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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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02-12-19 | Alabama v. Mississippi State -5.5 | 62-81 | Win | 100 | 15 h 7 m | Show | |
My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on Miss St at 9:00 ET. Alabama’s 83-79 home win over then-No. 22 Mississippi State on Jan 29 helped the Crimson Tide right the ship in the SEC. 15-8 Alabama has won three of its last four games to climb into a tie for fifth place in the SEC standings at 6-4. As for the Miss St Bulldogs, they have headed in the opposite direction by losing three of their last four contests. Miss St (16-7 / 4-6) let two close home games against ranked opponents slip away last week. The Bulldogs lost 92-88 in overtime against No. 21 LSU and then pushed No. 5 Kentucky to the brink of a 71-67 defeat. Alabama is a perimeter-based team, led by freshman PG Lewis (14.3 & 3.0 APG) and sophomore guard Petty (11.7 & 4.1). That duo is joined by Mack (9.0 & 3.7) and Ingram (7.6 & 4.0). Alabama's lone inside threat is the 6-9 Hall (10.9 & 8.7). Miss St opened 12-1 but enters this contest just 4-6 in its last 10. The Bulldogs are led by one of the SEC’s most dynamic players. The 6-5 Quinndary Weatherspoon averages 17.9 PPG (5.5 RPG) and can score in numerous ways. PG Lamar Peters (12.4 & 5.7 APG) is a solid play-maker and the duo is joined by Weatherspoon's brother Nick (9.8) on the perimeter. Starting up front are the 6-11 Perry (8.7 & 6.4) and the 6-11 Aldo (5.0 & 4.8). However, the Bulldogs' best frontcourt player comes off the bench, as the 6-10 Holman averages 10.6 PPG and a team-high 7.0 RPG. Revenge should work here, as Miss St is 10-3 SU at home, while averaging 84.2 PPG. Freshman forward Reggie Perry has moved into the starting lineup in the last three games and is averaging 14.4 points and nine rebounds over his last five contests. Miss St has way more depth up front and the Bulldogs' guard trio of the Weatherspoon brothers and Peters is more than a match for Alabama's guards. Home team wins with "room to spare.!" Good luck...Larry |
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02-12-19 | Butler v. St. John's -3.5 | Top | 73-77 | Win | 100 | 15 h 48 m | Show |
My 10* Oddsmaker's Error is on St John's at 8:30 ET. Marquette edged Villanova on Saturday, 66-65. The result left the Wildcats at 10-1 and moved the Golden Eagles to 9-2. Those schools are well ahead of the rest of the pack in the conference, as the Big East has five teams tied for third at 5-6 in league play. Two of that quintet of teams, which all look up at Villanova and Marquette, will meet Tuesday night when 14-10 Butler visits 17-7 St. John's. All five of those schools will need a strong stretch run if they plan on making this year's NCAA Tournament. Butler rebounded from a three-game losing streak by winning its last two contests by just a combined six points. The Bulldogs' leading scorer Kamar Baldwin had 18 points to help Butler to a 73-69 victory at Georgetown on Saturday. The junior guard leads the team in scoring (17.2) and rebounding (5.0) and is joined on the perimeter by Jorgensen (11.8) and PG Thompson (6.1 & 4.2 APG). 6-7 sophomore forward Jordan Tucker (Duke transfer) scored 14 of his 15 points prior to the break in the win at Georgetown and is now averaging 10.0 & 5.2 since becoming eligible 15 games ago. 6-6 forward McDermott adds 9.9 & 3.8 while the center duo of the 6-11 Brunk (8.1 & 4.1) and the 6-10 Fowler (5.5 & 4.0) complete Butler's major contributors. St John's is coming off a damaging 70-56 home loss to Providence on Saturday. That 56-point effort was the Red Storm's worst in Big East action since it was held to 45 in a loss at Butler last season. The absence of second-leading scorer Mustapha Heron (15.0 & 4.9) with a knee issue was a factor. Junior PG Shamorie Ponds scored 20 points and checks in at 20.7-4.6-5.3 on the season. Fellow guard Figueroa averages 14.3 PPG and a team-high 6.5 RPG plus another guard, Simon, adds 10.1-4.8-3.5. St John's doesn't have much size up front, as the 6-7 Clark (11.4 & 5.8) is the team's best frontcourt player. Butler has won seven of the last nine meetings with St John's, including 80-71 at home back on Jan 19 (Baldwin had 30 points). Yes, Butler has made the "Big Dance" in 10 of the previous 12 years but the prospects for a 2018 invite are bleak. Butler has won just two of seven road games this season (averaging only 65.7 PPG), while St John's checks in 9-3 SU at home, where the Red Storm are outscoring opponents 80.7-to-69.6 PPG. More good news comes St John's way in that Heron is expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday (see above). Good luck...Larry |
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02-12-19 | Purdue v. Maryland +1 | 56-70 | Win | 100 | 13 h 42 m | Show | |
My 9* Conf Crusher (Big Ten) is on Maryland at 6:30 ET. 17-6 Purdue will be in College Park on Tuesday night to play 18-6 Maryland. The Boilermakers come in off an 81-62 win over the Cornhuskers on Saturday night, the school's EIGHTH in a row. Purdue sits 10-2 in Big Ten play, a half-game back of first-place Michigan. The Terps have had six days off since last Wednesday's 60-45 victory at Nebraska and sit 9-4 in league play, tied for fourth-place. The Boilermakers eked out a 62-60 victory in the first meeting between the two teams back on Dec 6 in West Lafayette. Preseason All-American guard Carsen Edwards scored 20 points in that first meeting, while sophomore guard Nojel Eastern's blocked Darryl Morsell's potential game-winning three-point try at the buzzer. Edwards leads the Big Ten in scoring (24.6), which also ranks seventh nationally, He's joined on the perimeter by Cline (12.7) and Eastern (7.0 & 5.3), while the 7-3 Haarms gives the Boilermakers a big inside presence, averaging 7.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Four forwards combine to add about 23 points and 16 rebounds per contest. Maryland begins a stretch where it plays three consecutive top-20 ranked teams with this game vs No. 12 Purdue. The 24th-ranked Terrapins then hit the road to play at No. 6 Michigan and No. 21 Iowa,. Junior PG Anthony Cowan Jr. had 18 points and six assists in the first meeting. He leads the Maryland in scoring (16.2) and assists (4.5). He gets help in the backcourt from Ayala (8.9), Wiggins (8.3) and Morsell (8.0). 6-10 sophomore Bruno Fernando is second on the team in scoring (14.8) plus adds a team-high 10.7 RPG (ranks second in the Big Ten). 6-10 freshman forward Jalen Smith (11.8 & 7.0) is coming in off his third double-double (18 points & 11 rebounds) in the win at Nebraska. Purdue was an underachieving 9-6 in early January but an 84-80 OT win at Wisconsin on Jan 11, jump started an eight game win skein (7-1 ATS). The Boilermakers a good team but far from great. Maryland is an outstanding defensive team (64.9 PPG ranks 37th in the nation) and is 12-2 SU at home. The 6-10 Fernando has recorded a double-double in 15 games this season, including the last six in a row, leading the way for a team which leads the Big Ten and was tied for second in the nation entering the week in rebounding margin (plus-10.4). This is the first of a tough three-game stretch for the Terps (see above) and the ONLY one of the three that the Terps get at home. Expect the home team to prevail. Good luck...Larry |
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02-10-19 | Stanford v. Oregon -6 | 46-69 | Win | 100 | 12 h 46 m | Show | |
My 9* Conference Crusher (Pac-12) is on Oregon at 8:00 ET. Stanford is 12-10 (5-5 in Pac-12) and Oregon is 14-9 (also 5-5 in Pac-12). However, both schools are still alive for a top-four seed and a first-round bye in next month’s Pac-12 Tournament. Washington is running away with things at 10-1 but the winner of tonight's game will tie USC at 6-5, leaving them just one game behind 7-4 schools Ore St, Utah and Arz St, who are all tied for 2nd-place in the conference. The Cardinal look to build on one of their most complete efforts of the season, after shooting 54 percent from the floor and out-rebounding the Beavers 41-26 in Thursday’s 83-60 win at Oregon State. The Ducks bounced back from an ugly 73-51 loss at Colorado, by defeating last-place California 73-62 on Wednesday. The Cardinal have won four of their last five and with just one senior on the roster, Stanford has relied heavily on young players. 6-9 sophomore forward Oscar da Silva (10.0 & 5.7) recorded a career-high 23 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven assists against OSU. Fellow 6-9 sophomore forward KZ Okpala ranks third in the league in scoring (17.7) while shooting 41 percent from three-point range (he adds 6.0 RPG). However, he was held to 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting against Oregon State. Stanford played much of the game without starting PG Daejon Davis (12.6-3.1-4.2), as he suffered an apparent head injury early in the second half and is listed as day-to-day. 7-0 center Josh Sharma (8.7 & 5.6) leads the Pac-12 in field-goal percentage at 67.5 percent and had 20 points along with eight rebounds in Thursday’s victory. Oregon obviously misses the 7-2 Bol Bol (21.0 & 9.6) but 6-9 freshman Louis King is thriving, averaging 11.6 & 5.1. Junior guard Payton Pritchard (11.8-4.0-3.1) snapped out of a shooting slump by recording his second career double-double with 20 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against Cal. However, Pritchard has handed over point guard duties to freshman Will Richardson (6.8), who had a season-high nine assists in Wednesday’s victory. The Ducks own an athletic frontcourt, as 6-9 senior forward Paul White (10. 7 & 3.7) and the 6-9 Wooten (6.7 & 4.5) join King (note: White has scored in double figures in NINE of the last 11 games). Don't think much of Stanford, while Oregon is still a capable home team, going 10-4 SU and winning by an average of 11 PPG. This pointspread is more than manageable. Good luck...Larry |
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02-10-19 | Georgia Tech v. Notre Dame -5.5 | 59-69 | Win | 100 | 10 h 50 m | Show | |
My 9* Revenge Rout is on Notre Dame at 6:00 ET. Two struggling ACC teams square off Sunday when 11-12 Georgia Tech (3-7 ACC) travels to South Bend to take on 12-11 Notre Dam (2-8 ACC).Wins have been difficult to come by for both schools, as the Yellow Jackets have lost FOUR straight games since knocking off Notre Dame 63-61 in Atlanta back on Jan 22, while the Fighting Irish have dropped SIX of their past seven games while The win over ND was the last time the Yellow Jackets were truly at full strength, as sophomore guard Jose Alvarado continues to battle nagging injuries while going 1-for-20 from the floor in the past two games, losses to Florida State and Clemson. “PG Alvarado (12.0-3.9-3.4) is Georgia Tech’s leading scorer and only the 6-9 Banks joins him in double digits at 10.5 PPG (plus a team-high 7.3 RPG). Ga Tech is one of the nation's lowest-scoring teams, averaging 65.8 PPG, ranking 326th! Things aren’t much better for the Fighting Irish on the offensive end. They shot a season-worst 32 percent from the floor while going 4-for-28 from three-point range in a 62-47 loss Wednesday at Miami. Notre Dame's offensive woes have been a season-long challenge, as the Irish rank 14th in the ACC and 327th nationally in field-goal percentage (40.5 percent). Standing out from the rest, 6-9 junior forward John Mooney leads the conference in rebounds and is the only ACC player to average a double-double (14.3 & 10.7), quite a jump from his 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game averages from a season ago. The Irish do feature two solid PGs, in junior Temple Gibbs (13.1 & 3.6 APG) and freshman Prentiss Hubb (7.5 & 3.6 APG). This game figures to be the best chance for either school to get a win in the near future. The Yellow Jackets play three of their next six games after Sunday against ranked teams: at No. 11 Virginia Tech on Tuesday, vs No. 22 Florida State on Feb 16 and at No. 3 Virginia on Feb 27. Notre Dame’s schedule is even tougher, with four of its next five opponents ranked in the top-25: at Virginia on Feb 16, vs Virginia Tech on Feb. 23, at Florida State on Feb 25 and at No. 16 Louisville on Mar 3. Ga Tech has averaged a woeful 59.7 PPG in its seven true road games this season, while Notre Dame is averaging 73.1 PPG in its 15 home contests. Throw in the "revenge angle" (ND lost by two at Ga Tech) and the Irish get the win with "room to spare." Good luck...Larry |
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02-10-19 | Connecticut v. Memphis -7 | Top | 71-78 | Push | 0 | 6 h 58 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Memphis at 2:00 ET. UConn began the season 6-1, including a win against Syracuse. It seemed as if players and fans alike were attracted to first year head coach Dan Hurley's intense attitude and aggressive play on the court. However, to put it mildly, Connecticut has had its share of ups-and-downs and comes into Sunday's game at Memphis 13-10 overall, including 4-6 in AAC play. What's more, senior guard Jalen Adams (17.0-3.8-3.) is out for the next four to six weeks, which basically means the season. Memphis also features a first-year head coach but Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway is facing NONE of the issues Hurley is dealing with. The well-liked mentor has his Tigers at 13-10 as well, including 5-5 in league play. Adams was coming off an altercation with Hurley in UConn's previous game and then played just six minutes in the team's 81-63 loss at Temple on Wednesday, before suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee. 6-9 sophomore forward Josh Carlton (8.6 & 5.9) didn't post a double-double in his first 54 games at UConn but he had 18 points and 13 rebounds against Temple for his second straight, following a 20 & 16 performance against East Carolina. Junior guard Christian Vital (14.0 & 6.0) had 18 points and 13 rebounds against the Owls, while Eric Cobb (4.0 & 4.2) added 13 points and five rebounds. He's getting extra time because Alterique Gilbert (13.0 & 3.8 APG) has missed three straight games with a shoulder injury. Memphis knows all about star guards, as the Tigers feature PG Jeremiah Martin. He made a career-high eight, three-pointers while scored a game-high 26 points against No. 25 Cincinnati on Thursday. However, it wasn't enough, as the Bearcats rallied from an 11-point deficit early in the second half for a 69-64 victory. "We didn't rebound the ball (well) in the second half and they got a couple of easy baskets," said Martin, who was coming off a career-high 41-point effort at South Florida. Martin is averaging 16.7-4.0-4.3 on the season.The 6-8 Davenport chips in 14.3 & 7.4 plus freshman guard Harris adds 12.1 PPG. Hardaway likes to use his bench and Memphis has six more player averaging between 5.5 and 8.8 PPG. UConn is an un-perfect 0-5 SU in true road games and that streak doesn't figure to end here (especially without Adams) against a Memphis team which is 11-2 SU at home, averaging a whopping 87.7 PPG. Memphis is 8-3 as a home favorite, including a PERFECT 6-0 when laying less than double digits! Good luck...Larry |
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02-09-19 | Washington v. Arizona State -1 | Top | 63-75 | Win | 100 | 13 h 0 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Arizona St at 10;00 ET. Washington returned all five starters from LY's 21-win team (NIT, not NCAA bid) but did anyone expect 12 straight wins and a 10-0 conference start, the school's best since 1952-53? Washington won at Arizona for the first time in seven years 67-60 on Thursday, despite senior forward Noah Dickerson (12.6 & 6.7) struggling with an ankle issue plus senior guard Matisse Thybulle (10.0) and senior forward Dominic Green (6.8) struggling with the flu (entire coaching staff was ill). The 19-4 Huskies (10-0 Pac 12) head to Tempe tonight to face the 15-7 Arizona State Sun Devils (6-4 in Pac-12). Arizona State is coming off its worst loss of the season, a stunning 91-70 home loss against Washington State on Thursday (ASU was favored by 15 points!) Sophomore guard Jaylen Nowell averages team highs of 16.4 points and 3.4 assists, while adding 5.4 RPG. Dickerson battled through an ankle injury to score 10 points in 26 minutes against Arizona, while Thybulle had five steals on Thursday. Washington is off to its best conference start since going 14-0 in 1952-53, boasts the stingiest defense in the Pac-12 at 64 points per game (60.4 during its winning streak) and hasn't allowed more than 70 in a conference game Head coach Bobby Hurley told the media after the Wash St loss, "There really wasn't anything overly positive that you can say. It was a pretty damaging loss for us." Senior forward Zylan Cheatham (11.6-1.1-3.5) entered the week one of 18 players nationally averaging a double-double, but only one other is also averaging at least three assists (Wisconsin's Ethan Happ). Freshman guard Luguentz Dort is the leading scorer at 16.2 PPG, with three more ASU players scoring in double digits. PG Martin checks in at 13.1 (5.1 APG), 12.4), guard Edwards at 10.3 and the 6-7 Lawrence at 10.2 & 4.0). Bobby Hurley's Sun Devils generated national headlines by handing then-top-ranked Kansas its first loss, 80-76, back on Dec. 22. However, ASU is just 6-5 its last 10. That said, off the team's embarrassing home loss to Wash St, Washington and its unbeaten Pac-12 record should bring out the VERY best in the Sun Devils. They are 10-3 SU at home, while averaging 82.5 PPG. Good luck...Larry |
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02-09-19 | Colorado v. USC -4.5 | Top | 69-65 | Loss | -109 | 13 h 58 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on USC at 10:00 ET. The Colorado Buffs opened the season 9-3 in non-conference games but when Pac-12 play began, Colorado started 2-6. However, the Buffs have rebounded from their poor Pac-12 start to post impressive double-digit wins over Oregon and UCLA in their last two outings. In the 22-point win over the Ducks on Feb 2, Colorado dominated defensively, holding Oregon to a season-low 51 points and a nine-year low 31 percent shooting from the floor. At UCLA this past Wednesday, Colorado shot 53.8 percent from the floor, including 13-of-24 from three-point range plus recorded a season-high 22 assists on 28 made baskets in an 84-73 win. The 13-9 Buffaloes (4-6 Pac-12) will try to maintain that momentum Saturday night when they visit USC. The Trojans are 13-10 overall (6-4 in Pac-12 play), after a 77-70 home loss to Utah on Wednesday night. In contrast to Colorado, USC has dropped two of its last three games following a 5-2 Pac-12 start. The Buffs received a huge boost Wednesday from junior-college transfer Shane Gatling who connected on 8-of-10 shots, including 7-of-9 three-pointers, in scoring a season-high 28 points. Sophomore swingman Tyler Bey also stayed hot with 16 points and 10 rebounds, giving him his third double-double in the last five games. Gatling (10.5) and Bey (12.4 & 9.0) are two of the four Buffaloes averaging double figures, with sophomore PG McKinley Wright leading the way (12.7 PPG) plus a team-high 5.0 APG. 6-10 forward Lucas Siewert (11.3 & 5.1 points) rounds out the main contributors. The Trojans fell behind Utah by 23 points midway through the second half and finished with a 38.0 field-goal percentage, including 9-of-26 from three-point range. “That was our worst effort in a long time,” USC head coach Andy Enfield said afterward. “I’m disappointed in our team, (but) I’ll take the blame for that.” USC has a set of "twin towers" in the 6-10 Boatwright (17.3 & 6.7) and the 6-11 Nick Rakocevic (16.0 & 9.9). Guard Jonah Mathews scored 18 points to pace the Trojans vs Utah and he tops a four-man guard rotation by averaging 12.9 PPG on the season. Porter (9.2) is back in the lineup after missing more than a month and joins Aaron (8.8 & 4.6) and PG Thornton (8.4 & 5.0 APG). I still don't trust Colorado away from Boulder and its win over erratic UCLA is not a mind-changer, as it was just the Buffs' second in their last nine Pac-12 road games. Sure, USC is a bit of an underachiever but note that the Trojans had won SEVEN straight at Galen Center before stumbling vs the Utes. USC is the play. Good luck...Larry |
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02-09-19 | Duke v. Virginia -2 | 81-71 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 13 m | Show | |
My 9* play is on Virginia at 6:00 ET. Saturday's marquee matchup is No. 2 Duke at No. 3 Virginia. Thees teams met in Durham back on Jan 189, as the Blue Devils (-3.5) edged the Cavs, 72-70. The rematch is set for Charlottesville, with Duke coming 20-2 (8-1 ACC) and Virginia at 20-1 (8-1 ACC). Duke's win over UVa jump started a six-game winning streak for the Blue Devils, with their most recent win coming in an 80-55 blowout of Boston College on Tuesday. The Cavaliers have returned to their winning ways since the loss at Duke, picking up a fourth straight victory following their 56-46 home triumph over Miami last Saturday. Duke was without PG Tre Jones in the first meeting. However, the team's best defender, has since returned to the court. Duke prevailed in that first game despite his absence, as the freshman combination of RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson proved to be too much for Virginia to overcome. Barrett scored 30 points and Williamson added 27. Barrett leads with 23.0 PPG (7.2 RPG) and Williamson checks in at 22.0 PPG plus a team-high 9.4 RPG. Cam Reddish (13.5) is the team's third double digit scorer and he scored 24 points, his most since the second game of the season, on 8-of-16 shooting to lead the Blue Devils over Boston College. Jones averages 8.4 PPG and a team-high 5.5 APG. The Cavaliers played without PG and third-leading scorer Ty Jerome (13.0-4.4-4.9) against the Hurricanes and didn't look very sharp (14 TOs and 42.3% from teh floor. Leading scorer De’Andre Hunter (14.7 & 5.1) led the way offensively against Miami with 14 on 6-of-13 shooting, while the 6-9 Mamadi Diakite (7.0 & 3.9 added 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Guard Kyle Guy (14.5 & 4.5) is UVa's second-best scorer. As usual, Virginia’s defense made up for its offensive miscues as the Cavaliers held the Hurricanes to 34 percent from the floor. UVa allows 52.9 PPG (1st) on 37.0% shooting (3rd), including 24.7% on threes (1st). Jerome's back is improving but his status against Duke is unknown. The Cavs were out-sized and out-quicked by the Blue Devils in the first meeting, yet lost by just two at Cameron. UVa was able to out-think Duke to stay in that game, as Duke was often flustered by the Virginia's defensive intensity. stop-end presence. Bennett's D completely shut off the perimeter in first meeting, holding Duke to only 2 of 14 from beyond arc. Here at home, where UVa is 11-0 and allowing just 49.0 PPG, the Blue Devils will be in big trouble. Cavs get their revenge. Good luck...Larry |
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02-09-19 | Louisville v. Florida State -3 | 75-80 | Win | 100 | 9 h 11 m | Show | |
My 3rd 8* play is on Florida St at 4:00 ET. No. 16 Louisville (17-6 / 8-2 in ACC) will be in Tallahassee on Saturday afternoon to take on No. 22 Florida State (17-5 / 5-4 in ACC). The Cardinals are sitting comfortably at No. 4 in the ACC standings, a half-game back of Virginia, Duke and North Carolina. They come into Saturday's meeting with Florida State winners of seven of their last eight games, the only blemish being 79-69 home loss to then-No. 9 North Carolina Saturday. However, Louisville bounced right back with a 72-64 victory Monday at then-No. 11 Virginia Tech. Then-No. 1 Duke rolled into town to take on then-No. 13 Florida State back on Jan 12 and eked out a 8-78 victory. Florida State spiraled a bit after that Duke loss, dropping its next two games at unranked Pitt and Boston College. However, the Seminoles have since righted the ship and enter this game having won four straight contests. Reserve guard Ryan McMahon (just 8.0 PPG on the season) scored 17 points on 4-of-5 shooting (all from three-point range) in 16 minutes off the bench against the Hokies, tying for the team high in scoring with junior forward Dwayne Sutton (10.9 & 7.0). Leading scorer and rebounder, the 6-7 Jordan Nwora (17.8 & 7.7). PG Cunningham (10.2 & 4.6 APG) is the only other Cardinal to average in double digits but Louisville come in averaging a healthy 78.8 PPG (57th). "Our inconsistency has kind of been our biggest obstacle," Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton said. "But I do feel that we made a step in the right direction (against Syracuse), on the road against a good basketball team in a place that is very challenging to win. I thought our guys grew up a little bit." Senior guard Terance Mann () paced the Seminoles against the Orange with 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting while also contributing nine rebounds, three assists and two steals. Leading scorer Mfiondu Kabengele, who averages 13.2 points in just 19.7 minutes, added 18 points and eight rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting off the bench. The Seminoles shot 54.5 percent from the floor while dominating inside, outscoring the Orange 38-18 in the paint. EIGHT Florida State players are averaging between 6.2 PPG and Kabengele,'s team-high total of 13.2 (note: Kabengele doesn't even start for the Seminoles). FSU was ranked 17th in the AP's preseason poll (ranked 15th by the Blue Ribbon Yearbook) and climbed as high as No. 9 in the AP poll in early January. The last time FSU hosted a top-25 opponent in its house, it ended in heartbreak (see above vs duke). This time around, it will be a much better (happier) ending. Good luck...Larry |
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02-09-19 | Villanova v. Marquette -1.5 | 65-66 | Loss | -111 | 8 h 45 m | Show | |
My 2nd 8* play is on Marquette at 2:30 ET. Questions surrounded Villanova after the Wildcats lost back-to-back games to Penn and Kansas, as the defending champs (actually, two titles in a three-year span) sat just 8-4 in mid-December. However, 11 consecutive wins later (including a 10-0 start in the Big East), have erased all doubts that the 19-4 Wildcats are again VERY relevant (''Nova is currently ranked 14th). Marquette is also 19-4 (8-2 in the Big East) but come sin off its first home loss of the season, falling 70-69 to St. John's on Tuesday The Wildcats were led against Creighton by 6-8 freshman Saddiq Bey in their win over Creighton, as he scored a career-high 17 points for his fourth double-digit scoring effort in the last five outings. That said, bey averages just 8.2 PPG on the season (5.0 RPG). 'Nova is led by senior guard Phil Booth (18.3.7-4.) and 6-8 senior forward Eric Paschall (17.3 & 6.2). Sophomore guard Collin Gillespie (12.1) is the team's third double digit scorer. The Golden Eagles are led PG Markus Howard (24.6-4.1-4.2), who is a potential All-American. The 6-8 Sam Hauser (15.7 & 7.0 is joined by his 6-9 younger brother Joey (10.4 & 5.7). Marquette connects on 46.9 % if its FGs, including 39.5 percent from three-point range (16th). Each of its top-three scorers (see above) drain at least 40 percent of their 3-pointers. Villanova can't possibly "win-out" (right?) and this is one tough venue. Maybe Marquette got caught "looking ahead" to 'Nova against St John's but I believe that will make them even more focused here. The Golden Eagles are 14-1 SU at home, outscoring opponents 79.2-to-62.5 PPG. Home team wins. Good luck...Larry |
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02-09-19 | Auburn v. LSU -2.5 | 78-83 | Win | 100 | 7 h 10 m | Show | |
My 1st 8* play is on LSU at 2:00 ET. No. 21 LSU (18-4 / 8-1 in SEC) remained in a tie for second in the conference with No. 5 Kentucky (one game behind the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers), after Wednesday's 92-88 OT victory at Mississippi State. Freshman forward Naz Reid scored 25 of his career high-tying 29 in the second half and OT, while sophomore guard Tremont Waters added 25 points. It's Tigers vs Tigers on Saturday, as 16-6 Auburn (5-4 in SEC) visits Baton Rogue this afternoon. Auburn defeated Florida 76-62 on Tuesday for its third straight victory, as these Tigers have clamped down defensively, allowing just 61.0 PPG in that span (Auburn is one of four teams tied for fifth at 5-4 in the SEC). Auburn's 6-11 junior center Austin Wiley (10.3 & 5.9) returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing five games with a leg injury. However, he played only five minutes as head coach Bruce Pearl told reporters he wants to keep "progressing him." Senior guard Bryce Brown (17.0) is the team's leading scorer and is averaging 19.3 points in conference games. Junior PG Jared Harper (15.4) leads the SEC in assists (6.5), while 6-8 sophomore forward Chuma Okeke has stepped up in Austin Wiley's absence, to average 10.5 & 6.4 on the season. PG Waters leads LSU in scoring (15.6) and assist (5.9 assists), while Reid adds 13.9 PPG plus a team-best 6.0 RPG. Junior guard Skylar Mays (13.1) and freshman guard Ja'vonte Smart (10.5) are the other double-figure scorers plus 6-6 freshman forward Emmitt Williams (8.0 & 5.9) provides support at both ends of the floor. Auburn has won three consecutive SEC games, 92-58 over Missouri, 84-63 over Alabama and 76-62 over Florida on Tuesday but all have come at home.The team now heads out on the road where the Tigers are 1-4 SU, while allowing 79.6 PPG. Beating the Tigers of LSU on their homecourt will be no easy task. LSU opened the season with 11 straight home wins, before losing to Arkansas last Saturday, 90-89 as a 10-point favorite. LSU enters 11-1 SU at home, outscoring opponents 86.1-to-70.7. Home team rules in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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02-09-19 | Wisconsin v. Michigan -6.5 | 52-61 | Win | 100 | 6 h 35 m | Show | |
My 9* Eye-Opener is on Michigan at 12:00 ET. From 1999 through 2017, there was not single NCAA tournament that didn't include Wisconsin. However, in the 2017-18 season, the Badgers finished 15-18 when they lost in the Big Ten quarterfinals, missing the "Big Dance" for the first time in 20 years.Things were slightly better to open this season but the Badgers sat a modest 11-6 when unbeaten and No. 2-ranked Michigan cane to town on Jan 19. Wisconsin's defense and 6-10 fifth-year senior Ethan Happ were the difference that day. The Badgers forced 16 turnovers and held the Wolverines to 40.7% shooting, while Happ racked up 26 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Today, it's a rematch in Ann Arbor. Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard has reintroduced the old-style, slow-paced Bo Ryan “swing” offense that is effectively dictating tempo in the school's current six-game winning streak (5-0-1 ATS)(5-0-1 vs. line) win streak. The 'sticky' Wisconsin D hasn’t allowed more than 61 points in that span (53.8 PPG allowed during the six games), after a 56-51 road victory against Minnesota on Wednesday. Happ continued his outstanding season, scoring a team-high 15 points plus grabbed 13 rebounds for his 15th double-double (the most in the Big Ten). D'Mitrik Trice (13.4), who leads the Big Ten in three-point percentage (45.2), drilled three triples, including a clutch three-pointer with under two minutes remaining to clinch the win. Backcourt mate Brad Davison (11.2) added 10 points, despite going 2-of-12 from the floor. The 6-11 Nate Reuvers (8.3 & 3.2) flirted with a triple-double, as he added nine points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots against the Golden Gophers.Wisconsin is allowing 61.0 PPG, to rank 18th in the nation. Michigan has won of four of five games since the loss at Madison, including a 77-65 victory against Rutgers on Tuesday. The victory gives the Wolverines sole possession of first-place in the Big Ten at 10-2 (Purdue is 9-2, while Wisconsin & Mich St are 9-3). The 6-7 Ignas Brazdeikis was one of three freshmen named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top-20 Watch List. He knocked down a career-high five, three-pointers en route to 23 points in the win against Rutgers. He leads Michigan with 15.5 PPG (adds 5.5 RPG). The 7-1 Teske (8.8 & 6.3) starts up front with him, while a trio of guards man the perimeter. That group includes Poole (12.9), Matthews (12.5 & 5.3) and PG Simpson (9.2-5.3-6.0). Jordan Poole added 15 points while Zavier Simpson produced 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on Tuesday. Teske leads the Big Ten in blocks per game (2.2) and Michigan allows 57.3 PPG, the second-best mark in college hoops. The Wolverines have won 20 straight at Crisler Arena, going 14-0 this season while outscoring opponents 72.3-to-56.1 PPG. Michigan will be primed for payback here and I have to go with that. Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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02-07-19 | Hawaii v. Long Beach State +1 | 77-70 | Loss | -109 | 14 h 7 m | Show | |
My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on Long Beach St at 10:00 ET. Hawaii is 13-8 overall (4-3 in Big West) and will travel for just the school's fourth true road game when visiting Long Beach St on Thursday night. The 49ers are just 8-15 on the season, including 2-5 in Big West play. Hawaii easily handled LBSU 74-57 at home on Jan 31 but then lost this past Saturday at home to UC-Santa Barbara, 75-54. Long Beach St enters on a five-game slide but played very well on Saturday, falling just 82-80 at home to UC-Irvine (Anteaters are 20-5, including a Big West-best 8-1). Hawaii has solid a starting-five led by guards Stansberry (12.4), Stepteau (9.1) and Buggs (8.8-4.2-5.3) plus up front, it's the 6-8 Raimo (11.5 & 6.6) and the 6-9 Purchase (11.4 & 6.1). PG Booker leads Hawaii in scoring (17.9) and assist (4.7) and fellow guard Alberts (10.5) give them a solid backcourt. The 6-7 Yussef (12.0 & 6.8) is now back in the lineup and joins the 6-7 Byers (8.5 & 6.2) in the frontcourt. Long Beach has not had a good season but I liked the etam's last home effort. No reason the 49ers can't take down the so-so Rainbow Warriors in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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02-07-19 | Washington v. Arizona +1.5 | 67-60 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 4 m | Show | |
My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on Arizona at 9:00 ET. Washington was not expected to be quite this good but in a 'down' year for the Pac-12, Mike Hopkins' Huskies sit 18-4 after an 11-game winning streak, which includes a PERFECT 11-0 start in league play. Meanwhile, Sean Miller's Wildcats are very disappointing 14-8 overall, including just 5-4 in conference play. Washington comes off Saturday's 69-55 victory over UCLA, leaving t Huskies 9-0 in conference play for the first time since winning their first nine Pacific Coast Conference games back in 1952-53. As for Arizona, the Wildcats fell at Arizona State 95-88 in overtime on Jan 31 for their third straight loss. Sophomore guard Jaylen Nowell averages a team-high 16.6 PPG (adds 5.4 RPG) and team-best 3.4 APG. Senior guard Matisse Thybulle (9.7 points & a conference-best 3.2 steals) is one of 15 finalists for the Naismith Trophy Defensive Player of the Year award plus Crisp (12.0) makes for an excellent perimeter trio for Washington. Senior forward Noah Dickerson chips in 12.7 PPG and a team-high 6.8 rebounds. However, he hurt his ankle in the UCLA game (had three points, six rebounds and two blocks in 14 minutes Saturday before sustaining his injury. ankle) and is expected to miss this one. Arizona knows all about missing a key player, as freshman PG Brandon Williams (12.0 PPG & team-high 3.6 APG) is out indefinitely with a knee injury. Good news came in the fact that 6-10 junior center Chase Jeter returned to the lineup Jan. 31 after missing two games with a back injury. The Duke transfer recorded seven points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes and is averaging 12.7 PPG and a club-high 7.3 rebounds. Sophomore guard Brandon Randolph averages a team-best 15.0 PPG, 11.3 more than he did as a freshman. Also regularly in the starting lineup are guard Coleman (9.1) and the 6-9 Luther (7.1 & 4.7). Here's the bottom line. Yes, Washington returned all five starters from LY's 21-win team (NIT, not NCAA bid) but 11 straight wins? How about that 9-0 conference start, the school's best since 1952-53? Washington earned a 78-75 victory Feb. 3, 2018 over Arizona last season but that win snapped an EIGHT-game losing streak in the series, falling by an average of 13.9 PPG. Yes, Arizona has been a disappointment but the Wildcats are 10-2 at home and checks in a national-best 92-5 at the McKale Center since 2013! I checked and during that run, Arizona has NEVER been a home dog (I took plus-1.5). Arizona HAS to be teh play! Good luck...Larry |
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02-07-19 | Cincinnati v. Memphis +3 | Top | 69-64 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 13 m | Show |
My 10* Rivalry Rout is on Memphis at 7:00 ET. Cincinnati has won SEVEN in a row and at 19-3 (8-1 in AAC, tied for 1st with Houston), finds itself in the AP top-25 for the first time this season (Bearcats were ranked 25th in Monday's new poll). Cincy embarks on a two-game road trip that starts tonight in Memphis against the 13-9 Tigers (5-4 in AAC play) and ends at 21-1 Houston on Sunday (Cougars are currently 12th in the latest AP poll). Cincinnati held off a second-half rally from SMU for a 73-68 triumph on Saturday, extending its winning streak to seven games. Meanwhile, Memphis comes in off two straight road losses. The Bearcats lost THREE key players from last year's team. Shooting guard Evans (13.0) and the 6-8 Clark (12.9 & 8.7) were NBA draft picks plus the 6-9 Washington (11.3 & 5.3) is also gone. Cincy depends WAY too much on Jarron Cumberlandand (18.7-4.0-3.5). He's second in the AAC in scoring and has scored 23 points or more in three straight games. A trio of guards join him on the perimeter in Williams (11.0), Jenifer (8.8) and Broome (8.2). The 6-8 Scott (9.3 & 6.3) and the 6-11 Brooks (8.5 & 5.7) are Cincy's top-two frontcourt contributors. Mick Cronin-coached teams always play defense and the Bearcats come in allowing 61.5 PPG (11th). Memphis wasted a record 41-point second-half performance from senior guard Jeremiah Martin in Saturday's 84-78 loss at South Florida on Saturday. The Tigers scored just 13 in the first 20 minutes and just couldn't recover. However, head coach Penny Hardaway told reporters after the game, “I’m proud of my guys for fighting back in the second half. The first half was a nightmare. The second half was our type of basketball.” Martin leads the team in scoring (16.4) and assists (4.3), while 6-8 senior forward Kyvon Davenport adds 14.4 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Tyler Harris (12.6) is the top three-point threat (56 makes) plus senior guard Kareem Brewton Jr. adds 8.9 PPG. Memphis is nowhere near the defensive team Cincy is (Tigers allow 77.3 PPG, which ranks 301st) but here at FedEx Forum, Memphis is 11-1 SU, averaging 89.7 PPG (average margin of victory is 16-plus PPG!). This isn't exactly Cincy/Xavier in terms of a heated (hated?) rivalry but Memphis is looking to become relative again (the Pastner experience was a washout) and the Tigers would 'LOVE' to take down the Bearcats ahead of Saturday's showdown with Houston. Home dog barks LOUDLY in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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02-07-19 | Houston v. UCF +2.5 | Top | 77-68 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 2 m | Show |
My 9* PERFECT STORM is on UCF at 7:00 ET. Central Florida looked terrible in a 20-point loss at Memphis on Jan 27 but bounced back with a 73-67 home win last Thursday against UConn. The 16-4 Knights (6-2 in AAC play) haven't played since last Thursday and have to be excited about welcoming No. 12 Houston (21-1 / 8-1 in AAC play) to Orlando this Thursday. The Cougars also have had a week off since a 73-66 win over Temple, avenging their only loss of the season. Junior guard Armoni Brooks entered the last outing as the Cougars' leading scorer but he had an off night against Temple due to foul trouble and was held to a season-low three points. He's now second on the team in scoring (14.3)m but leads in rebounding (at 6.1) to senior guard Corey Davis Jr. (15.0), who had 24 points in the win over the Owls. Senior PG Galen Robinson Jr. sits second in the conference with 5.3 assists per game, while adding 8.1 PPG. Two more guards, Jarreau (8.0 & 3.7) and Hinton (7.7 & 4.5), round out Houston's top scorers. However, Kelvin Sampson has a trio of forwards who combine for about 20 PPG and 13 RPG. Senior guard B.J. Taylor, the conference preseason player of the year, is bidding to lead the club in scoring for the third straight season with an average of 16.9 points and the coaches' son, Aubrey Dawkins averages 15.1 PPG and 5.4 RPG. PG Allen (7.2 & 4.2 APG) makes for a nice guard trio plus 7-6 senior center Tacko Fall (9.8 points, team-high 7.1 rebounds) leads the conference with 2.8 blocks per game. He paces the AAC in field-goal shooting at 75.7 percent to help the Knights shoot a conference-best 46.8 percent. The 6-11 Smith (8.2 & 5.2) is a quality side-kick. Houston is a terrific defensive team, allowing 60.5 PPG (6th) on 36.3% shooting (2nd). UCF ranks second in the conference to Houston in field goal percentage defense (39.3) and third behind Houston and Cincinnati in scoring defense (63.9) but it's a much-improved and efficient offense that is the difference in the team this season (see above). Central Florida was the preseason favorite in the American Athletic Conference and has a GREAT chance here to make this a nip-and-tuck race to the finish by winning here. Houston and Cincy are both 8-1 but a UCF win over Houston and with some help, a Memphis home win tonight over Cincy, the Knights would be 7-2 to Houston and Cincy's 8-2 mark. UCF can't control the Cincy/Memphis outcome but the Knights can and WILL win here. Good luck...Larry |
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02-06-19 | Georgia v. Alabama -8 | 74-89 | Win | 100 | 12 h 50 m | Show | |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on Alabama at 9:00 ET. 13-8 Alabama has struggled to find consistency in SEC play, alternating wins and losses in its past seven conference games. The Crimson Tide sit 4-4 in league play, after getting routed last Saturday night at in-state rival Auburn, 84-63. Runs of 21-2 and 17-0 in the first half put Alabama in a 20-point hole at halftime in an eventual 21-point loss. Alabama returns home tonight to welcome 10-1 Georgia to Tuscaloosa. Unlike Alabama, Georgia has been consistent in SEC play. However, not in a good way. The Bulldogs have lost SEVEN of their first eight conference games under first-year coach Tom Crean, after Saturday’s 86-80 home loss to South Carolina. While Georgia's offense showed signs of promise in Saturday's loss with 80 points, the Bulldogs were torched defensively by 57 percent shooting from the floor and 69 percent shooting from three-point range by the Gamecocks. “Today, we did not guard the basketball, and we did not guard the shooter,” Crean told the media afterward. “After a while, the basket looked like Lake Michigan because it was so open. 6-9 senior forward Derek Ogbeide is averaging 14.6 points in his past three SEC games and has raised his average for the season to 10.0 PPG (also 6.0 rebounds), giving Georgia three frontcourt players averaging in double figures. 6-10 sophomore forward Rayshaun Hammonds (12.9 & 6.7) and fellow sophomore, the 6-11 Nicolas Claxton (12.7 & 9.3) are the other two. Guard Crump (10.5) joins those three frontcourt players in double digits. "They had more energy, they out-hustled us,” Alabama head coach Avery Johnson told reporters after the loss at Auburn. “We didn’t have our best game. We got off to a decent start, but they got us with their transition offense (and) obviously their 3-point shooting.” Sophomore guard John Perry scored a team-best 18 points Saturday, and in his past four SEC games is averaging 19 points per game (up to12.0 PPG on the season). Freshman guard Kira Lewis Jr. leads the Crimson Tide in scoring at 13.6 PPG. Up front, 6-9 senior forward Donta Hall is third in the SEC in rebounding at 8.9 per contest and eighth in blocked shots at two per game while averaging 11.5 PPG. Heavily-recruited freshman PG Kira Lewis (13.6 ppg) continues to display remarkable poise and self-confidence and gets better with each game. Also, senior forward Donta Hall is flirting with a double-double every game. I already noted Georgia's SEC woes (1-7 conference start) and includes going 0-4 SU & 1-3 ATS on the road, allowing 92 points or more in THREE of the four! Alabama may also just remember LY's 65-46 blowout in Athens, its worst offensive showing of the 2017-18 campaign. Alabama takes this one with "room to spare!" Good luck...Larry |
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02-06-19 | Colorado v. UCLA -5.5 | Top | 84-73 | Loss | -109 | 14 h 55 m | Show |
My 10* Revenge Rout is on UCLA at 9:00 ET. UCLA dismissed head coach Steve Alford on December 31, 2018, two days after the Bruins' ugly 73-58 loss to Liberty. It marked the first time the program ever had made a coaching change in the middle of the season. Murry Bartow (son of former UCLA coach Gene Bartow) was named interim coach for the Bruins and in his first game (at home vs Stanford), UCLA ended a four-game slide with a 92-70 win over te Cardinal. Two more wins followed but the 'honeymoon' period is over for UCLA's interim coach, as following that 3-0 start in the conference, UCLA has dropped four of its last six Pac-12 games and finds itself in the middle of the pack at the midpoint of the conference season (12-10 / 5-4). The 12-9 Colorado Buffs visit Pauley Pavilion tonight, Meanwhile, Colorado comes in having dropped four of its last six and at 3-6 in the conference, is sitting above only Washington State (1-8) and California (0-9) in the standings. Surprisingly, the Buffaloes are coming off a win a lopsided 73-51 victory over visiting Oregon last Saturday. The Buffs dominated Oregon on the glass (45-32) and at the free-throw line, draining 24-of-28 attempts while the Ducks were 11-of-18. Sophomore swingman Tyler Bey led the way with a career-high 27 points on 9-of-9 shooting while pulling down 10 rebounds. Bey averages 12.2 PPG (2nd-best on te team) plus 8.9 RPG (team-leader). PG Wright leads the team in scoring (12.8) and assists (4.8) plus also averages a healthy 4.8 RPG. Fellow guards Gatling and Schwartz combine to chip in 17.6 PPG plus the 6-10 Siewert (11.6 & 5.1) is Colorado's best big man. Three of UCLA’s four Pac-12 losses have come on the road with the latest being a 69-55 decision Saturday at first-place Washington. The Bruins’ 55 points were a season low while connecting on only 4-of-15 3-point attempts and also committing 23 turnovers. Guard Kris Wilkes scored 20 of the Bruins’ 55 points and leads the team at 17.7 PPG. PG Jaylen Hands (11.7 & 6.5 APG), fellow gurad Prince Ali (10.7) and freshman center Moses Brown (11.2 & 8.8) round out UCLA's double digit scorers. Wilkes has scored in double figures in 24 straight contests (dating back to last season) and is averaging 23.3 points over his last three contests while shooting 56.3 percent during that span. Even after the 55-point effort versus Washington, the Bruins are averaging a conference-best 79.4 points in Pac-12 play, while the Buffaloes are 10th at just 69.4. The Bruins should still be highly motivated, as a possible top-4 seeding in the Pac-12 tournament would give them a bye into the quarterfinal round. UCLA should surely remember losing 68-59 at home to Colorado (as an 11 1/2-point favorite) and 80-76 in Boulder, last season. Note that prior to that, UCLA had won SEVEN of the eight matchups since Colorado joined the Pac-12 in 2011. Revenge works here, as UCLA has won 40 of 46 games in Pauley Pavilion since the start of the 2016-17 season and Colorado is 1-6 ATS away from Boulder since Dec 1, with the only "W" coming in 68-59 win at Pac-12 doormat Cal (0-9 in league play). Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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02-06-19 | Connecticut v. Temple -3.5 | 63-81 | Win | 100 | 9 h 48 m | Show | |
My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on Temple at 6:30 ET. UConn travels to Philly with a 13-9 overall record, including 4-5 in AAC play. Connecticut has taken advantage of a soft schedule in recent weeks, having defeated Tulane (0-9), Wichita State (3-6) and East Carolina (2-7), three of the bottom four teams in the AAC (Huskies lost at 16-4 / 6-2 UCF last Thursday). However, the Huskies will face a stiffer test Wednesday at Temple. The Owls are 16-6 overall (6-3 in AAC play) and 8-2 SU on their home floor. UConn is led by the backcourt duo of senior Jalen Adams (17.7 & 4.0) and junior Christian Vital (13.8 & 5.3). The Huskies rolled over East Carolina 76-52 on Sunday but Adams was benched for most of the second half after he walked away from head coach Dan Hurley, and then the two engaged in a more animated exchange. "His game was over at that point, regardless of where the score went," Hurley told reporters. "We could have lost by 18, he was done." Adams was held scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting but the 6-11 Josh Carlton (just 8.1 & 5.5 on the season) picked up the slack with 20 points and 16 rebounds (both career highs). Temple owns a three-headed scoring attack on the perimeter in PG Shizz Alston Jr. (18.4 & 4.9 APG) plus fellow guards Quinton Rose (17.1) and Nate Pierre-Louis (13.8 & 6.0). The Owls have a chance here to make a statement as to whether they will be a player in the AAC down the stretch, or just one of the also-rans. I'm sure UConn is aching for a rematch after suffering its worst AAC loss of 2017-18 in last season's 85-57 thumping in Philly. However, UConn is 0-4 SU in true road games this season. The Owls are 8-2 SU at home this season, so this pointspread seems more that manageable, especially not knowing UConn's Adams state of mind (see above). Good luck...Larry |
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02-05-19 | Florida State v. Syracuse -2.5 | Top | 80-62 | Loss | -109 | 13 h 56 m | Show |
My 10* CBB Game of the Week is on Syracuse at 8:00 ET. The Florida State Seminoles opened the season with a 12-1 record and were ranked 9th in the AP poll when they lost 65-52 at UVa on Jan 5. That began a 1-4 stretch but the Seminoles have rebounded from a three-game losing streak to win three in a row and at 16-5 (4-4 ACC) are No. 22 in the current AP poll. Syracuse lost at home to 'neighbor' Buffalo 71-59 back on Dec 18 but the Orange have since gone 9-2 SU & ATS to check in at 16-6, including 7-2 in ACC play. The Seminoles didn't do much offensively against Georgia Tech in a 69-59 win at Ga Tech in their last game. "We've got to find a way to smooth it out where we're consistent with how we go out and perform every night out," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton told reporters. "That's kind of been a moving target for us. I'm just glad that we're back to 4-4 (in the ACC). We have to keep hopefully moving in the right direction." Only two Florida State players scored in double figures, the 6-10 Mfiondu Kabengele (13.0 & 5.0) and guard Terance Mann (11.4 & 6.6), who scored 12 points apiece. FSU finished at 34.8 percent from the floor (including 4-of-16 on threes) but held the Yellow Jackets to 28.3 percent shooting, including 3-of-21 from beyond the arc. Syracuse's leading scorer, Tyus Battle (17.5), scored 31 points against Boston College last week but in his other three games since Jan 24, he has averaged just 8.7 points on 8-of-31 shooting. On the other hand, PG Frank Howard (8.4 & 3.3 APG) is coming on of late and scored 10 of his 15 points in the second half of Saturday's win against Pittsburgh. Up front, head coach Jim Boeheim's team features forwards Elijah Hughes (14.1 & 4.4) and the Oshae Brissett (13.5 & 7.6). as always, Boeheim's zone D is giving opponents fits this season, as Syracuse allows just 63.6 PPG (20th in the nation). FSU's Kabengele averages only 19.3 minutes (fifth-most on the team) but leads the Seminoles in scoring (13.0).I'm not sure he and the 7-4 Koumadji (6.4 & 5.4) will match up all that well against Syracuse's frontcourt duo of Hughes and Brisset. The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings between these two schools and note that Syracuse is allowing just 58.3 PPG in its 14 home games this season. The Orange were able to win at Duke earlier and should have little trouble shutting down FSU's mediocre offense here in the Carrier Dome. Good luck...Larry |
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02-04-19 | Penn State v. Northwestern -3.5 | Top | 59-52 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 11 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Northwestern at 7:00 ET. Penn State picked up some nice victories early in the season (the best being a 63-62 win over now 18-3 Virginia Tech) but the Nittany Lions are 0-10 in Big 12 play, after opening 2019 with EIGHT consecutive losses (2-6 ATS). Penn State (7-14, 0-10 Big Ten) visits Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston to take on Northwestern (12-9, 3-7 Big Ten) on Monday. The Wildcats look to halt a two-game losing skid when they host Penn State. Northwestern dropped a 62-46 decision at Wisconsin on Jan 26, before suffering a 70-52 setback at then-No. 21 Maryland on Jan 29 (Northwestern is 0-4 against ranked teams this season). Penn State is still winless in Big Ten play after coming up short in its upset bid of No. 17 Purdue on Thursday. The Nittany Lions rallied from a 17-point deficit to force overtime against the red-hot Boilermakers, but ended up on the wrong side of a 99-90 final. Penn St looks for its first win of 2019, as the Nittany Lions last win came back on Dec 29 against UMBC. "I know our record isn't what we expect or where we want it to be but the kids are competing and playing hard," Penn State head coach Patrick Chambers told reporters. "The ultimate goal down the stretch here in February is that they continue to progress."The 6-8 Lamar Stevens leads in scoring (18.9) and rebounding (7.7) and had a team-high 24 points and pulled down six rebounds in the loss to Purdue. Guard Rasir Bolton (10.1 & 4.7) had 18 points and is joined in the backcourt by PG Josh Reaves (10.1 & 3.6 APG) and Myles Dread (9.0). The 6-9 Watkins (8.5 & 8.6) joins Stevens up front. The 6-7 Vic Law leads Northwestern in scoring (15.3) and adds 6.6 RPG. He was limited to five points in the loss to Maryland. Anthony Gaines (6.5 & 4.4) scored 11 of his career-high 18 points in the second half and pulled down seven rebounds, but it wasn't enough as the Wildcats shot 31 percent from the floor in the loss to Maryland. 6-8 center Dererk Pardon (13.9 & 7.8) added 14 points and seven rebounds against the Terrapins to finish in double figures for the 19th time in 21 games. Ryan Taylor (11.7) joins Gaines in the backcourt, while the 6-7 Turner (8.1) joins the frontcourt plus leads the team in assists (3.3). I guess Penn St will eventually win a game but I don't expect it to be here against a Northwestern team that still has postseason hopes (albeit one of the three-lettered ones!). Penn State has lost EIGHT consecutive true road games, including all SIX this season while averaging only 62.7 PPG. Meanwhile, Northwestern is 9-3 SU at home, while holding opponents to 60.8 PPG at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The price is 'cheap' in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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02-03-19 | Xavier v. Creighton -6.5 | Top | 54-76 | Win | 100 | 6 h 1 m | Show |
My 10* Weekend Wipeout Winner is on Creighton at 1:00 ET. Xavier hasn't spent much time worrying about qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in recent years, having gone 'dancing' in 16 of the last 18 seasons but this season is shaping up much differently. The Musketeers have missed the NCAA Tournament just ONCE in the last 13 seasons and haven't finished with a losing conference record since 1982. However, both of those scenarios are in danger of becoming reality in the 2018-19 season. Xavier was the Big East's regular-season champion last season (15-3) but enter Sunday in a tie for last-place in the conference at 3-6 with Providence. The Musketeers lost for a fourth straight time Thursday at Georgetown (80-73), falling to 11-11. As for Creighton (12-9 / 3-5 Big East), the Bluejays rank second in the Big East in scoring with 82.7 PPG and are one of seven teams in the nation shooting at least 50 percent from the floor (50.1% ranks 5th) but the offense "crapped out" in an 83-67 loss at home to St. John's on Wednesday (Creighton finished with a season-worst 41.7 percent mark from the floor). "I was really disappointed," head coach Travis Steele told reporters after Xavier allowed 52 second-half points in the loss at Georgetown. "I told our guys going into the game we couldn't have the mentality to try to outscore the Hoyas. We had to have that defensive nastiness and toughness, which I didn't think we had at all in the second half." Xavier has great balance on offense, with five players scoring in double figures. Guard Scruggs (13.4 & 4.9) leads the way, followed by the 6-7 Marshall (13.3 & 7.0), PG Goodin (12.1 & 4.8 APG), the 6-9 Jones (11.0 & 7.4) and the 6-11 Hankins (10.2 & 4.9). So why is Xavier 11-11? The Bluejays had won two straight before their uncharacteristic offensive struggles vs St John's, which included a 9-of-34 showing from beyond the arc. Alexander leads the team in scoring (17.4) while four other players average between 10.0 and 11.4 PPG. The Bluejays own a deep perimeter, as Ballock (10.9 & 3.6 APG), Zegarowski (10.8) and Mintz (10.0) join Alexander at the guard position. The 6-9 Krampelj (11.4 & 6.3) and SF Jefferson (9.4 & 5,4) have been the best frontcourt contributors but Jefferson remains out with an ankle injury. No reason to think that Creighton won't bounce back from its horrible shooting effort on Wednesday, as the Bluejays not only rank 5th nationally by making 50.1% of all FGs, they also rank 4th in the nation from three-point range at 41.6%. Xavier is 1-5 SU in true road games this year, where the team is averaging just 62.8 PPG. I expect a big bounce-back effort from Creighton and Xavier will NOT be able to keep up. Good luck...Larry |
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02-02-19 | Cal-Irvine -5 v. Long Beach State | 82-80 | Loss | -109 | 13 h 17 m | Show | |
My 8* Bailout Blowout is on UC-Irvine at 10:00 ET. The UC Irvine Anteaters and Long Beach State 49ers meet Saturday in college basketball action at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach. UC-Irvine is the class of the Big West, checking in at 18-5, including 6-1 in league play. Meanwhile, Long Beach St is just 8-14, including 2-4 in conference games. The Anteaters have won seven of their last eight games but the loss came at home to LBSU, 80-70 on Jan 16. Meanwhile, the 49ers could really use a victory here, as they enter on a four-game losing streak UC-Irvine owns a solid backcourt duo in Hazzard (11.5) and Leonard (10.4) but this team is mostly about defense, as the Anteaters allow just 65.0 PPG (74th), while holding opponents to only 38.5% from the floor (8th-best in the nation). UC-Irvine is an excellent 9-2 SU in true road games and will seek revenge here (more on that later). Long Beach St has a long trip back from a Thursday night game in Hawaii, with the trip being made even longer due toan 74-57 loss. PG Booker (17.4 & 4.7 PG) and fellow guard Alberts (10.3) give LBSU a solid backcourt but the 6-7 Yussef (12.2 & 6.9) had not played since Dec 29. He returned at Hawaii but scored just THREE points. The 6-7 Byers (8.2 & 6.2) is the only other notable frontcourt contributor. While UC-Irvine clamps down on the defensive end, LBSU allows 77.4 PPG (30th)! Yes, UC-Irvine is the road team but while UCI makes the short trip up I-405 to "the Beach" and the Pyramid, LBSU had to fly back from Hawaii on Friday. "Payback" plays a big part here, as UC-Irvine's excelellent D (see above), allowed LBSU to score 80 points in that home loss at the Bren Center back on Jan 16. The Anteaters are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 road games and the road team is 9-4-1 ATS in the last 14 meetings between the two Big West rivals. Long Beach comes in on an 0-4 SU & ATS run. UC-Irvine knows how to win on the road and does just that here, with "room to spare!" Good luck...Larry |
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02-02-19 | Alabama v. Auburn -9 | Top | 63-84 | Win | 100 | 12 h 26 m | Show |
My 10* Rivalry Rout is on Auburn at 8:00 ET. Alabama/Auburn in college hoops is not quite like the "Iron Bowl" on the football field but is still carries plenty of 'weight!' 13-7 Alabama (4-3 SEC) knocked off three ranked teams last in January and now looks to start February in style with a road victory against in-state rival Auburn on Saturday night. The Crimson Tide beat now-No. 7 Kentucky on Jan 5 and then-No. 20 Ole Miss on Jan 22, before taking a double-digit lead and holding on for an 83-79 victory over 22-ranked Mississippi State on Tuesday. As for 14-6 Auburn (3-4 SEC), the Tigers won NINE of their first 10 games but have gone 5-5, since. Auburn was ranked 14th at 13-3, when it lost to Kentucky, the first of a three-game skid. The Tigers snapped that three-game losing streak by pulling away in the second half for a 92-58 victory over visiting Missouri on Wednesday, Alabama head coach Avery Johnson told reporters his team still has “malfunctions,” but continues to battle and possesses strong balance: “We had quite a few guys offensively contribute (Tuesday). When you have eight guys in the rotation with six, seven or more points, it’s kind of hard to scout where our offense is coming from.” PG Lewis leads in scoring at 13.9 PPG but his team-high 2.8 APG is VERY low for a PG. Fellow guard Petty averages 11.8 & 4.2, while four more guards chip in between 6.6 & 8.6 PPG. The 6-9 Hall (11.7 & 8.9) is 'Bama's lone big man of note. “Three (losses) in a row, that wasn’t us,” Tigers junior forward Danjel Purifoy told reporters after scoring a season-high eight points against Missouri. “We just came out tonight just trying to be ourselves and play like we normally play.” Senior guard Bryce Brown (16.8) is the team's leading scorer and tops the team in three-point makes (71). Junior PG Jared Harper (15.4) leads the SEC in assists (6.5), while 6-8 sophomore forward Chuma Okeke has stepped up in Austin Wiley's absence, to average 10.6 & 6.3 on the season. He's averaging 12.8 points over the last five contests, with the 6-11 Wiley (10.8 & 6.1) missing the last four with a leg injury. This is an important crossroads SEC contest, as Alabama has not won back-to-back games in almost a month and need to add a win here to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume. Same for Auburn, which sits under .500 in the SEC. It's been reported that the 6-11 Wiley is slated to return from injury for this rivalry game and that would be GREAT news. Even if he's not back, I'm "all over' the revenge-minded Tigers, who were knocked out of the 1st round of the SEC tourney last year in a 81-63 loss to Alabama. Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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02-02-19 | San Francisco v. St. Mary's -5 | Top | 80-86 | Win | 100 | 8 h 16 m | Show |
My 10* Revenge Rout is on St Mary's at 4:00 ET. It's hardly news that 20-2 Gonzaga (No. 4 in the latest AP poll) is dominating the WCC once again with a 7-0 record. However, what is a surprise, is that the St Mary's Gaels are just 13-8 overall, including only 4-3 in league play (that leaves then tied for 4th in the WCC). The Gaels will welcome San Francisco to Moraga, Ca this afternoon The surprising Dons have won 20 and 22 games the last two seasons (lost in the CIT championship game last year) but not many predicted them to be 17-4 (5-2 in WCC play) at this point in this year's season. The Dons look to get back in the win column after a 67-64 loss at San Diego on Tuesday, which ended a three game winning streak. San Francisco appeared to be in control with an 11-point lead at the break but San Diego went on a 46-31 second half run behind a 47.8%-34.5% shooting edge and seven more makes at the FT line.San Francisco starts guards Mineland (14.9 & 5.1), Ferrari (13.7-5.5 APG) and Ratinho (9.7), with the 7-0 Lull (8.0 & 5.5) and the 6-8 Renfro (7.2 & 5.30, up front. However, the 6-9 McCarthy comes off the bench to average 10.5 PPG and a team-high 6.8 RPG. The Saint Mary’s Gaels limp in having dropped back to back contests, after an 84-77 OT loss at Pepperdine as an eight point favorite (lost at BYU 71-66 before that). The 6-8 Malik Fitts (15.7 & 7.8) kept the Gaels in the game pouring in 27 points and hauling in nine rebounds, while leading scorer Jordan Ford (21.7) had 17 points. Joining Ford in the backcourt are PG Kuhse (4.6 & 3.2 APG) and Krebs (9.0 & 4.2). 6-10 center Howard averages 9.4 & 6.0. Randy Bennett's first six seasons at St Mary's resulted in just one postseason appearance (a first round NCAA loss in 2005). However, he's led the Gaels to 11 straight postseason berths entering this season. That streak could end in 2019, as St Mary's checks in just 13-8. However, don't be too quick to eliminate the Gaels. San Francisco might be the second best team in the WCC but it will be tough to sweep the Gaels (won 76-72 at home back on Jan 3). There is plenty of pride on this St Mary's program and note that the Gaels are not just 10-2 SU at home this season but also a MONEY-MAKING 10-2 ATS (have outscored opponents 87.1-to-65.9 PPG). Revenge works, here! Good luck...Larry |
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02-02-19 | North Carolina -1.5 v. Louisville | 79-69 | Win | 100 | 6 h 35 m | Show | |
My ACC Ranked vs Ranked Showdown is an 8* on North Carolina at 2;00 ET. Louisville is on its best stretch ever in the ACC (six straight wins), although it is admittedly a sample size that includes only five seasons.However, the 15th-ranked Cardinals (16-5) are 7-1 in ACC play, tied atop the league with UVa and Duke. Coming to town on Saturday for this critical ACC showdown is No. 9 North Carolina (14-6 / 6-1 in the ACC), which was stunned by Louisville 83-62 back on Jan 12 in Chapel Hill (Tar Heels were favored by points). That romp was the first of what has become three ACC road victories by margins of more than 20 points for the Cardinals, while the Tar Heels have won four games in a row since the loss to Louisville. Fair to say this game sets up, well! Carolina comes in off crushing Georgia Tech 77-54 on Tuesday. Senior guard Cameron Johnson (leading scorer at 15.8 PPG) scored a game-high 22 on 8-of-10 shooting Tuesday, including 4-of-6 from three-point range. Freshman guard Coby White (15.2 & a team-high 4.2 APG) added 19 while hitting five from downtown, as the Tar Heels have shot 48.1 percent overall and 47.1 percent beyond the arc in their last two. Up front, 6-8 senior Maye averages 13.9 & 9.7 plus 6-6 freshman Little averages 10.5 & 4.5. North Carolina 'lights up' scoreboards, averaging 87.3 PPG (3rd-best). Louisville dominated all aspects of its win three weeks ago in handing Tar Heels their worst home loss under coach Roy Williams. Cardinals center Steven Enoch had a season-high 17 off the bench in that win, while forwards Dwayne Sutton and Jordan Nwora also chipped in with 17. That victory ignited a six-game winning streak for Louisville, with its most recent victory coming in an 82-54 blowout at Wake Forest on Wednesday. The 6-7 Nwora leads the team in scoring (18.7) and rebounding (7.8), while SF Sutton (10.2 & 6.9) and PG Cunningham (10.1 & 4.4 APG) are the only other players in double digits. However, Louisville does average 79.6 PPG, ranking 48th in the nation I have to go with the revenge motive here, as the Tar Heels are not only third in the nation in scoring (87.6 points) but second in the country in assists per game (19.8). The Tar Heels are 4-0 in ACC road games for the first time in 11 seasons and they are 6-1 overall in true road this season (winning by 15 points per), falling only at then-No. 7 Michigan. In the past five games, Louisville has encountered only one ranked team (won at home against NC State) but this contest with the Tar Heels marks the first of four straight games for Louisville against ranked teams (watch out!). First things first. NC gets its revenge right here. Good luck...Larry |
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02-02-19 | Oklahoma -2 v. West Virginia | 71-79 | Loss | -108 | 6 h 58 m | Show | |
The first 9* Eye-Opener for Saturday is on Oklahoma at 12 noon ET. Oklahoma is 15-6 overall but just 3-5 in Big-12 play, after an embarrassing 77-47 home loss on Big Monday by Baylor, when the Sooners shot a season-worst 27% from the floor. OU travels to Morgantown on Saturday for a 12 noon contest against West Va, which is just 9-12, including a woeful 1-7 in Big-12 play. “Not much from our direction, not much positive,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger told reporters after his team’s third loss in five games. “(The Bears) had their way on both ends of the floor. We didn’t do what we have to do to fight that off. We were way too tentative to match their physicality.” Not one Sooners player managed to hit half their field goal attempts in Monday’s setback and outside of Kristian Doolittle’s team-high 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting, the rest of the team's starters combined to go 5-for-29 from the floor and 2-for-15 from three-point range.6-4 senior gaurd Christian James leads in scoring (16.3) and rebounding (7.3), while the 6-9 Manek (11.1 & 6.7) is the only other Sooner in double digits. However, six Oklahoma players chip in between 4.1 and 8.9 PPG. “This team gets loose balls less than any team I’ve ever had,” head coach Huggins told reporters after the frustrating loss that saw a pair of technical fouls lead to the coach’s ejection late in the second half. “They offensive-rebound it less than any team I’ve ever had. When you couple that with not being very good shooters, that’s a formula for being (9-12).” It’s hard to argue with Huggins' assessment, as the Mountaineers are last in the Big 12 in field-goal percentage (42.1), field-goal percentage defense (44) and steals (5.8). What's more, the Mountaineers could be without two key performers, 6-8 forward Sagaba Konote and junior guard James Bolden. Konote leads the team in scoring (13.6) and rebounding (8.0) but is out indefinitely with a knee injury, while Bolden (12.2) missed the Iowa State loss due to an ankle injury. Expect Lon Kruger’s Oklahoma team to quickly regain its mojo against West Va's sieve-like defense, which has yielded a whopping 83 points or more in FIVE of its last 6six game. As Bob Huggins has bemoaned, “We generally take pride in being able to guard, but this group’s made me a liar.” Also not that the Mountaineers enter February ranked 328th out of 351 Division I teams with 15.8 turnovers per game. Good luck...Larry |
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02-02-19 | Memphis v. South Florida | 78-84 | Win | 100 | 6 h 57 m | Show | |
The third 9* Eye-Opener for Saturday is on USF at 12 noon ET. South Florida looks to continue its climb into the top half of the American Athletic Conference with a third straight victory when Memphis pays a visit on Saturday afternoon. The Bulls are 14-6 (4-4 in AAC play) and have already won their most contests (14) since 2011-12. USF is off seasons of 10, 7, 8, 9 and 12 wins. The Bulls have answered a three-game losing streak by beating Wichita State on Jan 22, before rolling to a 77-57 win at East Carolina last Saturday. Memphis (13-8 / 5-3 in AAC) had a big win over UCF at home last Sunday (77-57) but turned the ball over 17 times and allowed 54.5 percent shooting from the floor in a 97-79 loss at Tulsa on Wednesday (Memphis had won four of its previous five games). “First half we were going through the motions,” Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway told the Commercial Appeal after the Tulsa loss. “Second half we were like, ‘We’re about to lose, let’s play hard.’ Which is weird, but that’s how it’s happened with us on the road all year.” Senior guard Jeremiah Martin leads the team in scoring (15.1) and assists (4.3), but is just 2-of-20 from three-point range over the last four contests. 6-8 senior forward Kyvon Davenport adds 14.5 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game while senior guard Kareem Brewton Jr. (9.1) is averaging 12 points in league contests. Freshman guard Tyler Harris (13.0) is the top three-point threat (55 makes). "I’m really proud of our guys,” USF coach Brian Gregory told reporters after the team's 20-point road win at ECU. “We said this was a response week. We win the game against Wichita State (54-41) and now you go on the road. Our guys wanted nothing to do with anything other than getting it done.” Junior transfer Laquincy Rideau continues to shine at the point, averaging 13.9 points along with league highs of 5.8 assists and 3.3 steals per game after recording a double-double () in the win at East Carolina. Sophomore guard David Collins leads in scoring (14.3), while 6-8 sophomore forward Alexis Yetna had 28 points and 13 rebounds at East Carolina for his 10th double-double of the season. He's averaging 13.2 PPG and leads the AAC in rebounds (10.1). These schools split a pair of games last season but the Bulls have won 11 of their 13 contests in Tampa this season, while the Tigers have struggled to a 2-7 record away from home, including going 1-4 in true road games while allowing 86.8 PPG. I'm on USF. Good luck...Larry |
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02-02-19 | Virginia Tech v. NC State -2 | 47-24 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 57 m | Show | |
The second 9* Eye-Opener for Saturday is on NC State at 12 noon ET. No. 23 North Carolina State (16-5 / 4-4 in ACC) just missed out on an upset of No. 3 Virginia on Tuesday night, wiping out a 14-point second-half deficit and then missing on a chance to force a second overtime. Markell Johnson drew a three-shot foul in the final second, but missed the first foul shot and made the final two. The Cavaliers won 66-65. The Wolfpack now welcome the ACC's other team from the Commonwealth on Saturday to PNC Arena in Raleigh, the 12th-ranked Va Tech Hokies (17-3 / 6-2 in ACC). While NC State was in a life-and-death struggle with UVa in its last contest, Va tech had no such concerns in its last outing, Wednesday night in Miami. Tech closed within a game of the conference lead (Va, Duke and Louisville are all 7-1) by taking down Miami 82-70 in Coral Gables. Sophomore Nickeil Alexander-Walker (17.9- 4.2-3.8) tied a season high with 25 points in Wednesday's win. He is one of a trio of Va Tech guards averaging in double digits. He's joined by PG Robinson (14.4 & 5.4 APG) and Hill (13.6). The 6-10 Blackshear (12.7 & 6.4) rounds out the team's double digit scorers. Robinson is the reigning ACC Player of the Week but he left Wednesday’s win at Miami with a left ankle injury and his availability for Saturday is in doubt. With 6-5 small forward P.J. Horne also out indefinitely with an injury, the Hokies could have only seven scholarship players available - and one of them has seen only two minutes of action in ACC play. Kevin Keatts' Wolfpack like to put as many as four guards on the floor at a time and push the tempo. Swingman Torin Dorn is the team’s top scorer (14.2) and rebounder (6.7) despite being just 6-6, while C.J. Bryce (12.2 points) and PG Markell Johnson (11.9 & 3.9 APG) both shoot better than 43 percent from three-point range. Devon Daniels (10.2 & 4.9) and Braxton Beverly (9.6) also contribute to a talent-rich backcourt. 6-10 sophomore Funderbunk (8.4 & 4.10 is NC State's best inside player. At this point of the season, the Hokies are playing for a double-bye in the ACC tournament and a potential top-four seed in the Big Dance. However, I don't believe this visit to Raleigh will go well, especially if Robinson is out or limited. Either way, I'm taking the Wolfpack at home, where they are 12-2 SU and outscoring opponents on average, 87.1-to-65.9 PPG. Let me note that NC State’s bench averages 32.7 points and has outscored opponents’ reserves by 322 points through 21 games. One last thing... The Wolfpack have won three straight home meetings with the Hokies. Good luck...Larry |
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02-01-19 | Brown v. Dartmouth +2 | Top | 60-58 | Push | 0 | 12 h 43 m | Show |
My 10* Ivy League Game of the Year is on Dartmouth at 7:00 ET. Brown was the Ivy League's highest scoring team last season (77.0 PPG) but the Bears finished 11-16 (4-10 in the Ivy). All five starters returned this season and Brown checks in at 12-6 overall but 0-2 in Ivy play. The Bears head to Hanover, NH Friday night for a game with Dartmouth's Big Green. Dartmouth was just 7-20 last season, including finishing last in Ivy League play at 3-11. The Big Green check in at 10-8 so far this season, after opening with a split against Harvard in the school's first two Ivy League games (Dartmouth won and covered at home and covered in the loss at Harvard). Sophomore guard Cambridge leads the team in scoring (17.9) and 6-5 SF Choh leads in rebounding (8.8) and assists (3.3), while joining Cambridge in double digits (12.7). Guards Okolue (9.6 & 3.7) and Anderson (9.2) fill out the starting backcourt, while the 6-6 Howard (8.5 & 4.5) starts up front with Choh. As for Dartmouth, the 6-7 Knight leads in scoring (15.4) and rebounding (7.6), while a trio of guards join him in double digit scoring. That group includes PG Barry (13.7-3.6-3.7) plus fellow guards Sistare (10.8 & 4.5) and Foye (10.5). The 6-8 Jackson adds 8.9 & 5.3. Brown may be a slightly better team but how does one ignore the fact that going back to the end of last season, Brown will take an 0-7 SU & ATS Ivy League run into this contest at Leede Arena, where the Big Green have fashioned a 7-1 SU home mark this season. Also note that Dartmouth is 18-6-3 ATS in its last 27 games following a loss (Big Green lost but covered at Harvard on Jan 26). Good luck...Larry |
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02-01-19 | Long Beach State v. Hawaii -8.5 | 57-74 | Win | 100 | 13 h 24 m | Show | |
My 8* Conference Crusher (Big West) is on Hawaii at 11:55 ET. The Long Beach State 49ers will travel to the Stan Sheriff Center to take on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors this Thursday night in Big West play. The 49ers are coming off an 82-71 home loss this past Saturday to UC-Santa Barbara. It marked the school's third consecutive loss and dropped them to 8-13 (2-3 in the Big West). Meanwhile, The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 12-7 (3-2 Big West) on the season, after defeating UC-Davis 80-60, this past Saturday at home.. PG Booker (17.6 & 4.8 PG) and fellow guard Alberts (10.5) give LBSU a solid backcourt but with the 6-7 Yussef (12.9 & 7.2) not playing since Dec 29, the 49ers have only the 6-7 Byers (8. 1 & 5.9) as a notable frontcourt contributor. In contrast, Hawaii has solid a starting-five led by guards Stansberry (12.6), Stepteau (9.0) and Buggs (8.9-4.5-5.3) plus up front, the 6-9 Purchase (12.0 & 6.3) and the 6-8 Raimo (11.6 & 6.6). Long Beach St is 1-9 SU on the road, allowing 82.4 PPG. Meanwhile, Hawaii is 9-3 SU and 7-2 ATS at home. Hawaii had a good shot at knocking off Big West contender UC Irvine in a 75-74 OT home loss on Wednesday, so I'm willing to lay some points with them here. Long Beach is averaging about 16 turnovers per game and as noted, over 80 PPG on the road. Lay it. Good luck...Larry |
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01-31-19 | Gonzaga v. BYU +14.5 | 93-63 | Loss | -109 | 16 h 0 m | Show | |
My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on BYU at 11:00 ET. Fourth-ranked Gonzaga looks to record its 11th consecutive victory when it visits BYU in West Coast Conference play on Thursday. The Bulldogs have won by an average of 36.2 points during their 10-game winning streak, so is this game already "been played?" Gonzaga visits Provo 19-2 (6-0 in WCC play) and a "W" would give them a 22nd straight 20-win season, as well as extend its NCAA record of consecutive conference road victories to 28. The Bulldogs are coming off a 98-39 steamrolling of Santa Clara and the 59-point margin of victory ranks third in school history (team set a program record by committing just two turnovers against Santa Clara while forcing 18 miscues and turning them into 26 points). As for BYU, the Cougars are a modest 13-9, including 5-2 in WCC play, but BYU is coming off 71-66 win over Saint Mary's in its last outing. Gonzaga owns a terrific starting-five. Senior PG Josh Perkins (11.0 & 6.6) has been a solid ball-handler all season and has committed just 40 turnovers in 21 games. He's joined by sophomore guard Zach Norvell Jr. (15.7-4.8-3.4) in the backcourt, while the 6-8 Hachimura averages a team-best 19.9 PPG (6.2 RPG). 6-8 power forward Brandon Clarke (16.3) adds a team-leading 7.7 RPG, with the 6-8 Kispert (9.1) rounding out the starting rotation. Gonzaga averages 91.4 PPG (1st) and shoots 52.4% from the floor (also No. 1 in the nation). BYU's 6-8 Yoeli Childs had 23 points and 11 rebounds for his 32nd career double-double in the win over St Mary's and leads the team in scoring (22.3) and rebounding (9.6) on the season. PG Haws (17.6 & 5.2 APG) and fellow guard Haerdnett (10.9) are the only other Cougars in double digits but BYU does average 82.0 PPG (33rd). The Cougars have won four of their past five games and also committed only two turnovers in their last outing while pressuring Saint Mary's into 15 and converting the mistakes into 17 points. Only Kansas (29) and Duke (22) have longer streaks of 20-win seasons than Gonzaga, which has also posted 30-victory campaigns in three of the past four seasons. That said, Gonzaga can win here, yet not come close to covering. BYU has been tough at home with a 10-1 record and the fans were boisterous and loud during last Thursday's 71-66 win over Saint Mary's. We should see a repeat performance, here.I'm taking the 'two TDs!' Good luck...Larry |
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01-31-19 | Connecticut v. UCF -7 | 67-73 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 50 m | Show | |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on UCF at 9:00 ET. Central Florida was the preseason favorite in the American Athletic Conference. However, the Knights are in bounce-back mode, after their worst loss of the season when they host UConn on Thursday. UCF had won nine of its last 10 contests before the team was routed 77-57 at Memphis on Sunday falling to 15-4 (5-2 in AAC play). As for UConn, the Huskies have won two straight after Saturday's 80-60 victory over Wichita State with the backcourt duo of junior Christian Vital (season-high 21 points) and senior Jalen Adams (19 points, 12 rebounds) leading the way. UConn visits Orlando with a 12-8 overall record, including 3-4 in AAC play. Adams leads UConn in scoring at 18.2 PPG and has averaged 22.8 in his last five games. Vital has averaged 16 points in conference games, raising his season average to 13.6, to go along with 5.6 rebounds. Sophomore PG Alterique Gilbert (13.0 & 3.8 APG) gives UConn three guards in double digits but he re-injured his left shoulder Saturday and is listed as doubtful. The 6-10 Carlton (7.8 & 4.8) and the 6-8 Polley (7.4 & 2.3) start up front. UCF was awful at Memphis, getting out-rebounded 46-28, while going 6-for-26 from three-point range. Senior guard B.J. Taylor, the conference preseason player of the year, is bidding to lead the club in scoring for the third straight season with an average of 16.7 points and teh coaches' son, Aubrey Dawkins averages 15.4 PPG and 5.4 RPG. However, Taylor had just 10 poinst at Memphis, while Dawkins was held to two points, after averaging 18.8 in his previous five games. Expect bounce-back efforts from both. PG Allen (7.6 & 4.3 APG) makes for a nice guard trio plus 7-6 senior center Tacko Fall (9.8 points, team-high 7.1 rebounds) leads the conference and was seventh nationally with 2.84 blocks per game. He paces the American in field-goal shooting at 74.8 percent to help the Knights shoot a conference-best 46.7 percent. The 6-11 Smith (8.0 & 5.3) is a quality side-kick. Throw out Sunday's loss, as UCF,is off to its best 19-game start since the 2003-04 team began 16-3. The Knights have won NINE straight at home, while UConn is 0-3 SU in true road games this season. That's not exactly news, as the Huskies were 2-9 on the road last season and 6-17 over the previous two campaigns, in true road games. Lay the points! Good luck...Larry |
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01-31-19 | Xavier v. Georgetown -3 | Top | 73-80 | Win | 100 | 13 h 13 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Week is on Georgetown at 8:00 ET. Xavier is just 11-10 overall, including 3-5 in the Big East. The Musketeers already have two more conference losses as they did in 2017-18, when the team went 15-3 in league play to win the Big East regular-season title. Xavier hasn't spent much time worrying about qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in recent years, having gone 'dancing' in 16 of the last 18 seasons but this season is shaping up much differently. In contrast, Georgetown is 13-7 overall (3-4 in the Big East), which is a nice improvement over last year's 15-15 team, which finished 5-13 in Big East Play. However, the Hoyas are in search of their first winning streak this season in Big East play. The Musketeers won the first meeting with the Hoyas 81-75 on Jan. 9, behind a double-double (23-10) from the 6-11 Zach Hankins (10.3 & 4.8). That win was followed up with another home win against Butler but Xavier has dropped three straight since, the latest an 87-82 defeat to No. 10 Marquette on Saturday. The Musketeers are greatly underachieving this season. Xavier has great balance on offense, with five players scoring in double figures. Joining Hankins are guard Scruggs (13.3 & 4.8), the 6-7 Marshall (13.2 & 7.1), PG Goodin (12.0 & 4.9 APG) and the 6-9 Jones (11.3 & 7.6). So why is Xavier 11-10? The Hoyas rode freshmen Mac McClung, James Akinjo and Josh LeBlanc to a critical 89-78 win at St. John's on Sunday. McClung scored 25 points (his most in a Big East contest this season), as Hoyas accounted for the games' final 10 points! Meaningful contributions have been few and far between for Jamorko Pickett, who after a solid freshman season has been relegated to a lesser role behind this season's newcomers. The 6-8 guard supplied nine points and seven rebounds to the win over St. John's but is averaging only 5.8 & 4.5 this season. McClung (13.9) and PG Akinjo (13.4 & 5.4 APG) form a dynamic freshman backcourt duo, while the 6-7 LeBlanc (9.4 & 7.6) has supported 6-10 senior center Govan (19.8 & 8.2), up front. Xavier has dominated the series with the Hoyas with 14 wins in 18 meetings, including six straight and 10 of 12 as Big East foes.However, this is not "your father's" In fact, a loss would add more impending peril to Xavier's streak of 36 straight seasons with a .500 or better record in conference play (Xavier currently sits at 3-5 in the Big East), a mark that is five seasons longer than any other Division I program. The Musketeers are 1-4 SU in true road games, averaging only 60.8 PPG. Patrick Ewing's team puts another 'nail' in Xavier's 'coffin.' Good luck...Larry |
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01-30-19 | St. John's v. Creighton -4.5 | Top | 83-67 | Loss | -105 | 14 h 44 m | Show |
My 10* 35-Club Play is on Creighton at 8:30 ET. Expectations were high coming into the current CBB season for St. John's. The Red Storm opened with12 consecutive victories and by winning 14 of their first 15. However, as St John's gets set to open a challenging three-game road trip (No. 2 Duke and No. 10 Marquette follow), the Red Storm have lost FOUR of their last five (now 15-5 / 3-5 in Big East). The school's lone win in its last five was an 81-66 victory at home over Creighton, which is the team St John's opens its three-game road trip against on Wednesday. Creighton improved to 7-4 at home after easing to a 75-61 win over Butler this past Friday. The Bluejays welcome the Red Storm to CenturyLink Center 12-8 overall, including 3-4 in the Big East. Junior PG Shamorie Ponds has scored at least 20 points in six straight games, including a team-high 21 against Georgetown in Saturday's 89-78 loss to the Hoyas. He leads the team in scoring (20.6) and assists (5.6). Backcourt partner Mustapha Heron is averaging 18.7 points over the last three games to boost his season average to 15.4 PPG (also 5.0 RPG). Three more players average in double digits, the 6-6 Figueroa (14.6 & 6.8), the 6-7 Clark (12.4 & 5.8) and guard Simon (10.8 & 5.2). Sophomore guard Ty-Shon Alexander has been instrumental in Creighton's B2B two victories last week, making six 3-pointers and scoring 26 points in the 91-87 win at Georgetown, before adding 19 points against Butler to earn Big East player of the week honors. Alexander leads the team in scoring (17.6), after averaging only 5.7 as a freshman. The Bluejays own a deep perimeter, as Ballock (11.0 & 3.6 APG), Zegarowski (10.6) and Mintz (10.4) join Alexander at the guard position. The 6-9 Krampelj (11.3 & 6.4) and SF Jefferson (9.4 & 5,4) have been the best frontcourt contributors but Jefferson will be out with an ankle injury. St John's Jan 16 win over Creighton halted a string of six straight losses in the series but also note that the Bluejays have won all SEVEN matchups in Omaha against the Red Storm. Creighton averages 83.4 PPG (20th) on 50.5% shooting (4th), including 42.5% on threes (2nd). That's TOO much 'firepower' for the slumping Red Storm. Lay the modest impost. Good luck...Larry |
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01-30-19 | Providence v. Seton Hall -3.5 | 63-65 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 14 m | Show | |
My 9* PERFECT STORM is on Seton Hall at 7:00 ET. Seton Hall made more than a little 'noise' back in December with upset wins over Kentucky (now-No. 7) and Maryland (now-No. 21). However, as the 12-8 Pirates (3-5 in the Big East) welcome Big East rival Providence to the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J, the team is looking to snap a season-high four-game losing skid. The 13-7 Friars (3-4 in the Big East) have won three of their last four, after defeating both Xavier and DePaul. Alpha Diallo made all 14 of his free-throw attempts and finished with a team-high 20 points and nine rebounds in Sunday's 70-67 triumph over the Blue Demons. Diallo has been the "Alpha male" for the Friars, as the workhorse junior guard is averaging team highs in points (17.0), rebounds (8.4), assists (3.3), steals (1.8) and minutes (36.3). Freshman guard A.J. Reeves scored 11 points in as many minutes on Sunday in his return from a nine-game absence due to a foot injury. He's second on the team in averaging 13.9 PPG. Four more guards chip in between 4.1 and 9.3 PPG. 6-10 center Watson (11.2 & 5.4) is the only real 'size' the Friars own. The Hall's best player, guard Myles Powell (21.2) failed to find any rhythm to his offense and finished with just three points In the team's recent loss to Villanova. Sophomore wing Myles Cale (9.6) scored a team-high 14 points in Sunday's 80-52 shellacking by the Wildcats but PG McKnight (10.0 & 3.8 APG) finished with just five points versus Villanova. Seton Hall does have some size up front with the 6-10 Mamukelashvili (9.2 & 7.4) and the 6-8 Nzei (9.2 & 5.0). I believe Seton Hall can win the "inside game" with Mamukelashvili and Nzei plus the Hall's perimeter game is a s good as the Friars'. Seton Hall is clearly not as good as the school's upsets over Kentucky and Maryland might suggest but I expect the Pirates to be handle Providence in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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01-30-19 | Ole Miss v. Florida -5 | 86-90 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 43 m | Show | |
My 8* Conference Crusher (SEC) is on Florida at 6:30 ET. Both Ole Miss (14-5 / 4-2 in SEC) and Florida (11-8 / 3-3 SEC) are back in SEC action tonight, as the Gators welcome the Rebels to Gainesville. Both schools suffered disappointing losses this past Saturday in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge .Ole Miss lost badly at home to Iowa St (87-73), while the Gators lost 55-50 at TCU. Ole Miss was picked to finish last in the SEC preseason media poll but the Rebels, under first-year head coach Kermit Davis, opened the season 13-2, including 3-0 in SEC play (more importantly to sports bettors, Ole Miss started a remarkable 14-1 ATS). However, Ole Miss limps into Florida 1-3 SU & ATS in its last four. Mike White's Gators have been inconsistent all season and hope to avoid the school's first 3-4 start in SEC action since 1998 with a win in tonight's contest. Ole Miss' backcourt duo of junior Breein Tyree (17.3) and senior PG Terence Davis (15.8 & 3.5 APG) continues to be the biggest offensive threat for the Rebels. Tyree has had nine 20-point games this season, including a 22-point effort in the loss to Iowa State, with Davis chipping in with 16 points along with a team-high six rebounds. Fellow guards Shuler (9.5) and Hinson (9.1) also start, along with the 7-0 Olejniczak (6.6 & 3.6). The 6-8 Stevens (8.3 & 4.5) and 5-7 freshman KJ Buffen (5.9 & 4.6) come off the bench. TCU held the Gators to three points in the first 11:35 of the game to build an 18-3 lead but Florida fought back from a 16-point deficit late in the 1st half to tie the game at 36-all with 12:23 left in regulation. The Gators missed 14 of their first 15 shots but they showed fight in rallying to tie the game in the second half before falling short in the end. Senior guard KeVaughn Allen (leading scorer at 12.7 PPG) was the only Gator in double figures with 13, as freshman guard Noah Locke (11.2 PPG) was just 2-of-9 for seven points, one game after setting a career high with 27 points. PG Nembhard (7.0 & 5.9 APG) does give White a solid guard trio. The 6-9 Hayes (6.8 & 6/2) has been surrounded by a pair of 6-5 forwards in Johnson (6.3 & 5.1) and Stone (6.1 & 3.9). However, Stone is now out for the season with a knee injury. Here's the rub. Ole Miss has "come back to earth" and has averaged just 63.0 PPG in its last two games. The Rebels face an excellent Florida defense (Gators allow just 61.5 PPG, 10th-best in the nation) and is a team in an almost a "must-win" situation. Up next for Florida will be No. 7 Kentucky, Auburn and No. 1 Tennessee in its next three contests. Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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01-29-19 | Mississippi State v. Alabama -2 | Top | 79-83 | Win | 100 | 13 h 16 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on Alabama at 8:30 ET. The Mississippi State Bulldogs (15-4 / 3-3 SEC) travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide (12-7 / 3-3 SEC) tonight, as two of the three SEC teams at 3-3 meet. Miss St is ranked 22nd in the current AP poll and is coming off a 92-84 Home win over then-No. 15 Auburn. As for Alabama, the Tide stepped out of league play this past Saturday, losing 73-68 at Baylor in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Mississippi State entered last Saturday's home contest against Auburn off its worst offensive performance of the season in a 76-55 loss at Kentucky on Jan 22.. The Bulldogs had season-lows of 19 FGs made and a 31.1 shooting percentage (they made just 3-of-20 three-pointers). However, they bounced back from that result in fine fashion with a victory over Auburn on Saturday, by shooting 50.9 percent in their best offensive effort in SEC action. "We were playing as a team," senior guard Quinndary Weatherspoon told reporters after tying his season high with 27 points. "I'm excited about that and I'm excited about the win." .Weatherspoon (17.3 & 5.6) leads the team in scoring and is joined in the backcourt by PG Peters (13.0 & 5.9 APG) and by his younger brother Nick (10.3). Starting up front are the 6-10 Holman I(11.4 & 7.6) and the 6-11 Ado (5.3 & 4.9). Coming off the bench are guard Carter (9.7) and the 6-10 Perry (7.3 & 5.9). Perry is a freshman and he posted his second career double-double in Saturday's win with 10 points and 11 rebounds in just 19 minutes. Senior guard Riley Norris hit all six of his shot attempts - four from beyond the arc - en route to a season-high 16 points and the Crimson Tide also shot 50.9 percent from the floor, but they had one basket in a span of over five minutes during a difficult stretch run (Alabama finished the game 5 of 17 on threes!). The Crimson Tide entered last weekend ranked second in the SEC in rebounding margin (plus-6.7), but the Bears beat them on the boards 35-31, including a 16-9 advantage on the offensive glass. Alabama has a seven-man rotation (all with 17-plus minutes per game), with six guards averaging between 6.4 and 13.9 PPG. Freshman guard Kira Lewis Jr. leads the team in scoring (13.9) and assists (2.8). the team's lone big man of note is 6-9 senior forward Donta Hall (11.3 PPG), who ranks third in the SEC in both rebounding (8.9) and field-goal percentage (61.2). Miss State head coach Ben Howland called Saturday's victory "a really big-time win for us when you look at our drive to try to get to the NCAA Tournament this year." He's hoping the Bulldogs can continue to share the ball like they did against Auburn. Meanwhile, in talking about the loss at Baylor, Alabama head coach Avery Johnson said, "We didn't have our best game. We didn't play enough of a 40-minute game to win on the road. I thought it was the opposite of how we played our last game at home." The last home game he's referring to was last Tuesday, when Alabama routed then-No. 20 Ole Miss, 74-53. Yes, Mississippi State triumphed 67-63 in the second matchup last season with Alabama but prior to that, Alabama had won 10 of 11 previous meetings between the two schools. The Tide are 7-2 SU at home this season and the Bulldogs are averaging just 68.2 PPG in true road games this season. That WON'T get it done, here! Good luck...Larry |
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01-29-19 | Kansas +1 v. Texas | 63-73 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 44 m | Show | |
My 9* Rivalry Rout is on Kansas at 7:00 ET Kansas opened the current CBB season No. 1 in the AP's preseason poll but it's hardly been smooth sailing for head coach Bill Self's Jayhawks. 7-0 center Udoka Azubuike (13.4 & 6.8) played in just nine games and will be out the remainder of the season with a broken hand. Kansas is currently 16-4 and at 5-2 in Big-12 play, finding themselves in a three-way tie atop the conference, along with Kansas St and Baylor. The Jayhawks travel to the Frank Erwin Special Event Center in Austin on Tuesday to take on the 11-9 Texas Longhorns (3-4 in Big-12 play). Kansas enters this contest having scored just five field goals over the final 10 minutes (while shooting a season-low 36.5 percent from the floor for the game) of a 71-63 loss at Kentucky in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. As for the Longhorns,they also played a game as part of the SEC/Big-12 Challenge this past Saturday. Texas lost 98-88 at Georgia, the team's second straight defeat and its FIFTH in its last six games. Self wasn't happy about his Jayhawks' second-half struggles at Kentucky, but didn't seemed too concerned after the fact. "There were too many errors and too many naked possessions offensively where we didn't get anything out of it and our shot selection was poor," Self said afterward. "If we'd won this game, I'd be happy going home, but trust me, it doesn't mean that much, it's not going to affect us in any way, shape or form preparing for our next game." Kansas lost, despite yet another double-double (20 points and 15 rebounds) from the Dedric Lawson, who leads the team in scoring (19.5) and rebounding (11.1), proding 14 double-doubles this season. Surrounding Lawson are starters Vick (14.8 & 4.0), PG Dotson (10.8 & 3.4 APG), Grimes (8.4) and Garrett (7.5 & 3.5). The Longhorns allowed Georgia to shoot 66.7 percent from the floor, including 12-of-17 beyond the arc, in Saturday's loss. Texas wasted a career-high 19 points from freshman guard Courtney Ramey (just 6.4 PPG), who converted a career-high 7-of-15 from the floor, including a career-best 5-of-8 clip from three-point range. Texas mainstays are guards Roach (14.3 & 4.7) and Coleman (10.2) in the backcourt, plus the 6-11 Hayes (10.4 & 5.0) and the 6-9 Osetkowski (10.1 & 8.2) in the frontcourt. Hayes is a freshman who leads the Big 12 in field-goal percentage at 74.3 percent and blocked shots at 2.7 per contest. Kansas hasn't been winning "by margins" this season (just 8-12 ATS) but that won't be an issue here, with this pointspread. Even with all of this year's issues, Kansas remains in prime contention for a 15th consecutive Big 12 regular-season championship! The Jayhawks lead the all-time series with the Longhorns 32-8 and note that the road team ihas covered NINE is a row in this series. Want more? How about this? Kansas is off a Saturday loss at Kentucky, so the following applies.Since 2013-14 season, the Jayhawks are 38-3 SU following a loss, with their ,889 win percentage ranking as the best in college basketball. That's good enough for me. Good luck...Larry |
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01-28-19 | TCU v. Texas Tech -4.5 | Top | 65-84 | Win | 100 | 14 h 16 m | Show |
My 10* signature LEGEND Play is on Texas Tech at 9:00 ET. Chris Beard's Texas Tech Red Raiders won 27 games last season and made the first Elight 8 appearnance in school history (lost to eventual national champ, Villanova). Tech lost four significant contributors from that 27-win team, including leading scorer Evans (17.6) and the 6-4 Zhaire Smith (11.3 & 5.0), a 1st round pick of the 76ers. The Red Raiders opened the season unranked but opened 10-0 before losing 69-58 at Duke. At 15-1, Tech was ranked 8th when it lost at home to Kan St 58-57 on Jan 16. Two more losses followed, before the Red Raiders edged Arkansas 67-64 at home this past Saturday (Tech is currently 16-4, including 4-3 in the Big 12 and is ranked 14th, pending Monday's new poll). TCU opened the season 20th in the AP's preseason poll, coming off a 21-win season. The Horned Frogs opened 12-1 but the their 55-50 win Saturday over Florida makes them 3-3 in their last six. TCU was ranked 25th when it lost 77-68 at Kansas on Jan 9 but at 15-4 (3-3 in the Big-12), is currently unranked. Both schools return to league play tonight (after winning games in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Saturday), as the Horned Frogs visit Lubbock. The Horned Frogs were exceptional on defense during Saturday's 55-50 win over Florida, as TCU allowed its fewest points and recorded its lowest defensive field-goal percentage (30.6) in Jamie Dixon's 2 1/2 seasons as coach. However, despite holding the Gators to three points in the first 11:35 of the game to build an 18-3 lead, TCU allowed Florida to fight back from a 16-point deficit late in the 1st half to tie the game at 36-all with 12:23 left in regulation. 6-7 sophomore forward Kouat Noi scored 22 points and junior guard Desmond Bane added 17 against Florida. Bane leads the team in scoring (15.0 & 5.7) and Noi is second (14.7 & 4.4). PG Robinson (12.9-3.8-7.7) runs the show but TCU misses guard Fisher (12.9), who is out for the season and will transfer. The 6-8 Miller (10.5 & 6.5) is the team's rebounding leader. After losing its third straight game and scoring the fewest points since the 2014-15 season in a 58-45 loss at Kansas St on Jan 22, Texas Tech coach Chris Beard was hoping he could find more options to help the "do-everything" Jarrett Culver (18.5-6.9-3.9). Sophomore Davide Moretti answered the call Saturday, when he scored a career-high 21 points in a win over Arkansas. Moretti averaged 12.3 minutes in 37 games last season (3.5 PPG) but is averaging 10.4 points this season in 29.8 minutes (he comes in averaging 13.3 points in his last eight games). Fellow guard Matt Mooney added 12 points in the victory and is third in scoring at 10. PPG. The 6-10 Owens adds 8.0 & 5.1, while 6-8 center Odiase averages 3.8 & 4.7. Both teams play excellent defense, with TCU allowing just 66.0 PPG (42nd), However, Tech is "something special" on the defensive end, allowing 56.4 PPG (2nd) on 35.7% shooting (1st), including 26.1% on threes (3rd)! Bottom line here is that Texas Tech has been exceptional at home, posting an 11-1 record and limiting its opponents to 52.0 PPG points per game and 32.8 percent shooting (Tech is a scoring 73.3 PPG at home). Meanwhile, TCU has played only four true road games this season (1-3), averaging only 66.0 PPG. Those numbers just don't add up for the Horned Frogs. Good luck...Larry |
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01-27-19 | UCF v. Memphis -1 | Top | 57-77 | Win | 100 | 9 h 26 m | Show |
My 10* AAC Game of the Year is on Memphis at 4:00 ET. Memphis' three-game winning streak came to a halt on Thursday, as the Tigers came up short at Temple 85-76. Penny Hardaway's team must now bounce back on Sunday, when the 12-7 Tigers (4-2 in AAC play) take on American Athletic Conference preseason favorite, UCF. The Knights are 15-3 overall, including 5-1 in league play. It's crowded at the top in the AAC, with four, one-loss teams. Temple is 5-1 like UCF, while Houston and Cincy are 6-1 (all four one-loss teams are in action on Sunday, with Cincy playing at Temple and Houston visiting Tulsa). UCF has become known for its defensive prowess under head coach Johnny Dawkins and the Knights showed why in shutting down Tulane 75-50 on Wednesday. The Knights sit second in the conference in scoring at 63.0 PPG (20th nationally) and opponents' FG percentage at 38.7 (10th nationally). The offense is averaging a modest 74.5 PPG (152nd) but guards BJ Taylor (17.1) and Aubrey Dawkins (16.2), the coaches' son, are quite a duo. UCF leads the AAC in field goal percentage (47.2), while ranking third from long distance (35.2). Naturally, we can't forget the 7-6 Tacko Fall (9.9 & 7.2), who has 52 blocked shots, as well. Let's not count the Tigers out of the AAC 'hunt' just yet. However, the Tigers can't survive if they shoot as poorly as they did in the loss to Temple, when they wound up hitting just 1-of-23 three-pointers, barely extending their three-point streak to 605 straight games. "We won every category except for three-point shooting," Hardaway told reporters. "And it's hard to win like that." However, it's worth noting that Memphis still fought back from a 20-point first-half deficit to make it a two-point game late. Jeremiah Martin continued to play well since returning to point guard, as he led the way with 28 points to regain the team scoring lead (15.4 & 4.1 APG) from 6-8 forward Kyvon Davenport (14.8 & a team-high 7.5 RPG). ). Guard Harris averages 12.7 PPG, while six others play regularly, averaging between 5.7 and 9.7 PPG. Memphis boasts the conference's top scoring offense at 83.6 PPG (that's 20th nationally) and enters this almost "must-win" game with a 10-1 record at FedEx Forum, where the Tigers are averaging a whopping 90.8 PPG. UCF will be trying to win consecutive road games for the FIRST time this season and while the Knights did win at Memphis last year, it's important to note that the Knights had lost 14 in a row before last year's victory. It's "Back to the Future," as Memphis wins at home over UCF. Good luck...Larry |
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01-27-19 | Cincinnati v. Temple +3 | 72-68 | Loss | -109 | 5 h 27 m | Show | |
My 9* Eye-Opener is on Temple at 12:00 ET. Cincinnati may be 17-3 (6-1 in AAC play) but the Bearcats remain unranked this season. Cincy travels to Philadelphia on Sunday for an AAC showdown with Temple. The Owls check in at 15-4 and are 5-1 in AAC play. Cincinnati and Temple have emerged as two of the top contenders in the American Athletic Conference, along with No. 17 Houston (6-1) and UCF (5-1). All four of those one-loss schools are in action Sunday, as Houston is at Tulsa and UCF is at Memphis (Tigers are lurking at 4-2). Cincinnati has won five games in a row, including an 88-64 rout of Tulsa, its last time out. The Bearcats rely heavily on Jarron Cumberland, who leads the team in scoring at 18.1 PPG. A trio of guards join him on the perimeter in Williams (11.1), Jenifer (9.1) and Broome (8.2). The 6-8 Scott (9.5 & 6.5) and the 6-11 Brooks (8.8 & 5.8) are Cincy's top-two frontcourt contributors. Mick Cronin-coached teams always play defense and the Bearcats come in allowing 60.9 PPG (7th). Temple has won its last five league games, suffering only a surprising home loss to Ivy League foe (and Big-Five rival) Pennsylvania during that stretch. The Owls come in off an 85-76 win over Memphis, behind Quinton Rose's 26 points. Rose is averaging 17.1 PPG but before going 5-of-9 from three-point range against the Tigers, he was just 15-of-77 from beyond the arc, entering that game. PG Shizz Alston Jr. was only 2-of-13 from the floor against Memphis and is 7-of-31 over the last two games but is Temple's top scorer (18.5) and assist leader (5.2). A third guard, Nate Pierre-Louis (14.2 & 5.8), continued his solid play of late with 15 points, giving him eight straight games in which he has scored between 13 and 22 points. The frontcourt is adequate but hardly anything special, with the 6-10 Aflakpui (6.7 & 7.5), the 6-7 Perry (5.1 & 3.4) and the 6-7 Moorman (5.1 & 3.6). The Bearcats lost THREE key players from last year's team, NBA draft picks Evans (13.0), a shooting guard, and the 6-8 Clark (12.9 & 8.7). Also gone is the 6-9 Washington (11.3 & 5.3). Cincy depends WAY too much on Cumberland (he has attempted 97 more shots than anyone else on the team) and Temple's guard trio is more than a match for the Bearcats' perimeter group. Neither team has much of a frontcourt but I'll note that Temple's 6-10 center Ernest Aflakpui is averaging 13.3 points and 11.7 rebounds in the last three games. Cincinnati won both meetings with Temple last season, including a buzzer-beating win in Philadelphia, 55-53. 66.2 PPG in five road contests this season, while the Owls come in having won EIGHT of the their last nine, while going 8-1 SU at home on the season (lone loss to Penn, see above). Temple stays a lone-loss AAC team after this one. Good luck...Larry |
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01-26-19 | Loyola Marymount v. Santa Clara +1.5 | 69-61 | Loss | -107 | 12 h 48 m | Show | |
My 8* Bailout Blowout is on Santa Clara at 9:00 ET. Loyola-Marymount is 14-6 and will be on the road tonight at Santa Clara, which is 11-10. However, the Lions are just 2-4 in WCC play, while the Broncos check in a 3-4. Marymount's head coach Mike Dunlap entered his fifth year at the school this season with a 48-75 (.390) record but he was optimistic about the year, after his team played an exhibition schedule this summer in Australia. All five starters are back and this year's team is led by senior guard James Batemon (17.2-3.2-4.0) and 7-3 junior center Mattias Markusson (11.0 & 7.3). Most notably, the team's defense has been outstanding, allowing a modest 62.8 PPG (17th). As for Herb Sendek's Santa Clara Broncos, guard Eaddy (15.8) leads the team in scoring, teamed with PG Trey Wertz (13.1 & 4.8 APG). The frontcourt is led by the 6-8 Vrankic (13.1 & 6.1), 6-5 SF Justice (10.4) and the 6-7 Martin (5.8 & a team-high 8.1 RPG). Santa Clara has had problems stepping up against the upper-tier of the WCC (Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s) but the Broncos have covered spreads vs everyone else since early December and were 8-2 ATS before getting clobbered 98-39 against Gonzaga (again, a team way above Santa Clara's class!). LMUs' 12-2 non-conference record is now in teh rear-view mirror. Expect the Broncos to win handily here at home. Good luck...Larry |
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01-26-19 | Auburn v. Mississippi State | 84-92 | Win | 100 | 12 h 38 m | Show | |
My 9* Revenge Rout is on Miss St at 8:30 ET. SEC rivals Auburn (13-5) and Mississippi State (14-4) square off Saturday night in Starkville. Both schools cruised through the majority of their non-conference schedules playing every bit like the ranked teams they were for the first two months of the season. Auburn won 11 of 13 in non-conference action, while Mississippi State won 12 of its 13 non-conference contests. However, SEC play has humbled both teams, as both the Tigers and the Bulldogs are 2-3. Auburn has lost its last two games, falling at home to Kentucky 82-80 last Saturday, before losing at South Carolina 80-77 on Tuesday. The Tigers fought back from a double-digit deficit in both games to take a second-half lead before falling short in the end. Auburn overcame a 17-point deficit last Saturday against Kentucky only to lose by two and the Tigers trailed South Carolina by 10 points with about six minutes remaining, then went on a 12-0 run to take the lead with four minutes left but then didn't make any FG after that. Shooting guard Brown (16.9) is the team's leading scorer, followed by PG Harper (15.3 & 6.6 APG). However, the team's inside duo of the 6-11 Wiley (10.8 & 6.1) and the 6-8 Okele (10.1 & 6.2) is now down to one, as Wiley is out indefinitely with a leg injury (went down Jan 16 vs A&M) Mississippi State is coming off its worst offensive performance of the season in a 76-55 loss at Kentucky on Tuesday. The Bulldogs had season-lows of 19 FGs made and a 31.1 shooting percentage. They made just 3-of-20 three-pointers. Quinndary Weatherspoon (16.8 & 5.1) is the fifth-leading scorer in school history with 1,685 career points and is one of five SEC players to eclipse the 20-point mark six times this season. PG Lamar Peters (12.8 & 5.7 APG) is the team's second-leading scorer. MSU has a tall and deep frontcourt, led by the 6-10 Holman (11.7 & 7.7), the 6-10 Perry (7.1 & 5.7) and the 6-11 Ado (5.1 & 5.1). Both teams are seeking to get back to .500 in conference play but I have to believe that healthy MSU stands the MUCH better chance. Auburn has won just ONE of four true road games this season, while Miss st is 9-1 SU at home, outscoring opponents 84.8-to-69.5 PPG. Throw in the fact that MSU head coach Ben Howland will surely remind his team just how it squandered a 14-point second-half lead in losing 76-68 last season at Auburn. Revenge works, here! Good luck...Larry |
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01-26-19 | UNLV v. San Diego State -5.5 | Top | 77-94 | Win | 100 | 13 h 50 m | Show |
My 10* CBB Game of the Month is on San Diego St at 8:00 ET. 11-7 UNLV is 5-1 in MWC play, as it heads to the Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl on Saturday night to take on San Diego State. the Aztecs are 10-8 (2-3 in MWC play) but own a great recent history against the Rebel. UNLV's early conference schedule has been kind (a steady diet of second-division foes), allowing the Rebels to stay close to current No. 7 Nevada. However, things start to get a bit tougher from here forward. The Aztecs are likely going nowhere this season but I will elaborate later on the school's history vs UNLV. Marvin Menzies' team could sure use the 6-7 Shakur Juiston (10.8 & 8.8) but he's lost for the season with a knee injury. Guards Clyburn (13.4 & 4.9),s Hardy (12.1) and Robotham (8.3) join the 6-9 Ntambwe (12.5 & 6.2) as team stalwarts. However, I will note that 6-5 SF Blair did come out of nowhere to score 26 point in the team's recent 75-58 win over New Mexico. Without Juiston, SDSU's 6-10 Williams (16.1 & 8.1) will be tough to contain. He's joined up front by the 6-6 Mitchell (11.4 & 3.&) plus the Aztecs own a solid three-man guard rotation. PG Watson (15.4 & 5.0 APG) leads the way, joined by Hemsley (9.1) and Schakel (8.3). SDSU is 8-2 SU at home this season, averaging 80.4 PPG. Head coach Brian Dutcher led the Aztecs to an NCAA bid and 22-11 record in his first season but that won't be repeated this season. However, series history all favors SDSU in this matchup. UNLV is just 9-27-5 ATS its last 41 road games (overall) and 14-39-4 ATS in its last 57 MWC games. More notably, the Rebels are 6-18-2 in their last 26 meetings with the Aztecs, who enter on a 15-6 ATS at their home court. SDS beat UNLV 95-56 at this venue last season, giving them three straight home wins over UNLV by a combined 87 points. Enough said! Good luck...Larry |
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01-26-19 | VCU v. Duquesne +4 | Top | 80-74 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 48 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Duquesne at 2:00 ET. Virginia Commonwealth owns a rich BKB tradition but is coming off an 18-15 season (no postseason tourneys). The Rams head to Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon 13-6 overall, including 4-2 in A-10 play. Meanwhile, the Duquesne Dukes are 14-5 overall, including 5-1 in league play. Both VCU's Mike Rhoades and Duquesne's Keith Dambrot are head coaches in their second years at their respective schools. PG Evans (13.3) leads VCU in scoring and is joined in the backcourt by SG Jenkins (11.9). Up front, the 6-6 Vann (10.9 & 4.) and the 6-7 Santos-Silva (8.9 & 6.8) are the main contributors. Let me note that Evans averages just 2.8 APG (terribly low for a starting PG) and VCU shoots an awful 29.9% on threes as a team (334th). The surging Dukes are on a five-game winning streak after beating previously unbeaten (in A-10 play) St Louis, 77-73 at home on Wednesday. Williams is a 6-6 guard and leads the team in scoring (13.2) and rebounding (7.8). His backcourt partner is Curry (12.1 & 3.9) and up front, 6-8 center Hayes (12.1 & 6.4) and 6-5 SF Weathers (9.8 & 6.1) do the most damage. You may just remember Dambrot (he was LBJ's high school coach) and in 13 seasons at Akron, won 20-plus games in each of his final 12 years. The Dukes finished tied for 10th in the A-10 (16-16 overall) last year but look at the strides being made this season. The Dukes are 11-1 at home (shot just 35.8%, including 6 of 28 on threes in that one) and I see NO reason why the Dukes should be home dogs here vs a very average VCU team (reputation?). VCU is just 2-4 SU in true road games this season, averaging a woeful 58.8 PPG. The home dog 'barks' LOUDLY in this one, Good luck...Larry |
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01-26-19 | Alabama v. Baylor -3 | 68-73 | Win | 100 | 6 h 52 m | Show | |
My 9* Eye-Opener is on Baylor at 12:00 ET. It's more of the Big-12/SEC Challenge Saturday at 12 noon ET, as 12-6 Alabama and 12-6 Baylor square off at the Ferrell Center in Waco. Alabama comes in on a very good stretch, winning 70-60 at Missouri and coming within eyelash of now No. 1 Tennessee in Knoxville (lost 71-68), before routing then-20 Ole Miss 74-53 in in its last three games. However, Baylor is similarly-surging, winning on the Big 12 road at Okla Sy=t and West Va, while also beating then-No. Texas Tech 73-62 in its last three. The 6-9 Hall (11.2 & 9.1) is the lone non-guard among 'Bama's top-six scorers. Freshman guard Lewis (13.8) leads the way, followed by sophomore Petty (12.2 & 4.4), who followed a 30-point effort at Tennessee with 15 against Ole Miss. Lewis is in a small slump, scoring just 28 points over his last three games. Hall recorded his fourth straight double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) against the Rebels, tying the team record. Baylor lost the 6-9 Clark (14.6 & 6.2). to a season-ending knee injury on Jan 8 but after a five-point loss to Kansas, has ripped off three straight wins without him. Guard Makai Mason, a graduate transfer from Yale (you don't hear that often), is averaging 15.7 PPG and scored 29 points in the win over West Virginia. He's recorded double digits in 14 of his 15 games this season (scored NINE in the lone game he did not). Guard McClure (10.7 & 5.7) plus fellow guards Kegler (8.6 & 6.1 ) and Butler (8.2) are also stepping up as of late. In particular, freshman Butler is averaging 14.3 PPG in his last four. Scott Drew's teams had won 20-plus games for nine of the previous 10 seasons but finished just 19-15 last season. Four starters are gone from that team and hence, the so-so start to this season. However, even the loss of Clark has been overcome, as of late. The Bears are an excellent defensive team, allowing just 64.3 PPG (26th) and enter this contest on a 7-1 ATS run. This game could have implications once March rolls around, so I'm taking the home team to get the "W" and cover!. Good luck...Larry |
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01-25-19 | Butler v. Creighton -2 | Top | 61-75 | Win | 100 | 13 h 19 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Creighton at 8:30 ET. Butler has gone 'dancing' in 10 of the previous 12 seasons but will need to finish strong to keep to do so again this campaign. The Bulldogs are just 12-8 (3-4 in Big East play), after losing 80-72 at home this past Tuesday to surging Villanova (Wildcats have won SEVEN in a row). Creighton is 11-8 overall, including 2-4 in Big East play. Creighton lost 84-69 at Butler back on Jan 5, beginning a streak of FOUR straight losses, marking the Bluejays' longest skid since the 1999-2000 season. However, Creighton ended its slide with a 91-87 road win at Georgetown on Monday. Butler PG Aaron Thompson (6.7 & 4.2 APG) bounced back from a scoreless, foul-plagued 16-minute effort Saturday against St. John's with club-best marks of 15 points (6-of-9 shooting) and four assists in 31 minutes versus the Wildcats but Butler still lost by eight. However, leading scorer Kamar Baldwin (17.4 & 5.6) finished with only 11 points on 5-for-14 shooting following a three-game stretch in which he averaged 21.7 points on 24-of-41 from the floor. The 6-11 Joey Brunk averaged 14.7 points and seven boards over his first three career starts but he hasn't topped eight points or six rebounds in any of his four outings since (he's averaging 8.6 & 4.4 on the season) . Creighton head coach Greg McDermott said during a postgame radio show after the Georgetown win, “They’ve come hungry, ready to practice. They’re not pointing fingers at me, I’m not pointing fingers at them, they’re not pointing fingers at each other. They’re committed to just trying to get better every day. I think when you commit to that, you have nights like (Monday) where good things happen." Sophomore guard Ty-Shon Alexander (17.5) knocked down six, three-pointers for the second time in three contests Monday, extending his consecutive games streak with at least one triple to a Big East-best 23. The Bluejays own a deep perimeter, as Ballock (10.9 & 3.6 APG), Zegarowski (10.8) and Mintz (10.3) join Alexander at the guard position. The 6-9 Krampelj (11.1 & 6.3) and SF Jefferson (9.4 & 5,4) are the best frontcourt contributors. Butler's ONLY true road win this season came at DePaul (not saying much) and that win snapped an 0-7 SU & ATS run in true road games by the Bulldogs, going back into last season. Butler is a money-burning 8-17 ATS in its last 25 road games plus is 0-5 ATS in its last five visits to Creighton. The Bluejays shoot 50.5% (4th) overall, including 43.0% on threes (2nd). Butler did get 87 points in winning at DePaul but in its first four true road games this season (all losses), averaged a woeful 59.8 PPG. Don't see any way Butler can match Creighton score-for-score (also note that the home team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings between the two schools). Good luck...Larry |
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01-24-19 | Arizona State v. UCLA -1 | Top | 84-73 | Loss | -115 | 14 h 6 m | Show |
My 10* Pac-12 Game of the Week is on UCLA at 11:00 ET. UCLA dismissed coach Steve Alford on December 31, 2018, two days after the Bruins' ugly 73-58 loss to Liberty. It marked the first time the program ever had made a coaching change in the middle of the season. Murry Bartow (son of former UCLA coach Gene Bartow) was named interim coach for the Bruins and in his first game (at home vs Stanford), UCLA ended a four-game slide with a 92-70 win over te Cardinal. Two more wins followed but the 'honeymoon' period is over for UCLA interim coach Murry Bartow, as the Bruins have lost lost two in row following three straight victories. 10-8 UCLA (3-2 in the Pac -12) welcomes 13-5 Arizona St (4-2 in Pac-12) to Pauley Pavilion tonight. ASU dominated the second half in last Saturday's impressive 78-64 home victory over Oregon,as five players scored in double figures. Five ASU players are averaging in double figures on the season, with the 6-8 White just missing at 9.0 & 5.9 The double digit scorers are guard Dort (16.4 & 446), fellow guard Martin (12.3 & 4.2 APG), the 6-8 Cheatham (12.1 & 9.6), guard Edwards (10.3) and the 6-7 Lawrence (10.3 & 3.9). Freshman forward Taeshon Cherry (7.2) had 15 points on five three-pointers against Oregon and head coach Bobby Hurley said, “He has one of the best strokes I’ve seen. He's got so much upside as far as where he can take his game if he keeps developing and getting better.”ASU averages 79.1 PPG (55th in teh nation but No. 1 in the Pac-12), although the Sun Devils allow 72.4 PPG (209th). The Bruins need to bounce back from a dismal outing, after shooting 5-of-22 from three-point range and committing 20 turnovers in last Saturday's 80-67 loss to crosstown rival USC. The Bruins averaged 92 points in wins over Stanford, California and Oregon but slowed down dramatically in losses to Oregon State and USC, averaging just 66.5 points. Bartow needs more consistency from 7-1 freshman Moses Brown, who averages 11.3 points and 8.9 rebounds but was a non-factor against USC, finishing with two points in 20 minutes. UCLA's best player is sophomore guard Kris Wilkes, who is averaging 17.1 & 4.9 (he's scored in double digits in EVERY game this season!). PG Hands checks in at 11.8 PPG and 6.4 APG plus a third guard, Prince Ali, averages 10.6 PPG ( he's shooting 51 percent from the floor and 48 percent from three-point range in five Pac-12 contests). Bobby Hurley's Sun Devils generated national headlines by handing then-top-ranked Kansas its first loss, 80-76, back on Dec. 22 but ASU is just 6-5 its last 11, after opening the season 7-.0. This UCLA team has the talent and note that the Bruins were picked to finish second in the Pac-12 preseason poll. UCLA has won seven of its last nine games against Arizona State and the home team has won EIGHT of the last 10 meetings between the two schools (UCLA and has covered 15 of the last 21 meetings overall). More tech trends show that the Sun Devils are 7-17-2 ATS in their last 26 vs Pac-12 foes and are 3-10-2 ATS in their last 15 road games. UCLA has won 39 of 44 games in Pauley Pavilion since the start of the 2016-17 season and with this pointspread, a win is a cover! Good luck...Larry |
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01-24-19 | NC State v. Louisville -5.5 | 77-84 | Win | 100 | 11 h 5 m | Show | |
My 9* PERFECT STORM is on Louisville at 8:00 ET. A pair of ranked teams square off Thursday night at the KFC Yum! Center, as No. 21 NC State (15-3) takes on No. 23 Louisville (13-5). The Wolfpack have alternated wins and losses to begin conference play (check in at 3-2), while the Cardinals have won three straight and four of five to begin their ACC schedule (lone loss was 89-86 in OT at Pitt). NC State rebounded from a loss at Wake Forest with a 77-73 win at Notre Dame on Saturday, while Louisville cruised to its third win in a row with a 79-51 victory over shorthanded Georgia Tech on Saturday (Yellow Jackets were without three regulars, including two of their top three scorers). Defense fueled Saturday’s win over Notre Dame, as the Wolfpack held the Irish to just 7-of-28 from the three-point line and 24-of-49 overall (40.7 percent). Offensively, NC State bounced back from its worst shooting game of the season (37 percent from the floor against Wake Forest two games ago), to shoot 43.5 percent from the floor, including 36.8 percent from long range. The Wolfpack average 86.7 PPG (6th), with six players averaging between 9.0 and 14.3 PPG. 6-5 guard Dorn leads the team in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (7.1) and the lone non-guard in the team's top-six scorers is the 6-10 Funderburk (9.3 & 4.6). 6-7 sophomore forward Jordan Nwora has improved his scoring average from 5.7 as a freshman to 18.5 this season and had a game-high 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting against Georgia Tech while also contributing with eight rebounds, three assists and a steal. He also leads the Cardinals with 8.1 RPG. Six more Cards average between 6.6 and 10.4 PPG, with PG Cunningham being the only other double digit scorer (10.4 & 4.2 APG). 6-10 junior center Steven Enoch (9.6 & 5.2) added 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting in just 20 minutes off the bench vs Ga Tech, while 6-11 sophomore center Malik Williams (7.6 & 5.3) added 13 points in only 16 minutes. SF Sutton adds 9.9 & 6.8 plus guards McMahon (7.4) and Perry (6.6) add outstanding depth and balance. First-year Louisville coach Chris Mack (note: he led Xavier to eight NCAA berths in his nine seasons) said, "We know we're only as good as our next game. I don't think success is ever final," after the Cardinals dominated all aspects of the game against the Yellow Jackets. Louisville is ranked for the first time this season and now takes on a ranked Atlantic Coast Conference opponent at home for the first time this season (it's a big deal). NC State has been impacted by the absence of PG Markell Johnson (11.6 & 4.1 APG), who has missed the past two games since taking a hard fall on his backside in the Jan 12 home victory against Pittsburgh. "He's a guy who could play on Thursday or could play three or four weeks from now,"head coach Kevin Keatts said (that doesn't sound promising for NC St backers). This wraps up a three-game road stretch for North Carolina State and I believe the Wolfpack come up "way short" in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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01-24-19 | Michigan State v. Iowa +5 | 82-67 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 6 m | Show | |
My 8* Situational Stunner is on Iowa at 7:00 ET. No. 6 Michigan State is 17-2 (8-0 in Big Ten play) and looks to extend its winning streak to 13 in a row when it travels to face No. 19 Iowa (16-3 / 5-3) in a Big Ten matchup at Iowa City. Thursday. The Spartans have won a school-record 20 straight regular-season Big Ten contests and are coming off a 69-55 victory over No. 16 Maryland on Monday, while the Hawkeyes have won five in a row, after routing Illinois 95-71 on Sunday. Michigan State won the first matchup this season 90-68 in December, as 6-9 junior forward Nick Ward led the way with a 10-for-10 shooting effort and 26 points. Junior PG Cassius Winston is the leader for coach Tom Izzo, topping the Spartans in scoring (18.0) and assists (7.3). He's helped ease the loss of the team's third-leading scorer Joshua Langford (15.), who has missed the last six contests with an ankle injury (he is not expected to play here). Up front, MSU is 'loaded' with Ward (15.7 & 6.9), the 6-8 Tillman (8.4 & 7.4) and the 6-7 Goins (7.1 & 9.6). Goins is the team's "glue guy," exhibiting a great feel for MSU schemes on both ends of the floor. The Spartans are averaging 83.8 PPG (20th) and allowing just 66.1 PPG (49th). The Hawkeyes' top two scorers, are 6-9 forwards Tyler Cook (16.5 & 8.2) and the 6-11 Luka Garza (13.9 & 4.9). Iowa start three guards, Wieskamp (11.9 & 5.1), PG Bohannon (11.2 & 3.3 APG) and Moss (10.0). Coming off the bench are 6-6 forward Baer (6.5 & 4.6) and the 6-9 Kriener (5.6 & 2.9). Iowa can score with MSU (82.8 PPG ranks 27th) but allows about a 'TD' more defensively, at 72.2 PPG. Iowa is almost as hot as MSU (13 straight wins), going 10-1 its last 11. The Hawkeyes are an impressive 11-1 at home (averaging 85.7 PPG) and are surely looking to avenge that 90-698 loss at East Lansing in late December. Michigan State's defense, which held Iowa to 32.8 percent shooting in the first matchup, as the lack of outside shooting made it "tough going" inside for Cook and Garza, who combined for just 22 points. However, freshman Wieskamp has caught fire lately, scoring in double figures in nine of the last 10 contests, making Iowa a much more dangerous team to Big Ten foes. The 6-6 guard was perfect against Illinois on Sunday in matching his career high of 24 points, hitting 8-of-8 from the field, including 6-of-6 from three-point range. That kind of accuracy has helped open things up inside for Cook and Garza, as well as making defenders think twice about leaving him to cover Iowa's other shooters. MSU has listed PG Winston as questionable with a knee issue and his loss would be HUGE. Either way, I'm taking Iowa and hoping for some good old home cookin'. Note that Iowa ranked first in the country in free throws made (395) entering Wednesday. Maybe we'll get the Rams/Saints refs in this one? Good luck...Larry |
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01-23-19 | Missouri v. Arkansas -6 | 60-72 | Win | 100 | 14 h 36 m | Show | |
My 9* Rivalry Rout is on Arkansas at 9:00 ET. Missouri is 10-6 overall (1-3 in the SEC) and Arkansas is 10-7, including 1-4 in SEC play. Neither school in this border rivalry can really afford another loss after their respective sluggish starts to SEC play. Each team’s only SEC win came at Texas A&M. The Razorbacks opened conference play with a 73-71 road win over the Aggies back on Jan 5 but Arkansas has since lost FOUR in a row, including blowout losses at Tennessee (106-87) and Ole Miss (84-67) in its last two contests. Meanwhile, the Tigers lost their first three SEC games (all by double digits) but turned in their best defensive effort of the season in a 66-43 victory at Texas A&M on Saturday. Missouri relies on a defense that's allowing 65.2 PPG (that's 38th in the nation but also second in the SEC in scoring defense). However, on the offensive end, Missouri averages just 68.3 PPG (296th). Guards Geist (13.7-4.1-3.2) and Smith (12.0 & 5.4) form a solid backcourt duo while up front, the 6-10 Tilmon (9.9 & 5.9) and the 6-7 Puryear (8.7 & 5.2) are the team's best inside players. Missouri relies heavily on the three-pointer, shooting an SEC-best 39.2 percent from beyond the arc (that's 4th-best in the nation). The Razorbacks are one of the youngest teams in the nation but they do feature have the Preseason SEC Player of the Year in Daniel Gafford. The 6-11 sophomore is averaging 16.5 & 9.4. Arkansas features an very good guard trio in freshman Joe (14.5), sophomore Jones (14.4 & 4.9) and junior PG Harris (8.3 7 6.8 APG). This team is better than its record. The Razorbacks’ current four-game losing streak is their longest since a six-game skid to end the 2009-10 season. It ends here. This border rivalry is made more intense with former Missouri head coach Mike Anderson now leading Arkansas. The Razorbacks won't compete all that well against the SEC elite but Missouri is hardly elite. Lay it. Good luck...Larry |
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01-23-19 | Providence v. Xavier -3 | Top | 64-62 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 8 m | Show |
My 10* Revenge Game of the Month is on Xavier at 6:30 ET. Xavier is just 10-7 overall, including 3-3 in the Big East. The Musketeers have already has lost as many conference games as they did in 2017-18, when the team went 15-3 in league play to win the Big East regular-season title. Xavier hasn't spent much time worrying about qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in recent years, having gone 'dancing' in 16 of the last 18 seasons. However, this season is shaping up much differently. The Musketeers are hoping a return home will get them back on track, when they host struggling Providence on Wednesday night. The 11-7 Friars are just 1-4 in Big East play, after losing 79-68 at now-No. 12 Marquette, the school's fourth loss in five games "As a leader of this group, I have to try to keep everyone’s heads up and make sure we’re looking ahead to the next game and not dwell on this loss,” Providence's leading scorer Alpha Diallo said.The 6-7 big guard averages team highs of 17.2 PPG and 8.6 RPG. It's notewiorthy that 6-10 sophomore center Nate Watson (11.1 & 5.4) is becoming a bigger force for the Friars, scoring 16 of his 21 points in the second half against Marquette to match his season-high point total set against Georgetown on Jan 12. However, AJ Reeves, a freshman guard who was averaging 14.2 PPG, has not played since going down with a foot injury on Dec 7. That leaves only Diallo and Watson in double figures. It's my belief that this Xavier team is much better than its record. While the Musketeers have great balance on offense with five players scoring in double figures. The 6-7 Marshall (13.3 & 7.4) leads the way, closely followed by guard Scruggs (12.9 & 5.0), PG Goodin (12.5 & 5.3 APG), the 6-9 Jones (10.7 & 7.4) and the 6-11 Hankins (10.5 & 4.9). Jones registered his second double-double in three games with a career-high 21 points and 12 rebounds against Villanova in Xavier's 10-point loss last Friday. I'm not sure Xavier is going to be NCAA-bound this season but the Musketeers are 9-2 SU at home (holding opponents to 69.6 PPG) and I doubt the team will forget Providence ruining Xavier's Big East tourney experience last season, knocking off the Musketeers 75-72 in OT as 7 1/2-point underdogs. Travis Steele is in his first season as Xavier's head coach but he'll remind this team about that loss, I'm sure. Providence sits in last-place in the 10-team Big East and plays the perfect foil in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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01-22-19 | Wichita State v. South Florida -2 | 41-54 | Win | 100 | 12 h 20 m | Show | |
My 9* Revenge Rout is on USF at 8:00 ET. South Florida saw its seven-game home win streak snapped Saturday as then-No. 21 Houston (now 17th) was too much for the Bulls to handle in a 69-60 loss. It was USF's third straight loss and fourth in five games but the Bulls are 12-6. Not impressed? Let me remind you that USF was 10-22 last year, following seasons of nine, eight and seven wins! The Bulls welcome fellow AAC rival Wichita St to the Yuengling Center tonight. The Shockers are just 8-9, including 1-4 in the AAC. That record is more than a little surprising, considering that Gregg Marshall's team entered the year having won 25 games or more the last NINE seasons (includes an NIT title in 2011 and seven straight NCAA bids, including a Final 4 appearance in 2013). Markis McDuffie, 6-8 senior, did the heavy lifting offensively in Marshall's 66-55 home loss to Cincinnati, scoring 21 points on 7 of-14 shooting. The problem being, the rest of his team totaled just 34 points on 38 shots. McDuffie averages 19.6 & 5.2 but only guard Haynes-Jones (13.0) joins him in double digits. The 6-11 Jaime Echenique, a JUCO transfer, leads the team in rebounding at 5.4 (averages 8.5). Brian Gregory's team won just 10 times last season but he's made great strides this season, already owning 12 wins (despite just one win in the team's last five contests). PG LaQuincy Rideauis a Gardner-Webb transfer, averages 14.3 PPG, 5.6 APG and 3.3 steals per game. He's joined in the backcourt by sophomore guard David Collins, who leads the team in scoring at 14.8 PPG. Finally free of eligibility issues, the the 6-7 Alexis Yetna checks in with 12.7 PPG and 11.2 RPG. Marshall not only lost four starters from last year's team but entered the season having lost two assistants. Witchita State is hard to beat at Charles Koch Arena but the Shockers are 0-4 SU on the road this season, going 1-3 ATS (pointspread win was plus-10 at Houston in a nine-point loss). Wichita St has been outscored on average, 78.5-to-61.5 PPG on the road. Meanwhile, USF is an impressive 10-2 SU at home (no real impost to worry about here). Let me note that the disparity in free throw attempts in Wichita State’s 66-55 home loss to Cincinnati on Saturday (35 attempts by Cincy to 7 for WSU)l ed to head coach Gregg Marshall and freshman Erik Stevenson receiving a pair of crucial technical fouls with 5:31 to play that turned a five-point deficit into an 11-point Bearcats lead. FT disparity could come to play here, as well. No American Athletic Conference team has made or attempted more free throws this season than USF (329-for-527), while no team in the AAC has made or attempted fewer than Wichita State (207-for-295). Good luck...Larry |
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01-22-19 | Villanova v. Butler -1.5 | 80-72 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 18 m | Show | |
My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on Butler at 7:00 ET. All are aware that Villanova has won TWO of the last three national championships and with less than two months remaining until Selection Sunday, the Wildcats are beginning to at least partially, resemble those previous teams. Villanova lost four players off last season's national championship team to the NBA, guards Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo plus forwards Mikal Bridges and Omari Spellman. However, since suffering back-to-back losses to Penn and Kansas, the Wildcats have handily beaten UConn (an old Big East rival) and followed with five straight wins in Big East play (14-4 / 5-0 Big East). They vie for their seventh straight victory when they visit Butler on Tuesday The Bulldogs won at DePaul Jan 16 (much-needed 1st road win of the season) and then took down St John's 80-71 at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday. Butler has gone 'dancing' in 10 of the previous 12 seasons but will need to finish strong to keep to do so again this campaign (Butler is just 12-7 / 3-3 in Big East). Seniors Phil Booth (18.4 & 3.8 APG) and Eric Paschall (16.6 & 6.4) combine to average 35 points per game, while Collin Gillespie (11.4 points) has come on strong with 32 points over his last two contests. However, the trio are Villanova's only double digit scorers. Guard Booth has averaged 24.0 points in the past four games, while the 6-8 Eric Paschall has averaged 20.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in the Wildcats' five conference games. Butler coming off a quality 80-71 victory over St. John's on Saturday, as Kamar Baldwin scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed eight rebounds. He leads the team in scoring at 17.7 PPG (adds 5.7 RPG) and is beginning to get some solid help. George Washington transfer Paul Jorgensen joins him in the backcourt to average 12.3 PPG and PG Thompson has been solid, averaging 6.2 & 4.2 APG. Another guard, McDermott, averages 10.4 PPG. McDermott had 12 rebounds against St John's but the bigger news was that the 6-7 Tucker, the highly-touted Duke transfer, came off the bench to score a career-best 24 points. He's now averaging 10.4 & 5.5 in 10 games since becoming eligible in mid-December. Butler is looking for its THIRD straight win over Villanova in the friendly Hinkle Fieldhouse and why can't the Bulldosg get it? Butler is 9-1 SU at home this season, which is no surprise. After all, Butler entered the season having gone 53--12 at home the previous four seasons (clearly, settling into Big East play). Upset? Not really! Good luck...Larry |
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01-22-19 | Clemson v. Florida State -5.5 | Top | 68-77 | Win | 100 | 11 h 19 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Florida St at 7:00 ET. Florida State lost 80-78 to then-No. 1 Duke on Jan 12 and actually jumped from 13th to 11th in the AP poll released on Jan 14. However, after road losses this past week at Pittsburgh(75-62) and Bocton College (87-82), FSU fell out of yesterday's latest AP poll (surprisingly, FSU checked in at No. 23 in the coaches' poll). The Seminoles return home tonight to host 11-6 Clemson, which at 1-3 in the ACC, is ahead of FSU in the league standings (Seminoles are one of five teams at the bottom of the league with a 1-4 mark). Clemson comes into this contest having just snapped a three-game slide of its own, with a 72-60 home win over Georgia Tech on Wednesday. Senior guard Marcquise Reed scored a career-high 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting while recording four steals against Ga Tech, as Clemson notched its first conference victory. Reed leads the team in scoring at 19.7 PPG and adds 5.4 RPG. Senior forward Elijah Thomas is second in scoring at 13.1 per game, plus leads the Tigers with 7.7 RPG. Guard Mitchell is Clemson's only other player in double digits, averaging 11.9 PPG and a team-high 3.2 APG.Clemson averages a modest 71.5 PPG on the season (240th). FSU has yet to recover from its "close but no cigar" two-point loss at Duke. The team's malaise was evident in its last outing, when FSU led by 10 points at BC at halftime but couldn’t get second half stops, as the Eagles went on to win, 87-82. Mfiondu Kabengele, a 6-10 sophomore, leads a balanced attack with 12.6 PPG, after posting a career-high 26 at Boston College. Senior guard Terance Mann is second on the scoring list at 11.6 PPG. Then there is junior PG Trent Forest (9.9-4.9-3.6), who is averaging 14 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists over his last two contests. However, 6-8 Mike Cofer's foot injury could hurt. He had a breakout season last year (12.8 & 5.1) but has played only seven games this year. It's time for Leonard Hamilton's team to "put up or shut up." FSU was ranked 17th in the AP's preseason poll (ranked 15th by the Blue Ribbon Yearbook) and climbed as high as No. 9 in the AP poll in early January. Finding themselves as one of five teams at the bottom of the ACC at 1-4, is unacceptable. However, Clemson should play the perfect foil here, as the Tigers are playing just their fourth true road game of the season, averaging only 66.3 PPG. Meanwhile, FSU is 8-1 SU at home (lone loss being that two-pointer against Duke), outscoring opponents 82.6-to-69.7 PPG. Good luck...Larry |
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01-21-19 | Marshall v. Western Kentucky -4.5 | 59-68 | Win | 100 | 15 h 15 m | Show | |
My 9* Revenge Rout is on Western Ky at 9:00 ET. The Marshall Thundering Herd are 12-6 overall but 5-0 in C-USA, as they travel to the E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky on Monday night to take on the 9-9 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (2-3 in C-USA). Marshall's current 5-game winning streak began with the team's opening of league play and includes a 70-69 home win over Wetern Ky on Jan 12. Western Ky ended a three-game skid with a 105-97 win over FIU the last time out, evening its record at 9-9 on the season. PG Jon Elmore leads Marshall in scoring (20.2) and assists (5.3), while shooting guard CJ Burks checks in at 17.9 PPG (he's had back-to-back 30-point games). The 6-9 Jannson Williams (9.2 & 4.7) tops a group of five players averaging between 5.6 and 9.2 PPG. Marshall averages 81.9 PPG (34th) but allows 81.3 points (341st). Western Ky's leading scorer is Taveion Hollingsworth (16.2 & 4.7) and h led Western Kentucky with 24 points in the win over FIU. Other regular contributors are the 6-11 Bassey (14.1 & 8.9) plus guards Savage (13.4 & 4.7) and Anderson (10.3). This contest has "revenge written all over it." The Hilltoppers were beaten 67-66 by underdog Marshall in the C-USA Tourney last season, costing Western Ky a spot in the Dance (Western Ky had won both regular season meetings). Then on Jan 12 at Huntington, West Va, the Hilltoppers blew an 11-point halftime lead, in a 70-69 loss. Marshall freshman Kinsey scored 23 points in that 70-69 win, NINE points more than had scored in any previous game this season (he enters this game averaging 8.8 PPG)! Marshall may be atop C-USA but the the Thundering Herd checks in just 3-8-1 ATS since Dec 1. REVENGE works in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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01-21-19 | Iowa State v. Kansas -5 | Top | 76-80 | Loss | -112 | 15 h 13 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on Kansas at 9:00 ET. Iowa St beat 77-60 Kansas in Ames back on Jan 5 and will now try to sweep the regular season series with the Jayhawks Monday night in Lawrence. The Cyclones lost two straight after beating Kansas but have bounced back with wins over Texas Tech and Oklahoma St. As for Kansas, the Jayhawks answered their loss to the Cyclones with three straight victories but then surrendered the final SEVEN points in Saturday's 65-64 loss at West Virginia. ISU senior Marial Shayock (19.4 & 5.2) is the Big-12's leading scorer. He had 24 points in the Jan 5 win over Kansas plus has added back-to-back 20-point games in the Cyclones' 68-64 win over Texas Tech on Wednesday and 72-59 triumph against Oklahoma State three days later. Head coach Steve Prohm has a perimeter-oriented team, as veteran guards Wiggington (11.9 & 4.4) and Babb (9.7-4.5-4.0) join freshman Horton-Tucker (11.7 & 4.4) and Haliburton (7.8-3.7-4.2) in support of Shayock. The 6-9 Jacobson (13.1 & 6.1) is ISU's only real inside threat. The Lawson brothers transferred from Memphis and were expected to make a HUGE contribution this season for Kansas. Dedric (18.9 & 10.7) has delivered but KJ, who averaged 12.3 & 8.1 for Memphis last season, is averaging only 10 MPG (2.8 & 2.4). Kansas head coach Bill Self has also lost the 7-1 Azubuike (13.4 & 6.8) for the season, so the Jayhawks' 14-year stranglehold on the Big 12's regular season title could be in jeopardy. Kansas' lone senior is Lagerald Vick and he's averaging 15.1 PPG. Fellow guards Dotson (10.9-3.4-3.1), Grimes (8.7) and Garrett (7.2 & 3.4) join Vick on the perimeter. Garrett has scored 35 points in the last two games. Four schools are atop the Big-12 at 4-2 (the other two, Kansas State and Texas Tech meet on Tuesday). While Kansas may not be as good as expected at the start of the season, the Jayhawks have still dominated the Big-12 year after year. Iowa St comes in just 6-13 ATS its last 19 on the road, while Kansas comes in 35-16-3 ATS off a loss. Don't forget, Kansas is 10-0 SU at home, averaging 82.1 PPG. Good luck...Larry |
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01-21-19 | Virginia Tech v. North Carolina -3.5 | 82-103 | Win | 100 | 13 h 18 m | Show | |
My 8* Oddsmaker's Error is on North Carolina at 7:00 ET. No. 9 Virginia Tech bounced back nicely after being routed 81-59 by No. 1 Virginia in its previous game. The Hokies shot 57 percent from the floor while holding the Demon Deacons to 37.5 percent shooting in an 87-71 win. Tech is now 15-2 (4-1 in ACC play) as it heads to Chapel Hill to take on 14-4 North Carolina (also 4-1 in the ACC), which is ranked 13th (both rankings pending the AP's latest poll, which will be released Monday afternoon). The Tar Heels were shocked 83-62 at home by Louisville on Jan 12 but have won two straight, the most recent win coming in an 85-76 victory at Miami on Saturday. Sophomore guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a team-high 24 points in the win over Wake and is the team's top scorer at 18.2 PPG (4.3 RPG). The 6-10 Blackshear (13.4 & 5.8) checks in behind Walker, followed by guards Robinson (12.8 & 5.4 APG) and Hill (12.8). Tech plays great D (59.5 PPG ranks 5th) and it will be needed here against the high-scoring Tar Heels. The Tar Heels connected on 55% against Miami, including making 18-of-30 (60 percent) in the second half when they pulled away from a 37-37 halftime tie. Senior guard Cameron Johnson scored a game-high 22 and leads North Carolina by averaging 15.9 PPG on the season (also gets 5.7 RPG). The 6-8 Maye averages 14.4 PPG and grabs a team-high 9.9 RPG. Guards White (14.2) and Williams (8.9 & 4.0 APG) also start, as does the 6-9 Brooks (8.7 & 5.8). 6-6 freshman Little (9.9 & 4.3) is an effective sixth-man. Virginia Tech snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Tar Heels with a win in Blacksburg last season but North Carolina leads the all-time series 31-7. Keeping up with North Carolina seems like a "bridge too far" for Va Tech, which has scored just 52 (Ga Tech) and 59 (Va) points in its two ACC road games. North Carolina is averaging 87.3 PPG (5th) and again, the price looks 'cheap!' Lay it. Good luck...Larry |
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01-20-19 | Colorado v. Utah -3.5 | Top | 69-78 | Win | 100 | 11 h 49 m | Show |
My 10* Oddsmaker's Error is on Utah at 6:00 ET. The Colorado Buffs (10-6 / 1-3 in Pac-12) travel to Salt Lake City to play the 8-8 Utah Utes (2-2 in Pac-12) at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Colorado opened the season 8-1 but enter this contest having lost FIVE of its last seven. Utah owns a .500 overall and conference record. The Utes haven’t had a winning or losing streak longer than two games this season. The Buffaloes now face dealing with an injury to leading scorer McKinley Wright (12.9-4.9-5.3). He missed the second half of the Buffaloes’ Jan. 12 loss to Washington after suffering a shoulder injury and his immediate status is questionable at best (he only returned to practice wearing a brace late in the week) Also, senior Namon Wright is averaging 7.5 points off the bench but has missed the last three games and still wasn’t able to practice this past week. Up front, the 6-7 Bey (12.0 & 9.1) and the 6-10 Siewert (11.4 & 5.0) will be counted on to carry more of the load. Utah's 88-70 win over visiting Washington State on Jan. 12 put the brakes on a two-game slide, as the Utes recovered nicely from their season-low 53 points two nights earlier versus Washington. The freshman trio of Timmy Allen (15 & 9), Both Gach (14 & 4 assists) and Riley Battin (11-4-4) led the way in the win as the youngsters continue to show near-weekly improvement. The 6-6 Allen averages 9.9 & 4.3, the 6-7 Gach 8.1 & 2.5 and the 6-9 Battin 7.1 & 3.4. Senior PG Sedrick Barefield (15.4 & 3.8 APG) and 6-7 sophomore forward Donnie Tillman (11.3 & 5.8) are the only two players averaging double figures for Utah. Sure, Utah's season has been 'stuck in neutral' but that's a better situation than Colorado's, which has seen the team averaging 84.1 PPG in its 8-1 start, fall apart with FIVE losses in its last seven, averaging only 63.2 PPG in those five losses. Utah has outscored opponents 77.9-to-67.4 PPG at home this season and has won EIGHT of the last nine meetings with Colorado, as well as owning SIX straight wins here in Salt Lake City over the Buffs. Everything considered, the price seems 'cheap!' Good luck...Larry |
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01-19-19 | BYU v. San Francisco -6.5 | 63-82 | Win | 100 | 16 h 4 m | Show | |
My 8* CBB Bailout Blowout is on San Francisco at 11:00 ET. The BYU Cougars will travel to War Memorial Gymnasium to take on the San Francisco Dons this Saturday night in WCC action. The Cougars defeated the Pepperdine Waves 87-76 this past Thursday for their third straight win, improving to 12-8 (4-1 WCC) on the season. The Dons also won on Thursday, 53-52 at Pacific, improving to 15-3 (3-1 WCC). BYU can score, averaging 83.5 PPG (23rd), as the the 6-8 Childs leads the Cougars in scoring (22.2) and rebounding (9.8). Guards Haws (18.0& 5.2 APG) and Hardnett (10.9) check in behind him. However, BYU allows 78.2 PPG (311th). San Francisco has nice balance, with a trio of guards in Mineland (15.2 & 5.3), PG Ferrari (13.4 & 5.4 APG) and Ratinho (10.2) all in double figures. Up front, it's the 6-9 McCarthy (9.7 & 6.8), the 7-0 Lull (8.7 & 5.9) and the 6-8 Renfro (6.8 & 5.6). The Cougars check in 2-10 ATS in their last 12 road games, including going 2-6 SU & 1-7 ATS this season (allowing 91.9 PPG)! Meanwhile, the Dons, who rank 18th in points allowed (18th) on tehe season, are 9-1 SU at home. San Francisco had won 20 games just TWICE in 20 years before the arrival of current head coach Kyle Smith. Smith won 20 and 22 games his first two years at SF (lost in the CIT championship game LY) and with 15 wins already TY, is headed for a 'monster' season. Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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01-19-19 | Oregon v. Arizona State -3.5 | Top | 64-78 | Win | 100 | 15 h 36 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on Arizona St at 9:30 ET. Preseason Pac-12-favorite Oregon stumbled to a 0-2 conference start but has rebounded nicely with wins over USC at home last Sunday and at Arizona two nights ago. The Ducks are 11-6 overall (2-2 in Pac-12 play) as they travel to Tempe to take on the ASU Sun Devils (12-5 / 3-2). Oregon opened Pac-12 road play in style Thursday, holding Arizona to 54 points and snapping the Wildcats’ six-game win streak and handing the Wildcats their first league loss. Arizona State also responded in positive fashion Thursday night, bouncing back from an 85-71 road defeat at Stanford by handing visiting Oregon State its first Pac-12 loss in a 70-67 victory. Oregon head coach Dana Altman is learning to deal with the loss of 7-2 freshman Bol Bol (21.0 & 9.2), who is out for the season with a foot injury. Thursday's road win was the big news but Oregon also received a boost with the return of 6-9 sophomore forward Kenny Wooten (6.5 & 5.1), who had five points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes after missing the previous four contests with a broken jaw. Ducks senior forward Paul White said Thursday in the post-game news conference. “And I think our team has done a great job of responding.” White scored a game-high 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting Thursday and is one of two healthy Ducks averaging double figures at 10.8 PPG. Junior PG Payton Pritchard (11.5 PPG) is the other to go along with a team-leading 4.5 APG. He sealed Thursday’s win by draining a pair of free throws with four seconds remaining. Arizona State also responded in positive fashion Thursday night, bouncing back from an 85-71 road defeat at Stanford by handing visiting Oregon State its first Pac-12 loss in a 70-67 victory. The Sun Devils saw an 18-point early-second half lead trimmed to only one with 22 seconds remaining but Rob Edwards closed it out by draining a pair of free throws with 12.1 seconds to play. Edwards scored 13 points to pace five ASU players in double figures. Five ASU players are averaging in double figures on the season, with the 6-8 While averaging 9.2 & 6.0. The double digit scorers are guard Dort (16.6 & 4.6), fellow guard Martin (12.4), the 6-8 Cheatham (11.8 & 9.6), guard Edwards (10.5) and the 6-7 Lawrence (10.2 & 3.9). Oregon has won 11 of the last 12 in the series (including eight straight) but the Ducks are NOT the same without Bol Bol, despite the win Thursday at Arizona. Bobby Hurley's Sun Devils generated national headlines by handing then-top-ranked Kansas its first loss, 80-76, back on Dec. 22. ASU is just 5-5 its last 10 overall but is 8-2 SU at home, averaging 82.9 PPG. Meanwhile, Oregon is averaging a modest 57.2 PPG in its four true road games. ASU takes this with "room to spare!" Good luck...Larry |
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01-19-19 | Oregon State v. Arizona -5 | Top | 71-82 | Win | 100 | 12 h 8 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Arizona at 7:00 ET. 11-5 Oregon State will visit Tucson on Saturday to take on 13-5 Arizona. Both schools suffered theri first Pac-12 loses of teh season on Thursday (each fell to 3-1), as the Beavers lost 70-67 at Arizona State and the Wildcats lost at home to Oregon, 59-54. Oregon State's loss wasn't a surprise (Beavers were point underdogs) but Arizona's loss was. The Wildcats rarely lose at the McKale Center (more on that later) but they trailed 31-23 at halftime and finished with their second-lowest scoring output (54 points) and field-goal percentage (36.5) of the season. Oregon State also endured a rough start in Tempe, falling behind 40-22 early in the second half, before rallying to trim Arizona State’s lead to one in the eventual three-point loss. OSU's 6-8 forward Tres Tinkle (20.1-8.3-4.4) and guard Ethan Thompson (13.2 & 5.6) each scored 21 to combine for 42 of the Beavers’ 67 points Thursday. Thompson’s older brother Stephen (15.2 & 4.7) had an off night with nine points on 3-of-9 shooting, finishing with four fouls and failing to reach double figures for the first time in his last five games. “You have to give their defense credit,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said in his post-game news conference after the Oregon loss. “We were out of sorts, never could get into an offensive rhythm. Several of our guys had a tough night shooting it.” Guard Brandon Randolph leads the Wildcats in scoring at 15.7 per game, failed to reach double figures for the first time all season Thursday, finishing with five points on a 2-of-9 shooting performance. However, Center Chase Jeter, a 6-10 transfer from Duke, posted his fifth double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. He isn't making anyone forget DeAndre Ayton, but he is averaging 13.3 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds. Jeter scored just 103 points in 48 games (10.3 minutes per contest) with Duke from 2015-17 before sitting out the 2017-18 season but is more than just a solid contributor this year. PG Brandon Williams rounds out the team's double-digit scorers at 11.4 PPG and 3.6 APG plus has a solid backcourt partner in Justin Coleman (8.9). The Oregon loss was a jolt but Miller has quietly molded this team into a Pac-12 contender (the league is relatively weak this year). Arizona has won 13 of the last 14 meetings in the series, with Oregon State’s only win in the span coming on Jan. 11, 2015. Sure, Arizona lost at home Thursday but how does one ignore that the Wildcats enter this contest a national-best 91-5 at the McKale Center since 2013? Good luck...Larry |
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01-19-19 | Virginia v. Duke -2 | 70-72 | Push | 0 | 12 h 32 m | Show | |
My 9* CBB No. 1 vs No. 1 is on Duke at 6:00 ET. 14-2 Duke holds the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll, at least until Monday's new poll comes out. 16-0 Virginia is ranked just 4th in the AP but the Cavaliers are ranked No. 1 in the coaches' poll, making this just the fourth No. 1 vs. No. 1 meeting in college basketball history. Not a bad setting. This is arguably the biggest game of the college basketball season to date. Let's say up front that Duke is 211-32 while holding the No. 1 ranking under Coach K. Virginia passed one of its stiffest tests of the season with ease on Tuesday night with an 81-59 win over No. 9 Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers scored 44 points on 68 percent shooting in the first half, while holding the Hokies to 22 points on 35 percent shooting. Meanwhile, Duke felt the impact of missing two key players Monday, as Syracuse able to pull off a stunning 95-91 overtime win at Cameron. The Blue Devils were without long-range shooter Cameron Reddish (flu-like symptoms) and PG Tre Jones injured his shoulder early in the first half. Virginia owns a trio of excellent guards in Guy's (15.2 & 4.,3), Hunter (14.4 & 5.2) and PG Jerome (13.2 & 4.9 APG). However, the team's lone big man is the 6-9 Diatkite, who averages 6.6 PPG and just 3.5 RPG. Defense rules at UVa, as the Cavs lead the nation in point allowed (51.7 per), while holding opponents to 37.0% shooting (4th) taht includes 25.1% on threes (1st). Syracuse used its 2-3 zone defense to force Duke into attempting outside shots and the Blue Devils obliged by launching a school-record 43 three-point attempts, making just NINE. RJ Barrett, the ACC’s leading scorer at 23.4 PPG scored 23 but was just 4-of-17 beyond the arc. The 6-7 Zion Williamson (21.2 & 9.4) scored a career-high 35 and pulled down 10 rebounds but missed a go-ahead free-throw with 16.2 seconds remaining in regulation. PG Tre Jones (8.1 & 5.7 APG left the Syracuse loss with a separated shoulder in the opening six minutes but Krzyzewski that Jones likely will be sidelined less than a month. The good news for Duke is that Reddish (13.3) has returned to practice and is expected to play. The Cavaliers have won 12 consecutive ACC road games and last year's victory at Duke snapped a 17-game skid for Virginia in that building. However, with Duke off a home loss, I just don't see the Cavs being able to win here. Virginia has won nine consecutive games against ranked opponents but that streak ends here, against a Duke team averaging a whopping 92.8 PPG at home. Good luck...Larry |
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01-19-19 | Stanford v. Washington State +1 | 78-66 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 33 m | Show | |
My 9* Weekend Wipeout Winner is on Washington St at 3:00 ET. The 8-9 Stanford Cardinal (1-4 in Pac-12 play) will travel to Pullman to take on the 8-9 Washington State Cougars (1-3 in Pac-12 play). Stanford lost its top-two players from last season, forward Travis Reid (19.5 & 87.), who is a graduate transfer at Kentucky, and guard Pickens (14.5). The Cardinal limp into this contest having lost FOUR of five, after an 80-64 loss at Washington on Thursday. As for teh Cougars, they are coming off one of their better showings of the season in Thursday’s 82-59 home win over California. The Cardinal's offense revolves around sophomore wing KZ Okpala (18.1 & 6.5), who is averaging 21.2 points and 7.6 rebounds in five conference games. Stanford needs more consistency from 6-9 sophomore forward Oscar da Silva (9.1 & 5.6) and 7-0 center Sharma (8.4 & 5.10. Guards Davis (11.9) and Ryan (10.0) join Okpala in double digits. Few players are as critical to their team’s success as Washington State senior Robert Franks, who returned to action Thursday and helped the Cougars end a six-game losing streak. The 6-9 forward missed four games with a hip contusion before recording 24 points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench against the Bears. He checks in at on the season. Five players scored in double figures in the win over Cal, including freshman forward CJ Elleby, who finished with 11 points and ranks second on the team in scoring at 15.7 PPG (also adds 6.9 RPG) PG Viont’e Daniels (7.4) has struggled since missing four games due to a concussion at the end of December, but the senior had 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting with four rebounds on Thursday. Head coach Ernie Kent has been pleased by the recent play of junior forward Jeff Pollard (just 4.2 & 2.4 on teh season). who has scored in double figures in two of his past three games. Stanford averages 15.6 turnovers per game, which leads the Pac-12 (a stat no team wants to be No. 1 at). The Cardinal come to Pullman 1-6 SU on the road, allowing 80.3 PPG. That bodes very poorly here at Beasley Coliseum, where the Cougars are a PERFECT 8-0 (7-1 ATS), while averaging 88.9 PPG. Why is this basically a pick'em? Good luck...Larry |
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01-19-19 | Tulsa v. UCF -11 | 62-64 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 13 m | Show | |
My 9* Eye-Opener is on UCF at 12 noon ET. Tulsa won 19 games last year but head coach Frank Haith still has his eyes set on a 20-win season for the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa exploded for a season-high 89 points in six-point home win over UConn on Wednesday and will take 12-6 (2-3 in AAC play) into its game today at UCF. The Golden Knights are 13-3 overall, after their 75-67 Wednesday loss at Wichita State. It was UCF's first loss in eight games and its 1st AAC loss (3-1). Haith believes his Golden Hurricane showed a mental toughness in the win over UConn, as Tulsa was coming off a 20-point loss at SMU. Senior swingman DaQuan Jeffries leads the way offensively for Tulsa, averaging 13.4 points (5.4 RPG), while 6-8 junior forward Martins Igbanu chips in 12.3 & 5.6 and PG Sterling Taplin (9.7 & 4.6 APG). They are typically the glue that holds the team together. However, the Golden Hurricane's hottest player of late has been sophomore forward Jeriah Horne, who is coming off a career-high 27-point performance against UConn and has averaged 12.8 points during league play, compared to 7.8 against non-conference foes. The Golden Knights have a dangerous guard duo in B.J. Taylor (17.2 PPG) and Aubrey Dawkins (16.3 & 5.4). Defense is usually the name of the game for coach Johnny Dawkins' team (63.9 PPG allowed ranks 27rth and 38.9 FG percentage ranks 17th) but in the loss to Wichita State, the Golden Knights allowed the Shockers to shoot 51.9 percent from the floor. The biggest problem for opposing offenses is dealing with the presence of 7-6 Tacko Fall, who averages 10.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and a league-leading 3.06 blocks (note: he is also shooting a conference-best 78.7 percent from the floor). UCF is 9-1 SU at home and is poised for a bounce-back effort from that loss at Wichita St (note that the Shockers are 78-5 the last six-plus years at Koch Arena!) and to avenge last year's 70-61 loss at Tulsa, a contest Tacko Fall missed due to injury. Tulsa has lost its two AAC road games by 20 at SMU and by 18 at Houston, averaging just 56.5 PPG. Lay the points. Good luck...Larry |
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01-18-19 | Maryland v. Ohio State -2 | 75-61 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 34 m | Show | |
My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on Ohio State at 6:30 ET. The Big Ten has had nine of its 14 members show up in the rankings at some point of the current season. There is rarely any rest for the weary in this conference for any team. That's the case tonight, as No. 19 Maryland (15-3 / 6-1) visits Columbus to take on 12-4 Ohio State (2-3 in Big Ten). Ohio State was ranked 14th before losing three in a row, to now-No. 6 Michigan State, Rutgers and now-No. 23 Iowa. The Terrapins began the week with a 64-60 victory at home over Wisconsin on Monday in a game in which they allowed 15 first-half points, the fewest since holding Michigan State to 14 in 201. PG Anthony Cowan (17.8-4.1-4.4) is the first Terrapins player to score 20 points or more in three consecutive Big Ten regular-season games, averaging 24.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in wins over Minnesota, Indiana and Wisconsin. Three other guards average between 8.2 and 9.4 PPG. 6-10 sophomore Bruno Fernando (14.6 & 9.9) is the team's best inside player and while he was quiet against Wisconsin (10 & 4), he averaged 17.5 points and 12.0 rebounds, while shooting 73 percent from the floor in the team's two previous wins. The Buckeyes have lost three straight since the start of the new year, after starting 12-1. At 2-3, the Buckeyes have already matched their loss total in the conference from 2017-18 during coach Chris Holtmann's first season in Columbus. The 6-9 Kaleb Wesson (16.2 & 6.9) has struggled with foul trouble and managed just two points in Ohios State's last game, Saturday's 72-62 loss at Iowa. The Buckeyes need Wesson on the floor AND he needs more help. His 6-6 brother Andre (7.4 & 4.4) and the 6-8 Young (7.4 & 4.9) start in the frontcourt. Four guards average between 7.4 and 12.9 PPG but that group has often been inconsistent (Jackson is the leading scorer at 12.4 PPG, but comes off the bench). Both schools have young teams but at the moment the difference is that the Terps are winning. That said, Maryland's been playing "on the edge" as of late. Maryland has one of the youngest teams in the nation, as head coach Mark Turgeon has at times played five freshmen at once. The Terps squandered a 21-point lead with 17:47 to play against Wisconsin and trailed 60-59 with less than a minute left before Anthony Cowan hit a three-pointer to put them ahead. Maryland looked out of it against Indiana on Jan 11 when the Terps were down by 14 early and 10 in the second half, yet still rallied for a 78-75 win. That just may catch up to them. How about here, as the Buckeyes look to snap a three-game slide. After all, Ohio State is 8-2 SU at home, outscoring opponnents 80.1-to-64.2 PPG and routed Maryland at Value City Arena last season, 91-69! Good luck...Larry |
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01-17-19 | Oregon v. Arizona -4.5 | Top | 59-54 | Loss | -112 | 14 h 11 m | Show |
My 10* Pac-12 Game of the Year is on Arizona at 9:00 ET. The 10-6 Oregon Ducks (1-2 in Pac-12) will be in Tuscon Thursday night to take on the 13-4 Arizona Wildcats (4-0 in Pac-12). Oregon head coach Dana Altman is wondering how to deal with the loss of 7-2 freshman Bol Bol (21.0 & 9.2), who is out for the season with a foot injury. Meanwhile, Arizona's Sean Miller has seen 6-10 Duke transfer Chris Jeter 'take off,' giving the Wildcats a legitimate shot at winning the Pac-12 in a down year for the league. Not only have the Ducks lost Bol Bol, but the 6-9 Wotten (6.6 & 4.9) has missed the last four games (jaw) but may play here. The Ducks blew a 17-point lead in the second half and an eight-point advantage in the final 45 seconds of regulation in an 87-84 overtime loss to UCLA last Thursday but snapped a two-game slide with an 81-60 victory over USC on Sunday. 6-9 freshman forward Louis King continues to thrive in Pac-12 competition. King has averaged 19.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per Pac-12 game, raising his season averages to 11.0 and 5.7 plus is shooting 40 percent from the floor after going 23-for-48 in his last three contests. 6-9 senior forward Paul White (10.4 & 3.8) matched a career high with 19 points versus USC and is averaging 15.8 in his last four contests while grabbing at least four rebounds in each game during that span. Junior guard Payton Pritchard is now the team leader in scoring (11.7) and assists (4.6). Miller has quietly molded this team. Arizona has won six straight (4-2 ATS) since a home loss to Baylor back on Dec 15. Jeter recorded a career-high 23 points and nine rebounds while shooting 8-for-11 from the floor in Arizona's 87-65 victory at California on Saturday. Jeter scored just 103 points in 48 games (10.3 minutes per contest) with Duke from 2015-17 before sitting out the 2017-18 season. However, is averaging 13.4 PPG and a club-high 7.4 rebounds, while shooting a team-high 64.3 percent from the floor. Sophomore guard Brandon Randolph (16.3 PPG) is one of two Pac-12 players to reach double figures in every contest (UCLA's Kris Wilkes is the other). Senior guard Justin Coleman (9.2) and freshman PG Brandon Williams (11.5 & 3.8 APG) join Randolph to give Arizona an impressive guard trio. Arizona was shook by seeing its 52-game non-conference home win streak end in a 58-49 loss to Baylor on Dec 15 but the Wildcats won six straight since (four of those wins have come at home). The Wildcats enter this contest a national-best 91-4 at the McKale Center since 2013. Oregon has averaged only 56.7 PPG in three true road games this season, while Arizona is 9-1 SU at home, averaging 75.9 PPG. The Wildcats should easily handle this modest impost. Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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01-17-19 | Michigan State v. Nebraska +2 | 70-64 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 9 m | Show | |
My 9* Streakbuster is on Nebraska at 8:00 ET No. 6 Michigan State (15-2 / 6-0 Big Ten) looks to extend its winning streak to 11 when it visits 13-4 Nebraska (3-3) in a Big Ten Conference matchup on Thursday. The Spartans are coming off a 71-56 victory at Penn State on Sunday, the team's 18th straight Big Ten win in a row (obviously, that goes back to last season). The Cornhuskers enter on a two-game winning streak, after beating No. 25 Indiana 66-51 on the road on Monday. What's more, the Cornhuskers are going for a school-record 21st consecutive home victory (have won 20 straight at Pinnacle Bank Arena). trying to top the 20 straight from December 1965-March 1967. Michigan State has been without guard Joshua Langford (15.0 PPG) for the last four contests (foot) but hasn't missed a beat. PG Cassius Winston (team-high 17.6 points, Big Ten-best 7.4 assists) has been outstanding plus 6-9 junior forward Nick Ward (16.6 & 6.8) continues his excellent play inside. Ward is joinef up front by the 6-8 Tillman (8.5 & 7.8) and the 6-7 Goins (6.6 & 9.4). The Spartans may also be missing guard Kyle Ahrens (6.1) in this game, so senior guard Matt McQuaid (8.9) will need to step up in the backcourt. He did just that against Penn St with four 3-pointers in the second half as the Nittany Lions tried to creep back into the contest. McQuaid leads the Big Ten in three-point percentage (47.4) plus provides strong defense, either guarding a ball-handler or coming over to take charges. Nebraska owns a balanced attack, led by senior guard James Palmer Jr. (19.0-4.3-3.3) and 6-9 senior forward Isaac Copeland Jr. (14.3 & 5.5). Teaming with Palmer is senior PG Glynn Watson Jr. (13.5-4.2-3.9), who had a team-high 15 points in the win over Indiana. The 6-8 Isaiah Roby averages 11.2 & 6.4 up front with Copeland and let's also note that 6-8 senior Tanner Borchardt may only average 12.2 minutes per contest (2.2 & 2.9) but he can make a heavy impact for the Cornhuskers, especially on the defensive end. Borchardt finished with seven points and five rebounds against Indiana. I'm a HUGE fan of Tom Izzo but no one wins them all. 18 straight Big Ten wins is amazing but I expect that streak to end here. Nebraska's back-to-back wins have the 'Huskers within striking distance of the Big Ten leaders (Michigan and Michigan State) but a win here would also be HUGE as it would help the team's NCAA Tournament resume. Remember, Nebraska went 13-5 in the conference last season and didn't earn a bid. The Cornhuskers are 9-0 SU (6-1-1 ATS) at home this season, outscoring opponents on average, 83.9-to-54.9 PPG. Make it 21 straight home wins for Nebbish! Good luck...Larry |
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01-16-19 | Butler v. DePaul +3 | 87-69 | Loss | -109 | 13 h 58 m | Show | |
My 8* Oddsmaker's Error is on DePaul at 8:25 ET. Butler is 10-7 (1-3 in Big East play) as it visits Chicago to play DePaul (10-5 / 2-2 in Big East). Butler has made the "Big Dance" in 10 of the previous 12 years but the team's struggles away from home are putting its path to a fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in peril. Butler saw a late 10-point lead evaporate against Xavier, en route to its fourth loss in five outing (Xavier won 70-69). DePaul finished 11-20 last year, the school's 11th straight losing season. The Blue Demons haven't win more than 12 games since 2006-07, so one has to take note of their 10-5 start. "We just have to stay after it and keep pounding the rock. Just looking for a breakthrough, and you just keep believing, keep fighting, keep playing, and do everything you can until that moment comes," head coach LaVall Jordan said after watching butler lsoe again last Sunday. Junior guard Kamar Baldwin (17.0 & 5.7) leads Butler in scoring, while senior guard Paul Jorgensen ranks second on the team in scoring at 13.1 PPG. Jordan has two big men splitting time at center, the 6-11 Joey Brunk (9.1 & 4.9) and the 6-10 Nate Fowler (4.8 & 3.8). The 6-7 Tucker (a Duke transfer) just became eligible and is adding 7.6 & 5.1 in eight. However, the highly-touted sophomore put forth his best all-around performance (12 points, eight rebounds) in a career-high 25 minutes of action against Xavier. The Blue Demons have answered a three-game slide with back-to-back victories over Seton Hall and St. John's, with senior forward Femi Olujobi collecting a season-high 27 points and eight rebounds in a 79-71 over the Red Storm on Saturday. "We're at the most important stage of our program in that we're figuring out how to win, particularly late-game situations," head coach Dave Leitao said. DePaul's senior trio leads the way. The 6-7 Max Strus leads in scoring (18.4) and rebounding (7.6), then there is PG Eli Cain (13.7 & 4.0 APG) and 6-9 forward Olujobi (11.4 & 4.7). Strus recorded his second double-double in a seven-game stretch by collecting 14 points and 12 rebounds against St. John's and erupted for 27 points on 8-of-17 shooting -- including 5-for-10 from 3-point range -- in DePaul's 79-67 loss to Butler back on Jan. 20, 2018 (last season). I realize that the bulldogs' winning streak in the series is up to nine games but Butler is beatable this season. However, Dave Leitao just might have finally turned the corner in his second stint at DePaul. Blue Demons have an extra dimension this season in the 6-9, 260-lb. Femi Olujobi (previously played at Oakland and NC A&T) plus guards Strus and Cain are both 6-6, creating matchup problems for opponents both offensively and defensively. Butler's loss at Xavier makes them 0-4 SU on the road this year and the team's last win in a true road game goes all the way back to Jan 31 of 2018. Butler is averaging a measly 59.8 PPG in four road games this season, while DePaul is 9-2 SU at home, averaging 78.9 PPG. Why is Butler favored? Good luck...Larry |
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01-16-19 | Connecticut v. Tulsa | 83-89 | Win | 100 | 12 h 48 m | Show | |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on Tulsa at 7:00 ET. UConn (10-7 / 1-3 AAC) will visit the Reynolds Center, on Wednesday in a league game vs Tulsa (11-6 / 1-3 AAC). UConn also has lost three of its four league games and has yet to post a true road victory but first-year coach Dan Hurley lauded his team's effort at Cincinnati last Saturday. “The guys showed the type of grit that you love to see, especially in Year One of what we’re trying to build here,” Hurley said after the 74-72 OT loss. Meanwhile, Tulsa is coming off its most lopsided defeat of the season, 77-57 at SMU (also last Saturday). The Golden Hurricane are off to a 1-3 start in conference play, like the Huskies. Hurley has a perimeter-oriented team, as UConn's top-four scorers are guards. Adams (16.8-3.6-3.2) leads the way, followed by Gilbert (13.5 & 3.8 APG), Vital (22.9) and Smith (9.1). Forwards Polley (7.6 & 2.3) and Carlton (7.1 & 4.4) start but are minor contributors. The Golden Hurricane fell behind by as many as 16 points in the first half at SMU, prompting head coach Frank Haith to say how "disappointed" he was with the team's effort. DaQuan Jeffries and Martins Igbanu, who rank 1-2 in scoring, were held to a combined 11 points. Tulsa was manhandled on the boards by a staggering 44-29 margin. However, Tulsa won 19 games last year but still has its sights on a 20-win season, this time around. Senior wing DaQuan Jeffries (13.4 & 5.5 rebounds), 6-8 junior forward Martins Igbanu (12.2 & 5.6) and PG Sterling Taplin (9.6 & 4.7 APG) are the glue that holds the team together. Let's note that Tulsa is 9-1 at the Reynolds Center, its lone loss coming in overtime to Cincinnati. UConn is 0-2 in true road games this season and 2-9 ATS in its last 11 road games, going back to last season. A tech trend worth noting is that the Huskies are 16-38-1 ATS in their last 55 games following a SU loss. Tulsa has won all four home matchups with UConn (since the schools became conference rivals) and a FIFTH straight win comes with "room to spare!" Good luck...Larry |
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01-16-19 | Kansas State v. Oklahoma -5 | Top | 74-61 | Loss | -107 | 11 h 27 m | Show |
My 10* Conference Crusher (Big-12) is on Oklahoma at 6:55 ET. Kansas St got off to 0-2 start to Big 12 play, as the 6-10 Wade (13.6 & 7.7) was sidelined since mid-December. The Wildcats lost by 20 points at home to Texas and then by six at then-No. 11 Texas Tech. However, KSU rebounded in a big way on Jan 9 night by rallying from a 21-point second-half deficit to defeat West Virginia, 71-69. Kansas St then won 58-57 this past Saturday at then-No. 20 Iowa St. The 12-4 (2-2) Wildcats will now play the No. 20th-ranked team on the road for the second consecutive game. Tonight's game is in Norman against No. 20 Oklahoma. 6-7 junior Kristian Doolittle hit the game-winning basket with less than three seconds left to help the Sooners claim a 76-74 victory over TCU Saturday, evening Oklahoma's record to 2-2 in the Big-12 and 13-3, overall. Kansas State received a boost from the return of 6-10 forward Dean Wade (12.4 & 7.9) last Saturday, as while he scored just two points on 1-of-5 shooting, his impact came by grabbing a team-high nine rebounds. Senior guard Barry Brown Jr. was named Big 12 Player of the Week for the first time in his career Monday, after he scored the game-winning baskets in both of his team’s victories last week. Brown scored a season-high 29 points to lead Kansas State to a school record 21-point comeback in last Wednesday’s 71-69 win against West Virginia and followed that up by scoring 18 of the Wildcats’ last 21 points in Saturday’s victory at Iowa St. Also in double digits are guard Stokes (10.9) and 6-5 SF Sneed (10.1 & 5.5). Kristian Doolittle recorded his first double-double since his freshman season (24 & 10) in the win over TCU. He clearly seems to be finding his rhythm, having scored at least 12 points in five of his last six games. He's joined up front by the 6-9 Manek (11.6 & 7.4) and then there is Oklahoma's trio of senior guards. The 6-4 James leads the team in scoring (16.8) and rebounding (7.7) plus is joined on the perimeter by Reynolds (9.5) and Calixte (8.9). The Wildcats return most of the key pieces from a team that advanced to the Elite Eight last season but Wade is nowhere near 100 percent, after missing six games. The Wildcats are just 1-3 SU on the road, where they are averaging only 58.0 PPG. That's hardly good news when a facing a second straight ranked opponent away from home. Meanwhile, the Sooners are one of three Big 12 teams who are undefeated at home this season, going 7-0 sU (6-1 ATS). Oklahoma has won 21 of its last 23 games at Lloyd Noble Center plus the home team has won the last SEVEN games in the Sooners-Wildcats series. One last thing. Lon Kruger usually has his Oklahoma squad well-focused for games vs his alma mater K-State and the Sooners are back to the old-style Kruger teams. Oklahoma is back to placing value on floor spacing, ball movement, and several scoring sources, rather than relying too much on Trae Young, ala a year ago. Good luck...Larry |
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01-15-19 | Florida v. Mississippi State -3 | Top | 68-71 | Push | 0 | 12 h 20 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Miss St at 7:00 ET. Mississippi State dropped from No. 14 to No. 24 in the latest AP poll, after losing its first two SEC games. The 12-3 Bulldogs began SEC play with an 87-82 overtime loss at South Carolina and then lost at home to Ole Miss 81-77 on Saturday. MSU looks to avoid an 0-3 start in SEC play in tonight's home contest with Florida. The 9-6 Gators are in danger of going 1-3 in conference action for the first time since the 1996-97 season and will be playing their second consecutive game against a ranked team. Florida lost at home to No. 3 Tennessee 78-67 this past Saturday. The Gators led the Vols 56-53 with a little more than eight minutes remaining but the Volunteers took the lead for good with 5:34 left. Tennessee shot 57.7 percent from the floor in the second half. Florida has had trouble closing in each of its SEC games. South Carolina rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat the Gators in their conference opener and then, Arkansas cut a 16-point deficit to two before Florida made late free throws to hold on for the 57-51 victory. The Gators are an outstanding defensive team (61.2 PPG allowed ranks 12th) but the offense struggles. Florida's two leading scorers are guards Allen (11.3) and Locke (10.4) plus the team's best frontcourt player is 6-9 center Hayes, who averages modest totals of 6.8 PPG and 6.0 RPG. Ole Miss led Miss St by as many as eight points before the Bulldogs made a comeback to even the score with a little more than a minute remaining. However, Ole Miss guard Breein Tyree got free against the Bulldogs' defense for a layup and added two free throws to complete the scoring. I've always been a coach that believes defense wins first," Bulldogs coach Ben Howland told reporters after the Ole Miss setback. "We really did a poor job of defending here in the last few games and even our efficiency defensively on the year is not even close to what we're doing offensively. Defensively, we've got to get better. ... This is two games in a row now where we've had the power forward on the opposing team have career nights against our defense." Guard Quinndary Weatherspoon (17.1 & 5.7) continues to be the go-to guy and he scored a team-high 18 points against Ole Miss, his seventh straight game in double figures and his 14th this season. Two more guards average in double digits, PG Peters (13.5 & 6.1 APG ) and a second Weatherspoon, Nick (10.7). The 6-10 Holman (12.7 & 8.4) makes it four players in double digits and is the Bulldogs' leading rebounder. I realize that Florida has won the last eight meetings in this SEC rivalry but I'm not convinced that Florida can score enough to beat Miss St. This is just Florida's third true road game of the season and the Gators have averaged a pathetic 58.5 PPG in the first two. The Bulldogs average 80.1 PPG (48th) on the season and here at home (where they are 8-1 SU), are outscoring opponents 86.3-to-69.7 PPG. Expect Miss St to rebound off its back-to-back losses. Good luck...Larry |
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01-14-19 | Nebraska v. Indiana -2.5 | Top | 66-51 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 14 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Week is on Indiana at 6:30 ET. A pair of 12-4 teams square off tonight at Indianapolis' Assembly Hall, as Nebraska (2-3 in Big Ten play) takes on Indiana (3-2 in Big Ten play). The Cornhuskers avoided a third straight defeat with Thursday's 70-64 triumph over Penn State, one that extended their home winning streak to 20 games, equaling a school record. Nebraska had dropped a heartbreaker at Maryland on Jan 2 (74-72) and fell to 0-3 on the road in Big Ten play four days later at then-No. 25 Iowa, before ending its short skid with a victory against Penn State. Indiana went 6-0 in December and opened January with a win over lowly Illinois at Assembly Hall but the Hoosiers followed their most recent victory with a 74-63 loss at second-ranked Michigan on Jan 6, then blew a 14-point first-half advantage in Friday's frustrating 78-75 loss at Maryland. Nebraska head coach Tim Miles praised 6-8 junior Isaiah Roby (11.4 & 6.6) in the win over Penn State, as he finished with a career-high 22 points and set or tied season highs in both rebounds (11) and blocked shots (four) in 38 minutes (it marked his first double-double of the season). Roby is joined up front by the 6-9 Copeland (14.3 & 5.3), while the backcourt of Palmer (19.5-4.0-3.1) and PG Watson (13.4-4.1-4.1), is impressive. Miles has his team playing excellent defense, as Nebraska allows 61.4 PPG (13th) on 38.4% shooting (14th). Indiana made all 16 of its free throws and committed only seven turnovers on Friday but the Hoosiers allowed 18 offensive rebounds and surrendered 16 consecutive points early in the second half, en route to the setback at Maryland. "We just couldn't get it done on the glass tonight. We just gave them 18 second shots and that was the difference in the game," head coach Archie Miller said. Indiana is led by guard Romeo Langford (18.8 & 5.5) and the 6-8 Juwan Morgan (16.5 & 7.8). Three more guards average between 6.9 and 8.8 PPG plus the 6-7 Smith (8.5 & 4.1) helps Morgan in the frontcourt. This game marks a tough stretch for the Cornhuskers, as they'll play three ranked teams over four games—Indiana (No. 22), Michigan State (No. 6), Rutgers and then Ohio State (No. 16). Yes, Nebraska has won the last two meetings with Indiana but the Hoosiers had won 12 of the previous 16 all-time meetings. Indiana not only plays solid D (65.6 PPG allowed ranks 45th) but it shoots 51.8% from the floor (2nd-best in the nation). Indiana is 10-0 at home this season, the program's best home start since winning all 17 games at Assembly Hall in 2015-16. The Hoosiers are shooting a nation-best 55.9 percent and averaging 82.3 points at home, while allowing 60.4 PPG (just one opponent has scored more than 67 points!). At this price, Indiana is a STRONG play. Good luck...Larry |
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01-13-19 | Butler v. Xavier +1.5 | Top | 69-70 | Win | 100 | 6 h 57 m | Show |
My 10* Eye-Opener is on Xavier at 12:00 ET. Full, detailed analysis by 7:00 ET Sunday morning. |
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01-12-19 | Washington v. Colorado -1.5 | Top | 77-70 | Loss | -106 | 14 h 16 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on Colorado at 10:00 ET. The Washington Huskies will travel to the CU Events Center to take on the Colorado Buffaloes this Saturday night in Pac-12 action. Washington (11-4 / 2-0 Pac-12) is heating up at a good time as it will carry a season-best four-game win streak into tonight's road test at Colorado. Three of Washington’s last four wins have been by at least 16 points, including Thursday night’s 69-53 smothering of Utah, which snapped the Huskies’ five-game losing streak in Salt Lake City. Colorado is hoping it has its season back on track, after a 92-60 rout of visiting Washington State on Thursday night. The 10-5 Buffs (1-2 Pac-12) had lost four of their previous five contests and failed to top 68 points in any of those outings. Washington played its matchup zone defense to near-perfection, holding the Utes to season-low 53 points on 33.3-percent shooting, including 6-of-30 from three-point range. The Huskies are allowing the second-fewest points (65.6 per game / that's 48th in the nation) in the conference and are tied with Oregon for the field-goal percentage defensive lead at 39.3 (27th). Offensively, PG Jaylen Nowell (16.5 & 3.4 APG) and fellow David Crisp (10.9), plus 6-9 forward Noah Dickerson (14.4 & 6.6) are averaging double figures. Sophomore forward Nahziah Carter (8.5 & 3.5)also got into the act Thursday, scoring a career-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting. 6-7 sophomore swingman Tyler Bey (11.7 & 9.0) had a career-high 26 points in Colorado's win over Wash St, plus the Buffs received a season-high 17points from reserve guard Shane Gatling (8.5). PG McKinley Wright leads in scoring (13.6) and assists (5.4), while 6-10 center Siewert (11.8 & 5.1) gives the Buffs three double digit scorers. Colorado shot 54.7 percent in topping 90 points for the first time since Nov 28. Washington has won seven of the 12 meetings since Colorado joined the Pac-12 in 2011, including 82-59 (home) and 72-62 (road) wins to sweep the season series a year ago. However, the Huskies are playing just their fourth true road game of the season (Utah victory was the team's first win), while the Buffaloes’ victory Thursday was their first home game since Dec 8. The win upped their record in Boulder to 7-0 on the season, where the Buffs have outscored opponents 89.0-to-69.3 PPG. A handful of tech trends note that Washington is just 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games following an ATS win, while the Buffaloes are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games and 13-3 ATS in their last 16 home games vs a team with a losing road record.Colorado gets the cash. Good luck...Larry |
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01-12-19 | Western Kentucky v. Marshall | 69-70 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 9 m | Show | |
My 8* Revenge Rout is on Western Kentucky at 7:00 ET. The 9-6 Marshall Thundering Herd host the 8-7 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in Saturday's C-USA action. Western Kentucky fell to 1-1 in the C-USA play, after a narrow 69-66 defeat at Old Dominion as a 3.5 point underdog. The Marshall squeezed by Charlotte 85-84 as a nine point road favorite, improving to 2-0 in the conference play. Guard Tavion Hollingsworth (15.5 & 5.1) and 6-11 center Charles Bassey kept the Hilltoppers within striking distance of ODU with 19 points apiece (Bassey grabbed 12 rebounds). Guards Jared Savage (14.2 & 4.3) and Josh Anderson (9.3) are also steady contributors. Anderson had 17 points vs ODU but Savage contributed only eight points. Marshall just couldn’t shake the stubborn 49ers, as CJ Burks (17.2) carried the Thundering Herd with 25 points. PG Jon Elmore leads the team in scoring (18.9) and assists (5.2) and added 16 points and five assists. The 6-9 Jannson Williams (9.5 & 4.7) had 13 points and six rebounds. Bottom line here is the revenge factor. Western Ky has had to have this date circled since last March. The top-seeded Hilltoppers were beaten 67-66 by underdog Marshall in the C-USA Tourney, costing Western Ky a spot in the Dance, as the 27-win Hilltoppers had to settle for the NIT (did make semis). This time around, Marshall will have to deal with WKU’s emerging 6-11 frosh Charles Bassey, a possible future lottery pick who has recently scored 19 points against Wisconsin and ODU (Western KY upset Wisconsin!). The Hilltoppers beat the Thundering Herd 85-74 at home and 112-87 at Marshall last season. Deja vu! Good luck...Larry |
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01-12-19 | Texas A&M v. Alabama -6.5 | 81-80 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 35 m | Show | |
My 9* Weekend Wipeout Winner is on Alabama at 3:30 ET. Alabama began SEC play with an upset win at home over Kentucky last weekend but the Tide fell Tuesday night at LSU, 88-79. Alabama shot just 7-for-24 from three-point range and its failure to keep LSU from scoring inside proved to be too much to overcome. Alabama will now welcome Texas A&M to Tuscaloosa, standing 10-4 (1-1 in SEC play). The Aggies are the only SEC school with a losing record entering the weekend (6-7 / 0-2 SEC) and have dropped three straight following a five-game winning streak. Their latest setback came Tuesday at Kentucky, committing 19 turnovers in an 85-74 loss to the Wildcats. Point guard TJ Starks (14.5 & 3.8 APG) has scored at least 14 points in four straight contests and is averaging 20.5 in two conference outings, since returning to the starting lineup after coming off the bench the previous two games. Fellow sophomore Savion Flagg, a 6-7 swingman, averages 12.7 PPG plus his 8.3 RPG ranks fourth in the conference. Tennessee State transfer, the 6-8 Christian Mekowulu (9.9 & 5.8) has totaled just eight points in two league games, after averaging 16 over his previous three games. Alabama is a perimeter-dominated team, led by Lewis (14.8). Fellow guard Petty (10.6 & 5.1) joins him in double digits, while guards Mack (9.6), Ingram (7.9 & 4.5) and Jones (7.7 & 4.9) round out the major backcourt contributors. The 6-9 Donta Hall (10.8 & 8.1) saw the first three-game double-double streak by an Alabama player in 11 years come to an end Tuesday with seven points and six rebounds. How good is Avery Johnson's Alabama team? We will find out soon, as the schedule after today (thru Feb 2) features four road contests out of six games, including road games at No. 3 Tenn and No. 11 Auburn, plus a home game vs No. 14 Miss St. A&M is easily the least difficult opponent over this challenging seven-game span and in two true road games this season, is allowing 89.5 PPG. This is a great matchup for the Tide, as A&M does a poor job of getting to the foul line (260th in FT attempts) and converting threes (29.5% ranks 331st). Meanwhile, Alabama has won the battle of the boards in 13 of its 14 games and boasts a plus-6.4 rebounding margin, good for 34th in Division I. Blowout alert! Good luck...Larry |
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01-12-19 | Ole Miss v. Mississippi State -5.5 | Top | 81-77 | Loss | -115 | 7 h 23 m | Show |
My 10* Rivalry Game of the Month is on Miss St at 1:00 ET. What's going on here? Ole Miss was picked to finish last in the SEC preseason media poll but the Rebels, under first-year head coach Kermit Davis have opened the season 12-2, including 2-0 in SEC play. More importantly to sports bettors, Ole Miss is a remarkable 13-1 ATS (so much for the experts!). Ole Miss has yet to enter the AP top-25 but would if it could win here in Starkville against in-state rival Miss St. The Bulldogs are also 12-2 but 0-1 in SEC play, as they saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end in stunning fashion with an 87-82 overtime loss at South Carolina this past Tuesday. Junior guard Breein Tyree (team-high 17.4 PPG) was named SEC Player of the Week after scoring a career-high 31 points against Vanderbilt on Jan. 5 but was held to five and was 1-for-10 from the floor in Ole miss' 82-67 home win over No. 11 Auburn on Tuesday. Senior guard Terence Davis (16.0 PPG and team-highs of 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists) is averaging 19.3 points in his last three games. 6-7 freshman KJ Buffen (6.6 & 5.4) scored 16 versus Auburn and has helped the Rebels to a plus-7.1 rebounding margin that was 25th nationally through Thursday's games. A third guard, sophomore Shuler (10.6 & 4.1) make three double digit scorers for the Rebels, who average 79.7 PPG (62nd). Senior guard Quinndary Weatherspoon (17.1 & 5.5) is MSU's leading scorer (team averages 80.3 PPG to rank 53rd). Two more guards average in double digits, PG Peters (13.4 & 6.2 APG ) and a second Weatherspoon, Nick (10.6) The 6-10 Holman (13.0 & 8.7) makes it four players in double digits and is the Bulldogs' leading rebounder. Here's a couple of notes to consider. The Bulldogs have won 12 straight when Quinndary Weatherspoon scores 20 or more points, something he's done six times this season. Mississippi State is also 9-0 this season when junior guard Tyson Carter (9.9 PPG) scores 10 or more and his average is fourth-best among SEC bench players. The Bulldogs lead the series 143-115 but the Rebels have won EIGHT of the last 10 meetings in the SEC's most-played rivalry. However, I have to believe the Rebels are not quite as good as their record (how could they be?). Ole Miss beat one ranked team on Wednesday, can it really beat another on Saturday? Here's the rub. If the Bulldogs had hit another shot or two, they could have beaten South Carolina. Instead, they missed an opportunity to win in regulation and another to tie at the end of overtime in that 87-82 road loss on Tuesday. The Bulldogs had an chance to win at the end of regulation, but a contested driving layup by Lamar Peters rimmed out in the final seconds. They were down three in the final 10 seconds of overtime when a turnover by Quinndary Weatherspoon turned into a dunk for the Gamecocks. Notably, MSU's bench scored a season-low two points, making just 1 of 6 shots from the floor. A date with hated-Ole Miss is "just what the doctor ordered" for the Bulldogs. Miss St in a R-O-U-T! Good luck...Larry |
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01-12-19 | Kansas State v. Iowa State -9.5 | 58-57 | Loss | -115 | 6 h 27 m | Show | |
My 9* CBB Eye-Opener is on Iowa St at 12:00 ET. Kansas St got off to 0-2 start to Big 12 play, as the 6-10 Wade (13.6 & 7.7) has been sidelined since sine mid-December. The Wildcats lost by 20 points at home to Texas and then by six at then-No. 11 Texas Tech. However, KSU rebounded in a big way on Wednesday night by rallying from a 21-point second-half deficit to defeat West Virginia, 71-69. Kansas St will take an 11-4 (1-2 Big-12) record into tonight's game in Ames, when the Wildcats face No. 20 Iowa St (12-3 / 2-1). The Cyclones beat then-No. 5 Kansas 77-60 last Saturday but then suffered a letdown after that HUGE win by dropping a 73-70 decision at Baylor on Tuesday night. Senior guard Barry Brown Jr. scored 29 points in the win over West Virginia, including the go-ahead layup with 28.9 seconds remaining, while sophomore guard Mike McGuirl added 18 points. Brown leads the team in scoring (14.7) and steals (31). Fellow guard Kamau Stokes (10.9) and 6-5 small forward Xavier Sneed (10.6 & 5.6) are the only other player in double digits, with Wade still out. Head coach Weber expects Wade to return as soon as next week. "He's done workouts, he's done running, he's done walking, he's done jumping in the water," Weber said of Wade's recovery from a torn ligament in his foot Dec. 15. "So now get him on the court and practice a little bit. I don't want to say yes or no, but we're moving forward, so hopefully, if there's no major setback, I would say in the next week or 10 days, we hope to have him back." "Golly, we could have taken a huge step right here, and then coming back to a home game," head coach Steve Prohm said after the Baylor loss. "But if you look at it, if you win your home games and split on the road, you're probably going to be in good position to challenge for a league championship." Senior guard Marial Shayok leads the Big 12 in scoring (20.1) and also is tied for second on the team in rebounding (5.5) with junior forward Michael Jacobson (13.9 & 5.5), sophomore guard Lindell Wigginton (12.8) and freshman guard Talen Horton-Tucker (12.6) also averaging in double digits. The Wildcats return most of the key pieces from a team that advanced to the Elite Eight last season (of course, no Wade at the moment) but one wonders how they will react off the team's historic comeback vs West Va (note: it was the largest comeback in school history). The Wildcats were limited to just 21 points in the first half, then exploded for 50 points after halftime and used a 17-0 run to get back into the game. That AIN'T happening here Hilton Coliseum where ISU is 42-12 under Prohm and is 30-10 in its last 40 Big 12 contests on its home floor. Iowa St averages 81.3 PPG and allows 65.0 PPG on the season (40th). Kansas St is 0-3 on the road, having averaged 58.0 PPG, while Iowa St is 8-0 SU (5-1-2 ATS) at home, outscoring opponents on average, 85.2-to-59.6 PPG, Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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01-10-19 | Pepperdine v. Santa Clara -2 | Top | 64-67 | Win | 100 | 17 h 18 m | Show |
My 10* CBB Game of the Week is on Santa Clara at 11:00 ET. The 8-8 Pepperdine Waves and the 9-7 Santa Clara Broncos meet in WCC college basketball action from the Leavey Center in Santa Clara on Thursday night. Both schools are 1-1 in league play. Pepperdine comes into this game looking to get back above .500 after falling to 8-8 with a 72-69 loss to 14-2 San Francisco in its last outing. 6-6 guard Kameron Edwards has been in and out of the lineup this season but had 19 points along with team-highs of 11 rebounds and four assists. He's played in just seven games but is averaging 14.7 & 6.3. Santa Clara Broncos needs to rebound as well, getting blown out in a 91-48 loss at Gonzaga in its last outing. PG Ross leads Pepperdine in scoring (18.9) and assists (7.2), leading six double digit scorers. Kameron's younger brother Kessler (a 6-8 freshman), is among that group of six, averaging 10.7 & 4.9. The Waves average a so-so 78.9 PPG (75th) and struggle on the defensive end, allowing 74.2 PPG (247th). The Broncos were totally outclassed by the Bulldogs, with SF Keshawn Justice leading the team with 14 points, the 6-8 while Josip Vrankic added 11 points and Tahj Eaddy added 10 points, rounding out a trio of double-digit scorers for the Broncos in the loss. Guard Eaddy (16.3) leads the team in scoring, teamed with PG Trey Wertz (11.8 & 4.9 APG). Joining Justice (10.8) in the frontcourt are the 6-8 Vrankic (12.9 & 5.5) and the 6-7 Martin (6.9 & a team-high 9.6 RPG). SE Missouri transfer Eaddy (16 ppg) plus freshman wings Wertz & Justice have upped the athleticism quotient for Santa Clara, allowing head coach Herb Sendek to not miss the team's leading returning scorer KJ Feagin (17.5). Santa Clara couldn't stay with Gonzaga but the Broncos had won EIGHT of nine prior o that loss (including SIX straight). It's worth noting that Sendek had his team play a challenging early season schedule. The Broncos own wins over USC and Washington St plus have played Pac-12 schools Cal and Washington, along with the Big Ten's Minnesota. Meanwhile, Lorenzo Romar's Waves have yet to play a Power-5 opponent. What's more, Santa Clara must surely have this date circled, losing badly in last year's WCC tourney to Pepperdine (85-69), after winning both regular season meetings. Good luck...Larry |
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01-09-19 | Iowa v. Northwestern -2.5 | 73-63 | Loss | -115 | 14 h 43 m | Show | |
My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on Northwestern at 9:00 ET. The Iowa Hawkeyes have won six of their last seven games, including an impressive 93-84 triumph against then 24th-ranked Nebraska on Sunday to earn their second victory over a ranked team this season. The 12-3 Hawkeyes just missed out on entering Monday's AP top-25 but did earn a ranking of No. 25 in the coaches poll. Iowa travels to Evanston, Illinois on Wednesday, to take of the 10-5 Northwestern Wildcats. Northwestern bounced back from a humbling 81-55 defeat to current No. 6 Michigan State by edging Illinois 68-66 on Sunday.Note taht both teams picked up their first Big Ten win (1-3) in their last outings. Jordan Bohannon (11.3) scored 22 of his season-high 25 points in the second half and dished out five assists in the win against Nebraska. The 6-9 Tyler Cook added 16 points and seven rebounds against the Cornhuskers and leads the team in scoring (17.3) and rebounding (8.3) on the season. The 6-9 Ryan Kriener tallied 14 points in his first career start but the game figures to be an outlier, as he averages just 5.3 & 2.9 on the season. The 6-11 Garza averages 12.3 & 4.6 off the bench, while junior forward Isaiah Moss produced 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to register the first double-double of his career (averages 9.1 PPG on the season). 6-7 senior forward Vic Law (17.6 & 6.3) scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the win against Illinois to record his first double-double of the season and the fifth of his career. A.J. Turner added 12 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to lift the Wildcats past the Fighting Illini and averages 9.5 & 3.3 APG on the year. Fellow guard Ryan Taylor knocked down four 3-pointers en route to 12 points (right at his average of 12.5 PPG). Joining Law up front is the 6-8 Dererk Pardon (13.9 & 8.3), who contributed 10 points and eight rebounds to finish in double figures in scoring for the 15th straight game (the longest streak of his career).. The Hawkeyes hope to knock off the Wildcats for the first time in Evanston since Jan 25, 2014 but why should we expect that? After all, Iowa has lost 12 of its last 13 true road games dating back to the start of 2017-18, including its only two this season, 90-68 at Mich St and 86-70 at Purdue. Iowa may be averaging 82.9 PPG on the season but in true roads games (yes, just two), the Hawkeyes are averaging 69.0 PPG. That bodes poorly up against an excellent defensive team like Northwestern, which is allowing just 63.2 PPG (26th), whlle holding opponents to 27.6% on threes (9th). Northwestern comes in 8-2 at home, where the Wildcats are allowing only 59.0 PPG. Cheap price in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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01-09-19 | Butler v. Seton Hall -3 | Top | 75-76 | Loss | -115 | 13 h 16 m | Show |
My 10* Big East Game of the Year is on Seton Hall at 8:30 ET. Seton Hall finished with 22 wins last season, after losing in the NCAA's second round. However, Kevin Willard's Pirates lost four starters off that team. Seton Hall served notice as a Big East contender by bolting out of the blocks to begin conference play before getting tripped up in its last contest (a 75-74 loss at Depaul), halting the school's seven-game winning streak. The 11-4 Pirates look to get back on track on Wednesday, when they host Butler at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Butler won 21 games last season and like Seton Hall, lost in the NCAA's second round. The 10-5 Bulldogs snapped a two-game skid with an 84-69 triumph versus Creighton on Saturday, evening their Big East record at 1-1 (Seton Hall is 2-1 in league play). Junior guard Kamar Baldwin (16.5 & 5.4) erupted for a season-high 28 points for Butler on Saturday, making 11-of-18 shots. Senior guard Paul Jorgensen ranks second on the team in scoring at 13.5 PPG with two big men splitting time at center. The 6-11 Joey Brunk (8.5 & 4.5) and the 6-10 Nate Fowler (5.3 & 3.9) are a solid duo plus the 6-7 Tucker (a Duke transfer) just became eligible and and is adding 7.7 & 4.5 in six games. Junior guard Myles Powell (22.2) struggled to find his shot with a 4-for-13 performance from the floor and finished with 16 points in Seton Hall's 75-74 loss to DePaul on Sunday. Powell is surrounded by guards McKnight (8.8 & 3.1 APG) amd Cale (9.2 & a team-high 7.8 RPG). Seton Hall's size will give Butler's frontcourt fits, led by the trio of 6-10 Mamukelashvili (9.7 & 7.3), the 6-8 Nzei (9.6 & 5.3) and the 6-11 Thompson (6.2 & 2.4). Seton Hall won both regular season meetings with Butler last season, then lost 75-74 in the Big East Tourney. Powell mad just 3-of-9 shots in that Big East tournament quarterfinal loss.I had butler on Saturday (against Creighton) and noted the team's prowess at home, as Butler's win make the Bulldogs 8-1 at Hinkle Fieldhouse this season, after going 53--12 at home the previous four seasons. However, Butler's played just two true road games this season, losing at St Louis and Florida, getting outscored 70.5-to-47.5 PPG! Seton Hall showed its potential with an 84-83 win over Kentucky at MSG back on Dec 8 and makes a statement here, in the Big East. Good luck...Larry |
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01-09-19 | Marquette v. Creighton -3.5 | 106-104 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 5 m | Show | |
My 9* PERFECT STORM is on Creighton at 7:00 ET. Marquette rebounded from an 89-69 humbling at St. John's in its conference opener with a 70-52 victory over Xavier on Sunday to boost its home record to 11-0 (Marquette is 12-3 overall and ranked No. 21 in the latest AP poll). "I'm proud of my team, especially on the defensive end," Golden Eagles coach Steve Wojciechowski said. "Obviously we can play a lot better offensively. But, winning with defense is OK." The Golden Eagles will visit 10-5 Creighton on Wednesday night in a Big East Conference matchup. The Bluejays (1-1 in Big East play) are coming off an 84-69 loss at Butler, with Creighton giving up 48 first-half points to fall behind by 19. “We played three really good halves the last couple games," head coach Greg McDermott said after his team's three-game winning streak was halted. "Unfortunately, we had a really bad one to start this game.” Leading scorer Markus Howard (24.0-3.9-4.2) scored 26 points against Xavier, although 6-5 senior Sacar Anim played a huge supporting role. Anim ended a five-game slump by scoring a season-high 20 points to go along with seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Amin averages just 7.3 & 3.4 on the season. Howard is typically supported by brothers Sam and Joey Hauser. The 6-8 Sam averages 13.5 & 6.8, while his younger brother Joey (a 6-9 freshman), averages 10.5 & 6.1. Creighton averages 83.7 PPG (25th), while shooting 51.6%, including 43.5% on threes (both rank 3rd-best in the nation). The Bluejays have four players averaging in double figures and Damien Jefferson is at 9.9 points, so they have plenty of balance to help offset the loss of sophomore Jacob Epperson. The 6-foot-11 Epperson, who was sidelined for the past five games with a knee issue that requires surgery, will miss the remainder of the season due to a stress fracture in his back. Leading scorer Ty-Shon Alexander (16.7-3.1-3.0) matched his season low with nine points at Butler, finishing 1 of 10 from beyond the arc, although he extended his streak to 19 consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer. PG Ballock (10.9-3.9-3.4), fellow guard Marcus Zegarowski (10.3) and the 6-9 Krampelj (10.3 & 5.7) round out the double digit scorers. Marquette may be perfect on its home court this season but the Golden Eagles have lost 96-73 at Indiana and 89-69 at St John's in its only two true road games. Creighton can "light it up," as evidenced by the Blue Jays winning all three games in the Cayman Islands (over Boise St, Ga State and Clemson), while averaging 91.3 PPG. Here at home against the Golden Eagles (allowing 92.5 PPG in two true road games TY), expect Creighton to roll. Good luck...Larry |
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01-08-19 | Alabama v. LSU -6 | Top | 79-88 | Win | 100 | 13 h 23 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on LSU at 9:00 ET. Alabama's football team got 'punked' by Clemson in last night's CFP championship game and the school's basketball team will visit Baton Rogue tonight, looking to avoid a letdown off its 77-75 home win this past Saturday over then-No. 13 Kentucky. The 10-3 Crimson Tide (1-0 SEC) will take on 10-3 LSU, which will be playing its SEC opener. The Tigers problem could be 'rust,' as LSU hasn't played a game since defeating Louisiana Monroe 81-69 back on Dec 28. Alabama coughed up a 22-point lead with just over 14 1/2 minutes remaining back on Dec 4 in an 83-80 loss to Georgia State when the Panthers buried a three-pointer as time expired. I was almost, "deja vu all over again" this past Saturday, as Kentucky nearly clawed all the way back from an 11-point deficit with just over three minutes left at Alabama. However, the Crimson Tide got the stop they needed this time, when Kentucky guard Tyler Herro's three-point attempt bounced off the rim in the waning seconds. Guard Tevin Mack (9.9 PPG) almost single-handedly kept the Crimson Tide in the game early Saturday, going 6-for-6 from three-point range en route to 20 of his team's 38 first-half points (he scored just two pints in the second-half but finished with a season-high 22 points). the 6-9 Donta Hall (11.1 &8.3 rebounds) produced this third consecutive double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Herbert Jones (7.5 & 4.8) enjoyed the best all-round performance of his career against Kentucky, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds and a career-best six assists without a turnover in 23 minutes.'Bama's leading scorer, freshman PG Lewis (14.8 & 3.1 APG), made just 4 of 14 shots (14 points). LSU averages 80.7 PPG ((50th) on some excellent shooting (49.0% ranks 25th). Head coach Will Wade uses an eight-man rotation, with players averaging from 6.0-to-13.5 PPG. Guard Mays (13.5 & 3,4) leads the way, followed by the 6-10 Reid (12.6 & 5.8), PG Waters (12.5 & 5.5 APG) and guard Smart (10.2) in double digits. After finding his groove while coming off the bench the previous two games, Waters returned to the starting lineup against ULM and scored 11 points, added 10 assists and produced a career-high tying eight steals. The Tigers' four freshmen - Naz Reid, Emmitt Williams, Ja'vonte Smart and Darius Days - combined for 50 points, 27 rebounds and five blocks! Alabama almost surely can be expected to have a letdown here and LSU is a perfect 8-0 SU at home on the season, outscoring opponents 84.4-to-66.2 PPG. The Tigers have won 15 straight in the Maravich Center and win No. 16 ina row comes "with room to spare!" Good luck...Larry |
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01-08-19 | Iowa State v. Baylor +3 | 70-73 | Win | 100 | 13 h 36 m | Show | |
My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on Baylor at 7:00 ET. Iowa State made a strong statement this past Saturday, with a resounding 77-60 victory over then-No. 5 over Kansas. It was Iowa State's fifth straight win, lifting the 12-2 Cyclones to their first national ranking since the 2016-17 season (ISU checks in at No. 20 in the latest AP poll). The Cyclones will vie for their first 3-0 start in conference play since the 1999-2000 campaign, when they visit 8-5 Baylor on Tuesday at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. Scott Drew's teams had won 20-plus games for nine of the previous 10 seasons but finished just 19-15 last season. Four starters are gone from that team and hence, the school's 8-5 start. Marial Shayok is averaging a team-best 20.1 PPG (5.6 RPG, too) and had 24 vs the Jayhawks on 9-for-12 shooting to receive Big 12 Player of the Week honors. Freshman Tyrese Haliburton (8.7-4.l4-4.3) was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week after making 4-of-4 three-point attempts in scoring 14 points. The Cyclones shot 13-of-25 on threes (52.0%) against Kansas. Michael Jacobson (14.1 & 6.5) and Talen Horton-Tucker (12.9 & 5.5) are two more guards in coach Steve Prohm's four-guard offense. Iowa St averages 82.1 PPG (37th) and has topped 100 points twice. Defensively, the Cyclones are strong as well, allowing just 64.4 PPG (also ranks 37th). Baylor nearly pulled off quite the comeback in its conference opener, as its bid to erase a 19-point second-half deficit fell just a bit short in Saturday's 85-81 loss to TCU. "Down (19), we could have never made a run, but these guys are going to fight to the end," Bears coach Scott Drew said. "You just want to pull it out when you get there." 6-9 sophomore forward Tristan Clark (started all but four games LY) answered his first double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds in the Bears' 84-44 romp over New Orleans on Dec 29 by scoring a team-high 18 against the Horned Frogs. The sophomore forward has made at least 50 percent of his shots in every game and at least 60 percent in all but two contests this season. He leads the team in scoring (14.5) and rebounds (6.5). Guard Makai Mason, a graduate transfer from Yale (you don't hear that often), is averaging 14.1 PPG and has recorded double-digit scoring performances in nine of 10 games. Senior guard McClure checks in at 10.5 & 4.8. Iowa St is ripe for a letdown here and don't forget, Baylor plays some outstanding D, holding opponents to just 62.3 PPG (21st). The Bears are limitng opponents to 39.2 percent from the floor (31st), including 30,7 percent from three-point range. Baylor has won 13 of 15 all-time home meetings with Iowa State (beat the Cyclones 81-67 at this venue LY), with the ISU's last victory coming in the 2012-13 season. Home dog barks LOUDLY in this one! Good luck...Larry |
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01-08-19 | St. John's v. Villanova -5.5 | 71-76 | Loss | -112 | 12 h 52 m | Show | |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on Villanova at 7:00 ET. Who'da thunk it? Villanova is the defending NCAA champion (actually, the Wildcats have won two national titles in the last three years) but when the 11-4 Wildcats welcome the St John's Red Storm to Finneran Pavilion for this Big East showdown, it's the 14-1 Red Storm who are the ranked team. St. John's is having a season more reminiscent of a championship campaign, as the school entered the top-25 Monday (at No. 24) for the first time since sitting No. 15 back in the 2014-15 season. Chris Mullin's team entered the top-25 following a terrific first two months of the season that has featured only one loss, a controversial two-point defeat against Seton Hall. . “I think there’s tremendous excitement, optimism, and a good feeling,” Mullin said. “I think it’s great that our fan base has watched us throughout. They watched us struggle, improve, and now watch them have success. It’s a genuine and authentic way to go about it.” St John's beat Georgetown 97-94 in overtime in its last outing, thanks to Shamorie Ponds' 37 points. The junior PG is averaging 20.4 points (also 4.7 RPG & 6.0 APG) while shooting 50.3 percent from the floor and better than 40 percent from the three-point line, way up from his shooting percentages from the field (42.0) and the arc (25.3) a season ago. He's surrounded by big gaurds Heron (15.6 & 5.1), Figueroa (14.7 & 6.9) and Simon (10.2 & 5.2) plus 6-7 forward Clark (13.1 & 5.2). Guard Phil Booth (17.3-3.5-3.5) and the 6-8 Eric Paschall (15.7) are the senior leaders of a mostly inexperienced Wildcats team, one in which only sophomore guard Gillespie (11.0) joins the senior duo in double digits. Villanova was ranked No. 9 to start this season but early-season consecutive losses to now-second-ranked Michigan and Furman sent Villanova tumbling down the rankings to the mid-20s. The Wildcats moved back up to No. 17 after six straight wins but were bounced form the rankings after two more consecutive losses at Penn and at then-No. 1 Kansas in mid-December. However, I wonder if anyone really believes that St John's is the better team? I sure don't. 'Nova head coach Jay Wright won’t have to be remind his team about St. John’s, after the Red Storm notched a shocking upset of the national-champs-to-be as a 16-point dog at the Pavilion last season, 79-75. My bet says the Wildcats REMEMBER it well!. Good luck...Larry |
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01-06-19 | Illinois v. Northwestern -7.5 | Top | 66-68 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 10 m | Show |
My 10* Daytime Dominator is on Northwestern at 1:00 ET. Both Illinois and Northwestern 'limp' into this Sunday afternoon game. Illinois has the worst record in the Big Ten at 4-10 and is one of five teams (Northwestern included) without a conference victory. However, while Northwestern is still seeking its first conference win, the Wildcats are a respectable 9-5 on the season, overall. The Illini have dropped three straight games overall, after hanging around in a 73-65 loss on Thursday night at Indiana. Illinois has four double digit scorers plus two others averaging 8.6 and 7.1 PPG. Guards Frazier (15.5) and Jordan (10.1 & 5.2) are joined by freshman SF Dusunmu (12.5 & 4.5) and the 6-9 Bezhanishvili (10.3 & 4.9). However, for all that offensive balance, the Illini average only 73.9 PPG, which ranks 181st. The Wildcats weren't able to handle Michigan State the last time out, in an 81-55 beatdown. The 6-7 Vic Law averages a team-high 17.9 PPG but was held to season-low five points vs the Spartans. The 6-8 Dererk Pardon (14.2 & 8.4) is is one of the most accurate shooters in the country (6.8%) and made 9-of-15 shots while scoring 19 points in the loss to MSU. He's joined up front by the 6-10 Taylor (12.5) and the 6-7 Turner (9.4). Northwestern is easily the much better team and coming off that humiliating 81-55 loss at powerful Michigan State (Spartans are 13-2 and ranked 8th), should bounce back here vs an Illinois team that is now 4-17 in Big Ten play since the start of last season. It didn't show in the game at Michigan St but Northwestern is a defensive-minded team, allowing just 63.0 PPG (24th), whlel holding opponents to 28.9% on threes (25th). Northwestern comes in 7-2 at home, where the Wildcats are allowing only 58.2 PPG. Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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01-06-19 | Xavier v. Marquette -8 | 52-70 | Win | 100 | 5 h 12 m | Show | |
My 9* Eye-Opener is on Marquette at 12:00 ET. The Marquette Golden Eagles are 11-3 (No. 16 in the AP poll) and will host 9-6 Xavier at noon ET at the brand-new Fiserv Forum. Marquette saw its eight-game win streak end in Tuesday's 89-69 loss to St. John’s (note: Red Storm are 14-1) in the Golden Eagles’ Big East opener. The Musketeers opened their Big East schedule with a 74-65 win at DePaul on Dec 29 but Xavier is coming off an 80-70 home loss to Seton Hall on Wednesday. To say the least, Xavier has exhibited a drop-off this season under first-year coach Travis Steele, who took over after Chris Mack "took his talents" to Louisville. That said, the Musketeers still have good players, just not as many of them as they had the last few years. Xavier boasts one of the most balanced offenses in the country, as five players average in double digits, while graduate transfer Ryan Welage contributes 9.5 PPG. PG Goodin leads in scoring (13.5) and assists (5.7) plus the 6-7 Marshall (12.6 & 8.0) and the 6-9 Jones (10.0 & 7.1) are the best frontcourt players. The Golden Eagles entered conference play ranked in the top-30 nationally in field goal percentage defense (38.7) but allowed the Red Storm to shoot 53.6 percent from the floor. Guard Markus Howard (23.9-3.9-3.9 is Marquette's best player but he failed to reach double figures in scoring for the first time this season, as the Marquette junior finished with eight points on 2-of-15 shooting versus the Red Storm . He's supported by brothers Sam and Joey Hauser. The 6-8 Sam averages 14.7 & 6.9, while his younger brother Joey (a 6-9 freshman), averages 10.0 & 6.1. I noted that Xavier owns excellent scoring balance but the Musketeers average a modest 75.0 PPG (161st). That's not good enough, when they allow 70.7 (171st). It's been a strong start to the season for Marquette, as its two losses are to Kansas and St John's (see above). That said, Marquette would be well-advised to take this game VERY seriously, as a visit to Creighton is next (Wednesday night), followed by a home date with Seton Hall on Jan. 12. An "L" here and the Golden Eagles could start 0-4 in in conference play. Expect Marquette to play well, as the Golden Eagles are 10-0 SU and 8-2 ATS at home, outscoring opponents 82.1-to-61.2 PPG. Xavier's lost 62-47 at Cincy and 71-56 at Missouri. Those finals seem about right, here. Good luck...Larry |
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01-05-19 | BYU v. St. Mary's -6.5 | Top | 66-88 | Win | 100 | 17 h 56 m | Show |
My 10* WCC Game Of The Year is on St. Mary’s (11:00 EST). Randy Bennett's first six seasons at St Mary's resulted in just one postseason appearance (a first round NCAA loss in 2005). However, he's led the Gaels to 11 straight postseason berths entering this season. That streak could end in 2019, as St Mary's checks in just 9-7, after a 76-72 loss at San Francisco (note the Dons are 13-2 TY). BYU comes in 9-7 as well, after a 90-87 win at Pacific. BYU can score, averaging 84.9 PPG (19th), as the the 6-8 Childs leads the Cougars in scoring (21.7) and rebounding (10.1). Guards Haws (17.7 & 5.1 APG) and Hardnett (11.6) check in behind him. However, BYU allows 79.3 PPG (318th). Guard Jordan Ford has doubled his average from last season (up to 22.8 from 11.1 PPG) and up front, the 6-8 Fitts (14.3 & 8.2) and the 6-10 Hunter (10.1 & 5.9) are a formidable duo. St Mary's entered this season 54-5 at McKeon Pavilion the previous three seasons and even in this 'down' year, St Mary's is still winning at home, going 7-2, while outscoring its opponents by 82.2-to-64.6 PPG. BYU's win at Pacific (a non-cover) was its first road win of the season, as the Cougars limp in 1-5 SU and 0-6 ATS on the road this year, allowing a whopping 95.2 PPG. What's more, the Gaels have this game circled after BYU beat them 85-72 in the WCC tourney, following a series sweep in the regular season by St Mary's. The loss was a 'killer,' as despite a 30-6 record, St Mary's didn't get an at-large NCAA bid. Throw in the fact that the favorite is 9-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings between the two rivals and I'm "all over" St Mary's. Good luck...Larry |
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01-05-19 | Colorado v. Arizona State -6.5 | 61-83 | Win | 100 | 12 h 55 m | Show | |
My 8* Weekend Wipeout Winner is on Arizona State at 6:00 ET. 9-4 Colorado will be at 9-4 Arizona State on Saturday in OPac-12 play. Both schools opened their respective season 8-1 but each has dropped three of its last four games. Colorado lost its Pac-12 opener 64-56 at Arizona ,as the Buffaloes shot 35.8 percent and had 17 turnovers against only seven assists. That same night (Thursday), ASU took a 28-11 lead over Utah in Tempe, only to lose, 96-86! The Sun Devils were badly out-shot from the perimeter, 53.3-to-39.3 percent. The Buffs averaged 84.1 PPG in their 8-1 start but haven’t scored more than 68 in their last four contests (1-3), including scoring a season-low of 56 points Thursday at Arizona. on Thursday, which followed a nine-day layoff. PG McKinley Wright scored a game-high 17 points and leads the team in scoring (14.0) and assists (5.5). 6-7 wing Tyler Bey adds 10.9 PPG plus a team-high 9.2 rebounds, while the 6-10 Siewert averages 12.8 & 5.2. ASU guard Remy Martin (13.1) had a career-high 22 points and 6-8 forward Zylan Cheatham (11.8 & 9.7) had 17, combining for 39 points on 15-of-23 shooting but the rest of the Sun Devils combined for 47 points on 15-of-42 shooting. Leading scorer Luguentz Dort (17.8) scored 14 Thursday but that’s been his best outing in his last five games as he’s averaged 11 points during that span while hitting only 14-of-59 shots (23.7 percent). The 6-7 Lawrence (11.2 & 4.) is the team's fourth double digit scorer. Colorado would like to blame Thursday's effort on its nine-day layoff but that doesn't explain the team averaging 63.3 PPG in losing three of four, after an 8-1 start (averaged 84.1 PPG). The Buffs are 7-6 against Arizona State since joining the Pac-12 in 2011 but that includes 1-5 in Tempe during that span, including an 80-66 loss last season. “It’s frustrating because it was a game we had control of,” Arizona State haed coach Bobby Hurley said in his post-game news conference after the loss to Utah. “We let them cut it to four at halftime, and it snowballed from there.” The Sun Devils generated national headlines by handing then-top-ranked Kansas its first loss, 80-76, on Dec. 22 but since then, they’ve suffered home setbacks against Princeton (67-66) and Utah (96-86). Is this deja vu all over again? The Sun Devils started 12-0 last season, including a win over No. 2 Kansas, and then dropped three of their first four Pac-12 games en route to an 8-10 conference finish. Sound familiar? It sure does but my bet says ASU rebounds here in a BIG WAY against the poor-traveling Buffs. Good luck...Larry |
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01-05-19 | Utah v. Arizona -8.5 | 81-84 | Loss | -109 | 8 h 56 m | Show | |
My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on Arizona at 2:00 ET. The 7-6 Utah Utes and the 10-4 Arizona Wildcats square off in Pac-12 play Saturday in Tuscon at the McKale Center. Both schools opened conference play on Thursday, with Utah rallying from a 17-point deficit to stun Arizona State 96-86, while Arizona held off visiting Colorado, 64-56. Utah's 96-86 victory set several records as Utah hit a program Pac-12 scoring high while overcoming the largest deficit to win in eight seasons under coach Larry Krystkowiak. As for Arizona, it was the ninth straight Pac-12-opening win for the Wildcats under coach Sean Miller. The Utes connected on 16-of-33 three-point attempts for a season-best 53.3-percent success rate. Leading scorers, guard Sedrick Barefield (15.7) and 6-7 forward Donnie Tillman (10.9) combined for 46 points on 14-of-26 shooting, including 11-of-19 from long range. Forwards Allen (9.7 & 3.5) and Gach (7.8 & 2.4) plus 7-0 center Johnson (5.8 & 5.5) add size but Barefield has little help on the perimeter. Arizona’s two backcourt Brandons – Williams and Randolph – combined to score 25 points versus Colorado. The 6-6 Randolph averages 16.2 to lead the team, while PG Williams averages 11.2 PPG and 3.9 APG. Center Chase Jeter failed to score in double digits (seven points) for the first time since the Dec 15 loss to Baylor, but did pull down a team-high eight rebounds and is shooting a team-best 64.8 percent from the floor this season (12.4 & 7.1 on the year). Utah scored 96 points at ASU (Utes average 75.2 PPG on the season), while shooing 53.3% on threes (season average is 37.4). Expect the Utes to "return to earth" in this one and note that Utah has lost 12 of the 13 meetings with Arizona since joining the Pac-12 in 2011. The win over Arizona State was the Utes’ first in three road games this season, and they are 8-19 all-time at the McKale Center with their last win coming in 1986! Arizona was shook by seeing its 52-game non-conference home win streak end in a 58-49 loss to Baylor on Dec. 15 but the Wildcats won three straight since. The Wildcats enter this contest a national-best 90-4 at the McKale Center since 2013 and for some reason, are laying fewer points at home to Utah than ASU was, just two night ago.Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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01-05-19 | Creighton v. Butler -4.5 | 69-84 | Win | 100 | 6 h 30 m | Show | |
My 9* Eye-Opener is on Butler at 12:00 ET. Creighton and Butler each won 21 games last season, advancing to the Big Dance (Bluejays lost their first game, with the Bulldogs losing in the second round). Creighton won its Big East opener 79-68 December 31 at Providence, while Butler looks to avoid an 0-2 start to its Big East season, after losing 84-76 to Georgetown on Wednesday (Bulldogs' first home loss of the season). Head coach Greg McDermott's Creighton team can score, averaging 84.7 PPG (20th) on 52.0% shooting (4th). Sophomore guard Ty-Shon Alexander, after averaging just 5.5 PPG as a freshman, has stepped into the leading-scorer role for the Bluejays, averaging 17.3 points and shooting 44.2 percent from three-point range. Three players, guard Mitch Ballock (10.7-4.8-3.4), guard Marcus Zegarowski (10.4) and swingman Damien Jefferson (10.4 & 5,5) are also in double digits. The 6-9 Krampelj (9.9 & 5.5) plus guard Mintz (8.7) are not far behind. Junior guard Kamar Baldwin leads Butler with 15.7 PPG, while senior guard Paul Jorgensen is just behind him at 13.9 per. The Bulldogs have three starters who are 6-2 or shorter but 6-10 Nate Fowler (4.9 & 4.2) and 6-11 Joey Brunk (8.1 & 4.4) split time at center plus the 6-7 Tucker (a Duke transfer) just became eligible and and is adding 8.2 & 4.6 in five games. Butler head coach LaVall Jordan said his team was "over-anxious" against Georgetown. It must not be so aggressive on the defensive end. After all, Butler "knows defense," allowing 65.9 PPG and commits the fewest turnovers among Big East teams at 10.9 per game this season. Creighton can "light it up," as evidenced by the Blue Jays winning all three games in the Cayman Islands (over Boise St, Ga State and Clemson), while averaging 91.3 PPG. However, here in Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Bulldogs are tough to beat. I noted that they are 7-1 SU this season (outscoring opponents 80.6-to-66.9) plus will add that Butler has gone 53--12 at home the previous four seasons (clearly, settling into Big East play). Butler beat Creighton 93-70 last year in this venue and while I don't expect that big of a margin today, I do expect a comfortable win. Good luck...Larry |
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01-04-19 | Ball State v. Toledo -6 | Top | 79-64 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 0 m | Show |
My 10* CBB Game of the Week is on Toledo at 7:00 ET. Buffalo has rightly been stealing all the MAC headlines (20th-ranked Bulls are 12-1) and Buffalo should easily take the MAC East. However, the MAC West likely features the league's second-best team. Toledo, coming off a 23-11 season, has opened 12-1 and enters its MAC opener on a 10-game winning streak. The Rockets' opponent will be Ball State, which comes in 9-4, off a 19-13 year last season. Ball State can score, averaging 84.5 PPG (211st) on outstanding 51.3% shooting (6th). Guards Persons (16.8-4.0-5.2) and Walton (15.0 & 4.8) form an excellent duo with the 6-8 Teague (14.5 & 7.2) being the team's top front-court performer. However, injuries have sidelined the 6-8 Hazen (6.4 & 4.7) and guard El-Amin (6.3), greatly affecting the team's depth. Defensively, Ball State is worse than average, allowing 72.8 PPG (210th). It's hard not to be impressed by Toledo's start, as the Rockets' most recent game (win) came 77-45 over Penn. That's the same Penn team which earlier this year beat Villanova. Toledo held Penn to 30.5% from the floor, including 5-of-22 three-pointers. Toledo's defense allows just 65.2 PPG (51st) and has been excellent defending the perimeter, as opponents are shooting only 29.2% (28th). Senior guard Jaelan Sanford leads a team with five double digits scorers (great balance) at 17.8 PPG. The 6-6 Willie Jackson averages 11.1 PPG and a team-high 10.7 PPG, while PG Marreon Jackson leads with 4.6 APG (just misses double digits in scoring at 8.8 per). Toledo's early season schedule has been fairly easy but this team has the talent to replicate the 2013-14 team, which won 27 games. Here at home (Savage Arena), the Rockets have opened 7-0, outscoring opponents 84.7-to-60.0 PPG (closest margin has been 13 points!). Ball State could be the MAC's third-best team but I believe there is quite a gap between the Cardinals and Buffalo and Toledo. Ball was highly disappointing in mid-November at the Charleston Classic, losing 73-64 to Va Tech and 79-61 to Alabama, while sqeaking by Appalachian St, a 5-9 team, in OT. The fact that Toledo lost BOTH meetings to Ball State, makes sure the Rockets will be FULLY focused on their MAC opener. Good luck...Larry |
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01-03-19 | Stanford v. UCLA -5.5 | Top | 70-92 | Win | 100 | 16 h 36 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on UCLA at 11:00 ET. UCLA dismissed coach Steve Alford ahead of Thursday’s Pac-12 opener against visiting Stanford, hoping for "new day," following four straight losses. Murry Bartow (son of former UCLA coach Gene Bartow) was named interim coach for the 7-6 Bruins. The 7-5 Stanford Cardinal visit Pauley Pavilion tonight. Stanford's only two losses in its recent stretch have come at Kansas in OT and at San Francisco, which sits a surprising 12-2 on the season to date! Senior 7-2 center Josh Sharma received Pac-12 player of the week honors after recording career highs in points (23) and rebounds (18) in last Saturday’s 93-86 victory over Long Beach State. He struggled offensively early in the season but has averaged 9.7 points over his last seven games and ranks sixth in the conference in field goal percentage at 60.6. He's joined up front by the 6-9 Okpala (16.8 & 6.1), the team's leading scorer, and the 6-9 Da Silva (9.7 & 5.9). Sophomore guard Daejon Davis added 17 points and five assists againts LB State and is the only other player in double digits, averaging 11.8 PPG Bartow takes over a team that has dropped its last four games by an average margin of 15 points and hit a new low with the loss to Liberty, which forced 24 turnovers and dominated the paint. Sophomore guard Kris Wilkes averages 17.5 points to lead the Bruins and fellow sophomore, PG Hands, chips in 11.5 PPG and a team-high 7.0 APG. That perimeter duo is joined by 7-1 freshman Moses Brown, who is averaging 11.5 points and 8.8 rebounds. This UCLA team has the talent and note that the Bruins were picked to finish second in the Pac-12 preseason poll. Doubt that Bartow will get the gig but he figures to be an excellent steadying influence. That's what UCLA needs, RIGHT NOW. Stanford lost its top-two players from last season, forward Travis Reid (19.5 & 87.), who is a graduate transfer at Kentucky, and guard Pickens (14.5). Stanford is 4-12 ATS in the last 16 meetings between these two teams and just 1-8 ATS in the last nine meetings at UCLA. Just what the doctor ordered for the Bruins. UCLA has won 37 of 42 games in Pauley Pavilion since the start of the 2016-17 season. Good luck...Larry |
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01-03-19 | Iowa v. Purdue -7.5 | 70-86 | Win | 100 | 12 h 37 m | Show | |
My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on Purdue at 7:00 ET. Iowa is coming off a 14-19 season but returned all five starters from that team and has opened an impressive 11-2. Meanwhile, Purdue is off a 30-win season (made it to the Swet 16) but lost four starters from that team. Despite that fact, the Boilermakers were ranked 24th in the AP's preseason poll, so Purdue's 8-5 start has to be considered VERY disappointing. Iowa comes into this contest having won five in a row, while Purdue is hoping to put together all the pieces it needs to be a contender around All-American candidate Carsen Edwards. Iowa's 6-9 Junior forward Tyler Cook (16.8 & 8.5) will be the best big man on the court tonight but his partner up front, the 6-11 Luka Garza (12.7 & & 4.9) will be a game-time decision Thursday, after missing the last two contests with an ankle injury. 6-7 senior Nicholas Baer (7.0 & 4.7) would take his place in the lineup if he can’t go. Iowa has a four-guard rotation that sees players averaging between 7.1 and 11.2 PPG. Edwards scored 24 while the Boilermakers held Belmont to almost 30 points below its average in last Saturday's 73-62 win. Edwards (25.8) is the nation's second-leading scorer but only fellow guard Cline (13.1 & 3.5 APG) joins him in double figures. Similar to Iowa, Purdue has five others contributing between 4.5 and 7.6 PPG, with the 6-6 Eifert averaging a team-high 5.2 RPG. Iowa comes in off wins over W, Carolina, Savannah St and Bryant, which hardly prepares them for this visit to West Lafayette. The Hawkeyes shot the ball poorly in losses to Wisconsin (39 percent) at home and at Michigan State (32.8) to open their conference campaign plus note that the team's 22-point loss at Michigan St, represents Iowa's lone true road so far this season. Iowa was just 1-10 SU on the road last season, so that hardly bodes well (Iowa is 9-23-1 ATS in its last 33 road games). Purdue is 6-0 SU at home, outscoring opponents on average, 81.3-61.2 PPG. That continues a trend which has seen Matt Painter's team go 48-4 SU at Mackey Arena the previous three seasons. Throw in that the home team is 13-4 ATS in the last 17 meetings between these two teams and Purdue is clearly the play. Good luck...Larry |
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01-02-19 | Indiana State +7 v. Loyola-Chicago | 44-79 | Loss | -109 | 15 h 36 m | Show | |
My 9* PERFECT STORM is on Indiana St at 9:00 ET. 8-4 Indiana St is on the road Wednesday night for its MWC opener against 7-6 Loyola-Chicago. The Sycamores were just 13-18 last year and had won a total of just 41 games the previous three seasons (that's just 13.7 per), so TY's 8-4 start is impressive. As for Loyola, it goes without saying that this is not the same Ramblers' team which made an improbable run to last year's Final 4. You think? Loyola finished last season 32-6 and has already matched its loss total through only 13 games of the current season. Indiana St reached the final in last week’s Diamond Head Classic, before running into hot TCU in the title game, for the second time in as many weeks (note: TCU has won EIGHT straight and is 11-1 on the season). However, there are a number of positives shining through for this team. Junior guard Barnes (20.8-4.5-4.2) and senior guard Key (16.9 & 4.7) have just recently been joined on the perimeter by Iowa transfer, Williams. The 6-5 guard just gained eligibility in mid-December and in four games is providing a viable third scoring option (11.3 PPG) plus his 7.5 RPG are a team-high. Loyola still has major contributors from last year in in senior guards Custer (13.8) and Townes (12.8 & 5.4) plus 6-9 sophomore center Krutwig (13.5 & 7.5). However, it's become obvious that the Ramblers have not been able to compensate for the loss of versatile players like Donte Ingram (11.0 & 6.4) and Aundre Jackson (11.0 & 3.2). Loyola just doesn't score enough (67.8 PPG ranks 304th) and in its last game, lost 45-42 at the Palestra to St Joe's. Loyola hasn't played since Dec 22 (rusty?) and is just 2-5 ATS at home this season, with the team's two ATS wins coming over a pair of 5-10 teams, UMKC (WAC) and Norfolk St (MEAC). ISU's perimeter game is really strong with the addition of Williams and the Sycamores come in making 45.0 percent from three-point range, the nation;'s second-best percentage. Take the points! Good luck...Larry |
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01-02-19 | Texas v. Kansas State -3.5 | Top | 67-47 | Loss | -108 | 15 h 37 m | Show |
My Big 12 Game of the Year is on Kansas St at 9:00 ET. 8-4 Texas and 10-2 Kansas State square off in the Big 12 opener for both teams tonight in Manhattan, Ks at Bramlage Coliseum.Texas opened the season 5-0, after beating then-No. 7 North Carolina 92-89 in the Las Vegas Invitational (late Nov), before losing 78-68 to Michigan St in the championship game. Texas is just 3-4 since that 5-0 start, with two of those wins coming against Grand Canyon and Texas-Arlington. Kansas St opened December with back-to-back road losses at Marquette and Tulsa, but has won three straight to reach 10-2. “Texas looked like one of the best teams in the country around Thanksgiving, but then they have really struggled at times,” Kansas St head coach Weber told reporters. He's right. Five guards see significant minutes, led by Roach (14.0 & 4.9) and Coleman (10.3). Up front, 6-9 senior Dylan Osetkowski (10.1 & 8.5) and 6-11 freshman Jaxson Hayes (9.9 & 4.8) will give K-St all it wants, especially since 6-10 senior Dean Wade remains out. Wade (13.6 & 7.7) is out of a walking boot and inching closer to a return, but it won't be here. Senior guard Barry Brown Jr. 13.9 & 4.5) has played in 117 straight games, tying Mike Evans for the fourth-longest run in school history (record is 135) and he's joined in the backcourt by PG Stokes (11.1 & 3.2 APG). 6-5 junior forward Xavier Sneed (11.5 & 5.8) has averaged 10.6 RPG in the three contests since Wade's injury but he will need some help from the 6-9 Mawien (6.9 & 4.2) inside against the Texas big men. The bottom line here is, Kansas St is one of the nation's best defensive teams, allowing just 57.8 PPG (6th) on 38.8% shooting (30th), which includes only 27.4% on threes, 13th-best in the nation. The Wildcats have allowed only ONE team to score more than 68 points through 12 games (Marquette got 83) and check in 6-0 SU at home this season (went 14-3 at home LY), allowing only 53.8 PPG. It's Jan 2 and this marks Texas' first true road game of the season. Expect the Wildcats to earn their FIFTH straight victory over the Longhorns, "with room to spare!" Good luck...Larry |
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01-02-19 | Tulsa +13.5 v. Houston | 56-74 | Loss | -108 | 14 h 35 m | Show | |
My 8* Underdog Shocker is on Tulsa at 8:00 ET. Tulsa visits No. 19 Houston in the American Athletic Conference opener for both schools. The 10-3 Golden Hurricane are off to their best start under fifth-year head coach Frank Haith and take a five-game winning streak into the contest. As for Houston, the 13-0 Cougars are one of just FOUR remaining Division I unbeatens plus own the nation's second-longest active home winning streak (26 games). Tulsa won 19 games last year but surely has its sights on a 20-win season, this time around. The Golden Hurricane opened December with 69-64 loss at Utah (an ATS win, though) but have won five in a row, since (6-1 ATS run their last seven). Senior wing DaQuan Jeffries (13.6 & 5.8 rebounds), 6-8 junior forward Martins Igbanu (12.8 & 5.9) and PG Sterling Taplin (9.5 & 5.1 APG) are the glue that holds the team together. Houston will open conference play ranked ninth nationally in scoring defense (58.1 PPG) and third in FG percentage defense (35.8 percent). The Cougars rely on their defense to help create offense, averaging 16.5 points off 13 opponent turnovers per game. Speaking of that offense, senior guard Corey Davis Jr. leads the Cougars with 15.4 PPG, while junior guard Armoni Brooks adds 14.8 points and a team-high 7.2 RPG. Senior PG Galen Robinson Jr. contributes 8.8 points along with 5.4 assists per contest and leads the team in three-point shooting (40.7 percent). Up front, 6-5 SF Cedrick Alley Jr. (7.2 & 4.7) and the 6-9 Breaon Brady (7.2 & 4.9) are the two main contributors. Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson is trying to manage (hold down?) expectations. "Being 13-0 is tremendous, but last time I checked they don't hand out any medals for being undefeated in non-conference play," Sampson said. "We never talk about it, it's not something that's mentioned. I don't ever remember talking to (my players) about it. We just talk about our next game. Our next game is Tulsa. We just move on" I realize winning at Fertitta Center may be a stretch for Tulsa and will note that Tulsa hasn't won a road game against a ranked team since February 2016 (at SMU). However, Tulsa is 2-0 ATS in true road games this season, extending its run to SIX straight ATS wins in true road games (going back to the end of last season). Take those HUGE points (note: road team is on a 4-1 ATS run in this series). Good luck...Larry |
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