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**StarDust Bum** · 01-30-2012, 06:04 PM

Games to Watch

January 30, 2012

The men's college basketball season closes-out the month of January and we have already witnessed a number of shocking upsets and fantastic finishes. You have to believe that the best is yet to come as teams get set to hit the stretch run in their quest to earn a spot in this March's NCAA Tournament. Every game on the schedule from now until the end of the regular season is an opportunity to take another step toward making that dream a reality.

The following is a brief look at the top matchups for each day this week along with a few facts and figures to help handicap the games.

Monday, January 30 - No. 2 Missouri Tigers vs. Texas Longhorns

Missouri cruised past Texas Tech 63-50 this past Saturday, but could not cover as a 23 ½-point home favorite. The Tigers are now 19-2 straight-up on the year, but just 10-6 against the spread. They are 6-2 SU (5-3 ATS) on the road and the total has gone 'over' in five of the eight games.

Texas continues to struggle in the Big 12 with just one victory in its last five conference games. The slide started with an 84-73 loss to the Tigers as a 9 ½-point road underdog on January 14 and continued with a 76-71 loss to No. 7 Baylor this past Saturday as a seven-point road dog. The Longhorns are now 13-8 SU and 6-10 ATS. They have been opened as one-point home underdogs for this game.

Tuesday, January 31 - Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats

Tennessee won for just its second time in its last six games and is now 10-11 SU (11-7-1 ATS) overall after knocking off Auburn 64-49 as an 8 ½-point home favorite this past Saturday. One of the Volunteers' earlier losses in the SEC this season was a hard-fought 65-62 setback to the Wildcats on January 14 as 9 ½-point home underdogs.

Kentucky is 21-1 SU on the year but just 6-14-1 ATS. It did cover the spread in its last two victories on the road, but is still a woeful 2-10-1 ATS at home this season. The total has stayed 'under' in 13 of the 21 games overall, but has gone 'over' in seven of the 13 games at home.

Wednesday, February 1 - Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 5 Kansas Jayhawks

Oklahoma snapped a two-game slide with a stunning 63-60 victory over No. 24 Kansas State this past Saturday as an 11 ½-point road underdog. The Sooners are 13-7 SU and 7-9 ATS on the year. The first time these two met this season, Oklahoma lost 72-65 as a 4 ½-point home underdog.

Kansas is coming off a stunning 72-64 loss to Iowa State as a seven-point road favorite. Saturday's loss dropped the Jayhawks to 17-4 SU and 10-10 ATS. They are 11-1 SU at home this season and 6-5 ATS. The total has also gone 6-5 in the 11 games.

Thursday, February 2 - No. 6 Duke Blue Devils vs. Virginia Tech Hokies

Duke comes into this game at 18-3 SU after posting an 83-76 nonconference win over St. John's this past Saturday, but it fell to 8-13 ATS after failing to cover as a 17 ½-point home favorite. The Blue Devils are 3-2 SU on the road this season and 2-3 ATS. The total went 'over' in three of the five games.

Virginia Tech fell to 12-9 SU overall and 1-5 SU in the ACC with Saturday's 73-69 loss to Maryland as a two-point road favorite. The Hokies are now 6-10-1 ATS overall and the total has stayed 'under' in 11 of the 17 games. They are 8-4 SU at home this season, but just 3-5 ATS.

Friday, February 30 - Cornell Big Red vs. No. 23 Harvard Crimson

Cornell is 7-11 SU (5-5 ATS) overall this season and still looking for its first victory on the road against nine previous defeats. The total has stayed 'under' in seven of 10 games overall and in five of seven on the road.

Harvard continues to hold a spot in the national rankings with nine wins in their last 10 games SU but is just 4-6 ATS. Overall, the Crimson are 18-2 SU and 9-6 ATS. They are a perfect 6-0 SU (1-3 ATS) at home this season and the total has stayed 'under' in 11 of their 14 games overall.

Saturday, February 4 - No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 25 Wisconsin Badgers

Ohio State rolled-over No. 22 Michigan this past Sunday 64-49 as a 14-point home favorite to improve to 19-3 SU and 11-6 ATS. The Buckeyes now lead the Big Ten with a 7-2 SU record and are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games. They are 2-4 ATS on the road this season and the total has gone 'over' in four of the games.

Wisconsin improved to 17-5 SU with last Thursday night's 57-50 victory over No. 17 Indiana, but failed to cover as an eight-point home favorite. The Badgers are 12-7 ATS overall and 6-5 ATS at home with the total staying 'under' in eight of the 11 games. They face Penn State on the road this Tuesday night before returning home to host the Buckeyes on Saturday.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-30-2012, 06:06 PM

Conference Round-Up

January 30, 2012

Mountain High

The Mountain West Conference is the only conference in college basketball to not have a team with a losing record. Granted, there are only eight teams, but the worst overall record among them is Boise State at 10-10. Five of the eight teams are making strong cases for invites to the upcoming NCAA tournament. Colorado State’s big win over San Diego State will help its cause while New Mexico and Wyoming both have impressive 17-4 records.

UNLV escaped with back-to-back overtime road wins at Boise State and Air Force last week, continuing a trend of poor play on the road. They have gone 1-6 against the spread in their last seven road games. At home, they have been unbeatable and strangle teams with a relentless attack, but can’t seem to play with the same tenacity when traveling.

We’ll find out more about the Rebels, and their opponents, this week as they play Colorado State at home and then travel to Wyoming Saturday. Then they’ll have an entire week to prepare for San Diego State at home, a team the Rebels haven’t beaten in three years.

BYU Missing MWC

There were plenty of people in Provo who felt BYU would coast through its schedule in its new conference this year. The West Coast Conference doesn’t get a lot of ink in the national media, or even the West Coast media, despite having two of the most competitive teams annually in the nation, Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.

Saturday night BYU and Provo got a healthy taste of WCC basketball as Saint Mary’s drilled them on their home court 80-66. It was the second time BYU has lost to Saint Mary’s this season and their third overall in conference. Two weeks ago Loyola-Marymount pounded BYU 80-68 as 17-point underdogs.

As for Saint Mary’s, they continue to move up in the polls and have won 11 straight games, including 10-0 in WCC play. Its only losses on the season came to Baylor, which is understandable, but then there’s the loss to Denver. Yes, the Pioneers took down Saint Mary’s in November.

Unfortunately, if betting on Saint Mary’s, the spread is usually too high to cover the spread. They’ve been double-digit favorites in six of their last nine games, including four games where they’ve been 16-point favorites or higher. In all four cases, they failed to cover the large spread. The Gaels are 3-5 ATS in their last eight games.

The Wild A-10

The Atlantic 10 might be the toughest conference to figure out. Just over a month ago, it looked as though Dayton might be the class of the conference with quality wins over Alabama, Mississippi, St. Louis and Temple, but on Saturday it lost its second straight game and it was the ugliest loss of the season. Dayton was a 13-point home favorite against Rhode Island and lost outright, 86-81. This drops Dayton to 4-3 in conference play and 14-7 overall. Meanwhile, Rhode Island captured its first conference win and improved to 4-18 overall.

Massachusetts, La Salle and St. Bonaventure lead the A-10 with a 5-2 record within the conference. Temple is currently 4-2 in conference play and has the highest A-10 RPI rating at No. 15. With its bad loss Saturday, Dayton slid all the way to No. 36. The A-10 ranks No. 7 in the RPI’s, just above the Missouri Valley and just below the ACC.

Fire Breathing Dragons

One of the hottest teams in college basketball right now is the Drexel Dragons from the Colonial Athletic Association. They have won and covered their last nine games and done so with fairly moderate spreads.

Along the way they have taken care of perennial conference powers such as VCU and George Mason and have only been double-digit favorites three times during their run. We’ll find out a little more about them over their next three games, all on the road, beginning Wednesday at Northeastern, a team they won and covered against two weeks ago as 9-point favorites.

Wacky Pac-12

Last week we saw Washington win at Arizona, UCLA slow Colorado and Oregon State end Oregon’s four- game win streak. Who knows what to make of the conference right now that has California as their top rated RPI team (No. 34)?

Oregon's loss on Sunday was the most apparent reason to believe that this conference is about as whacked out as any in the nation. The "Civil War" battle is always tough, but it was hard to fathom the reasoning for Oregon being only a one-point favorite at home to the Beavers. After placing a bet on such a bad line, Oregon State went on to win 76-71, a score that wasn’t indicative of the true beating placed on the Ducks.

No one could have ever thought possible, but the conference tournament winner at the Staples Center in March could be the only invite to the big dance.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-30-2012, 06:09 PM

Hoop Trends - Monday

January 30, 2012

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Suns are 10-0 ATS (7.2 ppg) since November 25, 2009 when playing the second game of a two game homestand after winning the first.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Pistons are 10-0 OU (12.8 ppg) since November 21, 2009 with at least one day of rest after a road loss in which they shot less than 40% from the field.

PLAYER BASED TREND OF THE DAY:

The Grizzlies are 10-0 ATS (7.0 ppg) since November 30, 2010 after losing the previous matchup on the road in which Oj Mayo scored fewer than 10 points.

CHOICE TREND:

The Timberwolves are 0-11 ATS (-6.5 ppg) since April 12, 2010 when facing a team that covered by double digits against them in their previous same-season meeting.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

The Mavericks are 10-0 ATS (6.9 ppg) since April 25, 2009 after winning the previous matchup at home in which Jason Kidd had more rebounds than points.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-30-2012, 06:11 PM

NBA Betting Notes

January 30, 2012

Sixers about to hit the February Brick Wall?

The Philadelphia 76ers have been perhaps the greatest story in the NBA this season as they lead the Atlantic division by four games with a 14-6 record. That outstanding record has also translated through the betting windows here in Las Vegas making several impartial bettors huge 76ers fans.

Philadelphia is currently 14-5-1 against the spread, but how long will it last?

The combination of the 76ers great play and covering the large spreads, some might believe things will catch up to them sooner or later. In their last four games the Sixers have been favored by 11 points or more and have covered three of them. On the season they have been double-digit favorites seven times and have gone 6-1 ATS.

The reality of it all is that the Sixers are playing great defense which has led to the UNDER happening in 14 of their 20 games. But the common denominator between most the Sixers wins and the large spreads this season has been playing some of the NBA’s worst teams.

On Philly’s current home stand, they played four of the worst teams in the league -- Charlotte, New Jersey, Washington and Detroit, a collective 18-64 between them.

The Sixers have also had the luxury of playing most of their recent games at home. After starting the season on a five-game road trip (3-2), they’ve played at home in 12 of their last 15 games. In those three other road affairs, they beat the Wizards and lost to the Knicks and Heat.

The upcoming schedule gets dramatically tougher for the Sixers beginning this week when they face the Magic, Bulls and Heat. Then they have to go to Atlanta before coming back home to welcome the Lakers, Spurs and Clippers. As crazy as it may sound based on their performance thus far, it’s very possible Philly could end up 2-5 over that stretch.

Following that stretch, they then hit the road for three games, come home to play the Mavericks and then play four more on the road.

The truth about the Sixers great run this season lies with the level of competition they’re playing and also getting to do so at home. They have yet to encounter the bulk of the tough Western Conference teams. The few that they have met, they have lost to (Denver, Utah, Portland). Out of their 14 wins this season, we can qualify wins over Atlanta and Indiana (both wins at home) as their only quality victories.

February will tell the tale of the Sixers season. As long as they play good defense they should be able to maintain their eight games above .500 record. However, don’t expect to see the same type of scores or spreads we’ve been accustomed to over the last month. With this tough stretch approaching, an 8-9 record over their next 17 games should be considered good. Anything better would be a great achievement.

Philadelphia is currently listed as a 7 ½-point favorite against the Magic at home tonight. Orlando has owned the series (7-1 SU, 6-2 ATS) over the last two seasons, but things are much different this year, especially in the Magic Kingdom.

Stan Van Gundy’s team has dropped four of their last five games, losing all of the decisions by eight points or more.

The total on tonight’s tilt is hovering around 180 points and bettors should be aware that the 76ers have seen the ‘under’ go 10-2 at home.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-30-2012, 06:14 PM

Clippers try to cool off Thunder on Monday night

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (16-3)

at LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (11-6)

Tip-off: Monday, 10:35 p.m. ET
Line: Oklahoma City -2.5, Total: 196

The red-hot Thunder seek their 12th win in 13 games on Monday night when they visit a confident Clippers team riding high after a big win in Denver on Sunday.

Part of the reason Oklahoma City is playing so well is due to inferior competition. The Thunder have played eight straight games against teams that are all currently below .500. The eight opponents have combined for a pathetic 45-114 SU record (.283) this season. The Clippers have been a tremendous home team at 9-2 SU (8-3 ATS), limiting these visitors to 93.0 PPG. But the Thunder aren’t your run-of-the-mill visitors, as they are 8-2 SU (6-4 ATS) on the road, scoring 98.5 PPG and holding their hosts to 42% shooting from the floor.

Can the Clippers stop Oklahoma City’s win streak? Check out the NBA Three At Three for ATS picks covering all the marquee NBA games each weekday.

The Thunder rank third in the NBA in scoring with 100.4 PPG, but are just 24th in assists (18.6 APG). PG Russell Westbrook averages only 5.8 APG and has turned the ball over seven times in each of his past two games. Despite the mistakes, he still had a great performance in Friday’s win at Golden State with 28 points, 11 assists, seven steals and six rebounds. SF Kevin Durant also had a huge night with a season-high 37 points and 14 boards. But the Oklahoma City star really struggled against L.A. last season, scoring 22.3 PPG on just 36% FG, including 3-of-26 from three-point land. The Thunder dominated the lane against Golden State with 58 points in the paint, while the Warriors had just 28 points in the paint. A repeat performance against the Clippers will be tough though with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan (3.1 BPG) manning the middle. However, the FoxSheets show this trend favoring the Thunder:

Play On - Road teams where the line is +3 to -3 (OKLAHOMA CITY) - after a road game where both teams score 100 or more points, well rested team - playing 6 or less games in 14 days. (28-7 over the last 5 seasons.) (80%, +20.3 units. Rating = 3*).

The Clippers won both home meetings with Oklahoma City last season, winning by 15 points in November and by six in April. Chris Paul appears to be fully healed from his hamstring injury with 21.5 PPG (5-of-10 threes), 14 assists and just three turnovers in his past two games. Paul is also averaging 2.5 steals per game, and should wreak havoc on turnover-prone Westbrook. Griffin has really owned the paint in all four lifetime meetings with the Thunder, scoring 26.8 PPG (60% FG) and grabbing 11.8 RPG. He also has 4.3 APG, being able to kick it out when he’s double-teamed. One player Griffin will look to on the perimeter Monday night is Chauncey Billups, who may finally be over his season-long slump after torching Denver on Sunday night. In that game against his former team, Billups doubled his season average with 32 points on 11-of-20 shooting (6-of-12 from three-point land). Billups is actually shooting better from behind the arc (38%) than he is on two-point tries (34%) this season. PG Mo Williams has scored in double-figures in each of the past six games, averaging 20.5 PPG on 57% FG (15-of-27 threes). The FoxSheets provide a coaching trend backing the Clippers:

L.A. CLIPPERS are 16-4 ATS (80.0%, +11.6 Units) in home games in January games over the last 2 seasons. The average score was L.A. CLIPPERS 103.5, OPPONENT 95.5 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 01-30-2012, 06:16 PM

Jazz try to add to Blazers road woes on Monday

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (12-8)

at UTAH JAZZ (11-7)

Tip-off: Monday, 9:05 p.m. ET
Line: Portland -1, Total: 186.5

Portland tries to earn a rare road win when it visits Northwest Division foe Utah on Monday night.

Utah is typically one of the tougher places to play, but the Jazz are just 1-3 ATS in their past four home games, losing two of those games outright to Dallas and Toronto. However, Portland continues to struggle badly on the road, going 3-7 (SU and ATS) away from Rose Garden. The Blazers are scoring just 90.7 PPG on 41% FG (28% 3-pt FG) on the road, with four of their top-six scorers shooting 40% FG or worse. This trend should continue, as the Jazz limit visitors to 28.8% 3-pt FG this season. Although the Blazers are a woeful 4-16 SU (6-14 ATS) in their past 20 visits to EnergySolutions Arena, hey have won two straight meetings in Utah. With Jazz star C Al Jefferson questionable to play on Monday night, it’s anybody’s ball game. Can the potentially short-handed Jazz find a way to win on Monday? Connect to NBA Three At Three for ATS picks covering all the marquee NBA games each weekday.

LaMarcus Aldridge has not always enjoyed success against Utah, going 0-5 in his first five starts against them. But last year, Aldridge scored 22.3 PPG and grabbed 8.0 RPG in the series versus the Jazz. Although Portland’s offense has sputtered a bit on the road this year, Aldridge has been more productive away from home with 23.2 PPG and 9.5 RPG, compared to 21.8 PPG and 8.2 RPG at home. That hasn’t been the case for many of Portland’s other top scorers, especially Gerald Wallace (30% FG, 15% 3-pt FG on road) and Jamal Crawford (31% FG on road). Raymond Felton can’t find the ocean right now in any venue, scoring a total of 19 points on 6-of-23 shooting in his past three games. The FoxSheets show this highly-rated trend siding with the Trail Blazers:

Play On - Home underdogs (UTAH) - off a close home win by 3 points or less. (125-77 since 1996.) (61.9%, +40.3 units. Rating = 2*).

Al Jefferson has been dealing with ankle tendinitis, and will likely sit out Monday’s game. Not only does Jefferson lead the Jazz in scoring (17.9 PPG) and ranks second in rebounding (9.0 RPG), but he averaged a double-double against Portland in last season’s series (13.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG). Paul Millsap is the team’s rebounding leader at 9.1 RPG, but his 17.0 PPG scoring average has taken a hit in the past two games as he has totaled just 26 points on 9-of-23 shooting. He has been less than stellar against Portland in 20 career meetings, scoring just 12.0 PPG on 55% shooting. Utah also needs more out of Devin Harris, who is shooting just 42% from the floor with 4.6 APG. The FoxSheets provide another trend in favor of the Jazz:

Play On - Home teams (UTAH) - after failing to cover 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread, in a game involving two good teams (60% to 75%). (82-44 over the last 5 seasons.) (65.1%, +33.6 units. Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 01-30-2012, 06:18 PM

Bulls look to right the ship in Washington

CHICAGO BULLS (17-5)

at WASHINGTON WIZARDS (4-16)

Tip-off: Monday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Line: Chicago -9, Total: 190

The Bulls try to bounce back from a heart-breaking loss in Miami on Sunday when they head to Washington to face the 4-16 Wizards.

Derrick Rose missed a pair of free throws with 22.7 seconds left, then misfired on a potential game-tying, short jumper with 3.7 seconds left as Chicago fell 97-93 to the Heat. But things could get easier on Monday facing the league’s fourth-worst offense (88.9 PPG) in Washington. The Bulls have won six of their past eight trips (5-3 ATS) to the nation’s capital including three in a row (both SU and ATS). But as bad as the Wizards have been this season (4-16 SU), they are playing much better lately, going 3-1 ATS (2-2 SU) in their past four home games, including ATS wins over the two best teams in the Western Conference -- Oklahoma City (SU win) and Denver (four-point loss). Can the Wizards keep it close again facing the best team in the Eastern Conference? Connect to NBA Three At Three for ATS picks covering all the marquee NBA games each weekday.

Last February, the Bulls crushed the Wizards 105-77 in D.C., behind 21 points and nine assists from Rose, and double-doubles from both Joakim Noah (19 points, 11 rebounds) and Carlos Boozer (12 points, 10 rebounds). Chicago’s big men could very well dominate again, as the Bulls lead the league in rebounding margin (+6.2 RPG) while Washington ranks 3rd-worst in this category at minus-4.1 RPG. The Bulls will likely be without Luol Deng (15.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG) for a fifth straight game due to his wrist injury, and C.J. Watson (9.8 PPG, 3.9 APG) is questionable with a wrist injury of his own. Watson did not play in Sunday’s loss to Miami. Rose led the Bulls with 34 points against the Heat on Sunday, but shot just 11-for-28 from the floor. Four other Chicago players scored in double figures, but Richard Hamilton also shot poorly (4-of-16 FG). The FoxSheets show this four-star trend siding with the Bulls:

Play Against - Home teams (WASHINGTON) - terrible team - outscored by their opponents by 6+ points/game, after a close win by 3 points or less. (62-22 since 1996.) (73.8%, +37.8 units. Rating = 4*).

JaVale McGee was Washington’s star player in Saturday’s 102-99 win at Charlotte. McGee scored 22 points, grabbed 10 boards and blocked five shots. He now has 31 rebounds and 13 blocks over his past three games. Nick Young also had a nice night with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Young leads the Wizards in scoring at 16.4 PPG this season, and has shot much better on his home floor (44% FG, 38% 3-pt FG) than he has on the road (36% FG, 25% 3-pt FG). Washington is still waiting for John Wall to live up to his No. 1 overall pick billing. Wall is shooting under 40% for the year including a woeful 11% from three-point range. He has also turned the ball over 4+ times in each of the past six games, and ranks second in the NBA with 84 turnovers (4.2 per game) this season. The FoxSheets provide a trend expecting the UNDER to occur on Monday night:

WASHINGTON is 23-8 UNDER (74.2%, +14.2 Units) after playing a game as favorite over the last 3 seasons. The average score was WASHINGTON 94.6, OPPONENT 98.7 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 01-30-2012, 06:20 PM

Texas tries to tame Tigers on Monday night

MISSOURI TIGERS (19-2)

at TEXAS LONGHORNS (13-8)

Tip-off: Monday, 9:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Missouri -1.5, Total: 144

Missouri will look for a big road win when it travels to Austin to take on a young Texas squad.

The Tigers have owned the Longhorns of late, going 4-1 both SU and ATS in their past five meetings. This year, Frank Haith’s Missouri team has been strong against the lines, going 10-6 ATS and 5-3 ATS against Big 12 foes. Texas is the exact opposite with a 6-10 ATS mark overall and 3-5 ATS in conference play. Offensive explosiveness has taken Missouri to its success this season. The Tigers are sixth in the nation in scoring (81.9 PPG) and fifth in shooting (49.9% FG). But the Longhorns are tough to score against at home, allowing just 56.5 PPG on 35% FG. Texas is 12-1 SU in Austin, but just 3-5 ATS. Missouri is seventh in the nation with 9.4 steals per game, but Texas does a fine job of taking care of the basketball, committing an average of 12.1 turnovers per game in the past seven contests.

Can the Tigers escape with a big road win? Check out the College Basketball Weekday 6-Pack for picks covering all the big games in college basketball each week.

At 6-foot-3, Denmon leads the strong Missouri exterior attack with 2.6 threes per game on a solid 39% clip. He had 18 points and 11 rebounds in his team’s 84-73 home win over Texas on Jan. 14. Kim English (14.4 PPG, 52% FG) joins him on the outside where he is among the most precise shooters in the nation, with a 50% rate from beyond the arc. His efficiency does not compare, however, to that of Ricardo Ratliffe (14.8 PPG) on the inside, who seemingly never misses. He makes shots at an absurd 75.1%, utilizing his 6-foot-8 frame effectively in the paint. He led Missouri with 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting versus Texas this year. Michael Dixon (11.7 PPG) rounds out the Tigers’ double-digit scorers, while Phil Pressey (9.8 PPG, 6.1 APG) is the engine behind the team’s high-powered offense, who had 18 points and 10 assists in the earlier meeting with the Horns. The FoxSheets show this trend favoring the Tigers:

Play Against - Home teams as an underdog or pick (TEXAS) - off a cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog, with just one or fewer starters returning from last season. (59-30 over the last 5 seasons.) (66.3%, +26 units. Rating = 2*).

Unlike the Tigers, who feature a number of elite scoring options, J’Covan Brown (19.7 PPG) dominates the offensive production for the Longhorns. The 6-foot-1 guard averages 2.5 threes per game and can also slice through opposing defenses at will. Brown, who torched Missouri for 34 points (10-of-16 FG), including 6-of-7 three-pointers, is coming off a 32-point effort in the loss at Baylor on Saturday. The other decent scorer for Texas is fellow guard Sheldon McClellan (11.0 PPG) who is handling his duties admirably for a freshman. Also a first-year player, Myck Kabongo (9.9 PPG) is the team’s best passer with 5.5 APG. He had 12 points and 10 assists in the loss to Missouri this season. This matchup will be a big test for 6-foot-7 freshman Jonathan Holmes (7.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG), as he will be tasked with guarding Ratliffe. This young team should have trouble with Missouri’s offensive versatility, play against the Longhorns here. The FoxSheets provide a coaching trend favoring the Longhorns:

Rick Barnes is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in home games off a road cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog as the coach of TEXAS. The average score was TEXAS 79.9, OPPONENT 65.6 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 01-30-2012, 06:29 PM

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, January 30

Pitt won its last two games after an 8-game skid left them 0-7 to start in Big East play; Panthers are 5-2 in last seven games against West Virginia, winning three of last five visits here. Big East home favorites of 7 or less points are 8-10 against the spread. Mountaineers got hosed at Carrier Dome Saturday, losing by a hoop, their second loss in row- they're 4-0 at home in conference play, with three wins by 12+ points. Panthers are stronger now with PG Woodall back in lineup.

Princeton won its last five games with Penn, winning last three visits to Palestra by 3-7-12 points; Tigers haven't played in 16 days after a split in first two Ivy games- they're 6-3 in last nine road games, and wins over Florida State/Rutgers means they're better than average Ivy team. Penn is Quakers won four of last five games, but its been nine days since they last played (84-80 win over local rival St Joe's). Penn is 2-8 vs teams in top 125. Ivy League home favorites are 3-6 vs spread.

Missouri won five of last six games with Texas, beating Longhorns by 11 in first meeting 16 days ago, as Mizzou survived Brown's 34-point outburst (6-7 from arc). Tigers lost three of last four visits to Austin, losing by 12-20-13 points. Texas lost four of last five games, with last three losses by 4-5-3 points- they're 3-1 at home in conference, losing only by 3 to Kansas. Big X home teams are 4-0 vs spread if number is 3 or less points. Texas is bubble team, needs this more than Mizzou.

Western Carolina lost seven of last eight games vs D-I teams, in between they beat some NAIA team 141-39, not sure why, but their only win in last right vs D-I squads was 67-57 at home over Wofford 23 days ago, as Cole was 6-7 behind arc (rest of team was 0-6). Western lost its last five road games, with four losses by 12+ points. Wofford won its last five games, all by 7+ points. Southern Conference home favorites of 8+ points are 12-6 against the spread.

Charleston lost its first game for interim coach Byington to Wofford at home, Cougars' 4th loss in row and 8th in last 11 games- they scored an average of only 60 ppg in last three games. Charleston is 1-3 at home in conference, with only win at Furman. Samford upset Davidson in last game, as 12-point home dogs; their fourth win in last five games, third in row at home. Princeton offense is hard to prepare for in less than two days. SoCon home underdogs are 9-5 against the spread.

SE Missouri won seven of its last nine games, is tied for second in OVC; they beat Eastern Illinois 80-73 at home 16 days ago, making 11-20 from arc (Smith was 7-10 on 3's), but Redhawks did lose last two road games, scoring 60.5 ppg in losses at Tennessee Tech/Eastern Kentucky. Eastern Illinois lost its last five games, losing last two at home by 9-12 points; Panthers scored 53.5 ppg in their last four games. OVC home teams are 10-6-2 if spread is 4 or less points.

Austin Peay won six of last seven games after starting season 3-13; they beat Tennessee State 69-63 at home two weeks ago, ending game with a 12-4 run that broke up tie game. OVC home favorites of 4 or less points are 7-4-2 vs spread. Peay won two of last three road games; their last three wins are all by 12+ points. Tennessee State's only loss in last six games was at Peay; they're 4-0 at home in OVC, with three of four Lsby 5 or less points, or in overtime.

SIU-Edwardsville upset Tennessee Tech 83-68 in its OVC opener, with Tech shooting just 34.8% from floor, 3-17 from arc, while Cougars made 8-14 behind arc. SIU-E lost its last five games after starting OVC play at 3-1- four of their last five losses are by 11+ points. OVC home favorites of 12+ points are 3-6 against the spread. Tech is just 2-3 in its last five games, but their last three wins are by 11-15-17 points. Not whole lot to choose from in this game; neither team is worth an investment.

Northern Colorado is very young and not very good, losing its last three games by 18-12-5 points, losing last game in double OT at Idaho State Thursday, but Bears did beat Northern Arizona 80-64 at home Dec 31, shooting 59% from floor, 7-11 from arc. NC is #2 in country, mkaing 44.7% of its 3's. Lumberjacks lost their last eight games, though six of the eight were on road; opponents make 57.7% of 2-point shots against them, worst in country. Big Sky home underdogs are 3-6-1 vs spread.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-30-2012, 06:42 PM

NBA

Monday, January 30

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Orlando - 7:00 PM ET Philadelphia -7 500
Philadelphia - Over 179 500

Chicago - 7:00 PM ET Chicago -8.5 500
Washington - Under 190.5 500

New Orleans - 7:30 PM ET New Orleans +12 500
Miami - Over 185.5 500

Detroit - 8:00 PM ET Milwaukee -7 500
Milwaukee - Over 182 500

San Antonio - 8:00 PM ET San Antonio +6 500
Memphis - Over 189.5 500

Minnesota - 8:00 PM ET Houston -6.5 500
Houston - Over 198.5 500

Portland - 9:00 PM ET Utah +1.5 500
Utah - Under 187 500

Dallas - 9:00 PM ET Dallas -4 500
Phoenix - Over 186.5 500

Oklahoma City - 10:30 PM ET Oklahoma City -2 500
L.A. Clippers - Over 198.5 500

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

NCAAB

Monday, January 30

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Pittsburgh - 7:00 PM ET Pittsburgh +5.5 500
West Virginia - Under 135.5 500

Princeton - 7:00 PM ET Pennsylvania -1.5 500
Pennsylvania - Over 125.5 500

Western Carolina - 7:00 PM ET Wofford -9 500
Wofford - Under 131.5 500

Morgan St. - 7:00 PM ET Hampton -1 500
Hampton - Under 129.5 500

SIU - Edwardsville - 8:00 PM ET Tennessee Tech -17.5 500
Tennessee Tech - Over 142 500

Charleston - 8:00 PM ET Samford +4 500
Samford - Over 134 500

SE Missouri St. - 8:00 PM ET SE Missouri St. +2.5 500
Eastern Illinois - Over 136 500

Austin Peay - 8:00 PM ET Tennessee St. -2.5 500
Tennessee St. - Under 140 500

Northern Colorado - 8:35 PM ET Northern Colorado -3 500
Northern Arizona - Over 138.5 500

Texas Southern - 9:00 PM ET Texas Southern -4 500
Alabama St. - Under 120.5 500

Missouri - 9:00 PM ET Texas +1 500
Texas - Over 144.5 500

Announcement

The Bum's Monday's Best Bets NCAAB - NBA !

The Bum's Monday's Best Bets NCAAB - NBA !

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