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

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, March 18

Since 2005, second round favorites of 8+ points are 16-10-1 against the spread. Creighton's McDermott/UNC's Barnes were teammates in high school in Ames, IA. Bluejays won last eight games, with five of eight by 2 or less points or in OT. Bluejays make 42.5% on the arc, 55.5% inside it; they've won 15 road/neutral court games. North Carolina won by 49 when they played Evansville of MVC in December; Purple Aces gave Creighton fits in two of their three meetings, beating them once. Doesn't sound like North Carolina's Henson will play here, which makes Tar Heels very thin up front. #1 seeds are 18-11-1 in this round since '05.

#15 seeds who won a first round game are 1-2-1 vs spread in next round, with only one of the four losses by less than 11 points. In addition to Lehigh's win over Duke Friday, their other top 60 games were a 9-point loss to Iowa State, a 9-point loss to Michigan State. Mountain Hawks held Duke to 6-26 on arc in huge upset Friday. Xavier outscored Notre Dame 18-4 in foul line in a game they trailed by 10 in second half. Since '07, 2nd round favorites of less than 5 points are 19-12-1 vs spread. Lehigh won its last nine games; they're #7 foul shooting team, #14 at protecting ball. Xavier started season 8-0, then went 10-11 in their next 21 games, but have now won four of their last five contests.

#3 seeds are 11-7 vs spread in their last 18 second round games against #6 seeds. NC State won five of its last six games; they lost to Syracuse at home by 16 in only game vs Big East opponent this year. Wolfpack is 1-7 vs top 30 teams, with only win vs #30 Texas- they shot 58.5% on night as they pulled away from San Diego State at end of 79-65 win that was lot closer than score indicates. Lot of experts picked Georgetown to get upset by Belmont, but they dispatched the A-Sun champs 74-59, as Hoyas shot 61% from floor. ACC teams are 6-3 in second round games the last three years; Big East teams are 20-14 in 2nd round since 2006.

Michigan State won/covered five of its last six second round games; they shot 58.8% from floor in glorified workout Friday, 89-67 win over LIU. Spartans will get lot more resistance from Saint Louis squad that is 10-2 in its last 12 games; Billikens are a top 50 defensive rebounding team, so if Majerus can take away State's #1 option on offense, Spartans could struggle to score. SLU held Memphis to 38.9% from floor, 2-15 on arc in Friday's upset win. Spartans hold opponents to 29.7% from behind the arc. Big Dozen road favorites of 7 or less points are 12-6 vs spread. #1 seeds are 18-11-1 in this round since '05. Atlantic 14 road favorites of 7 or less points are 18-12 vs spread this season.

Cincinnati/Florida State were once rivals in old Metro Conference, but Seminoles bolted for ACC. FSU had its hands full with St Bonaventure Friday in game that was tied with 5:45 left- they lost to UConn in OT in its only game vs Big East opponent this season. Seminoles are nation's #6 team in blocked shots, but turn ball over 23.5% of time, awful lot of turnovers. Cincinnati was up 19 in first half vs Texas Friday, blew the lead, then won anyway; they're #314 team in country from the foul line, making only 63.7%. In what figures to be a tight game, thats not good. ACC road favorites of less than 5 points are 6-3 vs spread; Big East road underdogs of less than 5 points are 5-7.

South Florida-Ohio is 11th matchup between 12-13 seeds; the favorite was 9-1 vs spread in the first ten, with only non-cover Valparaiso's OT win over Florida State in '98. USF missed 22 straight shots, didn't score for 10:48 Friday and still won by 14 points; amazing. USF is a terrific defensive team and a horrific one on offense; they beat Miami 56-47 in its only game vs MAC opponent this season. Ohio lost at Louisville by 5 in November, its highest profile non-league game. MAC road dogs of 5 or less points are just 4-9 vs spread this season. ACC road favorites of 5 or less points are 6-3. Ohio forces turnovers on 26.5% of possessions, #2 in country.

Only once before has a 15-seed played a 7-seed (they've played 10-seed three times); back in '93, Temple (-11) beat Santa Clara 68-57. Broncos had a guard named Nash on that team. #15 seeds are 1-2-1 vs spread in 2nd round games. Norfolk State has eight kids from NYC area- they got beat twice by Marquette, by 31-2 points, and also lost to Va Tech by 12 and beat TCU by 13. Spartans are shooting just 32.7% fron arc for year, but they were 10-19 Friday, outrebounding Mizzou by 12. SEC faves of 15+ points are 7-19-2 against the spread this season. Florida is 7-0 this season against teams ranked lower than #180, with only one of the wins by less than 20 points.

Kansas has had its struggles in first round of NCAAs, but since '03, they won/covered six of seven second round games, with none of the wins by less than 12 points. Jayhawks beat Ohio State by 11 in their only game vs Big Dozen opponent. Purdue was -11 on boards in its 72-69 win over St Mary's. Boilermakers turns ball over less than any team in country; they're 7-5 vs spread as an underdog this year. Over last 7+ seasons, #2 seeds are 12-16-1 vs spread in this round, 5-5 when facing a #10 seed. Nine of last 11 Purdue games went over the total. Since '03, underdogs from Big Dozen are 9-8 against the spread in the second round.

Other tournaments
Drexel won 26 of its last 28 games, crushing UCF by 26 in its first game in this tournament; Dragons beat MVC doormat Bradley 73-68 back in December. Northern Iowa plays a slower pace, is very good (#26) with protecting the ball; they beat Old Dominion by 17, lost to VCU by 9 in its games this season against CAA teams.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAA Tournament betting recap: Favorites rule

If the first day of round of 32 action is any indication, the end could be near for Lehigh, Norfolk State, and Ohio. Favorites ruled the day on Saturday, albeit not exactly by wide margins. They went 8-0 straight up and 6-2 ATS.

However, that is not to say the day was without drama. Kansas State kept it close for a half before Syracuse raced away to cover its spread with ease. Even Kentucky covered 12 points against Iowa State despite enduring a major scare early in the second half.

The only two 'dogs to cash out as winners on Saturday were Gonzaga and VCU. Both had visions of winning outright late in the game, but Ohio State held off the Zags and won by seven (spread was eight). VCU could not maintain a second-half lead and lost to Indiana by two (spread was 5.5).

As for the easiest cover of the day, Baylor shot the lights out and took care of Colorado 80-63 (spread was 7.5). Even that one, though, was just a two-point game at halftime.

Louisville capped off the day in appropriate fashion. Underdogs had hung tough all day long only to lose their way in the final moments, and that's exactly what happened to New Mexico. The Lobos were right there the entire way, but the Cardinals had too much in the end and covered the two-point spread by one.

Unders go 5-3

Speaking of close calls on the betting front, Syracuse and Kansas State almost hit the total right on the number. The under ended up cashing in as 134 points were scored (134.5 was the mark). The day's second game saw Gonzaga and Ohio State just barely go over the total (139 to 135.5).

The unders seemed to be owning the day early, but that was before Kentucky and Baylor took their respective courts. Brady Heslip drained nine threes for the Bears as they put up an 80-spot on Colorado. Kentucky hung 87 on Iowa State.

Not surprisingly, the offense did not carry over to the Rose Garden--where VCU and Indiana played well under the total. Louisville wrapped up the day with a strong defensive showing against New Mexico. A relatively low total of 127.5 was not low enough, as Rick Pitino's boys locked down the Lobos in a 59-56 victory.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAA previews & picks: Sunday's Midwest Region action

No. 1 North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. No. 3 Georgetown Hoyas (-4, 132)

THE STORY: Two teams that dominated inside against undersized opponents in Friday’s opening round meet when third-seeded Georgetown faces No. 11 seed North Carolina State in the Round of 32. Coming off back-to-back opening-round upsets in the NCAA tournament, Georgetown rolled past 14th-seeded Belmont, 74-59. North Carolina State, playing its first NCAA game since 2006, outscored sixth-seeded San Diego State by 20 points in the paint and pulled away in the second half to win 79-65. The winner will advance to the Sweet 16 to face either 10th-seeded Purdue or second-seeded Kansas.

Pick: Georgetown

No. 8 Creighton Bluejays vs. No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels (-8.5, 159)

THE STORY: Creighton must relocate its missing offense if it hopes to knock off North Carolina and reach the Sweet 16. The Bluejays, among the NCAA leaders in field goal percent and 3-point percentage, managed only 58 points in the opening round but still notched their school-record-tying 29th victory. North Carolina, the top-seeded team in the Midwest Regional, has won 30 games five times during coach Roy Williams’ nine-year stay. The Tar Heels are no offensive slouches, averaging nearly 82 points.

Pick: North Carolina

No. 13 Ohio Bobcats vs. No. 12 South Florida Bulls (-2.5, 114)

THE STORY: South Florida had to sweat out receiving a bid to the NCAA tournament. A week later, the Bulls will be wearing the home white jerseys needing one victory to reach the Sweet 16. South Florida, the No. 12 seed, will play 13th-seeded Ohio in the Midwest quarterfinals after knocking out Temple and Michigan, respectively. Both teams play outstanding defense and have stellar point guards. South Florida allows 56.4 points, while Ohio forces 17.6 turnovers and makes 9.3 steals per contest. Freshman Anthony Collins runs the show for USF and junior D.J. Cooper leads the Bobcats in scoring and assists.

Pick: South Florida

No. 10 Purdue Boilermakers vs. No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks (-7.5, 141.5)

THE STORY: After surviving a tumultuous day for top seeds Friday, the No. 2 seed Jayhawks will try to avoid the upset bug when they face No. 10 seed Purdue in the round of 32. The Boilermakers held off a late rally from St. Mary's to win 72-69 in the round of 64. Kansas avoided becoming the third No. 2 seed to lose Friday, pulling away late in the first half and early in the second to beat Detroit 65-50. Kansas has a dominant post duo in Thomas Robinson and 7-foot center Jeff Withey, and they should cause matchup problems for the undersized Boilermakers.

Pick: Kansas

[StarDust Bum]

NCAA previews & picks: Sunday's West Region action

No. 8 Saint Louis Billikens vs. No. 1 Michigan State Spartans (-6.5, 123)

THE STORY: Top-seeded Michigan State led by just four early in the second half before pulling away for an 89-67 victory over No. 16 LIU-Brooklyn Friday night. The Spartans were led by Draymond Green, who collected 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career tournament triple-double. Ninth-seeded Saint Louis, meanwhile, used a late 14-2 run to surge past No. 8 Memphis, 61-54. Kwamain Mitchell scored eight of his team-high 22 points during the decisive spurt for the Billikens, who had not won an NCAA tournament game in 14 years.

ABOUT SAINT LOUIS (26-7): The Billikens cracked the national rankings early in the season, and they also closed well, winning 12 of their final 15 games. Saint Louis' defense has been one of the best in the country all year, allowing just 57.5 points and forcing just under 15 turnovers per contest. Memphis was held to 2-of-15 3-point shooting Friday, finishing 21 points below its season average. Mitchell and senior F Brian Conklin (13.9 ppg, 53.3 percent FG) and lead a deliberate offense that prevailed Friday despite an uncharacteristic 17 turnovers.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (28-7): The Spartans have been extremely tough defensively, ranking among the national leaders in opponent field-goal percentage (37.7) and 12th in scoring defense (59.0) during the regular season. Green, though, has been the driving force, earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors after ranking near the top of the conference in scoring (16.1), rebounding (10.4), assists (3.6) and steals (1.5). Sophomore PG Keith Appling (11.5 ppg, 3.9 apg) is the only other Michigan State player scoring in double figures. The Spartans finished among the nation's top teams in rebounding margin (plus-8.0) and finished Friday's game with a 43-20 edge on the glass against LIU-Brooklyn.

Pick: Saint Louis

No. 15 Norfolk State Spartans vs. No. 7 Florida Gators (-14, 143)

THE STORY: Just two days after becoming the fifth No. 15 seed ever to upset a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament’s Round of 64, Norfolk State will try to make it two in a row against seventh-seeded Florida. The Spartans’ 86-84 stunner against Missouri was the first No. 15 over No. 2 upset since 2001. What made it even more surprising was it was the first time Norfolk State — champions of the MEAC — had ever appeared in the Big Dance. The Gators, meanwhile, cruised to an easy 71-45 victory over 10th-seeded Virginia despite a 4-for-23 shooting effort from 3-point range.

ABOUT FLORIDA (24-10, 10-6 SEC): The Gators entered the tournament leading the nation with 9.9 made 3-pointers per game, but they didn’t look the part in their opening win against Virginia. The scariest part for future opponents, though, is that it didn’t matter. Florida overwhelmed the Cavaliers athletically, getting out on a number of fast breaks and shooting 24 of 30 on shots inside the arc. Casey Prather was the main benefactor of the Gators’ run-and-gun game plan, scoring a career-high 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting in 22 minutes off the bench.

ABOUT NORFOLK STATE (26-9, 13-3 MEAC): Before this tournament began, only four No. 15 seeds had ever reached the Round of 32. In the past, the magic has always run out for these Cinderellas, who never once went on to the Sweet 16. Can the Spartans be any different? If they stay red-hot from beyond the arc, and if Kyle O’Quinn keeps patrolling the paint, anything can happen. A 31-percent 3-point shooting team this season, Norfolk State shot a blazing 10 for 19 from deep in the upset of Missouri, with Chris McEachin and Pendarvis Williams draining four 3’s apiece. O’Quinn — a 6-foot-10 senior from Jamaica — netted 26 points and 14 rebounds for his 20th double-double of the season.

Pick: Norfolk State

[StarDust Bum]

NCAA previews & picks: Sunday's South Region action

No. 15 Lehigh Mountain Hawks vs. No. 10 Xavier Musketeers (-2.5, 139.5)

THE STORY: No. 10 seed Xavier rallied from a 10-point deficit over the final 12:20 Friday night, riding a 25-point effort from senior guard Tu Holloway to a 67-63 victory over seventh-seeded Notre Dame. Holloway scored 17 of his points in the second half, including the go-ahead basket with 21.3 seconds left. Lehigh became just the sixth No. 15 seed to ever take down a No. 2, shocking Duke, 75-70. C.J. McCollum led the way for the Mountain Hawks, pouring in a game-high 30 points. The Musketeers have faced Lehigh just once before, pulling out a tight 69-63 home win during the 2004-05 season.

ABOUT LEHIGH (27-7): The Mountain Hawks have won 13 of their last 14 games thanks largely to a dynamic offense that averaged 76.2 points during the regular season. McCollum was among the nation's leaders in scoring (21.9) and steals (2.6), and he put up big numbers against the Blue Devils despite a subpar shooting effort (9 for 24). The junior guard has had plenty of help this year from junior forwards Gabe Knutson (12.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and Holden Greiner (10.0 ppg). Knutson contributed 17 points and eight rebounds against Duke. Lehigh sported a turnover margin of plus-3.1 coming into the tournament, forcing 14.5 takeaways per game and averaging 7.8 steals.

ABOUT XAVIER (22-12): Ranked as highly as eighth in the nation during the first month of the season, the Musketeers went into a tailspin after a brawl marred the end of their blowout win over Cincinnati on Dec. 10, losing five of their next six games before regrouping over the season's final weeks. Xavier, which attempted more free throws than any team in the Atlantic 10 during the regular season, is led by the explosive backcourt of Holloway (17.0 ppg, 5.1 apg, 1.5 spg) and junior Mark Lyons (15.5 ppg). Freshman Dezmine Wells had 14 points and 11 rebounds against Notre Dame.

Pick: Lehigh

[StarDust Bum]

Early Best Bets:


03/18/2012 @ 09:15 AM

CBB

[721] NC STATE +4 1.91



03/18/2012 @ 09:15 AM

CBB

[722] TOTAL u133 1.91
(NC STATE vrs GEORGETOWN)



03/18/2012 @ 08:00 AM

CBB

[733] TOTAL o122 1.91
(NORTHERN IOWA vrs DREXEL)



03/18/2012 @ 08:00 AM

CBB

[734] DREXEL -7½ 1.91



03/18/2012 @ 12:00 PM

CBB

[735] BUCKNELL +2½ 1.91



03/18/2012 @ 12:00 PM

CBB

[735] TOTAL o132½ 1.91
(BUCKNELL vrs NEVADA)



03/18/2012 @ 12:00 PM

CBB

[739] TOTAL o133½ 1.91
(USC UPSTATE vrs OLD DOMINION)



03/18/2012 @ 12:00 PM

CBB

[740] OLD DOMINION -8½ 1.91

[StarDust Bum]

MIDDAY BEST BETS:




03/18/2012 @ 02:15 PM

CBB

[717] CREIGHTON +8½ 1.91



03/18/2012 @ 02:15 PM

CBB

[717] TOTAL o161 1.91
(CREIGHTON vrs NORTH CAROLINA)



03/18/2012 @ 03:10 PM

CBB

[729] NORFOLK ST +14½ 1.91



03/18/2012 @ 03:10 PM

CBB

[729] TOTAL o143½ 1.91
(NORFOLK ST vrs FLORIDA)



03/18/2012 @ 02:00 PM

CBB

[737] TOTAL o155 1.91
(IOWA vrs OREGON)



03/18/2012 @ 02:00 PM

CBB

[738] OREGON -7½ 1.91



03/18/2012 @ 01:00 PM

CBB

[741] MANHATTAN +5 1.91



03/18/2012 @ 01:00 PM

CBB

[742] TOTAL u129½ 1.91
(MANHATTAN vrs FAIRFIELD)



03/18/2012 @ 03:00 PM

CBB

[743] WEBER STATE +3½ 1.91



03/18/2012 @ 03:00 PM

CBB

[743] TOTAL o145 1.91
(WEBER STATE vrs LOYOLA MARYMOUN)

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB Best Bets In Bold:

NCAAB

Monday, March 19

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Middle Tennessee St. - 7:00 PM ET Middle Tennessee St. +5.5 500
Tennessee - Over 134.5 500

Princeton - 7:00 PM ET Pittsburgh -7.5 500
Pittsburgh - Under 133.5 500

Butler - 8:00 PM ET Butler -1 500
Pennsylvania - Over 124 500

Minnesota - 9:00 PM ET Minnesota +5 500
Miami - Florida - Under 133 500

Wyoming - 10:00 PM ET Washington St. -2.5 500
Washington St. - Over 127 500

Texas Christian - 10:00 PM ET Texas Christian +9 500
Oregon St. - Over 160.5 500

Illinois St. - 11:30 PM ET Stanford -7.5 500
Stanford - Under 136 500

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, March 19

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Philadelphia - 7:00 PM ET Charlotte +10 500
Charlotte - Under 182.5 500

Cleveland - 7:30 PM ET Cleveland +4 500
New Jersey - Over 198 500

Boston - 7:30 PM ET Boston +1.5 500
Atlanta - Under 182.5 500

Chicago - 8:00 PM ET Chicago -1 500
Orlando - Over 184 500

Dallas - 10:30 PM ET Dallas +4.5 500
Denver - Under 203.5 500

Minnesota - 10:30 PM ET Golden State -1.5 500
Golden State - Under 203.5 500


=============================================

NHL

Monday, March 19

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Toronto - 7:00 PM ET Toronto +176 500
Boston - Over 5.5 500

New Jersey - 7:30 PM ET NY Rangers -137 500
NY Rangers - Under 5 500

Buffalo - 7:30 PM ET Tampa Bay +105 500
Tampa Bay - Over 5.5 500

Washington - 7:30 PM ET Washington +163 500
Detroit - Over 5.5 500

Vancouver - 8:00 PM ET Vancouver -195 500
Minnesota - Under 5 500

Anaheim - 10:00 PM ET San Jose -195 500
San Jose - Under 5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Nevada Battles Stanford In NIT Quarterfinals

Wednesday night in college basketball is the ‘calm before the storm’ with March Madness continuing Thursday, but there are still two interesting NIT games in an upset-filled tourney.

Before we delve into those contests, let’s take a look at the updated NCAA Tournament future odds, which contains some surprises.

The Fab Five: Kentucky (+200), Ohio State (+500), Michigan State (+600), North Carolina (+600), Kansas (+800).

Kentucky is the deserved favorite as coach John Calipari looks for his long-awaited first national title. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo has one crown and North Carolina’s Roy Williams has two. The Tar Heels would likely be second in the odds if not for the uncertain injury situation of point guard Kendall Marshall.

Knocking on the door: Marquette (+1200), Syracuse (+1200), Baylor (+1800), Florida (+1800).

Syracuse isn’t getting a lot of respect as a No. 1 seed, with the oddsmakers clearly predicting Ohio State to win the East Region. Center Fab Melo (eligibility) being out is the big reason. Watch out for Florida after winning its first two tourney games by an average of 30 points, plus the championship experience of coach Billy Donovan.

Don’t forget about us: Louisville (+2500), Wisconsin (+2500), Indiana (+3000).

Louisville is part of the tough and underrated West Region and will have to beat Michigan State and then the winner of Marquette and Florida to make the Final Four. Wisconsin and Indiana are part of a great Big Ten effort with four Sweet Sixteen teams and a combined 9-2 straight-up mark (7-4 against the spread).

Longshots can come true: Cincinnati (+4000), NC State (+4000), Xavier (+4000), Ohio (+7500).

North Carolina State may only be a No. 11 seed, but this is a talented group and conjuring up memories of the 1983 team that shocked Houston and ‘Phi Slamma Jamma.’ Cincinnati is the other team to watch from this group, making the finals of the Big East Tournament before March Madness and covering eight of the last nine overall.

(6) Minnesota Golden Gophers at (4) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
TIP-OFF: 7:00 p.m. (ET) ESPN2

This is part of the NIT quarterfinals and the winner will head to New York City for the semis. Wednesday’s game is being played at Murphy Athletic Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Middle Tennessee State (27-6 SU, 20-11 ATS) has represented the Sun Belt Conference well in this tourney with wins and covers versus Marshall (86-78) and at Tennessee (71-64). The latter was extra special as the Volunteers are an in-state rival out the powerful SEC, plus a No. 1 seed in this Region 2.

The Blue Raiders finished the Tennessee game on a 15-0 run after trailing 64-56. Senior forward LaRon Dendy leads the team in both scoring (14.7 PPG) and rebounding (7.2 RPG) as they look to improve on their 15-1 SU home mark (8-6 ATS).

The Golden Gophers (21-14 SU, 18-13-1 ATS) are trying to prove that all the Big Ten power this year is not limited to the NCAA tourney. They have solid NIT road wins and covers at LaSalle (70-61) and Miami-Florida (78-60) and are 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall. Those last two opponents were the No. 3 and No. 2 seeds respectively in this region.

Minnesota has been without center Ralph Sampson III (knee) the last four games and he’s questionable for Wednesday. Junior forward Rodney Williams (11.7 PPG) has stepped up big the last three games by scoring at least 20 points. Tubby Smith could also be coaching for his job which is another motivating factor.

(5) Nevada Wolf Pack at (3) Stanford Cardinal
TIP-OFF: 9:00 p.m. (ET) ESPN2

This quarterfinal NIT matchup is part of Region 4 which saw the top two seeds of Arizona and Mississippi bow out in the first round. It will be played at Stanford’s Maples Pavilion.

The Cardinal (23-11 SU, 16-15 ATS) have taken the mantle from fellow Pac-12 school Arizona as the highest seed in the region. They opened with a 76-65 home win over Cleveland State as 6-point favorites before surviving Illinois State in overtime (92-88) as 8 ½-point home ‘chalk.’

The ‘over’ is now 5-0 in Stanford’s last five games, averaging 77 PPG during regulation. The entire season average is 71.3 PPG (including extra sessions). Reserve guard Aaron Bright (11.6 PPG) has poured in 46 total points in the two NIT games, 29 against Illinois State.

The Wolf Pack (28-6 SU, 19-9-1 ATS) are proving their 13-1 regular season record in the WAC was no fluke. They’ve won at Oral Roberts (68-59) and home against Bucknell (75-67), covering both games.

Nevada won’t be afraid of leaving Reno, going 10-2 SU and ATS in true road games this year. The team does rely heavily on its starters, getting only 18 total points from its bench in the first two games. Getting get worn down by Stanford’s depth could be the difference.

These teams last met in 1998 and 1999, with Nevada losing by an average of 36.5 points. There were no spreads listed for those games, but Stanford is 6-1 ATS in its last seven against WAC opponents.

[StarDust Bum]

2012 NIT, CIT, CBI Results

March 21, 2012

National Invitation Tournament (NIT)


Washington Bracket
Date Matchup ATS Result
Mar. 13 Texas-Arlington 72 Washington (-9.5) 82 FAVORITE-UNDER 156.5
Mar. 13 Akron 74 Northwestern (-6) 76 UNDERDOG-UNDER 142
Mar. 13 LSU 76 Oregon (-7.5) 96 FAVORITE-OVER 135.5
Mar. 13 Dayton 75 Iowa (-4) 84 FAVORITE-OVER 148.5
Mar. 15 Northwestern 55 Washington (-5) 76 FAVORITE-UNDER 149
Mar. 18 Iowa 97 at Oregon (-8) 108 FAVORITE-OVER 155
Mar. 20 Oregon 86 Washington (-5) 90 UNDERDOG-OVER 154.5




Tennessee Bracket
Date Matchup ATS Result
Mar. 13 Savannah State 51 Tennessee (-13.5) 65 FAVORITE-UNDER 124
Mar. 13 Marshall 78 Middle Tennessee (-5.5) 86 FAVORITE-OVER 136
Mar. 14 Minnesota (+2) 70 La Salle 61 UNDERDOG-UNDER 141.5
Mar. 14 Valparaiso 50 Miami, Fl. (-10) 66 FAVORITE-UNDER 136
Mar. 19 Middle Tennessee (+4) 71 at Tennessee 64 UNDERDOG-OVER 134
Mar. 19 Minnesota (+6) 78 at Miami, Fl. 60 UNDERDOG-OVER 131
Mar. 21 Minnesota at Middle Tennessee




Seton Hall Bracket
Date Matchup ATS Result
Mar. 13 Stony Brook 61 Seton Hall (-9.5) 63 UNDERDOG-UNDER 126.5
Mar. 13 UMass (+7.5) 101 Mississippi State 96 UNDERDOG-OVER 153.5
Mar. 14 Central Florida 56 Drexel (-7) 81 FAVORITE-OVER
Mar. 14 UNI (+6.5) 67 at Saint Joseph's 65 UNDERDOG-OVER
Mar. 17 UMass (+6.5) 77 at Seton Hall 67 UNDERDOG-UNDER 150
Mar. 18 UNI (+7.5) 63 at Drexel 65 UNDERDOG-OVER 122.5
Mar. 20 UMass (+7) 72 Drexel 70 UNDERDOG-OVER 141.5




Arizona Bracket
Date Matchup ATS Result
Mar. 13 Cleveland State 65 Stanford (-6.5) 76 FAVORITE-OVER 130
Mar. 14 Illinois St. (+6.5) 96 Mississippi 93 UNDERDOG-OVER 133.5
Mar. 14 Bucknell (+8.5) 65 Arizona 54 UNDERDOG-UNDER 132
Mar. 14 Nevada (+6.5) 68 Oral Roberts 59 UNDERDOG-UNDER 138.5
Mar. 18 Bucknell 67 at Nevada (-3.5) 75 FAVORITE-OVER 133
Mar. 19 Illinois St. 88 Stanford (-9) 92 FAVORITE-OVER 136.5
Mar. 21 Nevada at Stanford




NIT Championship from Madison Square Garden
Date Matchup ATS Result
Mar. 27 Washington vs. TBD
Mar. 27 UMass vs. TBD
Mar. 29 TBD vs. TBD




CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT)


CIT First Round
Date Matchup ATS Result
Mar. 13 Robert Morris (+4) 67 Indiana State 60 UNDERDOG-UNDER 131
Mar. 13 Tennessee State 60 Mercer (-4) 68 FAVORITE-UNDER 129
Mar. 13 Coastal Carolina 66 Old Dominion (-11) 68 UNDERDOG-UNDER 131.5
Mar. 13 Tennessee Tech 43 Georgia State (-9) 74 FAVORITE-UNDER 138
Mar. 13 McNeese State 63 Toledo (-4) 76 FAVORITE-UNDER 143
Mar. 13 Utah Valley 69 Weber State (-11) 72 UNDERDOG-UNDER 145.5
Mar. 14 Manhattan (-1.5) 89 Albany 79 FAVORITE-OVER 144
Mar. 14 Yale 56 Fairfield (-8.5) 68 FAVORITE-UNDER 127
Mar. 14 Bowling Green 69 Oakland (-4) 86 FAVORITE-OVER 153.5
Mar. 14 Buffalo (-2) 78 American 61 FAVORITE-OVER 137
Mar. 14 North Dakota 64 Drake (-10.5) 70 UNDERDOG-UNDER 134.5
Mar. 14 Rice (-1) 68 UL-Lafayette 63 FAVORITE-UNDER 140.5
Mar. 14 CSU Bakersfield 69 Utah State (-10.5) 75 UNDERDOG-OVER 132.5
Mar. 14 UC Santa Barbara 83 Idaho (+1.5) 86 UNDERDOG-OVER 136
Mar. 14 Cal State Fullerton 79 Loyola Marymount (-7) 88 FAVORITE-OVER 147.5
Mar. 15 Kent State 58 USC Upstate (+2) 73 UNDERDOG-UNDER 144
CIT Second Round
Mar. 17 Robert Morris (-3) 69 at Toledo 51 FAVORITE-UNDER 134.5
Mar. 17 Buffalo 76 at Oakland (-3) 84 FAVORITE-UNDER 167
Mar. 17 Georgia State 59 at Mercer (+3) 64 UNDERDOG-UNDER 126
Mar. 17 Idaho 56 at Utah State (-6) 76 FAVORITE-PUSH 132
Mar. 17 Drake 68 at Rice (-5) 74 FAVORITE-OVER 138.5
Mar. 18 USC Upstate 56 at Old Dominion (-9) 65 PUSH-UNDER 132
Mar. 18 Manhattan 57 at Fairfield (-9) 69 FAVORITE-UNDER 130
Mar. 18 Weber State 78 at Loyola Marymount (-4) 84 FAVORITE-OVER 147.5
CIT Quarterfinals
Mar. 20 Rice 70 Oakland (-5) 77 FAVORITE-UNDER 160
Mar. 21 Robert Morris at Fairfield
Mar. 21 Mercer at Old Dominion
Mar. 21 Loyola Marymount at Utah State




College Basketball Invitational (CBI)


CBI First Round
Date Matchup ATS Result
Mar. 13 Princeton (+4) 95 Evansville 86 UNDERDOG-OVER 137.5
Mar. 13 Washington State (+6) 89 San Francisco 75 UNDERDOG-OVER 149
Mar. 13 Milwaukee 73 TCU (-3.5) 83 FAVORITE-OVER 140
Mar. 14 Delaware 58 Butler (-10) 75 FAVORITE-UNDER 136
Mar. 14 Western Illinois 59 Oregon State (-11) 80 FAVORITE-OVER 129.5
Mar. 14 Wofford 63 Pittsburgh (-12) 81 FAVORITE-OVER 129.5
Mar. 14 Quinnipiac 63 Penn (-4.5) 74 FAVORITE-OVER 129.5
Mar. 14 North Dakota State 75 Wyoming (-9.5) 78 UNDERDOG-OVER 124.5
CBI Second Round
Mar. 19 Princeton 61 at Pittsburgh (-6.5) 82 FAVORITE-OVER 133
Mar. 19 Butler (-2) 63 at Penn 53 FAVORITE-UNDER 123
Mar. 19 TCU 81 at Oregon State (-9.5) 101 FAVORITE-OVER 161
Mar. 19 Washington State (-2) 61 at Wyoming 41 FAVORITE-UNDER 125
CBI Semifinals
Mar. 21 Pittsburgh at Butler
Mar. 21 Washington State at Oregon State

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, March 21

Middle Tennessee had huge win Monday, winning at Tennessee, which avenged 30-point loss to Vols LY- they outscored Tennessee 15-0 over final 6:00 of play, won 71-64. Blue Raiders won last 13 home games- they lost in double OT at home to Belmont Nov 20. Minnesota already has road wins at LaSalle/Miami in this tourney- they shot 58% in easy win at Miami Monday. Sun Belt home favorites of 7 or less points are 9-5 vs spread. Big Dozen road underdogs of 5 or less points are 8-2.

Nevada beat Oral Roberts/Bucknell to get here; they move up in class to try and get to NYC. Stanford survived Illinois State making 15-30 from arc in 92-88 OT win Monday, its third straight win at home (by 5-11-4 points); Cardinal beat Fresno State by 16, in its only game vs WAC foe this season. Nevada is 2-0 vs Pac-12 teams, beating Washington/ ASU at home. Pac-12 home favorites of less than 7 points are 5-8 against the spread; WAC road underdogs of 8 or less points are 11-7 vs spread.

Pitt's season LY was ruined by 71-70 loss to Butler in second round of NCAAs, when Panthers committed a dumb foul at end to give Bulldogs winning points, now they meet again. Panthers have had losing streaks of eight and five games this season, but beat Wofford/Princeton to get here. Big East road teams are 12-13 vs spread in games where spread was 3 or less points; Horizon home teams are 5-9 when spread is less than 5 points. Butler won nine of its last eleven games.

Washington State swept both regular season games with Oregon State, winning 81-76/83-73, then lost to the Beavers 69-64 in Pac-12 tourney two weeks ago in LA. Coogs beat San Francisco/Wyoming to get here; Oregon State won six of last seven games, losing only to Arizona in Pac-12 tourney when they were playing third night in row. Both teams won by 20 points Monday, but Wazzu has to travel on short rest. Pac-12 home favorites of 7 or less points are 13-21-1 against the spread, but home favorites of 7+ points are 22-10-1 (33-29-2 total).

Mercer upset Georgia State at home Saturday, now they hit road, visit another club from CAA; Bears lost at Jacksonville/North Florida in last two road games, which were four weeks ago. Mercer's win Sunday was their first this year in seven games against top 100 teams. Old Dominion won six of last eight games; they beat SC-Upstate, another Atlantic Sun team, to get to here. CAA home favorites of 8 or less points are 10-12 against the spread. Mercer had extra day to rest/prepare for this game.

Fairfield beat MAAC rival Manhattan to get here; Stags beat Quinnipiac by 12 in its only game vs NEC opponent this season. Robert Morris has wins at Indiana State/Toledo to get here- they won at Ohio U when they somehow survived turning ball over 31 times, and is 6-2 in its last eight away games. MAAC home favorites are 6-8 vs spread in non-conference games. RMC beat St Peter's by 17 in only game vs MAAC opponent. Fairfield turns ball over way too much, makes just 64.7% on foul line.

Loyola Marymount is on road for first time since upsetting St Mary's Feb 15; Lions are 9-4 in last 13 games, 7-1 in last eight on road, losing only at Gonzaga by 19. Utah State won five of last six games, since loss in Bracket Buster game at home to UCSB; Aggies beat BYU by 7 in its only game vs WCC opponent. Utah State is 3-8 against teams ranked in top 150. WCC road underdogs of 7 or less points are 6-10-2 vs spread; WAC home favorites of 7 or less are 7-10 against the spread.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, March 21

Hot Teams
-- Knicks won/covered all four games under Woodson.
-- Bulls won five of their last six games.
-- Suns covered their last five games (4-1 SU).
-- Cavaliers won three of last four on road, covered four of last five.
-- Wizards covered three of their last four road games.
-- Spurs covered eight of last 11 games as a home favorite.
-- Lakers won last four games, by 9-5-7-17 points.

Cold Teams
-- 76ers lost three of their last four games.
-- Raptors lost five of their last seven games.
-- Orlando lost three of its last four games.
-- Hawks covered twice in last seven games as home favorite.
-- Nets lost five of their last six games.
-- Golden State lost its last four games, by 2-22-6-4 points. Hornets lost their last four home games.
-- Clippers lost three of last four road games, but are 6-2-1 vs spread in last nine games as a road dog. Thunder is 3-4 in its last seven games.
-- Minnesota lost five of its last seven games.
-- Denver is 3-13-1 vs spread in its last 17 home games. Pistons lost six of last seven road games (3-4 vs spread).
-- Lakers lost last two games by 4-3 points, are 3-6 vs spread last nine.

Wear-and-Tear
-- Knicks: 4th game/6 nites. 76ers: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Bulls: 4th game/6 nites. Raptors: 8th game/12 nites.
-- Suns: 6th game/8 nites. Magic: 6th game/9 nites.
-- Cavaliers: 3rd game/4 nites. Hawks: 6th game/9 nites.
-- Wizards: Last two nites off. Nets: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Warriors: 6th game/9 nites. Hornets: Had last three nites off.
-- Clippers: 8th game/11 nites. Thunder: 5th game/7 nites.
-- T'wolves: 5th game/7 nites. Spurs: Last three nites off.
-- Pistons: Had last two nites off. Nuggets: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Lakers: 6th game/9 nites. Mavericks: 3rd game/5 nites.

Totals
-- Seven of last eight New York games went over the total.
-- Last three Chicago games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Phoenix road games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Six of Nets' last seven home games went over the total.
-- Under is 7-1 in Warriors' last eight road games.
-- Six of last eight Clipper road games went over the total.
-- Last six San Antonio games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Detroit games went over the total.
-- Lakers' last five road games all went over the total.

Back-to-Back
-- Knicks are 4-2 vs spread on road if they played at home night before.
-- Toronto is 5-4 if it lost night before, 0-2 if they're playing at home.
-- Suns are 9-4-1 vs spread if they played the night before.
-- Clippers are 3-1 vs spread if they lost the night before.
-- Lakers are 4-6 vs spread on road if they played the night before.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Best Bets NCAAB:

Wednesday, March 21



Game

Score

Status

Pick

Amount



Mercer

-

7:00 PM ET

Mercer +6.5

500



Old Dominion

-



Under 128

500



Robert Morris

-

7:00 PM ET

Robert Morris +3.5

500



Fairfield

-



Under 124.5

500



Minnesota

-

7:00 PM ET

Minnesota +3
500



Middle Tennessee St.

-



Over 134

500



Pittsburgh

-

8:00 PM ET

Pittsburgh +1.5

500



Butler

-



Under 126.5

500



Loyola Marymount

-

9:00 PM ET

Loyola Marymount +5

500



Utah St.

-



Under 133

500



Nevada

-

9:00 PM ET

Nevada +6
500



Stanford

-



Over 138.5

500



Washington St.

-

10:00 PM ET

Oregon St. -7
500



Oregon St.

-



Under 151.5

500

[StarDust Bum]

NBA Best Bets:


NBA

Wednesday, March 21



Game

Score

Status

Pick

Amount



Chicago

-

7:00 PM ET

Toronto +7

500



Toronto

-



Over 186

500



New York

-

7:00 PM ET

New York +5

500



Philadelphia

-



Over 193

500



Phoenix

-

7:00 PM ET

Orlando -8

500



Orlando

-



Under 192.5

500



Washington

-

7:30 PM ET

Washington +4.5

500



New Jersey

-



Over 203.5

500



Cleveland

-

7:30 PM ET

Cleveland +7.5

500



Atlanta

-



Over 190

500



Golden State

-

8:00 PM ET

Golden State +2
500



New Orleans

-



Under 188

500



L.A. Clippers

-

8:00 PM ET

Oklahoma City -8

500



Oklahoma City

-



Under 198

500



Minnesota

-

8:30 PM ET

San Antonio -9.5
500



San Antonio

-



Under 208

500



Detroit

-

9:00 PM ET

Detroit +8.5
500



Denver

-



Over 199.5
500



L.A. Lakers

-

9:30 PM ET

Dallas -4.5
500



Dallas

-



Under 188

500