almost 1800 miles.

UC Irvin could be prime for an upset, and if they pulled that off they would play the winner of Wisconsin-Oregon which means yet another defensive battle of attrition which could give them a chance to sneak all the way into the Sweet Sixteen.

BEST ATS TEAM

It's little surprise that UVA has been so good at covering the spread, going 23-9 ATS this season. However, they are actually tied for the best ATS record in the entire field of 64 with another team in this region: Mississippi. Yep, the Rebels have flown under the radar with a 23-9 record ATS and have been an excellent underdog cover option going 10-3 ATS.

WORST ATS TEAM

The Iowa Hawkeyes started the season off with promise before fizzling and losing six of their last eight games. They've gone just 13-20 ATS this season, including just 1-9 ATS in their last 10 contests.

The second-worst ATS team in this region? The Hawkeyes' first round opponents: Cincinnati. The Bearcats are just 14-20 ATS this season and are just 2-9 ATS over their previous 11 games.

BEST OVER TEAM

The Colgate Raiders are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 23 years thanks to an explosive offense. They are 20-12 O/U this season and will be going up against another good Over bet in Tennessee (19-14 O/U) during the first round. The total for this game has been set at 150.

BEST UNDER TEAM

With so many strong defensive squads in this region, there are quite a few schools that have been money for Under bettors. Oregon has been the best bet though, having gone 24-11 to the Under this season, including 12-2 to the Under in their last 14 games. Their first round matchup with Wisconsin is expected to be very low-scoring with the O/U set at just 118.

SHORTEST TRAVEL IN ROUND OF 64

Cincinnati has to travel a mere 106 miles from their campus to Nationwide Arena in Columbus, so their first round matchup with Iowa should practically feel like a home game. Bad news for Iowa, who will be going up against a Bearcats team that's 16-2 this season at home.

LONGEST TRAVEL IN ROUND OF 64

If Wisconsin wants to live up to my choice of them as live underdog they'll have to overcome a doozy of a road trip in the first round. The Badgers have to travel more than 2100 miles from Madison to San Jose for their matchup with Oregon who will be travelling less than 600 miles and won't have to deal with jet-lag.

PLAYER TO WATCH

There are plenty of great players in this regional bracket from Happ, Hunter, Cinci's Jarron Cumberland, Villanova guard Phil Booth and Tenessee's Grant Williams. But we're going to shine the spotlight on Purdue's Carsen Edwards who averages 23 ppg.

According to KenPom, Purdue has the fifth-best Adjusted Offensive Efficiency in the country and Edwards plays a big role in that. Perhaps too big actually. Purdue's offense has a tendency to rely too much on Edwards (and to a lesser extent his backcourt mate Ryan Cline) to carry their attack. When Edwards has an off-shooting night the Boilermakers have nobody to step up and sink shots. That lack of balance on offense could really hurt them against the defenses in this region.

**Udog** · 03-19-2019, 10:31 AM

West Region NCAA bracket: March Madness betting odds and best bets
Brandon DuBreuil

Gonzaga is the only No. 1 seed not from the ACC this March Madness, sitting atop the West Region of the NCAA Tournament bracket. The Bulldogs have plenty of competition, including No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Texas Tech, and No. 4 Florida State.

Brandon DuBreuil sizes up the West Region futures odds, from the favorites to a potential Cinderella, and highlights the best ATS bets and top total teams calling that side of the bracket home this March.

BETTING FAVORITE

No surprise here as the top seed in the region is the betting favorite to advance out of the West. Gonzaga pays +150 to reach the Final Four and is currently at +500 to win the NCAA Tournament.

No. 2-seed Michigan comes in at +250 to reach the Final Four, with Texas Tech and Nevada both sitting at +500. The Wolverines are paying out +1400 to win the tournament outright, while the Red Raiders are +2500 and the Wolf Pack +3000.

LIVE UNDERDOG

The West is possibly the most intriguing region when it comes to live underdogs. No. 3 Texas Tech has the fourth-best scoring defense in the nation had won nine in a row before losing to West Virginia in the Big 12 semifinals. No. 4 Florida State is possibly the deepest squad in the nation and showed it can compete with the top seeds when it knocked off Virginia in the ACC semifinals.

But for a true live underdog, we’re looking to No. 6 Buffalo. The MAC champs have won 12 straight and feature the fifth-highest scoring offense in the nation at 84.9 points. The Bulls have a roster full of seniors who know how to take down good teams after knocking off No. 4 Arizona in the first round of the tournament last season.

POTENTIAL CINDERELLA

Murray State. The Racers have been given the 12 seed, which is generally given to mid-major teams that have a legitimate chance to advance. Murray State enters the tournament winners of 11 straight, taking the Ohio Valley Conference title along the way. But most importantly, the Racers have Ja Morant, arguably the second-most exciting player in the entire tournament after Zion Williamson (see below).

BEST ATS TEAM

Too close to call between Gonzaga and Vermont. The Bulldogs went 21-12 ATS on the season, while the Catamounts finished with an impressive 20-10-2 mark. Vermont is a 10.5-point dog against Florida State on Thursday, while Gonzaga awaits the winner of a First Four play-in game.

Murray State also deserves a mention for its 19-10 ATS record and is currently a 4.5-point dog against Marquette.

WORST ATS TEAM

Northern Kentucky. The Norse sport an ugly 12-20 ATS record and are currently 14-point underdogs against Texas Tech on Friday. Montana (14-18) and St. John’s (14-18-1) are the next two worst ATS teams in the West.

BEST OVER TEAM

Another neck-and-neck battle between Montana, who went 20-12 to the Over, and Prairie View A&M and its 20-13 mark. The Grizzlies play Michigan with a total of 134 on Thursday, while the Panthers take on Fairleigh Dickinson with a total of 150 on Tuesday in the First Four.
BEST UNDER TEAM

A lot of solid options for Under bettors in the West. Florida leads the way with a 23-11 Under record, with Michigan a close second at 20-13. Nevada (19-13), Arizona State (19-13), Syracuse (19-14), and Texas Tech (17-14) also need to be mentioned in the Under conversation.

SHORTEST TRAVEL FOR ROUND OF 64

Vermont, the 13th seed, lucks out with only having to travel 190 miles to Hartford, Conn., for its first-round game against No. 4 Florida State (who will be travelling just over 1,000 miles). The Seminoles are a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 133.5.

Texas Tech has the second shortest commute as it travels roughly 375 miles to Tulsa, Ok., to take on Northern Kentucky, though the Norse don’t have to go overly far as their campus is about 660 miles from Tulsa.

LONGEST TRAVEL FOR ROUND OF 64

Syracuse could be road weary after it travels over 1,800 miles for its opener against Baylor in Salt Lake City. The Bears don’t have an easy travel either, however, as they’ll move over 1,000 miles to get to Utah.

The Orange actually might not have the worst travel schedule in the West. Should Fairleigh Dickinson advance from the First Four, it’ll have to go 1,965 miles to get to Salt Lake to face Gonzaga. If Prairie View A&M advances, it’ll face a much more reasonable 1,155 miles.

PLAYER TO WATCH

The West has two potential lottery picks in the upcoming NBA Draft in Murray State’s Ja Morant and Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura.

Morant (24.6 points per game, 10 assists per game) is doing things rarely seen in college basketball as he is the only player in Division I to average at least 20 points and eight assists. In his last two games during the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, the sophomore guard played all 40 minutes in each and put up 29 points and eight assists in the semis and then 36 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in the finals.

Hachimura, a 6-8 junior forward from Tokyo, Japan, didn’t start playing basketball until he was 13 but is now destined to be a top pick in this year’s NBA Draft as he leads the Bulldogs with 20.1 points per game on 60.9 percent shooting from the floor — including a 46.9 percent clip from behind the arc — while also averaging 6.6 rebounds.

**Udog** · 03-19-2019, 10:34 AM

Location Winners and Losers
Joe Nelson

While the focus in the aftermath of Selection Sunday is often on seeds and the matchups, many coaches might prioritize the venue draw in those announcements as the programs scramble to make travel arrangements and hope to get fan support thrown into often random location assignments. The committee allegedly only makes location concessions for the top handful of seeds but certainly there were winners and losers in the location assignments.

Hartford, Connecticut (Thursday/Saturday)

Winner – Villanova: Playing just over 200 miles away the Big East champions have a great location draw in Hartford to easily calm any hostility regarding being a surprising #6 seed, especially with the Marquette team they topped for the Big East title being a #5 seed. Saint Mary’s is playing nearly 3,000 miles away from home for this contest though the Gaels at least avoided being handed a daytime slot. Villanova should have the bulk of the audience in this pod as by far the closest of the top seeded teams in this grouping while also getting the primetime time slot Thursday night.

Loser – Purdue: A Purdue squad that was the regular season co-champion of one of the top conferences in the nation didn’t land either of the two Midwestern sites in Des Moines or Columbus. They also pull a late night time slot and will deal with a Big East heavy crowd following up the Villanova contest Thursday night. Norfolk isn’t exactly close to Hartford but #14 seed Old Dominion has a much shorter trip to this site as Purdue certainly could have had a better draw in this pod. Staring at the defending national champions for a potential Round of 32 Saturday matchup is also daunting particularly given how the makeup of the crowd will likely look. A Florida State squad that was in the ACC title game also failed to land a preferable spot in Jacksonville or Columbia.

Jacksonville, Florida (Thursday/Saturday)

Winner – Maryland: Jacksonville is a 10 hour drive from College Park but Maryland has to feel good about this draw, landing a #6 seed despite a late season slide. Teams that win the First Four games can often be dangerous but that Tuesday victor is going to go from playing a late night game in Dayton to facing an early afternoon game Thursday in Jacksonville for a difficult turnaround. This pod also lacks a local favorite with Florida State and the other ACC powers sent elsewhere. Kentucky fans will dominate the stands but all things considered Maryland landed in a decent spot.

Loser – LSU: The Tigers, not the Wildcats were the SEC regular season champions yet LSU will share this venue with the rabid Kentucky fanbase. Baton Rouge is technically a bit closer to Jacksonville than Lexington but while Kentucky gets the Thursday night primetime billing, LSU has a very early start game vs. Yale on Thursday with the Ivy League teams being very dangerous in recent years. Kentucky will be almost three times as big of a favorite as LSU in the opening round despite these teams only being one seed apart.

Des Moines, Iowa (Thursday/Saturday)

Winner – Michigan: Much is being made of Michigan getting the more favorable bracket draw than Michigan State and both of those teams will land in Des Moines for the opening rounds. Ultimately the committee likely locked in their choices when Michigan had a double-digit lead in the second half of the Big Ten championship. Both teams are heavy favorites Thursday but while Michigan State plays an under seeded Bradley team that is less than four hours away from Des Moines, Michigan draws an injury depleted Montana squad that makes a long trip. Michigan would have a bigger location edge Saturday in a potential round of 32 game vs. Florida or Nevada as well while Michigan State would draw Louisville or Minnesota who both have reasonable trips to Des Moines.

Loser – Louisville: The Cardinals had a much closer option in Columbus in its sights and despite the selection committee handing out three #1 seeds to the ACC, Louisville was dropped to the #7 line even with a win over Michigan State plus ACC road wins over North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Add that the committee had to have a laugh in engineering a matchup of Richard Pitino against his dad’s former school and the Cardinals have a tough opening draw. The Gophers also are playing in the closest possible venue for them fewer than 250 miles away and then if Louisville wins they likely pull the Michigan State team they beat in overtime in November to provide plenty of motivation for the Spartans.

Salt Lake City, Utah (Thursday/Saturday)

Winner – Baylor: Gonzaga was a natural fit for Salt Lake City even though Spokane is still over 700 miles away. Waco is more than 1,200 miles away but this is a good draw for a slumping Bears team that most pegged for an even lesser seed. The Bears get to face a zone team that they will be comfortable with and an east coast Syracuse team faces longer travel west and will face the late night start time to give the Bears a bit of an edge in the timing and location. The status Tyus Battle, the best player for the Orange, is also unclear and putting Syracuse in a Thursday group makes for one less day for his recovery. A Bears team on a four-game losing streak, while just 4-7 in the past 11 games, didn’t deserve these potential breaks.

Loser – Auburn: A dominant SEC championship game victory Sunday didn’t boost Auburn’s stock much nor did it provide a favorable venue as Salt Lake City would not have been high on Auburn’s first travel choices. Auburn will also draw an early game Thursday for a quick turnaround with long travel after Sunday’s win in Nashville. New Mexico State is a dangerous team with great depth and while Las Cruces isn’t exactly close to Salt Lake City, it is about half as far as Auburn has to travel. Auburn fans will also be drowned out by Gonzaga and Kansas fans that figure to take over this arena.

Columbia, South Carolina (Friday/Sunday)

Winner – Mississippi: The Rebels have only defeated three teams that made the NCAA Tournament this season but with a #8 seed Ole Miss doesn’t appear to have been remotely close to the bubble despite losing five of the final seven games of the season including three losses to non-tournament teams. Mississippi draws an Oklahoma squad that most also expected to be closer to the cut line and a team that hasn’t been at its best in recent weeks. Opposing a Virginia program that has struggled in the NCAA Tournament in recent years is also the path most #8/#9 seeds would likely choose. Ole Miss also played in this arena in February as they will have some familiarity with the court.

Loser – Virginia: Columbia is the venue Virginia would have chosen but the selection committee isn’t giving the first team ever to lose as a #1 seed in the Round of 64 a free pass the following year. Gardner Webb is only 112 miles away from Columbia and Virginia is going to have to deal with Duke being in this pod as well. UCF and VCU should also get decent support in this group as the Cavaliers will have plenty of folks cheering against them on Friday and Sunday in this venue. Virginia also failed to land a spot in the East region where Washington D.C. will host the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games. Instead will have to potentially face a team playing very close to home in Louisville should Cincinnati, Purdue, or Tennessee advance to the regional final. In a potential Sweet 16 game Virginia could also pull a Wisconsin or Kansas State team that is more than comfortable at a deliberate pace.

Columbus, Ohio (Friday/Sunday)

Winner – Cincinnati: The American champions have a right to complain about being a #7 seed but looking at the draw and not the seeds there are a lot of things working in favor of the Bearcats. Cincinnati is one of only a few teams playing in their home state and they are barely 100 miles away from Columbus. Iowa is also a team that has played as poorly as any team in the field in the last month for a favorable first matchup. Tennessee is waiting as a difficult Round of 32 game but the big picture path is favorable with the South bracket leading to Louisville, a city less than 100 miles away from Cincinnati.

Loser – North Carolina: A one-point loss to a Duke team they beat twice last weekend flipped the Tar Heels out of more favorable venues in the bracket, missing out on Columbia or Jacksonville while also not placed in the East region that winds up in Washington D.C. While Chapel Hills is only 450 miles from Columbus the Tar Heels haven’t had to leave the Carolinas the past three years in the opening round games. If North Carolina makes the Sweet 16 they could wind up facing Kansas in Kansas City for a big potential disadvantage.

Tulsa, Oklahoma (Friday/Sunday)

Winner – Houston: The Cougars lost by double-digits Sunday in the AAC final and despite using an incredibly weak non-conference schedule to help create the 32-3 record but stayed on the #3 line in a favorable venue. This pod will have some Big XII support but the Cougars get a Friday game unlike some of the other teams that played on Sunday and now face a Thursday game. The Tulsa/Kansas City path would have been where Houston would have placed itself in the bracket given the choice. Likely opposing Houston in the Round of 32 would be an Iowa State team that mostly struggled in the last month might be a bit over seeded from its Big XII tournament championship, a run that didn’t include facing the top Big XII team Texas Tech.

Loser – Buffalo: Getting a #6 seed is a big deal for a MAC team but Buffalo has the disadvantage of not knowing who they will play until late Wednesday night. They also could wind up facing Arizona State, coached by Bobby Hurley, the former Buffalo coach who gave Nate Oats his entry to the division I level and will be intimately familiar with how the Bulls play. The Bulls also face a long trip to Tulsa when far more attractive venues were available in terms of travel distance. With Houston, Iowa State, and Texas Tech playing relatively close to home in this draw the Bulls might not get the support they expected.

San Jose, California (Friday/Sunday)

Winner – UC Irvine: The Anteaters haven’t lost since mid-January and won’t have to leave California for the NCAA Tournament unless they win twice. They also get to face a wounded Kansas State squad that appears to possibly be playing without Dean Wade in the tournament for the second straight season. Add that this team lost 71-49 at Kansas State early last season and Russell Turner’s team has a lot to work with to try to engineer an upset bid.

Loser – Virginia Tech: The Hokies have some good news with Justin Robinson cleared to play but Virginia Tech is getting sent out west and has the late night draw with a game starting around 10:00 PM Eastern Time. Saint Louis won four games in four days to win the A-10 tournament but getting a Friday draw helps the Billikens who won that title game on Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn. The Hokies played only one non-conference road game this season and lost it and actually has never left the Eastern Time zone all season. A squad reliant on 3-point shooting could have trouble in an unfamiliar venue at an irregular time slot. The Hokies also land in the grouping with #1 overall Duke should they advance to the Sweet 16 though that opportunity would come in a favorable Washington D.C. venue.

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Tuesday's NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 3/19

Tuesday's NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 3/19

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