The Bum's March Madness All You Need To Know And Best Bets !

[Udog]

I wanted to see what you thought about the Devils tonight. I love that puckline pick, too! No score 2/3 of the way through the 1st period.

I think I'll tail you on your UNC/Ohio total. According to Spark's services tally, in Kapt.'s tally thread, your against the services and that's a great sign! I'd better get it booked.

Thanks, Bum! Good luck tonight! Let's have some fun!

[StarDust Bum]

Sorry about that total on the Carolina game UDOG......we came up a bit short.......but today's another day.....

Good Luck Buddy.....

[StarDust Bum]

Florida Vs. Louisville In Dream Coaching Matchup

The Elite Eight for March Madness begins on Saturday and one top seed has already been unceremoniously removed from the party.

Louisville’s Rick Pitino proved once again he’s the ‘King of the Sweet Sixteen’ by beating No. 1 Michigan State, 57-44 as 5 ½-point underdogs. Pitino is an incredible 10-0 straight-up all-time during that round.

One college basketball betting trend we are following closely is the ‘under.’ Thursday night games had the ‘under’ at 2-2, but it’s still an impressive 34-20-2 (63 percent) for the tournament. That’s pending Friday night results where two more No. 1 seeds, North Carolina and Kentucky, hope to avoid the same fate as the Spartans.

WESTERN REGIONAL FINAL
Phoenix, US Airways Center

(4) Louisville Cardinals vs. (7) Florida Gators
TIP: 4:30 p.m. (ET) CBS
SPREAD: Florida -1 ½
TOTAL: 131

This game opened as a pick ‘em, but Florida is now 1 ½-point favorites despite being the lower seed. The total opened at 131 and has remained steady.

Louisville (29-9 SU, 21-13-1 ATS) continued its hot streak with the Michigan State win. The Spartans were held to 28.6 percent shooting from the field and the ‘under’ is 5-0 in the Cardinals’ last five games (scoring 59.8 PPG and allowing 51.2 PPG) and 10-1 in their last 11.

Pitino’s bunch is also 7-0 SU and ATS in its last seven, including winning the Big East Tournament. He’s done one of his best coaching jobs ever, withstanding a lot of injuries and having no star players. Pitino is 1-2 SU and 0-2-1 ATS in his three Elite Eight games with Louisville, losing the last two in 2008 and 2009.

Florida (26-10 SU, 15-15-1 ATS) burst into the Elite Eight with a 68-58 win as 1-point ‘dogs over tough Marquette. The three-headed backcourt of Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton and Bradley Beal combined for 43 points, thanks mostly to the freshman Beal (8-of-10 shooting for 21 points).

The Gators have covered all three of their March Madness games and the ‘under’ is 3-0 despite scoring a respectable 74.3 PPG. That’s because they’ve allowed just 51 PPG. They will certainly test the great defense that Louisville is playing of late. They also have a couple of underrated big men in Patric Young and Erik Murphy.

The other big storyline is the coaching matchup of Billy Donovan against Pitino. Pitino coached him at Providence back in the 1980s when they made a surprise Final Four. He also got his former player into coaching by hiring him as an assistant. Pitino is 6-0 all-time against Donovan, but it’s the pupil who has more national titles (2-1).

EASTERN REGIONAL FINAL
Boston, TD Garden

(1) Syracuse Orange (2) Ohio State Buckeyes
TIP: 7:05 p.m. (ET) CBS
SPREAD: Ohio State -3
TOTAL: 136 ½

Ohio State opened as 2 ½-point favorites despite being the lower seed. It has jumped up to -3, while the total is also up a half-point.

Syracuse (34-2 SU, 18-17 ATS) failed to cover against a pesky Wisconsin team last night, 64-63 as 3-point favorites, but still played very well. The Badgers were unconscious from 3-point land (14-of-27 for 51.9 percent) which kept the game close to the bitter end. It also caused the first ‘over’ for the Orange in the tourney, the total low at 119 ½.

Coach Jim Boeheim’s bunch is just 1-4 ATS in its last five games and 2-8 ATS in the last 10. This is Syracuse’s first Elite Eight appearance since winning the national title in 2003 with Carmelo Anthony. Boeheim has only made it this far in the tourney five times in 36 years with the team.

Ohio State (30-7 SU, 19-13 ATS) beat Cincinnati in the Sweet Sixteen, 81-66 as 8-point favorites. Cincy actually led midway through the second half before a big Buckeyes run. Deshaun Thomas and Jared Sullinger combined for 49 points, exacting some Big Ten revenge over the Big East after the Syracuse and Wisky game went the other way.

The ‘over’ is 3-0 for the Buckeyes for the tourney, scoring 77.3 PPG and allowing 63.7 PPG. The ‘over’ is 9-1 for them in the last 10 overall and 12-4-1 in road and neutral site games. Coach Thad Matta has Ohio State in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2007, when Greg Oden and company eventually lost to Florida in the national title game.

This is the round where Syracuse center Fab Melo (eligibility) could really be missed. He’s a defensive presence in the 2-3 zone and would have been waiting for the bruising Sullinger when he got the ball deep. Syracuse has plenty of athletes on the frontline, but none that can replace Melo and it’s the main reason why Ohio State is favored.

[StarDust Bum]

Power Sunday In The Elite Eight

The Tar Heels were saved by the dominant performance of Tyler Zeller against Ohio.

College basketball’s Elite Eight has a powerful field on Sunday with all the top seeds playing with the exception of No. 2 Duke.

Three double-digits seeds got eliminated last night in No. 10 Xavier, No. 11 NC State and No. 13 Ohio. The lowest seed remaining overall is No. 7 Florida. A No. 1 seed has won 16 of the 27 championships since the field expanded to 64 in 1985.

We’ve been tracking the March Madness betting statistics all tourney long. The favorites started strong at 25-18-1 (58 percent), but the underdogs have been biting back since, going 11-5 (69 percent), including 6-2 ATS during the Sweet Sixteen.

The ‘under’ is 36-22-2 (62 percent) after a 4-4 mark in the Sweet Sixteen. Note all results are pending Saturday play.

SOUTH REGIONAL FINAL
Atlanta, Georgia Dome

(1) Kentucky Wildcats vs. (3) Baylor Bears
TIP: 2:20 p.m. (ET) CBS
SPREAD: Kentucky -7 ½
TOTAL: 146

This game opened with Kentucky -7 ½ and the total at 146, both remaining steady.

Baylor (30-7 SU, 14-16 ATS) beat Xavier 75-70 as 6 ½-point favorites last night. Xavier did a nice job to fight back after a big early hole. Baylor got 34 total points on 15-of-19 shooting from forwards Perry Jones III and Quincy Acy. Sharpshooting guard Brady Heslip had 11 points after averaging 22 PPG in the first two.

The Bears have gotten some scheduling breaks, especially with Duke losing in the first round in a shocker to Lehigh. The highest seed they’ve faced is No. 10 Xavier, although coach Scott Drew gets a ton of credit for making his second Elite Eight in three years. The 2010 version had a completely different roster and lost to Duke (78-71) in this round.

Kentucky (35-2 SU, 14-21-1 ATS) got the only cover by a favorite on Friday, 102-90 as 10-point ‘chalk’ over No. 4 Indiana. The game was won at the free throw line with the Wildcats getting 37 attempts and knocking down an incredible 35. The ‘over’ is 3-0 for them in the tourney, scoring 90 PPG.

Coach John Calipari has his team in the Elite Eight for the third straight year. He lost in this round two years ago to West Virginia (73-66) before beating North Carolina (76-69) last year. Kentucky then lost a heartbreaker to eventual champion Connecticut (56-55) in the Final Four, and the pressure is on Calipari as he looks for his first national title.

Kentucky is going to copy Xavier’s defensive playbook against Baylor. Namely, don’t double team the big guys and contain Heslip from beyond the arc. Baylor’s big men had very good success against Xavier, but it will be much tougher against Kentucky and shot-blocking center Anthony Davis.

MIDWEST REGIONAL FINAL
St. Louis, Edward Jones Dome

(1) North Carolina Tar Heels vs. (2) Kansas Jayhawks
TIP: 5:05 p.m. (ET) CBS
SPREAD: Kansas -2
TOTAL: 144

North Carolina is a 2-point underdog with the health of Kendall Marshall (wrist) the big reason. Both of these teams lost in the Elite Eight last year, North Carolina to Kentucky and Kansas to upstart VCU (71-61).

UNC (32-5 SU, 20-16 ATS) got all it could handle from No. 13 Ohio last night, needing overtime in the 73-65 win as 10 ½-point favorites. Freshman point guard Stilman White started in place of Marshall and while he had no turnovers in 32 minutes, the rest of the team seemed rattled with 24.

The Tar Heels were saved by the dominant performance of big man Tyler Zeller (20 points, 22 rebounds). The rebounding advantage was a massive 56-26 overall, not that surprising against the much smaller frontline of the MAC school. The size advantage will be less pronounced against Kansas.

The Jayhawks (30-6 SU, 17-17-1 ATS) held on to beat No. 11 NC State on Friday, 60-57 as 8 ½-point favorites. That comes after a fortunate 3-point win over Purdue (63-60) last game as 8-point favorites. The ‘under’ is 3-0 in Kansas’ three tourney games, scoring just 62.7 PPG and allowing 55.7.

Center Jeff Withey had 10 blocks against NC State and he will be the key to containing Zeller inside. Guard Tyshawn Taylor (6-of-25) and power forward Thomas Robinson (9-of-29) have shot poorly the last two games and can’t afford another clunker.

These are two of the most storied programs in college basketball and pits Tar Heels’ coach Roy Williams against his former team. Williams got beaten badly by the Jayhawks in the 2008 Final Four (84-66). Kansas coach Bill Self won his only national title that year, while Williams has two of his own (2005, 2009).

Marshall is questionable at best after having surgery earlier in the week. Kansas being favored suggests that he will either not suit up or be limited.

[StarDust Bum]

Elite Eight Angles

March 19, 2012

There is nothing sweeter this time of the year than being alive in the NCAA Tournament. For those teams that survived the opening two rounds of this main event it's on to the Sweet 16 and, hopefully, the Eilte 8 this weekend.

From our Tournament Guide, here are notes and trends of the teams that have arrived.

Stay tuned…

ELITE 8 ROUND NOTES


1 Seed favs > 7 pts are 1-6-1 ATS vs foe off BB ATS wins
#2 Seeds are 2-10-1 ATS off a DD ATS win
#3 Seeds are 1-6 ATS
#4 Seeds are 8-1 ATS
#5 Seeds are 7-0 ATS
#6 Seeds are 0-7 SU and 2-5 ATS
#7 Seeds are 0-5 SU
#8 Seeds are 4-1 ATS
Teams that score 67 < pts are 12-39 SU and 12-38-1 ATS
Teams that score 85 > pts are 27-7 SU and 24-8-2 ATS
Teams off BB ATS losses are 4-1 ATS
Teams with Revenge are 14-4-1 ATS
Dogs off 3 straight DD wins are 1-4-1 ATS
Best Conference ATS record in this round

Big East: 5-0-1 as dogs
Big 10: 7-1 as dogs 6 < pts
SEC: 4-1 as favs off DD ATS win.

Worst Conference ATS record in this round

Big 12: 0-10
Big East: 1-6-1 off SU dog win

COACH ME IF YOU CAN


Florida's Billy Donovan is 12-3 SU and 11-4 ATS in the NCAA tournament from the Sweet 16 out.
I'll be back next week with a final look at FINAL FOUR and Championship game action.

[StarDust Bum]

Ohio St. vs. Syracuse

March 24, 2012


The only region in which form has held and will feature a No. 1 and No. 2 seed in the finals is the East, which will culminate with Saturday’s showdown between Syracuse and Ohio St. at TD Garden in Boston.

As of early this afternoon, most books had Ohio St. (30-7 straight up, 19-13 against the spread) listed as a three-point favorite with a total of 136. Gamblers can back the top-seeded Orange to win outright for a plus-135 return (risk $100 to win $135).

Syracuse (34-2 SU, 18-17 ATS) has survived a pair of major tests to get to the region finals. The most recent one came Thursday night from a game Wisconsin squad, but the Orange prevailed 64-63 thanks to a crucial defensive stop on the Badgers’ last possession.

Syracuse’s extended zone forced Jordan Taylor to take a deep, contested 3 that was rebounded by the Badgers, but a hurried baseline turnaround jumper was nowhere close.

C.J. Fair paced the ‘Cuse with 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Scoop Jardine made 5-of-8 shots and finished with 14 points and four assists. Dion Waiters was also in double figures with 13 points.

Ohio St. got a huge second half out of point guard Aaron Craft in its Sweet 16 battle with Cincinnati, pulling away for an 81-66 victory as an eight-point favorite. The Buckeyes led by 12 at intermission, but the Bearcats surged into the lead with a 21-6 run to start the second half.

But Craft’s tenacious defense sparked Ohio St. to a 17-1 run that put the game away and put money in the pockets of Buckeye backers. Craft finished with 11 points, six steals, five assists and four rebounds, and his defensive effort was the main reason why Cincy committed 18 turnovers.

Deshaun Thomas scored 20 of his game-high 26 points in the first half, while Jared Sullinger produced a double-double with 23 points and 11 boards.

Thad Matta’s team has covered the spread in two of its three NCAA games and is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games. The non-cover in the tourney came in a 73-66 win over Gonzaga as an eight-point favorite last weekend.

Ohio St. owns a 6-9 spread record in 15 games as a single-digit favorite. Meanwhile, Syracuse is mired in a 2-8 ATS slump, but we should point out that this is its first underdog situation of the year.

As always, the key to beating Syracuse will be attacking its zone defense with dribble penetration into the gaps. Craft is a good man to do that, although he’s a mediocre shooter from the perimeter. But that’s ok if he can create better looks for Thomas and William Buford, both of whom can stroke it from beyond the arc.

Buford, who averages 14.8 points per game, is in a shooting slump, though. He made just 1-of-8 from the field against Cincy and has been held below his scoring average in five of the Buckeyes’ last six games.

The ‘over’ is 19-11-2 overall for the Buckeyes, cashing at a lucrative 9-1 clip in their last 10 games.

The ‘under’ is 19-15-1 overall for the Orange, 4-2 in its last six outings.

Tip-off is slated for 7:15 p.m. Eastern with CBS providing the telecast.

[StarDust Bum]

Florida vs. Louisville

March 23, 2012

In the 1987 NCAA Tournament, Providence head coach Rick Pitino and star senior guard Billy Donovan led the Friars to the Final Four in New Orleans. Twenty-five years later, Donovan and Pitino will lead their respective schools up against each other in the West Region finals in Phoenix for the right to go to this year’s national semifinals in The Big Easy.

Most betting shops opened fourth-seeded Louisville (29-9 straight up, 21-13-1 against the spread) as a one-point favorite but as of Friday afternoon, most spots had the Gators listed as 1 ½-point favorites with a total of 131 ½.

U of L has won seven in a row both SU and ATS, including Thursday’s 57-44 win over top-seeded Michigan St. as a 5 ½-point underdog. The Cardinals hooked up money-line supporters with a plus-200 payout (risk $100 to win $200).

Chane Behanan was the catalyst for Louisville with 15 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Russ Smith came off the bench and added 11 points in just 17 minutes of playing time.

Pitino’s team played sensational defense against the Spartans, who shot an abysmal 28.6 percent from the field. The Cards also forced MSU into 15 turnovers.

During Louisville’s seven-game winning streak, it has taken out the likes of Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Marquette en route to winning the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Then in the NCAA Tournament, the Cards bounced Davidson (69-62) and New Mexico (59-56).

Gorgui Dieng is a dominant defender in the lane, something UF hasn’t seen during its current three-game winning streak. Dieng had nine rebounds, seven blocked shots and three steals against Michigan St., altering shots and playing a pivotal role in the Spartans’ woeful shooting night.

Florida (26-10 SU, 15-15-1 ATS) was sent to the West Region and given a No. 7 seed despite spending a good chunk of the season in the Top 10 of the national rankings. However, the draw has turned into a good thing for the Gators, who blasted 10th-seeded Virginia 71-45 in their opener.

Next, UF got to face a No. 15 seed because Norfolk St. stunned second-seeded Missouri two days before. Kenny Boynton scored a team-high 20 points to lead the Gators to an 84-50 shellacking of the MEAC champs.

On Thursday at US Airways Arena, the same venue where UF lost a Sweet 16 heartbreaker in the 1999 Tournament courtesy of a last-second putback by Gonzaga’s Casey Calvary, it captured a 68-58 win over third-seeded Marquette as a one-point underdog.

Bradley Beal needed just 10 shots from the field to produce a game-high 21 points. The freshman guard/forward also had six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a pair of blocked shots. As I noted in my take on sleepers before the Tournament started, Beal has the type of talent to ‘pull a Carmelo’ (‘Cuse circa 2003) and lead UF to a national title.

Erving Walker and Boynton added 11 points apiece against the Golden Eagles, who were hampered by the fact that Big East Player of the Year Jae Crowder got into foul trouble early in the first half.

If you told me that Florida would make just 21-of-78 shots from 3-point land at a mediocre 27-percent clip in its first three games of the Tournament, I would’ve told you it would no longer be in the field. Nevertheless, the Gators are back in the Elite Eight for the fifth time on Donovan’s watch.

That’s because they have been outstanding defensively. In fact, UF has given up the third-fewest amount of points in Tourney history during the shot-clock era for the span of the first three games.

Florida let a double-digit second-half lead get away in last year’s Elite Eight overtime loss to Butler in New Orleans. That will surely have Walker, the senior point guard who is UF’s all-time leader in assists and the school’s second-best 3-point marksman, and the rest of his teammates extremely hungry for success Saturday afternoon.

The win over Marquette improved Donovan’s career record in the NCAA Tournament to 28-9. That’s good for the third-best mark percentage-wise (.757) among active coaches, behind only Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and UNC’s Roy Williams.

The ‘over’ is 18-13 overall for UF, but the ‘under’ has cashed in each of its three NCAA Tournament games.

The ‘under’ has cashed in five consecutive Louisville games and 10 of its last 11. For the season, the ‘under’ is 21-14 overall for the Cards.

In six all-time head-to-head matchups between the mentor and the protege, Pitino's teams have bested Donovan's all six times. The most recent was a 74-70 U of L win over UF at the O-Dome in Gainesville in December of 2004.

Tip-off on CBS is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eastern.

[StarDust Bum]

Donovan and Pitino square off in Elite 8 on Saturday

FLORIDA GATORS (26-10)

vs. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (29-9)


NCAA Tournament - Elite Eight
Tip-off: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EDT – Phoenix, AZ
Line: Florida -1½, Total: 131½

Two head coaches very familiar with one another match wits on Saturday afternoon when Billy Donovan’s Florida team takes on Louisville and Rick Pitino, Donovan’s former coach.

Which team will punch its ticket to the Final Four? For the answer, check out the College Basketball Three at Three Pass for picks covering all the big games in college basketball each weekday.

The Gators have won their three NCAA Tournament games by 23.3 PPG, disposing of third-seed Marquette 68-58 on Thursday night. Florida didn’t shoot very well against the Golden Eagles (40.7% FG, 7-of-27 threes), but this squad still leads the nation with 9.7 made threes per game, connecting on 38.0% of its long-range attempts. The Gators run a very intelligent offense with a 1.35 assist-to-turnover ratio (12th in nation) and commit just 15.6 fouls per game (19th in D-I). And although Florida does not have a lot of size in the paint, the team has done a great job limiting opposing star big men this tournament, holding UVa’s PF Mike Scott (18.1 PPG, 8.4 RPG) to 15 points and six rebounds and completely shutting down Norfolk State C Kyle O’Quinn (15.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG), who had just four points (1-of-9 FG) and three rebounds. And on Thursday night, Marquette star PF Jae Crowder (17.5 PPG, 50% FG) shot just 5-of-15 from the floor.

Florida’s best player in March has been 6-foot-3 freshman G Bradley Beal (14.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG). Beal scored a game-high 21 points (8-of-10 FG) with six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks against Marquette. He’s now averaging 17.0 PPG and 8.2 RPG in five postseason games (2 SEC, 3 NCAA). Leading scorer G Kenny Boynton (16.0 PPG) has been struggling for the majority of the postseason. He scored 20 points in the Third Round win over 15th-seeded Norfolk State, but has just 8.8 PPG on 9-of-38 FG (24%) in the other four contests. This includes his 2-for-10 shooting night against Marquette. Senior PG Erving Walker (12.1 PPG) leads the team with 4.5 APG, but has just eight assists and eight turnovers in the three NCAA games. He’s also in a prolonged shooting slump, making just 33% of his shots (18-of-54 FG) in March. But the Florida big men did a great job in helping to outrebound Marquette as Erik Murphy pulled down 10 rebounds and Patric Young grabbed nine boards. This two-star FoxSheets trend also backs the Gators:

FLORIDA is 20-8 ATS (71.4%, +11.2 Units) in road games versus good defensive teams - shooting pct defense of <=42% over the last 2 seasons. The average score was FLORIDA 74.1, OPPONENT 64.5 - (Rating = 2*).

Like Florida, Louisville is also red-hot, winning seven straight games (SU and ATS), and limiting these opponents to 54.6 PPG during the win streak. The Cardinals held top-seeded Michigan State to 44 points on 14-of-49 shooting (28.6%) in Thursday’s win.

Freshman F Chane Behanan (9.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG) scored a game-high 15 points and also grabbed nine boards in the win over MSU. He’s averaging a strong 13.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG during the NCAA Tournament. Sophomore G Russ Smith was the only other Cardinals player in double-figures on Thursday, pumping in 11 points. Smith has 14.0 PPG in his past two games, making 5-of-7 shots from downtown. Louisville is at its best when junior PG Peyton Siva (9.1 PPG, 5.5 APG) is on his game. After a brilliant four-game Big East Tournament (13.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.8 APG) and a strong NCAA opener against Davidson (17 points, six assists), Siva has just 10 points (4-of-15 FG) in his past two contests combined. But he did dish out nine assists to make up for five turnovers in Thursday’s win. Senior swingman Kyle Kuric (12.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG) is also capable of contributing more than he has this tournament. He’s scoring 10.0 PPG, but has totaled just seven rebounds and one assist in 105 minutes of playing time. This three-star FoxSheets trend sides with the Cardinals on Saturday:

LOUISVILLE is 14-3 ATS (82.4%, +10.7 Units) after allowing 55 points or less over the last 2 seasons. The average score was LOUISVILLE 76.3, OPPONENT 62.1 - (Rating = 3*).

[StarDust Bum]

Syracuse, OSU clash in Saturday's Elite 8

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (30-7)

vs. SYRACUSE ORANGE (34-2)


NCAA Tournament - Elite Eight
Tip-off: Saturday, 7:05 p.m. EDT – Boston, MA
Line: Ohio State -3, Total: 136

The top two seeds in the East Region clash on Saturday night when either Syracuse or Ohio State will advance to the Final Four.

Who will prevail on Saturday night? For the answer, check out the College Basketball Three at Three Pass for picks covering all the big games in college basketball each weekday.

The Buckeyes have won their three NCAA Tournament games by an average score of 77 to 64. For the season, they score 75.0 PPG on 48.2% FG (16th in nation), and allow just 59.4 PPG (17th in D-I). They also outrebound teams by 7.6 RPG (6th in nation) and have a strong assist-to-turnover ratio (1.26, 23rd in nation). The offense revolves around PF Jared Sullinger (17.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG), who dominated Cincinnati with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Without Fab Melo in the middle, Sullinger should be able to muscle his way to a big night against the poor-rebounding Orange squad. But sophomore F Deshaun Thomas (16.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG) has been the team’s best offensive weapon late in the season, averaging with 20.7 PPG and 7.6 RPG over his past 11 games. He has 25.3 PPG (56% FG) and 8.7 RPG so far in the NCAA Tournament. Senior F/G William Buford (14.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG) has been wildly inconsistent all season (42.0% FG) and is shooting just 33% FG in his six postseason games (3 Big Ten, 3 NCAA). He was a dreadful 1-of-8 FG against the Bearcats committing four fouls and four turnovers. Sophomore point guard Aaron Craft (8.6 PPG, 4.6 APG) is the key to this offense. After a shaky opening NCAA game against Loyola (MD) when he had four assists and five turnovers, Craft has 14.0 PPG, 7.5 APG and 4.5 SPG in his past two contests. The Orange do a great job creating turnovers (9.2 SPG, 5th in nation), so Craft needs to limit his mistakes (11 turnovers in three NCAA games). This FoxSheets coaching trend expects the Buckeyes to win comfortably on Saturday:

Jim Boeheim is 3-13 ATS (18.8%, -11.3 Units) after a game forcing opponent to commit 8 or less turnovers as the coach of SYRACUSE. The average score was SYRACUSE 68.5, OPPONENT 72.8 - (Rating = 2*).

The Orange have been a terrible bet recently, going 2-8 ATS in their past 10 games. However, Syracuse still ranks second in the nation in turnover margin (+5.6) and is also great defensively, allowing just 60.6 PPG on 38.5% FG (8th in nation). The offensive balance continues to be a strength as the team averages 74.2 PPG, but only two players score in double-figures, senior F Kris Joseph (13.5 PPG) and sophomore G Dion Waiters (12.7 PPG). Joseph has really struggled to shoot the ball in the postseason, averaging just 9.8 PPG on 11-of-39 shooting (28%) in five tournament games (2 Big East, 3 NCAA). Despite playing 39 minutes in Thursday’s 64-63 win over Wisconsin, Joseph had only seven points, two rebounds, zero assists, zero steals and zero blocks. Waiters has been outstanding in the five postseason games though, averaging 17.8 PPG on 54% FG. Senior G Scoop Jardine (8.8 PPG, 4.9 APG) had a lackluster Big East Tournament (4.0 PPG), but has come up huge in the three NCAA tourney wins with 13.7 PPG and 6.3 APG. After committing six turnovers against KSU in the Third Round, he only gave the ball away once in his 35 minutes of action versus the Badgers. This strong FoxSheets trend likes the Orange to prevail on Saturday:

Play On - All teams where the line is +3 to -3 (SYRACUSE) - average 3-PT shooting team (32-36.5%) against an average 3-PT defense (32-36.5%) after 15+ games, after a game where a team made 55% of their shots or better. (180-112 since 1997.) (61.6%, +56.8 units. Rating = 2*).

[StarDust Bum]

Mavericks And Rockets In Texas Showdown

NBA betting action is generally going to take a backseat to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, but there are still nine pro games for us to analyze.

The showcase game of the evening will pit the Houston Rockets up against the defending NBA champs, the Dallas Mavericks. This showdown in Houston is pivotal in the Southwest Division standings. The Rockets, Mavericks, and Memphis Grizzlies are separated by a total of just one game.

Dallas has absolutely owned this series of late, going 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in the last four clashes. It is also 7-2 ATS in its last nine visits to the Toyota Center. The Rockets have already won and covered both of their first two games on this four-game home stand, averaging 108.0 PPG in the process. The Mavericks had their four-game winning streak halted on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

This 8:00 p.m. (ET) tip can be seen on local FOX Sports networks and on NBA TV.

This is only the first of two games on tap for those who have NBA TV. The Golden State Warriors will also host the Sacramento Kings at Oracle Arena in a 10:30 p.m. (ET) tip.

These two teams are going nowhere fast in the Western Conference, and they are both frequently overmatched. Injuries are plaguing both teams as well. Jason Thompson is battling an ankle injury that he suffered against the Utah Jazz on Thursday night and he is listed as questionable for this one. Golden State is still without Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut with ankle injuries while Andris Biedrins has missed two straight games with a groin injury.

Sacramento had covered four in a row in this series before it was destroyed by the Warriors at home 115-89 on March 13.

There is one afternoon tip on Saturday, and it comes at Staples Center, where the Los Angeles Clippers will host the Memphis Grizzlies. The coach on the hottest seat in the game right now is Vinny Del Negro, who has reportedly lost control of his locker room.

That being said, the best remedy for a bad locker room is winning, and this is going to be a great opportunity against a Memphis team that is just 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS in its last five games. However, the Clippers have dropped three in a row SU and six in a row from an ATS standpoint.

Tip time in Tinseltown is set for 3:00 p.m. (ET).

In the lone 7:00 p.m. (ET) tip, the Washington Wizards will take on the Atlanta Hawks. The 7:30 p.m. (ET) start times feature a lot of teams in the Eastern Conference that are trying to get back in the playoff race. The New York Knicks, who are still undefeated under the direction of interim coach Mike Woodson, will battle the Detroit Pistons while the New Jersey Nets host the Charlotte Bobcats.

There are three 8:00 p.m. (ET) duels on Saturday night. Aside from the Dallas/Houston clash, the Toronto Raptors will look for the upset of the Chicago Bulls in the Windy City while the San Antonio Spurs try to improve their 12-10 SU road record against the New Orleans Hornets.

At 8:30 p.m. (ET), two Central Division rivals will square off at the Bradley Center, where the Milwaukee Bucks will host the Indiana Pacers.

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Saturday

March 24, 2012

SU TREND OF THE DAY:


The Spurs are 13-0 ATS (6.7 ppg) since January 30, 1998 as a road favorite with at most one day of rest after a win in which they controlled at least 60% of the available rebounds.


OU TREND OF THE DAY:


The Knicks are 0-11 OU (-11.7 ppg) since April 17, 2006 at home with at most one day of rest after a loss in which they shot less than 60% from the free-throw line.


PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:


The Pacers are 0-13 ATS (-10.3 ppg) since December 20, 2010 with no rest after a loss in which Roy Hibbert was not the Pacers’ high scorer.


CHOICE TREND:


The Clippers are 0-12 ATS (-8.1 ppg) since February 05, 2000 at home after a road loss in which they allowed a shooting percentage at least 10 percentage points higher than their season-to-date average.


TODAY’S TRENDS:


The Pistons are 0-10 ATS (-9.4 ppg) since April 09, 2008 as a road dog with at most one day of rest after a loss in which they shot less than 40% from the field.The Wizards are 0-11-1 OU (-10.3 ppg) since December 16, 2003 as a home dog with at most one day of rest off a loss in which they led at the end of the third quarter.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, March 24

Hot Teams
-- Hawks won four of their last five games.
-- Knicks won five of their last six games.
-- Houston won/covered its last three home games.
-- Spurs won/covered five of last six games but they're 3-6 as road fave.
-- Bulls won six of last seven games, are 4-7-2 as double digit home fave.
-- Bucks won/covered seven of their last eight games.

Cold Teams
-- Clippers lost six of last nine games (1-8 vs spread). Memphis lost four of its last five games.
-- Washington is 3-10 vs spread at home if number is 6 or less points.
-- Detroit lost seven of last eight road games (4-12-1 as road underdog of 6+ points).
-- Bobcats covered twice in their last seven road games. Nets lost their last five games (0-5 vs spread).
-- Mavericks lost eight of last nine road games (2-7 vs spread).
-- Hornets lost five of their last six home games.
-- Toronto lost three of last four games but is 6-2 as a double digit dog.
-- Pacers lost four of their last five road games.
-- Kings lost nine of last ten on road, but covered five of last six. Golden State lost five of its last six games.

Wear-and-Tear
-- Grizzlies: 3rd game/5 nites. Clippers: 10th game/14 nites.
-- Hawks: 5th game/7 nites. Wizards: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Pistons: 3rd game/4 nites. Knicks: 4th game/5 nites.
-- Bobcats: 2nd nite in row, after three off. Nets: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Mavericks: 3rd game/4 nites. Rockets: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Spurs: 3rd game/4 nites. Hornets: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Raptors: 4th game/5 nites. Bulls: Had last two nites off.
-- Pacers: 3rd nite in row, 8th/12 days. Bucks: 3rd nite in row.
-- Kings: 3rd game/5 nites.Warriors: 3rd game/4 nites.

Totals
-- Last six Clipper home games stayed under the total.
-- Last five Washington games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Detroit road games went over the total.
-- Last five Charlotte games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Dallas games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight San Antonio games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Toronto games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Indiana games went over the total.
-- Nine of last ten Sacramento games went over the total.

Back-to-Back
-- Hawks are 4-1-1 vs spread on road if they played night before.
-- Pistons are 6-5-1 vs spread if they lost night before. Knicks are 3-4 vs spread if they lost the night before.
-- Bobcats are 3-6 vs spread on road if they played night before. Nets are 2-7-1 vs spread at home if they played the night before.
-- Mavericks are 3-5 vs spread on road if they played night before.
-- Spurs are 2-5 vs spread if they won the night before.
-- Raptors are 2-3 vs spread if they won the night before.
-- Pacers are 3-5 vs spread on road if they played night before. Bucks are 2-10-1 vs spread if they played night before, 1-5 at home.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB Best Bets:


03/24/2012 @ 04:05 PM

CBB

[519] OHIO STATE -3 1.91



03/24/2012 @ 04:05 PM

CBB

[519] TOTAL o135½ 1.91
(OHIO STATE vrs SYRACUSE)



03/24/2012 @ 01:30 PM

CBB

[521] FLORIDA -1 1.91



03/24/2012 @ 01:30 PM

CBB

[521] TOTAL o131 1.91
(FLORIDA vrs LOUISVILLE)



03/24/2012 @ 04:00 PM

CBB

[524] FAIRFIELD -6 1.91



03/24/2012 @ 04:00 PM

CBB

[524] TOTAL u126 1.91
(MERCER vrs FAIRFIELD)

[StarDust Bum]

NBA:


03/24/2012 @ 04:05 PM

NBA

[503] ATLANTA -3 1.91



03/24/2012 @ 04:05 PM

NBA

[504] TOTAL u191 1.91
(ATLANTA vrs WASHINGTON)



03/24/2012 @ 04:35 PM

NBA

[505] TOTAL o193½ 1.91
(DETROIT vrs NEW YORK)



03/24/2012 @ 04:35 PM

NBA

[507] TOTAL o195 1.91
(CHARLOTTE vrs NEW JERSEY)



03/24/2012 @ 05:05 PM

NBA

[510] TOTAL u195½ 1.91
(DALLAS vrs HOUSTON)



03/24/2012 @ 05:05 PM

NBA

[511] TOTAL o191 1.91
(SAN ANTONIO vrs NEW ORLEANS)



03/24/2012 @ 05:05 PM

NBA

[513] TORONTO +12 1.91



03/24/2012 @ 05:35 PM

NBA

[515] TOTAL o205 1.91
(INDIANA vrs MILWAUKEE)



03/24/2012 @ 05:35 PM

NBA

[516] MILWAUKEE -4 1.91



03/24/2012 @ 07:35 PM

NBA

[518] TOTAL u210½ 1.91
(SACRAMENTO vrs GOLDEN STATE)

[StarDust Bum]

NHL Best Bets:


03/24/2012 @ 04:05 PM

NHL

[3] MINNESOTA 2.90



03/24/2012 @ 04:05 PM

NHL

[5] TOTAL o5½ 2.00
(MONTREAL vrs PHILADELPHIA)



03/24/2012 @ 04:05 PM

NHL

[7] CAROLINA 2.65



03/24/2012 @ 04:05 PM

NHL

[9] TOTAL o5½ 2.10
(WINNIPEG vrs NASHVILLE)



03/24/2012 @ 04:05 PM

NHL

[11] NY RANGERS -1½ 2.95



03/24/2012 @ 04:05 PM

NHL

[16] TAMPA BAY 1.87



03/24/2012 @ 06:05 PM

NHL

[17] BOSTON 2.05



03/24/2012 @ 07:05 PM

NHL

[20] COLORADO -1½ 3.55



03/24/2012 @ 07:05 PM

NHL

[21] PHOENIX +1½ 1.44