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Tim Trushel of Sportswireonline.com
Youngstown St. +6 v. Detroit The Horizon League is notorious for strong home courts. Consider the following numbers from this season's hoop play. Overall Horizon League home teams have posted a stellar 52-15 mark at home and just a 28-52 road record. When we eliminate Butler and Wisconsin-Milwaukee from the mix, that road record falls to 12-48. Combined the other seven teams have won just 12 games away from their home arenas. Detroit is laying too much. The talent is close and the home court is enough of an edge to get us the cover. Recommendation: Youngstown St.
Ted Sevransky of Whocovers.com
Butler @ Wisconsin-Milwaukee Heading into the ’02-’03 season many experts felt that Wisconsin-Milwaukee was the team to beat in the Horizon Conference. Head Coach Bruce Pearl had his system in place in this, his second year with the Panthers, and he had a veteran squad returning, featuring all five starters from last year. At 13-5, the Panthers season can hardly be considered a disappointment, but this club has a pair of losses in conference already, at Wisconsin-Green Bay last Saturday and at Illinois Chicago two weeks ago. A 3rd loss, this early in the conference campaign, would be very difficult to overcome, especially against Butler, the reigning regular season champs and one of the teams that they’ll have to beat to make it to the top of the Horizon. Wisconsin-Milwaukee is perfect at home this year, 6-0 straight up without a spread loss to show for it. This team took Butler down to the wire twice last year – both meetings between these two schools in 2002 were decided by a single point, one in favor of each school. The way Butler is playing defense right now, this one might not be as close. The Bulldogs have allowed their last five opponents to shoot better than 50% from the field against them, struggling with both their perimeter defense and their transition D. And they have stopped covering pointspreads as a result, losing three out of four against the number. This is a spot where Wisconsin-Milwaukee should bring their best game, and stake their claim for conference supremacy. Recommendation: Wisconsin-Milwaukee- Pick
www.sportswireonline.com
Youngstown St. +6 v. Detroit The Horizon League is notorious for strong home courts. Consider the following numbers from this season's hoop play. Overall Horizon League home teams have posted a stellar 52-15 mark at home and just a 28-52 road record. When we eliminate Butler and Wisconsin-Milwaukee from the mix, that road record falls to 12-48. Combined the other seven teams have won just 12 games away from their home arenas. Detroit is laying too much. The talent is close and the home court is enough of an edge to get us the cover. Recommendation: Youngstown St.
Ted Sevransky of Whocovers.com
Butler @ Wisconsin-Milwaukee Heading into the ’02-’03 season many experts felt that Wisconsin-Milwaukee was the team to beat in the Horizon Conference. Head Coach Bruce Pearl had his system in place in this, his second year with the Panthers, and he had a veteran squad returning, featuring all five starters from last year. At 13-5, the Panthers season can hardly be considered a disappointment, but this club has a pair of losses in conference already, at Wisconsin-Green Bay last Saturday and at Illinois Chicago two weeks ago. A 3rd loss, this early in the conference campaign, would be very difficult to overcome, especially against Butler, the reigning regular season champs and one of the teams that they’ll have to beat to make it to the top of the Horizon. Wisconsin-Milwaukee is perfect at home this year, 6-0 straight up without a spread loss to show for it. This team took Butler down to the wire twice last year – both meetings between these two schools in 2002 were decided by a single point, one in favor of each school. The way Butler is playing defense right now, this one might not be as close. The Bulldogs have allowed their last five opponents to shoot better than 50% from the field against them, struggling with both their perimeter defense and their transition D. And they have stopped covering pointspreads as a result, losing three out of four against the number. This is a spot where Wisconsin-Milwaukee should bring their best game, and stake their claim for conference supremacy. Recommendation: Wisconsin-Milwaukee- Pick
www.sportswireonline.com