Manhattan vs Louisville Gambling Lines
The 13th-seeded Manhattan Jaspers and the seventh-seeded Louisville Cardinals will tip off in Midwest Region play in the late game at the Amway Center in Orlando. [ad-4468020]
2014 NCAA Tournament Free Picks
Midwest Region – 2nd Round
13 Manhattan Jaspers (25-7) at 4 Louisville Cardinals (29-5)
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2014
Time: 9:50 PM ET
Venue: Amway Center
City: Orlando, Florida
O/U Odds: 143
Spread: Louisville -16
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Matchup Stats | ATS Insider Preview
Manhattan punched its ticket to the Big Dance by winning the MAAC tournament title, while Louisville’s win in the inaugural AAC tournament was only enough to earn it a No. 4 seed.
The selection committee really hit the new AAC hard on Selection Sunday, and no team took a bigger hit than Louisville, which had been ranked as the No. 5 team in the country in the Week 19 AP poll, then went on to cruise through the AAC tournament, winning its three games by a combined margin of 100 points en route to the inaugural conference title.
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On the season, the defending champions’ average margin was plus-21.1 points, most in the nation.
That had many expecting to see Louisville slotted as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, but instead they were assigned a four-seed, which would likely set them up with a matchup against No. 1 Wichita State in the Sweet Sixteen, should they get there.
The Cardinals have been led all season by senior guard Russ Smith, whose 18.3 points per game and 4.7 assists per game each led the team. Forward Montrezl Harrell has emerged as a viable No. 2 option, chipping in 14.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, to go along with 1.3 blocks.
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As for the Jaspers, they are in the tournament for the first time since 2004. That year, the team was assigned a No. 12 seed, and went on to upset No. 5 Florida in the opening round.
The team gets in this year after a 71-68 win over Iona to claim the MAAC tournament title. Guard George Beamon paced the team with 16 points in that contest, knocking down six of 12 shots from the field and three of six shots from beyond the arc, and was one of four Manhattan players to score in double-figures in the game.
The betting public has heard all the talk on Louisville getting screwed into a 4-seed, and taken notice of their domination over the closing part of their schedule, leading to an inflated line.
With that said, the Cardinals will come out looking for blood to prove their doubters wrong, and will be looking to run up the score in Orlando, something they have proven more than capable of doing in recent weeks.
The Cardinals are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 NCAA Tournament games, and 21-6 ATS in their last 27 neutral site games. The Cardinals are 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall, and 17-7 ATS in their last 24 non-conference games.
The play: Louisville -16
