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**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 08:14 AM

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

— Phoenix Suns signed Jimmer Fredette to a 2-year contract.

— A’s P prospect Jesus Luzardo (shoulder) will be shut down for 4-6 weeks.

— Toronto G Kyle Lowry (ankle) is out for tomorrow’s game with the Thunder.

— Tampa Bay Rays gave P Blake Snell a 5-year, $50M contract extension.

— There were 4,372 foul outs in majors in 2003, only 3,450 LY. New ballpark have less foul territory, which results in more balls hit out of play.

— There were 26,313 more pitches thrown in the major leagues LY (724,447) than in 1998 (698,134).

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Armadillo: Friday's Den: Wrapping up the first day of March Madness…….

Minnesota 86, Louisville 76— Coming into this game, Gophers scored 22.2% of their points behind arc, 4th-least in country; they were 11-27 on arc in this game, scoring 38.4% of their points behind arc, and that is how upsets happen.

Bill Murray’s son Luke is an assistant coach for Louisville; his team lost to the Gophers, a bitter pill for Carl Spackler (Caddyshack reference) to swallow. Bill Murray was at this game, too.

LSU 79, Yale 74— LSU jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead, was up 16 at the half, then held for dear life as the gritty Bulldogs fought hard until the end. Yale was only 8-37 on the arc, but four of the makes came near the end, as Yale covered thru the backdoor- they got within 77-74 in last 0:30.

Auburn 79, New Mexico State 78— Auburn got really lucky here; leading by 3 at the end, they fouled a 3-point shooter with 0:01.7 left, but the kid missed two of three FT’s, then the Aggies missed an open 3-pointer at the buzzer. Huge sigh of relief for the Tigers.

Tigers led this game 65-52 with 7:54 left; they made only six of their last 13 foul shots. Auburn didn’t handle time/score situations well at all- their point guard fouled on purpose when he didn’t know he had four fouls. No bueno.

Florida State 76, Vermont 69— Spunky effort by the Catamounts falls short; Florida State has won 15 of its last 17 games. If you laid 8.5 points with the Seminoles, it was a bad beat- kid on FSU had the ball by himself under the basket with 0:06 left but dribbled out the clock instead. Vermont made 16-32 on the arc; not many teams shoot that well from the arc and lose.

Last spring, Seminoles poached grad transfer David Nichols from Albany of America East; kid gets to the NCAA’s and plays against the Catamounts, America East’s best team. Now he and his teammates move on to play Murray State Saturday.

Michigan State 76, Bradley 65— Final score is misleading; three Spartans played 38:00+, thats how tough this was for Izzo’s team. Bradley led by a point with 6:47 left. Since 2012, MVC teams are 9-2-1 vs spread in first round games.

Maryland 79, Belmont 77— Its been seven years since an OVC team won a first round game, but since 2005, they’re 11-4 vs spread in this round. Belmont was up 40-34 at halftime, was up six with 6:36 left.

Kansas 87, Northeastern 53— Except for the championship game, each NCAA tournament win this year will be worth $1.81M to the conference of the school that wins it. The money gets divided up amongst the league’s schools, with team that wins the game getting more $$$ than the other schools.

Murray State 83, Marquette 64— Complete ass-kicking; Marquette didn’t even try to press in the second half, thats how thoroughly beaten they were. Golden Eagles wound up losing six of their last seven games, as Wojciechowski is proving to be a fraud of a coach who got this job because he sat next to Mike Krzyzewski for a few years.

Five years at Marquette, and two NCAA games; losses by 20, 19 points.

Ja Morant had the first triple double by a guard in the NCAA’s since Dwyane Wade.

Kentucky 79, Abilene Christian 44— ACU threw two starters off the team last month, one was their leading scorer; not sure why they weren’t in a play-in game. This game was awful.

Gonzaga 87, FDU 49— When Gonzaga practices tomorrow, it’ll be more competitive than this was. Zags advance to play Baylor Saturday.

Is it possible that losing the WCC final to St Mary’s was a good thing? Probably not, but sometimes as a coach, it is easier to teach after a loss- the players are more receptive to knowledge after they’ve been humbled a little bit.

Florida 70, Nevada 61— Eric Musselman has been in Reno for four years, done a great job with a 110-34 record, but losing this game with five senior starters has to sting. After starting season 24-1, Wolf Pack didn’t play well down stretch, going 5-4 in last nine games. Not really sure why.

I’ll say this; down 18 in second half, Nevada started pressing and they COMPETED, and got the lead down to one, before falling short. Unlike Marquette, which fell back to a 2-3 zone when they were down 18, instead of pressing- they quit like dogs.

Next question is this: if the people at UCLA have half a brain, they give Musselman a call, and ask him to revitalize their basketball program. If they call, will he leave Reno?

Villanova 61, Saint Mary’s 57— Only 15 foul shots total in this game; Gaels led by a hoop at the half. Villanova basically played six kids in this game; a 7th player played only 3:00.

Funny thing about that 7th kid; he is a grad transfer from Albany, who might’ve wound up as the Great Danes’ all-time leading scorer had he stuck around for his senior year, but he decided to play in the “big-time” and chose Villanova as his new school. Kid said he wanted to play in the NCAA tournament, which he had never done.

He played 15-18:00 a game most of the season, but when the chips were down, in Big East tournament and NCAA’s, he’s played 5-4-8-3 minutes. Not all decisions turn out well.

Wofford 84, Seton Hall 68— Leading 67-66 late, Terriers went on a 17-0 run to salt the game away; they made 13-28 on the arc, have lot of guys who can shoot it. Wofford will be America’s Underdog when they play Kentucky Saturday.

Fletcher Magee of Wofford has now made the most 3-pointers of any college player ever, an impressive accomplishment.

Michigan 74, Montana 55— When you go 16-4 in the Big Sky Conference and then win the postseason tournament, you need to enjoy Selection Sunday as much as possible, because teams that lose four games in the Big Sky aren’t going to fare too well against Michigan.

Baylor 78, Syracuse 69— When your point guard gets suspended the day before the game, bad things usually follow; Syracuse had won its last eight first round games, but that ended here.

Baylor was 16-34 on the arc, took only 18 two-point shots against the Syracuse zone.

Purdue 61, Old Dominion 48— Predictably ugly game, with two low tempo teams slugging it out. Monarchs shot 28.6% inside arc, 6-25 on arc, took only six foul shots. They win in C-USA because they play the best defense there, but they can’t score when they move up in class.

**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 08:21 AM

2019 NCAA Tournament Results

**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 08:26 AM

Friday - Session 1
David Schwab

The first four games on this Friday’s 16-game slate in the second-half of the opening round of this year’s NCAA Tournament offers some interesting betting options in the South and West Regions. First up, No. 10 Iowa takes on No. 7 Cincinnati in the South. This will be followed by a matchup between No. 9 Oklahoma and No. 8 Ole Miss, which is also in the South Region.

Friday’s first game in the West Region pits No. 14 Northern Kentucky against No. 3 Texas Tech. The early sessions wraps things up with a South Region tilt between No. 13 UC Irvine and No. 4 Kansas State.

South Region (Columbus, OH)

No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes vs. No. 7 Cincinnati Bearcats (CBS, 12:15 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Cincinnati -3 ½, 138

Betting Matchup

Iowa slipped to 10-10 straight-up in Big Ten play after losing its last four regular season games. The Hawkeyes then fell to Michigan 74-53 as eight-point underdogs in their second game of the conference tournament. Going back to a tight one-point win against Northwestern on Feb. 10 as 11-point favorites, they have failed to cover against the spread in nine of their last 10 games. Iowa is 0-4 ATS in its last four games closing as an underdog.

The Bearcats bring quite a bit of momentum into their opener after knocking off Houston 68-57 as five-point underdogs to win the AAC Tournament. This followed a pair of losses to the Cougars that cost them the regular season title. Junior guard Jarron Cumberland is one to watch in this game after posting 33 points in that recent win against Houston. He is averaging a team-high 18.8 points per game.

Betting Trends

-- The Hawkeyes have gone 9-1 ATS in their last 10 neutral-site games and the total has gone OVER in 10 of their last 13 games following a SU loss.

-- The Bearcats are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games in the NCAA Tournament with the total staying UNDER in four of their last five games against the Big Ten.

-- Cincinnati won the only previous meeting both SU and ATS with the total going OVER.

South Region (Columbia, SC)

No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels (TruTV, 12:40 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Ole Miss -2, 142 ½

Betting Matchup

The Sooners lost to Kansas State as 7 ½-point road underdogs in their regular season finale ahead of an early exit in the Big 12 Tournament with a 72-71 loss to West Virginia as 6 ½-point favorites. The up and down nature of this team was evident in a SU five-game losing streak early in February with three more losses in its last five games. Oklahoma has also been a tough team to bet on lately at 3-5-1 ATS over its last nine games.

Mississippi is another team that struggled down the stretch with five SU losses in its last seven games. The latest setback was a 62-57 loss to Alabama as a 3 ½-point favorite in its SEC Tournament opener. The Rebels went 1-3 ATS in their last four games closing as favorites with a SU mark of 2-2. Ole Miss averaged 75.4 PPG this season, but it allowed an average of 70.4 points a game on defense. This defense has given up at least 71 points in five of its last seven games.

Betting Trends

-- The Sooners are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 NCAA Tournament games and the total has stayed UNDER in six of their last eight games against the SEC.

-- The Rebels have a 13-3 record ATS in their last 16 nonconference games with the total going OVER in their last four games against the Big 12.

West Region (Tulsa, OK.)

No. 14 Northern Kentucky Norse vs. No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders (TNT, 1:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Texas Tech -14, 137

Betting Matchup

With a share of the Horizon League regular season title at 13-5 SU along with a tournament title, the Norse bring some momentum into the Big Dance. They have won their last five games SU, but the record ATS stands at just 2-6 over their last eight contests. Northern Kentucky got a big effort from Dantez Walton with 15 points and 14 rebounds in a 77-66 upset against Wright State as a slight one-point underdog in the Horizon League’s title game.

The Red Raiders were the class of the Big 12 all season long at 14-4 SU along with Kansas State, but an early exit from the conference tournament put a damper on a recent SU nine-game winning streak. They fell to West Virginia 79-74 as heavy 13-point favorites in the opening game. This was just the second time that Texas Tech failed to cover in its last 10 games. The total has gone OVER in six of its last seven outings.

Betting Trends

-- The Norse have covered in nine of their last 12 games played at a neutral site. The total has stayed UNDER in three of their last five nonconference games.

-- The Red Raiders are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games in the NCAA Tournament with the total staying UNDER in seven of their last 10 games in this tournament.

-- Texas Tech won the only previous meeting SU with no posted betting line.

South Region (San Jose, CA)

No. 13 UC Irvine Anteaters vs. No. 4 Kansas State Wildcats (TBS, 2:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Kansas State -5, 119

Betting Matchup

Playing out of the Big West, UC Irvine started the season with a SU six-game winning streak and it closed out its run to the conference title in both the regular season and the postseason tournament with 16 SU wins in a row. The Anteaters have also been a solid betting team down the stretch with an 11-3-1 record ATS in their last 15 games. Junior guard Max Hazard was the team’s leading scorer this season with 12.5 PPG and he posted 23 points in the Big West title game.

Kansas State went toe-to-toe with Texas Tech in the Big 12 at 14-4 SU, including a split against the Red Raiders in the regular season series. The Wildcats came up short against Iowa State in the conference tournament with a 63-59 loss as 2 ½-point underdogs. This was part of a 6-2 run both SU and ATS over their last eight games. The total stayed UNDER in six of those eight games. Unfortunately, they will have to play on without the services of Dean Wade, who was lost to a foot injury.

Betting Trends

-- The Anteaters have gone 0-5-1 ATS in their last six games against the Big 12 and the total has stayed UNDER in six of their last eight neutral-site games.

-- The Wildcats are 5-1 ATS in their last six games played at a neutral site with the total staying UNDER in their last five games against the Big West.

-- Kansas State won the only previous meeting both SU and ATS with the total staying UNDER.

**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 08:28 AM

Friday - Session 2
Kevin Rogers

South Region (Columbus, OH)

No. 15 Colgate vs. #2 Tennessee (CBS, 2:45 PM EST)

Opening Odds: Tennessee -17 ½, 148

The Volunteers (29-5 SU, 17-15-1 ATS) had a nice stretch as the top-ranked team in the country during conference play. Tennessee started the SEC slate at 11-0 before falling at Kentucky on February 16 in an 86-69 defeat. The Vols went 4-3 down the stretch in the regular season to drop to the third seed in the SEC tournament, but still managed to reach the championship game as they were blown out by Auburn, 84-64.

Tennessee posted a 5-8 ATS record in the last 13 games, while compiling a 1-3 ATS mark as a double-digit favorite in the last four opportunities. The Volunteers racked up plenty of quality wins away from Knoxville this season, including beating Gonzaga, Kentucky, Florida, and Ole Miss, while losing in overtime to Kansas and LSU.

Colgate (24-10 SU, 18-14-1 ATS) captured the Patriot League title for the first time since 1996 after topping Bucknell in the conference tournament, 94-80. The Raiders are riding a 7-2 ATS run the last nine games, while eclipsing the 80-point mark in all three victories in the Patriot tournament. Colgate didn’t rack up any great wins on its resume, while losing to Syracuse, Penn State, and Pittsburgh on the road by double-digits.

Tennessee reached the round of 32 in last season’s tournament before getting bounced by Final Four participant Loyola-Chicago in a one-point setback. The Volunteers did cruise in their first round matchup against Wright State in a 73-47 blowout as 11 ½-point favorites. Colgate is in the Big Dance for the third time ever (1995, 1996), as the team that the Raiders eventually lost to each fell in the Sweet 16 those two years.

South Region (Columbia, SC)

No. 16 Gardner-Webb vs. #1 Virginia (truTV, 3:10 PM EST)

Opening Odds: Virginia -21 ½, 129 ½

The Cavaliers (29-3 SU, 23-9 ATS) have seen this movie before and left disappointed as UMBC shocked UVA in the 1/16 game last March, 74-54. The Wahoos have another shot as a top seed in the NCAA tournament this time around after finishing tied with the best record in the ACC at 16-2 alongside North Carolina. The only two losses in conference play came at the hands of Duke, while Virginia was knocked out in the semifinals of the ACC tournament by Florida State.

Virginia covered its first seven conference games before prior to a 1-4 ATS run in early February. The Cavaliers cashed in five straight games prior to a non-cover in the regular season finale against Louisville as 12-point favorites. UVA put together a solid 12-6 ATS mark as a double-digit favorite this season, while closing as a 20 ½-point favorite in the surprising setback to UMBC last season.

Gardner-Webb (23-11 SU, 17-14 ATS) is making its first ever appearance in the NCAA tournament after taking the crown of the Big South tournament. The Runnin’ Bulldogs finished third in the regular season conference standings, but knocked off the top two teams in the Big South tournament by defeating Campbell and Radford in the underdog role. Gardner-Webb has covered in seven of its past eight games, while its signature win this season came at Georgia Tech as a 13-point underdog in a 79-69 victory in December.

West Region (Tulsa, OK)

No. 11 Arizona State vs. #6 Buffalo (TNT, 4:00 PM EST)

Opening Odds: Buffalo -4 ½, 167

Last season, Buffalo (31-3 SU, 18-14-1 ATS) made headlines in the first round of the NCAA tournament by routing Arizona, 89-68 in the 4/13 matchup to make a name for itself. Now, the Bulls take on another Pac-12 squad in the Big Dance opening game as Buffalo faces old head coach Bobby Hurley, who left for Tempe in 2015 after a solid two-year stint in the MAC.

The Bulls rolled through the MAC this season with a 16-2 conference mark, while the only two losses came by a total of six points at Bowling Green and Northern Illinois. Buffalo started the season at 11-3-1 ATS, but finished at 7-11 ATS the final 18 games, although seven of those ATS defeats came as a double-digit favorite. The lone loss out of conference occurred in late December in a 103-85 setback at Marquette, while winning at Syracuse and West Virginia.

Arizona State (23-10 SU, 18-14-1 ATS) lost in the First Four round last season to Syracuse, but atoned for that defeat by holding off St. John’s in this year’s First Four, 74-65. The Sun Devils cashed as 1 ½-point favorites, as ASU limited the Red Storm to 32% shooting to rebound from a 79-75 overtime loss to Oregon in the Pac-12 semifinals.

ASU had several nice wins in non-conference play by beating Utah State, Mississippi State, and Kansas, but also lost at Vanderbilt by 16 points and was upset by Princeton as 14 ½-point home favorites. The Sun Devils posted a 6-5-1 ATS mark in the underdog role, which included conference wins at Arizona, Oregon State, Utah, and UCLA.

South Region (San Jose, CA)

No. 12 Oregon vs. #5 Wisconsin (TBS, 4:30 PM EST)

Opening Odds: Wisconsin -2 ½, 116 ½

The Ducks (23-12 SU, 20-15 ATS) have been living on the edge the last three weeks, but Oregon hasn’t lost a game since February 23 at UCLA. Oregon is riding an eight-game winning streak, capped off by a pair of wins over Pac-12 regular season champion Washington. The Ducks crushed the Huskies to capture the tournament championship and automatic tourney bid, 68-48, while finishing off a run of four wins in four days in Las Vegas.

Wisconsin (23-10 SU, 16-16-1 ATS) finished fourth in the Big 10 this season behind Michigan State, Purdue, and Michigan at 14-6. The Badgers were knocked out of the conference tournament semifinals by the eventual champion Spartans, 67-55 to fall to 2-7-1 ATS in the last 10 games. Wisconsin started Big 10 play at 3-3 before running off six consecutive wins, including handing Michigan its first loss of the season on January 19.

Oregon has clamped down on opponents during this eight-game hot stretch by allowing 54 points or fewer six times and cashing the UNDER seven times. The Ducks are on a 12-2 UNDER run since late January, as Oregon is two years removed from making it all the way to the Final Four in 2017.

Oregon and Wisconsin hooked up in the NCAA tournament in 2014 and 2015 as the Badgers eliminated the Ducks each time in the round of 32. Wisconsin won its tournament opener from 2014-17 before not qualifying last season, as the Badgers were last eliminated in the first round by Ole Miss in 2013.

**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 08:29 AM

Friday - Session 3
Tony Mejia

Midwest Region - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena

#9 Washington vs. #8 Utah State - 6:50 PM EST - TNT

Opening Odds: Utah State -3, 134.5

-- This line hasn't moved much despite the novelty of the Mountain West champion being favored over the team that ran through the Pac-12 wire-to-wire, dominating the regular season before losing to Oregon in the conference tournament final in Las Vegas. Utah State (28-6 SU, 18-15 ATS) stunned Nevada to capture the regular-season title in a memorable game that got testy and caught a break when San Diego State took down the Wolf Pack in Vegas, making the championship game far more manageable as they won 64-57.

-- The Aggies won 17 of their last 18 games, covering in seven of the last nine. West Coast Conference tourney champ Saint Mary’s was their strongest victim in the non-conference portion of their schedule. They also took down Big West champ UC-Irvine but fell to Houston, Arizona State and BYU. -- Washington (26-8 SU, 17-16-1 ATS) had a stretch of 10 consecutive covers between Jan. 5-Feb. 7, part of a 12-game unbeaten run that put the Pac-12 in its back pocket by Valentine's Day.

-- Starting wing Sam Merrill (21.2 ppg) was named the Mountain West Player of the Year after shooting 38 percent from 3-point range, which was actually down from his averages over his first two seasons, where he shot better than 45 percent from beyond the arc. He’s one of the nation’s top shooters and has knocked down over 90 percent of his free-throws, making him a huge asset late in games. The attention he commands from a defense due to his range makes the game easier for everyone else, which explains why he’s averaged over 35 minutes per game over his last two seasons.

-- While Merrill is Utah State’s most important player, its top NBA prospect is 6-foot-11 freshman center Neemias Queta, a native of Portugal. He’s agile and has excellent footwork, so even though he’ll have to put on a lot of weight and is a project as far as scouts are concerned, he’s one with loads of promise. New Mexico State’s Pacal Siakam is similarly built and has blossomed for the Toronto Raptors this season. Queta is averaging 11.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. He’s shooting 55 percent from the field in March and has averaged 9.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks, earning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors. He’s managed to score in double-figures in all five games, matching the longest such streak of his freshman season. It will be interesting to see how he handles the Huskies’ zone defense, which can certainly be confusing and imposing.

-- The Huskies rely on defense to create easy baskets and turn miscues into points well enough to compensate for an inconsistent offense that could struggle feeding Noah Dickerson inside given Queta’s presence. He’s only 6-foot-8 but is typically a load inside and has nice touch, but he struggled immensely in the Pac-12 Tournament, shooting 6-for-18 from the field. Washington clearly has to get him going to be a factor in the NCAAs, but doing so against a team whose strength is interior defense means he’s going to need a special game right out of the gate.

-- Washington leading scorer Jaylen Nowell can really get hot and has an old-school mid-range game, so his ability to make plays with the shot clock dwindling will likely be the x-factor in who advances to face North Carolina. Point guard David Crisp and wing Matisse Thybulle, one of the nation’s most effective defensive players, both struggle to put the ball in the basket, which puts additional pressure on Nowell (16.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg), to produce to keep the Huskies’ attack from bogging down. Nowell shot just 8-for-23 over the last two games of the Pac-12 Tourney, shooting 1-for-5 from 3-point range. He went 4-for-4 in the opener against USC and went from a 35 percent 3-point shooter as a freshman to 43 percent this season.

-- Both the Huskies and Aggies were each 500-to-1 to win the entire NCAA Tournament per the Westgate Superbook.

-- The 'over' was on a 3-0-1 run prior to Utah State's MWC Championship game over San Diego State. The Aggies' 64-57 win fell well under the posted total of 133.5. The low-side is on 13-4 run in Washington games since Jan. 19.

East Region - Columbia, SC - Colonial Life Arena

#16 North Dakota State vs. #1 Duke - 7:10 PM EST - CBS

Opening Odds: Duke -27, 148.5

-- It's no surprise to see Duke (29-5 SU, 18-16 ATS) so heavily favored after its jaw-dropping performance in the ACC Tournament. After getting Zion Williamson back, the Blue Devils saw him put together a perfect 13-for-13 shooting night against Syracuse before following it up with big nights against UNC and FSU. The nation's most heralded NBA prospect shot 77 percent in the ACC Tournament, averaging 27 points and 10 boards. He's healthy following his knee sprain, which means the Blue Devils are going to be tough to beat..

-- The Blue Devils were a 9-to-4 choice at Westgate when the NCAA Tournament tipped off, making them the favorite over Gonzaga (9/2), North Carolina and Virginia (6/1).

-- The fact North Dakota State (19-15 SU, 15-17 ATS) had to play on Wednesday certainly didn't aid its cause as far as the spread is concerned, but teams have rebounded well over the past few years in this situation. We'll see how the Bison hold up after defeating North Carolina Central in Dayton.

-- NDSU shot 9-for-20 from 3-point range to rally against the MEAC champion Eagles, landing four starters in double-figures. Versatile wing Tyson Ward finished with team-highs of 23 points, six rebounds and three assists against NCCU, while point guard Vinnie Shahid added 14 points. They were the team's top scorers this season. .

-- The Bison lost to Gonzaga, Iowa State, East Tennessee State, New Mexico State by double-digits in November and December. The team's best victory this season came over Missouri State on Dec. 15. They had dropped both of their games against Omaha before pulling off an upset in the Summit League championship game.

-- Besides Williamson, freshmen starters R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish and Tre Jones will all be playing their first NCAA Tournament game. Talent alone should help stabilize them -- particularly in this matchup -- which is helpful since there aren't many vets to lean on for advice. Junior Javin DeLaurier has the most experience, having participated in four games last season. He's averaged 5.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks over the past four games and should play a large role.

-- Junior center Marques Bolden has also played major minutes for Duke but comes into the NCAAs coming off a knee sprain that has kept him out the past few games. He's expected to play but probably won't be called on to play major minutes until next week since he'll be working his way back.

-- Duke has been favored more than 20 points on 10 occasions this season, winning every time but covering on just six occasions. In their last expected walk-over, Duke narrowly beat Wake Forest as a 24.5-point favorite in the home finale in Durham on March 5. It won 71-70

-- The Blue Devils have seen the 'under' prevail in 13 of their last 17 games and have only surpassed one of the last 13 total set at 150 or higher, which this number may approach by tip-off if public money expect to see a show in a blowout.

Midwest Region - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center

#14 Georgia State vs. #3 Houston - 7:20 PM EST - TBS

Opening Odds: Houston -12, 142

-- Kelvin Sampson continues to work wonders at Houston (31-3 SU, 20-11-2 ATS) and has delivered just the fourth 30-win season in school history. That benchmark hadn't been cleared by the Cougars since 1983-84, when Hakeem Olajuwon led the school to a National Championship game loss to Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown. Houston would set a new school record for single-season victories if it can get out of this weekend unscathed.

-- The Cougs lost in the American Athletic Conference final against Cincinnati, falling by double-digits for the first time. The 69-57 loss came as a result of 30 percent shooting, which included an 8-for-33 effort from 3-point range and an 11-for-18 showing from the free-throw line. The Cougs rebounded from their losses this season with a nine-point win over Wichita State and an 11-point victory over SMU, but both of those bounce-back games came at home. We'll see how they fare in Tulsa.

-- Houston won their first game in last year's NCAAs thanks to a Rob Gray last-second layup over San Diego State before getting denied a trip to the Sweet 16 on a Jordan Poole 3-pointer that game Michigan a 64-63 comeback win.

-- Georgia State (24-9 SU, 18-14 ATS) is a No. 14 seed after garnering a No. 15 seed last year. Cincinnati beat the Panthers 68-53 as a No. 2 in Nashville last season, but they hung around for a half before going cold. Star guard D'Marcus Simonds shot 10-for-20 from the field and scored 24 points, but the rest of his team shot 33 percent and produced just 29.

-- Simonds still struggles to shoot from beyond the arc and shot just 41.5 percent, a career-low, dealing with all the extra attention a reigning conference Player of the Year commands. Seniors Malik Benlevi, Devin Mitchell and Jeff Thomas are all back in addition to sophomore Kane Williams, who has really blossomed into a strong defender averaging two steals per game.

-- Corey Davis, Jr. leads Houston with 16.7 points per game but comes into the NCAAs nursing a hip injury. He's expected to play, but shot just 3-for-13 last time out against the Bearcats, making just two 3-pointers in 10 attempts in one of his worst outings of the season.

-- The Cougars rank among the nation's top 10 percent in 3-pointers made and attempted, while Georgia State was actually more prolific and ranks 15th in the country in 3-point percentage, shooting nearly 39 percent from beyond the arc. They shined in defending the 3-ball in Sun Belt play but will be tested here.
-- .

-- Houston has seen the under connect in its last three games, but the 'over' is 3-1 over Georgia State's last four.

East Region - San Jose, CA - SAP Center

#12 Liberty vs. #5 Mississippi State - 7:27 PM EST - truTV

Opening Odds: Mississippi State -7.5., 133.5

-- As of Friday morning, most books had adjusted their stance on Mississippi State (23-10 SU, 16-15-2 ATS) being such a heavy favorite over the A-Sun representative. Most have the number at 6.5 with it trending towards the 6-point range.

-- The Bulldogs had more wins than anyone else in the SEC outside of this year's big four of Tennessee, LSU, Kentucky and Auburn and were really strong in Starkville, but they limp into the NCAAs as losers of three of their last five.

-- Sophomore Nick Weatherspoon, younger brother of leading scorer Quinndary Weatherspoon, remains suspended and didn't even make the trip with the Bulldogs. He's missed nine games and Mississippi State has gone 6-3 without him. Older brother Quinndary is the Bulldogs' leader and top scorer (18.2 ppg) and was named First-Team All-SEC, while senior big man Aric Holman and excellent freshman Reggie Perry hold down the paint as 6-foot-10 towers inside. Guard Lamar Peters is streaky but capable of taking over games

-- The Bulldogs are in search of their first NCAA Tournament win since 2008, but must find a way to remain patient and avoid bad shots and turnovers against the Flames' pack-line defense, which has held opponents to 60.8 points per game, currently fifth-lowest in the country. Liberty (28-6 SU, 17-14 ATS) employs a deliberate pace but has held teams to 41.5 percent shooting, including 32 percent from 3-point range.

-- Scottie James leads Liberty's efforts up front and is consistently the biggest guy on the floor more often than not. He's barely 6-foot-8 and no shot blocker, which should illustrate how diligent the Flames are in utilizing position and technique to lock down opponents.

-- Head coach Ritchie McKay took New Mexico to the NCAA Tournament back in 2005 but lost to Villanova as a No. 12 seed despite the presence of future pro Danny Granger. He's leading the Flames to their first NCAA appearance since 2013. They're 0-3 in this event.

-- Counterpart Ben Howland has taken the Bulldogs to the NCAAs for the first time since 2009 and has plenty of experience, having reached two Final Fours with UCLA after also getting there with Pittsburgh and Northern Arizona. Mississippi State reached the NIT Final Four last year.

-- Rebounding will play a critical role in this game since Liberty is hasn't been too strong on the boards due to a lack of size and will be at a disadvantage in terms of athleticism. If they can't control the pace, they'll have issues slowing the game down like they failed to against Vanderbilt, Alabama, Georgetown and Austin Peay, surrendering an average of 80 points per game in the losses. Liberty beat UCLA 73-58 at Pauley Pavilion.

-- The 'under' is 8-3 in Mississippi State's last 11 games.

**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 08:33 AM

Today's biggest bets and line moves: Bettors like UC Irvine's odds vs. Kansas State
Patrick Everson

Max Hazzard and UC Irvine have gotten bettors' attention with a 13-0 SU and 9-3-1 ATS run. Kansas State opened -5.5 for Friday's NCAA Tournament tilt, but Anteaters money took the line to 4.5.

Sixteen games down on Thursday, 16 more coming up on Friday, as the NCAA Tournament rumbles through the Round of 64. Covers checks in on the action and line movement for a handful of contests, with insights from Scott Shelton, sportsbook supervisor at The Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip.

No. 13 UC Irvine vs. No. 4 Kansas State Wildcats – Open: -5.5; Move: -5; Move: -4.5

Kansas State won the Big 12 regular-season crown, but couldn’t carry that momentum through the conference tournament. The Wildcats (25-8 SU, 19-13-1 ATS) fended off Texas Christian in the quarterfinals, then fell to eventual tourney champ Iowa State 63-59 as 2.5-point semifinal pups.

UC Irvine is the pride of the Big West Conference, winning the regular-season and conference tourney titles. The Anteaters (30-5 SU, 20-13-1 ATS) haven’t lost since Jan. 16, going 13-0 SU and 9-3-1 ATS. In Saturdays’ Big West final, UC Irvine boatraced Cal State-Fullerton 92-65 laying 9 points.

“I was a little surprised UC Irvine was getting so much attention,” Shelton said of pointspread action at The Mirage and other MGM sportsbooks. “Money is 2/1, and the Anteaters are getting more love on the moneyline. They’re a popular pick. It’s pretty lopsided for UC Irvine.”

Tipoff for this South Region tilt is at 2 p.m. ET.

No. 12 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers – Open: -1.5 Move: -1; Move: +1; Move: Pick; Move: +1; Move: -1; Move: -1.5; Move: -2; Move: -2.5; Move: -2

Oregon rides into March Madness on an 8-0 SU and ATS streak, included a four-wins-in-four-days spree as the No. 6 seed in the Pac-12 tournament. The Ducks (23-12 SU, 20-15 ATS) hammered Pac-12 top seed Washington 68-48 as 2-point favorites in Saturday’s final.

Wisconsin won four of its last five regular-season games to finish fourth in the Big Ten. The Badgers (23-10 SU, 16-16-1 ATS) then edged Nebraska in the conference tourney quarterfinals before falling to No. 1 seed Michigan State 67-55 as 5.5-point underdogs in Saturday’s semis.

“The line has bounced back and forth. I’d say the money is leaning more toward Wisconsin now,” Shelton said of this 4:30 p.m. ET tip in the South Region. “But there’s a lot of money on both sides. More tickets on Oregon, more money on Wisconsin, a lot of tickets on both sides, and more moneyline tickets on Oregon. It’s a good two-way game.”

No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 7 Cincinnati Bearcats – Open: -3; Move: -3.5; Move: -4

Cincinnati won three games in three days in last week’s American Athletic Conference tournament. The Bearcats (28-6 SU, 14-20 ATS) rolled past fellow NCAA Tourney team Houston 69-57 as 5-point underdogs in Sunday’s AAC final.

Iowa (22-11 SU, 13-20 ATS) managed to slide into the field of 64 despite a rough stretch ahead of Selection Sunday, as it went 1-5 SU and ATS in its last six games. The lone win was over Illinois in the Big Ten tourney opener, followed by a 74-53 loss to Michigan as 8-point pups in the quarterfinals.

“Seventy-six percent of the tickets and 82 percent of the money is on Cincinnati,” Shelton said of pointspread play on the first game of the day, a 12:15 p.m. ET South Region matchup. “The moneyline is lopsided too, 3/1 money on Cincinnati.”

No. 16 Iona Gaels vs. No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels – Open: -24.5; Move: -24; Move: -23

North Carolina is rightly a monster favorite in this 9:20 p.m. ET start, as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. The Tar Heels (27-6 SU, 21-10-2 ATS) were on an 8-0 SU run (6-2 ATS) before meeting Zion Williamson and Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference tourney semis, where they lost 74-73 catching 4.5 points last Friday.

Iona earned an automatic bid to the Big Dance by winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament. The Gaels (17-15 SU, 13-19 ATS) pounded Monmouth 81-60 laying 4 points in the March 11 final.

The line drop in this game is not indicative of where the cash is at MGM books.

“Eighty-two percent of the money is on North Carolina, and 72 percent of the tickets are on the Tar Heels,” Shelton said. “It’s a big public game, and they’re all over North Carolina.”

No. 14 Georgia State Panthers vs. No. 3 Houston Cougars – Open: -11.5; Move: -12; Move: -12.5

Houston claimed the AAC regular-season crown, but fell short of doubling up in the conference tourney. The Cougars (31-3 SU, 21-12-1 ATS) lost to Cincinnati 69-57 giving 5 points in Sunday’s final.

Georgia State won its last nine games, going 7-1-1 ATS while winning the Sun Belt Conference tourney. In Sunday’s final, the Panthers (24-9 SU, 17-14-1 ATS) topped Texas-Arlington 73-64 as 4-point favorites.

“Seventy-five percent of the money is on Houston, and 80 percent of the tickets are on Houston,” Shelton said of pointspread action for this 7:20 p.m. ET start in the Midwest Region.

No. 11 Arizona State Sun Devils vs. No. 6 Buffalo Bulls – Open: -5; Move: -4.5; Move: -5; Move: -4.5

Buffalo is on a 12-game win streak (5-7 ATS) entering this 4 p.m. ET meeting in the West Region. The Bulls (31-3 SU, 18-14-1 ATS) topped Bowling Green 87-73 as 11-point faves in the Mid-America Conference final Saturday.

Arizona State already has a win this week, having survived the First Four play-in round. The Sun Devils (23-10 SU, 18-14-1 ATS) beat St. John’s 74-65 as 1.5-point favorites Wednesday.

Much like Iona-North Carolina, the half-point tick downward in the line doesn’t tell the story of who bettors like here.

“We’re lopsided, it’s all Buffalo, 74 percent of the money and 64 percent of the tickets,” Shelton said of pointspread action.

**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 08:39 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Friday, March 22

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N DAKOTA ST (19 - 15) vs. DUKE (29 - 5) - 3/22/2019, 7:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N DAKOTA ST is 33-49 ATS (-20.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
N DAKOTA ST is 33-49 ATS (-20.9 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
N DAKOTA ST is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
N DAKOTA ST is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in road games in non-conference games this season.
N DAKOTA ST is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
N DAKOTA ST is 28-49 ATS (-25.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
N DAKOTA ST is 11-25 ATS (-16.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
DUKE is 136-102 ATS (+23.8 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 since 1997.
DUKE is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
DUKE is 66-91 ATS (-34.1 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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UCF (23 - 8) vs. VA COMMONWEALTH (25 - 7) - 3/22/2019, 9:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 19-11 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all games this season.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 19-11 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games in first round tournament games since 1997.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
UCF is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when the total is 120 to 129.5 over the last 2 seasons.
UCF is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) on Friday nights 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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GARDNER WEBB (23 - 11) vs. VIRGINIA (29 - 3) - 3/22/2019, 3:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VIRGINIA is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) in all games this season.
VIRGINIA is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
VIRGINIA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 this season.
VIRGINIA is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
VIRGINIA is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) after a conference game this season.
VIRGINIA is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games after scoring 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
VIRGINIA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
GARDNER WEBB is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in March games over the last 3 seasons.
GARDNER WEBB is 24-8 ATS (+15.2 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
GARDNER WEBB is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
GARDNER WEBB is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record 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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OKLAHOMA (19 - 13) vs. OLE MISS (20 - 12) - 3/22/2019, 12:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA is 13-23 ATS (-12.3 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA is 6-20 ATS (-16.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
OLE MISS is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) in all games this season.
OLE MISS is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
OLE MISS is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
OLE MISS is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
OLE MISS is 71-43 ATS (+23.7 Units) off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
OKLAHOMA is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
OKLAHOMA is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 this season.
OKLAHOMA is 11-1 ATS (+9.9 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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IOWA (22 - 11) vs. CINCINNATI (28 - 6) - 3/22/2019, 12:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IOWA is 22-48 ATS (-30.8 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest since 1997.
IOWA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in road games off a loss against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
IOWA is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
IOWA is 8-17 ATS (-10.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 49-71 ATS (-29.1 Units) in March games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) after a conference game this season.
CINCINNATI is 4-11 ATS (-8.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.

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

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COLGATE (24 - 10) vs. TENNESSEE (29 - 5) - 3/22/2019, 2:45 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TENNESSEE is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
COLGATE is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.

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

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IONA (17 - 15) vs. N CAROLINA (27 - 6) - 3/22/2019, 9:20 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IONA is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) in non-conference games this season.
N CAROLINA is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games this season.
N CAROLINA is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
N CAROLINA is 17-9 ATS (+7.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
N CAROLINA is 40-23 ATS (+14.7 Units) in road games on Friday nights since 1997.
N CAROLINA is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) after a conference game this season.
N CAROLINA is 180-141 ATS (+24.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
N CAROLINA is 16-8 ATS (+7.2 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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WASHINGTON (26 - 8) vs. UTAH ST (28 - 6) - 3/22/2019, 6:50 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 12-24 ATS (-14.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH ST is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) on Friday nights since 1997.
UTAH ST is 63-42 ATS (+16.8 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.

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

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OHIO ST (19 - 14) vs. IOWA ST (23 - 11) - 3/22/2019, 9:50 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OHIO ST is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
IOWA ST is 61-36 ATS (+21.4 Units) in March games since 1997.
IOWA ST is 266-212 ATS (+32.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.

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

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GEORGIA ST (24 - 9) vs. HOUSTON (31 - 3) - 3/22/2019, 7:20 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 38-24 ATS (+11.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 38-24 ATS (+11.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in road games in first round tournament games since 1997.

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

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ARIZONA ST (23 - 10) vs. BUFFALO (31 - 3) - 3/22/2019, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 38-21 ATS (+14.9 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
BUFFALO is 38-21 ATS (+14.9 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.
BUFFALO is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
BUFFALO is 35-21 ATS (+11.9 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
BUFFALO is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA ST is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in non-conference 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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N KENTUCKY (26 - 8) vs. TEXAS TECH (26 - 6) - 3/22/2019, 1:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS TECH is 33-53 ATS (-25.3 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in a neutral court game where the total is 135 to 139.5 since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 87-125 ATS (-50.5 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 33-53 ATS (-25.3 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) off a loss against a conference rival 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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LIBERTY (28 - 6) vs. MISSISSIPPI ST (23 - 10) - 3/22/2019, 7:27 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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SAINT LOUIS (23 - 12) vs. VIRGINIA TECH (24 - 8) - 3/22/2019, 9:57 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAINT LOUIS is 58-83 ATS (-33.3 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
VIRGINIA TECH is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
SAINT LOUIS is 38-22 ATS (+13.8 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SAINT LOUIS is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) after scoring 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.

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

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OREGON (23 - 12) vs. WISCONSIN (23 - 10) - 3/22/2019, 4:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OREGON is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in March games this season.
OREGON is 40-21 ATS (+16.9 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) off a win against a conference rival this season.
OREGON is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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UC-IRVINE (30 - 5) vs. KANSAS ST (25 - 8) - 3/22/2019, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS ST is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) after a conference game this season.
KANSAS ST is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
UC-IRVINE is 42-23 ATS (+16.7 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest since 1997.
UC-IRVINE is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) after a conference game this season.
UC-IRVINE is 12-5 ATS (+6.5 Units) off a win against a conference rival this season.

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

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DRAKE (24 - 9) at SOUTHERN UTAH (16 - 16) - 3/22/2019, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SOUTHERN UTAH is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
DRAKE is 23-7 ATS (+15.3 Units) in all games this season.
DRAKE is 23-7 ATS (+15.3 Units) in all lined games this season.
DRAKE is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 this season.
DRAKE is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
DRAKE is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) after a conference game this season.
DRAKE is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in non-conference games this season.
DRAKE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) after scoring 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
DRAKE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games in all tournament games over the last 2 seasons.
SOUTHERN UTAH is 19-34 ATS (-18.4 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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**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 08:40 AM

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, March 22

Friday’s games
Iowa lost six of its last eight games; they’re in NCAA’s for first time in three years. Hawkeyes are experience team #223 that gets 22.9% of its points on foul line- McCaffery was suspended for two of those games, after cursing out a ref after a game. Cincy beat UConn of AAC by 19 in November. Cincinnati won seven of its last nine games; they’re experience team #98 that plays a slow (#338) pace. Bearcats lost by 8 to Ohio St in their only Big 14 game. McCaffery is 2-1 in NCAA first round games; Cronin is 5-3. Last four teams, teams are 11-11-1 vs spread in Big 14-AAC matchups. Last six years, favorites are 16-8 vs spread in 7-10 games.

Oklahoma/Ole Miss both lost in first round of their conference tourney; Sooners lost eight of last 12 games, Rebels lost five of last seven. Oklahoma is experience team #45 whose defense had #28 eFG%; they beat Florida by 5 in only SEC game. Ole Miss beat Baylor by 8; they’re #183 experience team that that forces turnovers 21% of time. Kruger is 2-3 in first round games at Oklahoma; Davis was 2-1 in first round games at Middle Tennessee, winning as 12-15 seeds. Last three years, underdogs are 7-5 vs spread in 8-9 games. This season, Big X teams are 11-8 vs spread when playing an SEC opponent.

Northern Kentucky won its last five games, is 26-8, shooting 55.3% inside arc; Norse are in field of 68 for 2nd time in three years- they lost 79-70 (+20) to Kentucky two years ago. NKU is #187 experience team; Horizon teams lost last seven first round games (2-5 vs spread); league hasn’t won an NCAA game since Butler got to national title game in 2011. Texas Tech had won nine in a row before losing in first round of Big X tourney; Red Raiders are #105 experience team that forces turnovers 23% of time, and has #2 defensive eFG% in country. Beard is 4-2 in NCAA’s, 2-0 in first round games.

Check status of K-State big man Wade, who missed Big X tourney last week. Cal-Irvine won its last 16 games; they’re experience team #44 that plays pace #296- they start three juniors, two seniors. Anteaters are 2-3 vs top 100 teams, with losses by 7-24-17 points- they beat Texas A&M, Saint Mary’s. Kansas State won 10 of its last 13 games; they’re experience team #39 that plays tempo #342. Coach Weber is 2-5 in last seven first round games. Big West hasn’t won a first round game since Pacific in 2005 (they’re 2-0 in play-in games since then); they’re 2-6 vs spread in last eight first round games. Last five years, underdogs are 12-8 vs spread in 4-13 games.

Tennessee is just 6-4 in its last ten games after starting season 23-1; Vols are experience team #53 (#3 in MC); that shoots 55.7% inside arc- their eFG% is #20 on offense, #35 on defense. Tennessee beat Kentucky Saturday, then lost SEC title game Sunday, caught break with not having to play until Friday here. Colgate is in NCAA’s for first time since the Adonal Foyle era, are experience team #205.. Red Raiders won their last 11 games. Since 2003, Patriot League teams are 9-6 vs spread in first round games, 2-5 in last seven- they covered last two, in losses by 6-4 points. Since 2011, SEC double digit favorites are 5-6 vs spread in first round.

Last year, Virginia was first #1 seed ever to lose to a 16-seed; Cavaliers won nine of their last 10 games overall, are experience team #199 that plays slowest tempo in country. Cavaliers have #4 eFG% defense in country. Gardner-Webb is in NCAA’s for first time, but they beat Ga Tech, Wake Forest of ACC this year, so no need to be intimidated; they’ve won 11 of last 13 games overall. Bulldogs make 37.7% of their 3’s. Gardner-Webb is experience team #160; they haven’t played in 12 days. Big South teams lost last seven NCAA tourney games, going 0-4 vs spread in last four; their last first round win was Winthrop in 2007.

Buffalo smoked Arizona by 21 in this round LY; they’re experience team #14 that is 5-1 vs top 100 teams this season. Buffalo won its last 12 games; they’re 12-1 outside MAC, losing by 18 at Marquette. Bulls’ last loss was Feb 1st; they force turnovers 20.5% of time, are shooting 55.7% inside arc. MAC teams are 7-3 vs spread in their last ten first round games. Bobby Hurley went 42-20 in two years coaching Buffalo; then bolted to Arizona State in 2015; his ASU team beat St John’s by 9 Wednesday, playing three guys 31:00+ in a game where ASU was 23-33 on foul line. Sun Devils are experience team #281 whose only senior starter is a transfer.

Oregon won its last eight games after being 15-12 at one point this season; Ducks are #304 experience team whose best player hasn’t played since Dec 12. Oregon’s defensive eFG% is #25 in country; they held seven of last eight opponents to 61 or fewer points. Ducks lost by 8 to Iowa this year; Badgers beat Stanford by 16. Altman is 5-0 in first round games at Oregon; Gard won both his first round tournament games. Wisconsin won six of its last eight games; they’re experience team #201 whose defensive eFG% is #10 in country. These are two slow tempo teams; Oregon plays tempo #328, Badgers #332.

Duke covered three of its last four first round games; they won ACC tournament last week, with Williamson playing 35-36-40 minutes on consecutive days. Blue Devils are 2-0 vs teams ranked outside top 200 this year, winning by 22-64 points. North Dakota State starts three juniors, has no seniors who play; Bison played eight guys 11:00+ in its win Wednesday, making 9-20 on arc. NDSU tied for 3rd in the Summit League. Since 2003, Summit teams are 2-16 in NCAA games, with only non-play-in win in ’14; last five years, they’re 3-1-1 vs spread in first round games.

Picked for 8th in Mountain West preseason poll, Utah State won 17 of its last 18 games, won MW tourney, with #19 eFG% in country; Aggies are experience team #283- they lost by 5 to Arizona State, in only game vs a Pac-12 squad. Last 10 years, Mountain West teams are 9-17 vs spread in first round games. Washington won Pac-12 regular season, lost tourney final; they went 4-3 in last seven games after starting season 22-5; Huskies are experience team #42 that forces turnovers 24.1% of time. Both coaches are in NCAA’s for first time as a head coach. This season, Mountain West teams are 7-6 vs spread when playing a Pac-12 opponent.

Georgia State won its last five games, is 24-9; they’re experience team #29 that makes 38.4% of its 3’s, scoring 38.1% of their points behind arc (#43). Panthers beat Tulane (worst team in AAC) by 4 this year. Houston is 31-3 after losing AAC title game Sunday; Cougars are experience team #145 that has best defensive eFG% in country. Sun Belt teams are 4-3 vs spread in last seven first round games, splitting last four games SU; Georgia State is in NCAA’s for 3rd time in last five years; they upset Baylor 57-56 (+7.5) four years ago, lost 68-53 (+14.5) in this round LY. Sampson is 10-8 in his last 18 NCAA games, winning five of last eight first round games.

Liberty beat UCLA by 15, Georgia State by 26; they lost by 10 at Georgetown. Flames won 18 of their last 20 games; they’re experience team #122 (#30 in MC) that makes 56.7% of its 2’s, has #12 eFG% in country. Mississippi State lost three of last five games, is 23-10; they make 37.8% of their 3’s, have #28 eFG% in country. Bulldogs are experience team #182 (#16 in MC). Howland is 19-9 in NCAA games; he made Final Four three years in row at UCLA, and is 7-2 in first round games. Atlantic Sun teams covered four of last five first round games; since 2004, they’re 8-6 vs spread.

Iona won MAAC tournament for 4th year in row, and 6th time in eight years; they’re 0-5 vs spread in NCAA games, losing last three years in this round by 13-16-22 points, with average total in those games of 167. Iona won its last ten games after starting season 7-15; they’re a bad defensive team (#275 eFG%) and they play fast (#45 pace). This was worst season MAAC has had since at least 2002. North Carolina won eight of its last nine games; they start three seniors and play #5 pace. UNC is 1-4 vs spread in its last five first round games. Last four years, #1 seeds are 9-7 against the spread in this round.

VCU’s star guard Evans hurt his leg Friday; it looked serious, check status. Rams had won 12 in a row before Evans got hurt, then they got upset by URI. VCU has #3 defensive eFG%; they’re making only 30.7% on arc, which is bad news vs a Central Florida team with 7-6 center Fall in middle. VCU is experience team #227, with only one senior on their depth chart (3rd string C). UCF lost its last eight games after winning seven of previous eight games; Knights are #20 experience team that has #13 defensive eFG%. Dawkins is coaching in NCAA for only 2nd time in 11 years as a HC. UCF beat St Joe’s by 20 in their only A-14 game this season.

Ohio State lost seven of its last ten games; they’re experience team #259 that started season 12-1, mainly because they played #245 non-conference schedule. Buckeyes play slowish (#272) pace- they shot only 32.1% on arc in their conference games. Iowa State won Big X tourney for fourth time; Cyclones are #225 experience team that is shooting 55% inside arc, and #25 eFG%, Both coaches are unbeaten in first round games; Holtmann is 4-0, Prohm 3-0. Last four years, Big X teams are 22-18 vs spread when playing Big 14 teams. Last five years, underdogs are 12-8 vs spread in 6-11 games.

Virginia Tech gets star PG Robinson back after he missed last 12 games; they went 7-5 in those games. Hokies are 24-8- they’re experience team #1000 whose bench just got little deeper with Robinson back as a starter, Tech is shooting 39.4% on arc this year (#8). Saint Louis won six of its last seven games; they won four games in four days to win A-14 tourney, despite their bench playing minutes #341. Billikens shoot only 30.8% on arc, 59.8% inside arc; their eFG% is #322 in country. SLU coach Ford is 1-6 in NCAA tourney games, 1-5 in first round, despite not being lower than a 9-seed at Oklahoma State. Williams is 8-7 in NCAA games, 4-3 in first round.

Friday’s other tournament games
Memphis won seven of its last nine games, but they lost five of last six road games; this is their first road game in 20 days. Tigers are 9-5 outside AAC; they play #7 pace in country. Memphis had easy time with San Diego Tuesday; nine guys played 12:00+. Creighton won six of its last seven games; they played four started 34:00+ Tuesday in 70-61 win over Loyola. Bluejays are #285 experience team that is shooting 38.5% on arc- they get 40.4% of their points there.

Drake had some injury issues during Arch Madness, but they haven’t played in 13 days; check status on their health. Bulldogs won seven of their last nine games; they’re on their 3rd coach in three years, are experience team #174 that won five of its last seven road games. Southern Utah lost four of its last six games; they’re experience team #265 that scored 83+ points in its last three wins, lost last three times they scored less than 83.

**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 08:46 AM

NCAAB

Friday, March 22

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

Iowa @ Cincinnati
Iowa
Iowa is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Iowa is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games
Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games
Cincinnati is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games

Oklahoma @ Mississippi
Oklahoma
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma's last 9 games
Oklahoma is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Mississippi
Mississippi is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Mississippi's last 11 games

Northern Kentucky @ Texas Tech
Northern Kentucky
No trends to report
Texas Tech
Texas Tech is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Texas Tech's last 7 games

UC Irvine @ Kansas State
UC Irvine
UC Irvine is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
UC Irvine is 9-1-1 ATS in its last 11 games
Kansas State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas State's last 6 games
Kansas State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

Colgate @ Tennessee
Colgate
No trends to report
Tennessee
Tennessee is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tennessee's last 5 games

Gardner-Webb @ Virginia
Gardner-Webb
No trends to report
Virginia
Virginia is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
Virginia is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games

Arizona State @ Buffalo
Arizona State
Arizona State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Arizona State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Buffalo
Buffalo is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Buffalo is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games

Oregon @ Wisconsin
Oregon
Oregon is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Oregon is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Wisconsin's last 17 games

Washington @ Utah State
Washington
Washington is 19-4 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Washington's last 14 games
Utah State
Utah State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Utah State is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games

North Dakota State @ Duke
North Dakota State
North Dakota State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
North Dakota State is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games
Duke
Duke is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Duke's last 6 games

Georgia State @ Houston
Georgia State
Georgia State is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Georgia State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Houston
Houston is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games
Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games

Liberty @ Mississippi State
Liberty
No trends to report
Mississippi State
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Mississippi State's last 11 games
Mississippi State is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games

Drake @ Southern Utah
Drake
Drake is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Drake is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Southern Utah
Southern Utah is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Southern Utah is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games at home

Memphis @ Creighton
Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis's last 5 games
Memphis is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Creighton
Creighton is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Creighton is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

Iona @ North Carolina
Iona
Iona is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Iona is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games
North Carolina
North Carolina is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
North Carolina is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games

Central Florida @ VCU
Central Florida
Central Florida is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Central Florida's last 5 games
VCU
VCU is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games
VCU is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games

Ohio State @ Iowa State
Ohio State
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Ohio State's last 7 games
Ohio State is 7-14 ATS in its last 21 games
Iowa State
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Iowa State's last 16 games

Saint Louis @ Virginia Tech
Saint Louis
Saint Louis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Saint Louis's last 5 games
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
Virginia Tech is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games

Arkansas @ Indiana
Arkansas
Arkansas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arkansas's last 5 games on the road
Indiana
Indiana is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games

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

**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 08:48 AM

797N Dakota St -798 Duke
N DAKOTA ST is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) in road games after 2 straight games committing 11 or less turnovers in the last 3 seasons.

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.

817Arizona St -818 Buffalo
ARIZONA ST is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) vs. excellent teams (Win Pct: 80%+) 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.

853Arkansas -854 Indiana
INDIANA is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in home games after covering 5 or 6 of their last 7 against the spread over the last 2 seasons.

853Arkansas -854 Indiana
Archie Miller is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in home games after covering 5 or 6 of their last 7 against the spread (Coach of INDIANA)

857Fla International -858 Texas St
TEXAS ST is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) in home games versus good ball handling teams - committing <=14 turnovers/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.

**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 09:23 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Friday, March 22

Iowa @ Cincinnati

Game 805-806
March 22, 2019 @ 12:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Iowa
64.562
Cincinnati
66.476
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cincinnati
by 2
142
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cincinnati
by 3 1/2
137 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Iowa
(+3 1/2); Over

Oklahoma @ Ole Miss

Game 803-804
March 22, 2019 @ 12:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma
67.169
Ole Miss
66.292
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma
by 1
148
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ole Miss
by 1 1/2
142
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma
(+1 1/2); Over

Northern Kentucky @ Texas Tech

Game 819-820
March 22, 2019 @ 1:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Northern Kentucky
61.801
Texas Tech
69.579
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas Tech
by 8
132
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas Tech
by 13 1/2
137
Dunkel Pick:
Northern Kentucky
(+13 1/2); Under

UC-Irvine @ Kansas State

Game 827-828
March 22, 2019 @ 2:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
UC-Irvine
62.991
Kansas State
72.039
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas State
by 9
114
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas State
by 4 1/2
119
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas State
(-4 1/2); Under

Colgate @ Tennessee

Game 807-808
March 22, 2019 @ 2:45 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colgate
58.267
Tennessee
73.284
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tennessee
by 15
151
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tennessee
by 18
147 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Colgate
(+18); Over

Gardner-Webb @ Virginia

Game 801-802
March 22, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Gardner-Webb
57.811
Virginia
76.454
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Virginia
by 18 1/2
137
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Virginia
by 22 1/2
130
Dunkel Pick:
Gardner-Webb
(+22 1/2); Over

Arizona State @ Buffalo

Game 817-818
March 22, 2019 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona State
65.078
Buffalo
67.178
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Buffalo
by 2
164
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Buffalo
by 5 1/2
155 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona State
(+5 1/2); Over

Oregon @ Wisconsin

Game 825-826
March 22, 2019 @ 4:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oregon
65.862
Wisconsin
69.752
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Wisconsin
by 4
111
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Wisconsin
by 2
116 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Wisconsin
(-2); Under

Washington @ Utah State

Game 811-812
March 22, 2019 @ 6:50 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
62.220
Utah State
67.198
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah State
by 5
128
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah State
by 3
135
Dunkel Pick:
Utah State
(-3); Under

Memphis @ Creighton

Game 829-830
March 22, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
64.864
Creighton
72.354
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Creighton
by 7 1/2
165
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Creighton
by 4 1/2
160 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Creighton
(-4 1/2); Over

Drake @ Southern Utah

Game 833-834
March 22, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Drake
49.038
Southern Utah
50.285
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Southern Utah
by 1
141
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Drake
by 4 1/2
149
Dunkel Pick:
Southern Utah
(+4 1/2); Under

North Dakota St @ Duke

Game 797-798
March 22, 2019 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
North Dakota St
48.396
Duke
82.385
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Duke
by 34
156
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Duke
by 27
148
Dunkel Pick:
Duke
(-27); Over

Georgia State @ Houston

Game 815-816
March 22, 2019 @ 7:20 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Georgia State
57.203
Houston
72.694
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 15 1/2
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 12
141 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-12); Over

Liberty @ Mississippi State

Game 821-822
March 22, 2019 @ 7:27 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Liberty
63.614
Mississippi State
66.739
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Mississippi State
by 3
128
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Mississippi State
by 6 1/2
134
Dunkel Pick:
Liberty
(+6 1/2); Under

Iona @ North Carolina

Game 809-810
March 22, 2019 @ 9:20 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Iona
55.165
North Carolina
80.097
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
North Carolina
by 25
170
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
North Carolina
by 23
166
Dunkel Pick:
North Carolina
(-23); Over

UCF @ VA-Commonwealth

Game 799-800
March 22, 2019 @ 9:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
UCF
67.331
VA-Commonwealth
64.401
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
UCF
by 3
120
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
UCF
by 1
127
Dunkel Pick:
UCF
(-1); Under

Ohio State @ Iowa State

Game 813-814
March 22, 2019 @ 9:50 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ohio State
64.272
Iowa State
71.597
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Iowa State
by 7 1/2
135
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Iowa State
by 5 1/2
140 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Iowa State
(-5 1/2); Under

St Louis @ Virginia Tech

Game 823-824
March 22, 2019 @ 9:57 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St Louis
63.549
Virginia Tech
72.025
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Virginia Tech
by 8 1/2
124
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Virginia Tech
by 10 1/2
126
Dunkel Pick:
St Louis
(+10 1/2); Under

**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 11:31 AM

Friday's odds and best bets for South Region Round 1
Rohit Ponnaiya

March Madness is in full swing and we've got six games in the South Region today highlighted by a defensive battle between Wisconsin and Oregon, while the two best ATS teams in the field of 64 look to continue their success. We break down our predictions and best bets for the second day of the NCAA Tournament.

(10) Iowa Hawkeyes vs (7) Cincinatti Bearcats

Odds:CIN -4, 137.5

Start Time: 12:15 p.m. ET, Columbus, OH

Both of these teams have been poor covers of late with the Hawkeyes 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games, while the Bearcats are 2-9 ATS over their previous 11. The difference is that the Hawkeyes are 4-6 straight up over that span while the Bearcats are 8-3.

As an added bonus Cincinnati has to travel a mere 106 miles from their campus to Nationwide Arena in Columbus, so this matchup will practically feel like a home game and Iowa is just 3-7 ATS on the road this season.

Iowa has size and can score from a variety of spots on the floor but Cincy has the more balanced team, with a tough, physical defense and a capable offense led by Jarron Cumberland and his 18.8 points per game. Back the Bearcats to win and cover.

(9) Oklahoma Sooners vs (8) Mississippi Rebels

Odds: MISS -1, 142.5

Start Time: 12:45 p.m. ET, Columbia, SC

This game between 19-3 Oklahoma and 20-12 Ole Miss is almost a pick'em with just the Rebels favored by just a single point. Somewhat surprisingly the Rebels have been one of the best ATS teams in the country with a record of 23-9.

When you look deeper at these teams it's easy to see why oddsmakers are predicting the game to be so close. Both have played highly competitive schedules this year and have generally lost to teams ranked highly, while mostly winning the games they are expected to. Oklahoma has the better defense, but Ole Miss has the stronger offense and both teams have good depth and athleticism.

Oklahoma has the 23rd ranked defense in the country according to the KenPom efficiency rating and holds opponents to 40.2 percent shooting from the field. The Rebels averaged 75.4 ppg on the season but recently have been much less impressive on offense, with an average of 69 ppg over their last nine games.

The Sooners have been an excellent Under bet all season going 12-20 to the O/U, while the Rebels have hit the Under in eight of their last 11 games. We're going to avoid the side bet (which almost looks like a coin flip) and take the Total bet Under instead.

(13) UC Irvine Anteaters vs (4) Kansas State Wildcats

Odds: KSU -4.5, 118.5

Start Time: 2:00 p.m. ET, San Jose, CA

This game has upset written all over it. UC Irvine is one of the best defensive teams around, holding opponents to the lowest 2-point shooting percentage in the country at 40.7 percent. They also dominate the boards, grabbing 54.7 percent of all available rebounds which is the tenth-best rate in the nation.

KSU has an excellent defense of it's own, holding opponents to just 59.2 ppg but they also score just 65.8 ppg and run just 66.2 possessions per game both marks outside the top-300. The Wildcats' second-leading (and most efficient) scorer Dean Wade is also doubtful for the game due to a foot injury. It looks like both teams will struggle to score in this one, which could make it really tough for KSU to cover the spread.

Add to that the fact that the Wildcats are travelling 1800 miles for this game while the Anteaters are travelling less than 400 and we're leaning towards taking UC Irvine at +4.5.

(15) Colgate Raiders vs (2) Tennessee Volunteers

Odds: TENN -17.5, 147.5

Start Time: 2:45 p.m. ET, Columbus, OH

Colgate has been an excellent Over play this season (20-12 O/U) and can light up the scoreboard with 75.5 ppg. They also give up 70.1 ppg despite playing at a slow pace, which is bad news against a prolific Volunteers offense that ranks ninth in the country with 81.7 ppg.

Colgate hasn't played anybody even close to as talented as Tennessee on offense and the Vols have also suffered through defensive lapses of their own, including games where they allowed 92 points to Memphis and 87 points to Arkansas.

With the Raiders 5-1 to the Over in their previous six games and the Vols cashing the Over each of their last four games, back the Over again.

(16) Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs vs (1) Virginia Cavaliers

Odds: UVA -22, 130

Time: 3:10 p.m. ET, Columbia, SC

Virginia might arguably have the best team in the country and that shows with this line which opened at a massive -24 before going slightly down. UVA is without a doubt much better in every aspect of the game than the Runnin' Bulldogs (God I love that nickname), but are they 22 points better?

Virginia has been terrific at covering all season, their 23-9 ATS record is tied with Ole Miss for the best out of any team in the Field of 64. More importantly for bettors, the Cavaliers have covered in nine of 11 games this season where they were favored by at least 18 points.

If you think that they might relax towards the end of the game and let Gardner-Webb cover late, the first half spread at -13.5 might be good choice. Virginia did average a first half scoring margin of +9.5 over the season and should be eager to take out their frustration after a rare loss in their last game against Florida State.

(12) Oregon Ducks vs (5) Wisconsin Badgers

Odds: WIS -2, 116.5

Time: 4:30 p.m ET, San Jose, CA

How low can you go? That's what bettors might be asking with this matchup. This game has all the makings of a defensive battle, featuring two teams with excellent defenses and below average offenses that play at a slow tempo. The total is set at 116.5, the lowest total off all games in the South Region.

While Oregon has a very impressive defense that allows just 62.9 ppg on 40.2 percent shooting, Wisconsin is even better holding opponents to 61.4 ppg on 39.3 percent shooting (and against better competition in the Big Ten).

Both teams are also more than capable of hitting the three-ball. The big difference maker is inside, where Wisconsin has big man Ethan Happ. Happ is a load down low who can rebound and score close to the basket. Perhaps more importantly his presence inside opens things up for Wisconsin's shooters, and Happ is an excellent passer that likes to kick it out to them when he sees them open.

One other thing that gives Wisconsin the edge in this one? They seldom make mistakes. The Badgers committ only 9.5 turnovers per game, the sixth-lowest figure in the nation and their 15 personal fouls per game ranks 15th. Back Wisconsin to win and cover the two points.

**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 11:34 AM

Friday's odds and best bets for West Region Round 1
Brandon DuBreuil

The madness continues on Friday and even though the West Region slows down with just two games, the action should be entertaining and there could be money to be made. We take a look at the odds, totals, and betting trends while giving a best bet for each of today's games.

(14) Northern Kentucky Norse vs (3) Texas Tech Red Raiders

Odds: Texas Tech -13.5, O/U 137
Start time: 1:30 p.m. ET, Bank of Oklahoma Center, Tulsa

Texas Tech is one of the top defensive teams in the country, ranked first in KenPom’s Adjusted Defensive Efficiency while allowing just 59.3 points per game (fourth-fewest in the nation). The Red Raiders come in off an ugly loss, however, after West Virginia beat them outright in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals in a game where Texas Tech was a 13-point fave.

This makes for an interesting matchup as the Norse’s strength lies on offense, where they score 79.1 points per game led by Drew McDonald, a senior forward who averages 19.1 points on 48.2 percent shooting and 9.5 rebounds.

Though they are coming off a loss, the Red Raiders are 8-2 ATS in their last 10. However, those two losses both came in games where they were favored by 13 points or more. In fact, Texas Tech is just 1-3 ATS this season when favored by 12 or more. This isn’t all that surprising as it’s difficult to cover large spreads when most of their games feature low totals.

Instead of messing around with that double-digit spread full-game spread, I’m going to look to the first half. Texas Tech got embarrassed in its last game and should be very motivated to come out strong. It just so happens that the Red Raiders have been a very strong first-half team of late, going 8-1 ATS in their last nine. The Norse, meanwhile, have lost four straight ATS in the first half and eight of their last 10. Take Texas Tech -7.5 in the first half.

(11) Arizona State Sun Devils vs (6) Buffalo Bulls

Odds: Buffalo -4.5, O/U 156
Start time: 4 p.m. ET, Bank of Oklahoma Center, Tulsa

If you haven’t had the chance to see Buffalo play yet this season, you’re in for a treat as the Bulls light it up to the tune of 84.9 points per game, fourth-most per game in the nation, while playing at the ninth-fastest adjusted tempo, according to KenPom.

The Bulls are also a senior-laden team that has experience winning at the NCAA Tournament after they crushed fourth-seeded Arizona as an 11-seed last season in the first round 89-68 (before falling to Kentucky 95-75 in the second round).

Arizona State advanced after cruising to a 74-65 win over St. John’s in the First Four on Wednesday. The Sun Devils jumped out to a 13-point lead at the half and then held on, despite turning the ball over a whopping 21 times, including six from point guard Remy Martin.

Taking care of the ball could be an issue for Arizona State, a team that turned the ball over 13.6 times per game this season. Buffalo is known for its offense but the Bulls are solid defensively as well with an Adjusted Defensive Efficiency Rank of 27th in the nation, according to KenPom. The Bulls are also a top-60 team in the nation with 7.2 steals per game.

Plus, did ASU play that well on Wednesday or did St. John’s play really poorly? The Red Storm shot just 31.9 percent from the field and missed 10 free throws in a game that coach Chris Mullen called “one of our worst games of the season overall.”

This Buffalo team has a lot going for it, including a 12-game winning streak and a 5-1 ATS record in games where it is favored by 4.5-points or less. Back the Bulls at -4.5.

**Udog** · 03-22-2019, 11:36 AM

Friday's odds and best bets for East Region Round 1
Jason Logan

After four matinee March Madness games Thursday, the East Region of the NCAA Tournament is on the night shift with all four outings in the evening. Jason Logan is taming the “beast of the East” this March, breaking down the odds and action, and giving his best March Madness bets for Friday.

NO. 16 NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON VS NO. 1 DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Odds: Duke -27, 148.5
Start Time: 7:10 p.m. ET, Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, South Carolina

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for: Duke’s Big Dance debut.

The Blue Devils are lugging a load of points into this Round of 64 matchup with North Dakota State, and I expect this spread to grow once the public pounds Zion, R.J., and the rest of Coach K’s crew. Sharps may come sniffing around for value on the dog in a hours before tipoff.

Duke has gone full-on Cobra Kai (NO MERCY!) in the opening round since that infamous loss to Mercer back in 2014. The Blue Devils are a perfect 4-0 ATS in their last four tournament openers, covering lofty chalk as -20.5, -19.5, and -22.5 favorites in that span (covered -6 vs. Yale in 2016).

The Blue Devils have been favorites of 20 or more points 10 times this season, going 6-4 ATS versus those sky-high spreads. However, they’ve been far from dominant in the first half of those games. Duke held an average first-half lead of 12.8 points in those 10 contests then erupted in the final 20 minutes, posting an average second-half margin of 18.6 points.

The Blue Devils will slowly dip their toe into the NCAA Tournament pool, which is why I’m going NDSU +15.5 in the first half Friday.

NO.12 LIBERTY FLAMES VS NO. 5 MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS

Odds: MSU -6.5, 133.5
Start Time: 7:27 p.m. ET, SAP Center, San Jose, California

Liberty has drawn many comparisons to last year’s tournament Cinderella, Loyola-Chicago, and one of them is the Flames’ pace of play. They rank among the bottom of the country in terms of tempo, averaging just 66.5 possessions per game (12th fewest).

Mississippi State, on the other hand, sits in the middle of the road in terms of tempo, averaging a respectable 77.3 points per game – 65th in the country. The Bulldogs have run into a few opponents that also employ a methodical pace, including three SEC rivals – Florida, Kentucky (twice) and Missouri – which sit with a tempo rating of 65.9 or lower. The Bulldogs went 1-3 Over/Under in those conference games.

Mississippi State also came across some slower-paced teams during non-conference play, taking on the likes of St. Mary’s, Dayton, Cincinnati, and Wright State – all of which rank in the bottom 34 teams in terms of pace. The Bulldogs played Under the total in each of those four meeting.

For those keeping score, MSU is 1-7 Over/Under versus those foes playing at a snail’s pace, averaging a mere 65.5 points in those eight games. I see them getting sucked into a grinder versus Liberty and staying Under their team total of 70 points Friday.

NO. 9 CENTRAL FLORIDA KNIGHTS VS NO. 8 VCU RAMS

Odds: UCF -1, 126.5
Start Time: 9:40 p.m. ET, Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, South Carolina

Jeez, I wish these two teams didn’t have to play each other in the first round, as I think they could’ve upset the bracket cart. But, here we are.

Virginia Commonwealth got a raw deal in the A-10 tournament, losing top scorer Marcus Evans early into their loss against Rhode Island. That blew up a 12-game winning streak by the Rams, in which they went 10-2 against the spread. Evans is expected back for this opening NCAA game, and the early action moved VCU from a 1-point fave to a 1-point dog.

Central Florida poses the biggest challenge to VCU this season… no really. This is the biggest team the Rams have played. Virginia Commonwealth has played only three teams taller then its average height this season – Old Dominion, Temple, and Davidson – going 1-2 SU and ATS in those contests. They also played Texas, which was of equal in stature, and won and covered in that contest.

The notable takeaway from those games was VCU’s offensive output versus tall opponents: averaging just 55 points per game in those meetings. That’s well below their season output of 71.4 points per game. Central Florida gives up just over 64 points on average on 39.5 percent shooting, with 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall as the keystone.

I’m going with VCU Under 62.5 team total in this one.

NO. 13 ST. LOUIS BILLIKENS VS NO. 6 VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES

Odds: VT -10, 126
Start Time: 9:57 p.m. ET, SAP Center, San Jose, California

Note the venue and start time for this final Friday game in the East Region. The Hokies will be playing in their latest start of the season (no start time later than 8 p.m. ET) after traveling almost 2,700 miles from East to West for this tournament opener Friday. And let’s not forget SLU either, making the plus-2,000-mile pilgrimage to play in San Jose.

The Billikens snuck into the field of 64 with an upset win as a No. 6 seed in the A-10 tournament. Saint Louis, which ranks among the worst shooting teams in the country, played above its numbers in the conference tournament and locked down foes on defense. Saint Louis now runs into a Virginia Tech team that doesn’t give away much on the defensive end either. The Hokies rank 25th in defensive efficiency and allow just over 62 points per contest.

With two defense-first teams traveling across the country and playing outside of their comfort (time) zone, I don’t see a lot of points on the board for this Friday finale. I’ve got the Under 126.

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Friday's NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 3/22

Friday's NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 3/22

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