College Basketball Betting. 12/3

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College Basketball Information

UMass is 6-0 with three top 50 wins; this is their first true road game. UMass beat Eastern Michigan 75-61 LY, making 11-25 from arc- they're grabbing 41% of their own misses. Eagles lost by 16 at Kentucky in last game, but were down 3 at half in their only top 100 game. Atlantic 13 road favorites are 4-2 vs spread. MAC home underdogs are 3-3.

Florida Atlantic is 0-6 vs D-I teams, with three losses vs top 100 teams and three by 6 or less points; they haven't played in nine days. UCF is 2-2, splitting road games at Miami/Valpo; Knights are top 25 team in US in rebounding, but are 3rd-worst (55.2%) on foul line. FAU is shooting 27% from arc. AAC faves are 19-17, 2-0 on road. CUSA dogs are 25-22.

Syracuse is 7-0 after winning Maui Classic with three wns over top 60 teams by 8-11-7 points; Orange rebound 41.9% of its missed shots (#11 in US), force turnovers 26.7% of time (#3 in US). First true road game for Indiana club that lost to UConn by point; best of its six wins was vs #119 Stony Brook. Hoosiers are turning ball over 20.8% of the time.

Illinois is 7-0, winning by hoop at UNLV in only road game; best team they beat is #140 Valparaiso. Illini are holding teams to 38.1% inside the arc- they beat Georgia Tech 75-62 LY, making 14-28 from arc in game they trailed by 4 with 6:58 left. Tech just lost games in Brooklyn by 10-11 points to Ole Miss/St John's- this is their third game in five nights.

Penn State is 6-2, winning by 12 at Penn, beating St John's in Brooklyn in OT; this is third game in five nights for State squad that doesn't sub a lot. Pittsburgh is 7-0 with all seven wins by 17+ points, but Stanford is only top 100 team they've played. Panthers force turnovers 21.8% of time. ACC home favorites are 13-15. Big Dozen underdogs are 5-7.

Northern Iowa is 2-3 vs D-I teams, but they've all been at road/neutral sites; Panthers beat Milwaukee last two years by 11-16 points- they're 2-0 vs teams ranked outside top 125, winning by 9-15. Milwaukee won six of its last seven D-I games, losing by 9 to DePaul in only home game of the seven. MVC road teams are 16-8 vs spread. Horizon underdogs are 14-17 against the spread.

Colorado won its last seven games since losing opener to Baylor down in Dallas; Buffs are 4-2 in last six games vs Colorado State, as home team won last five series games. Colorado lost by 1-15 points in last two trips here. Rams are 6-0 at home, 0-2 on road; they're 1-2 vs top 100 teams, with best win over #67 New Mexico State. Pac-12 road favorites: 4-0.

Duke is 6-2, with one win over a top 150 team; they rank #220 in US in 2-point FG%- worst they finished in last decade was #136. Blue Devils won three of last four games with Michigan, but teams didn't play LY. Wolverines are 5-2, with only win vs top 200 team over Florida State in OT by hoop- they've lost to Charlotte by a hoop, at Iowa State 77-70.

Iowa State is playing 4th game in six nights after losing to Villanova in OT in finals at Atlantis; Cyclones are forcing turnovers 22.4% of time, holding teams to 21.8% from arc, but five of seven teams they beat are ranked #194 or worse. Notre Dame is 5-1 but hasn't beat team in top 200- they lost at home to Indiana State, only top 100 team they played.

Florida State lost two of last three games, with three games decided by a total of five points; Seminoles are turning ball over 22.7% of time- they are 1-2 vs top 50 teams. Minnesota lost by 8-14 poiints to Syracuse, Arkansas in Maui, after a 5-0 start with win at #71 Richmond best win. Big Dozen home favorites are 14-12. ACC road underdogs are 3-3.

Utah is 6-0 against an amazing collection of stiffs; this their first game on road, at Boise State squad that lost by 21 at Utah LY, as Utes shot 75% inside arc, 9-16 outside arc. Broncos are 6-0 against a horrible schedule; they play Kentucky/St Mary's next week- they're veteran team, should be playing challenging schedule. Mountain West home favorites: 14-10.

Creighton had rough time in Orange County, losing to San Diego State, GW in last two games; Bluejays won by 4 at St Joe's in only true road game so far. McDermott had only 7 points Sunday- this is their fourth game in six nights. Long Beach State is 0-7 vs D-I teams, losing in two OTs at Washington Sunday; 49ers are shooting 55.9% on foul line.

Middle Tennessee is 6-1, with only loss at Florida; Blue Raiders lost by 15 at Belmont LY, shooting 28.6% from floor (3-16 from arc)- they've won by 18 at Murray State, but best win is over #132 Akron. Belmont is 7-2 with wins over Indiana State/North Carolina- they lost to VCU in last game, turning ball over 21 times in game they led by 12 points early.

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ACC-Big Ten Challenge
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com

This Tuesday, some of the top teams in the ACC square off against teams from the Big Ten in the annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge. This non-conference event began in 1999 and the ACC owns a 10-3-1 record in the 14 years of its existence. However the Big Ten has the momentum, winning and 2010 (6-5) and 2011 (8-4). Last year the two conferences went 6-6 against one another in the 12 games.

Six more games will be played Wednesday. Since the ACC has 15 basketball schools, three teams won’t be action and they are Clemson, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. That trio finished at the bottom of the ACC standings last season. Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse joined the ACC this season and will be making their debuts in the event, taking the place of the aforementioned schools.

Let’s take a closer look at the six matchups, starting with the two battles that feature highly ranked teams.

Indiana Hoosiers at No. 4 Syracuse Orange

Indiana is off to a 6-1 straight up start with a 5-1 record against the spread. The only setback was a 59-58 loss to Connecticut on Nov. 22 as a three-point underdog. The Hoosiers are averaging 86.4 points a game while shooting 46.3 percent from three-point range. They lead the nation in rebounds with 50.3 a game.

The Orange are off to a fast start as well with a 7-0 SU record that includes a solid 74-67 victory over Baylor in the Maui Invitational title game last Wednesday. They covered as 4 ½-point favorites to improve to 3-2 ATS. Syracuse’s CJ Fair is averaging 18 points a game while shooting 44.9 percent from the field.

Revenge should be a motivating factor for Indiana after these two met last season in the Sweet 16 with Syracuse coming away with a 61-50 upset as a five-point underdog.

The Orange opened as six-point home favorites over Indiana on Tuesday.

Indiana has gone 5-7 in the Challenge, which includes a 2-4 road record.

No. 22 Michigan Wolverines at No. 10 Duke Blue Devils

The Wolverines are 5-2 SU on the year with one of those losses coming against Charlotte in the Puerto Rico Tip Off on Nov. 24 as 10-point favorites. They are 2-3 ATS and the total has gone OVER in three of the five games. Michigan has three players scoring in double figures led by Nik Stauskas’s 20.3 points a game.

Duke is 6-2 SU on the year and coming off a 72-66 loss to Arizona in the NIT Tip-Off Championship last Friday night. It failed to cover as a three-point underdog to fall to 4-4 ATS. Freshman sensation Jabari Parker continues to light it up for the Blue Devils with 23 points and eight rebounds a game. Rodney Hood is second in both categories with 20 points and five rebounds a game.

Duke has won six of the last seven meetings SU and it has a slight 4-3 edge ATS. The total has gone OVER in five of the seven games.

The Blue Devils have been installed as seven-point favorites over the Wolverines.

Michigan owns a 5-7 Challenge record and has only one once on the road in this series. Duke has the most Challenge (12-2) wins amongst all competing schools and it has never lost at home (5-0) during this span.

Other Games

Illinois Fighting Illini at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Illinois is a perfect 7-0 SU with a 4-2 record ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in four of five games with a posted line. The Fighting Illini are averaging 72.3 points while pulling down a solid 42.9 rebounds a game.

The Yellow Jackets have dropped their last two contests to fall to 5-3 SU overall. They are 1-3 ATS and the total has gone OVER in three of the four games. They are averaging 73 points a game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field.

Illinois opened as a two-point favorite over Georgia Tech and the line has dropped to one at most shops.

The Illini have won four straight seasons in the Challenge and they’ve gone 3-2 on the road. Georgia Tech has dropped five consecutive Challenge games to Big 10 opponents.

Penn State Nittany Lions at Pittsburgh Panthers

Penn State is off to a 6-2 start SU with a profitable 5-0 run ATS. The total has gone OVER in four of those games. The duo of DJ Newbill and Tim Frazier have combined for 38 of the Lions 82.3 points a game.

Pitts first season in the ACC has gotten off to a 7-0 SU start with a 3-2 record ATS. The Panthers are averaging 81.7 points a game while shooting a healthy 48.5 percent from the field. Lamar Patterson leads the team in points (17.1) and assists (5.4).

The Panthers opened as 14-point favorites, which is the largest number in the six challenge games.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 23 Iowa Hawkeyes

Notre Dame’s debut in the ACC has started off with 5-1 SU start, but it is just 1-2-1 ATS. The total has gone OVER in all four games. The Irish are ranked 39th in the nation in scoring with 83.7 points a game while shooting 50.1 percent from the field, which is ranked 29th.

The Hawkeyes seven-game winning streak to start the season came to an end with an 88-83 overtime loss to Villanova this past Saturday as three-point favorites in “The Battle for Atlantis” championship. Iowa is ranked 10th in the country in points (89.0), sixth in rebounds (46.1) and ninth in assists (18.5).

The Hawkeyes are listed as 9 ½-point favorites over the Irish. Iowa has the most losses (2-10) amongst all ACC and Big Ten schools that have competed in the Challenge and they’ve lost the last seven years.

Florida State Seminoles at Minnesota Golden Gophers

The Seminoles lost to Michigan by two points in overtime and to Florida by one point this past Friday en route to a 5-2 SU start. They are 5-1 ATS and the total has stayed UNDER in five of the six games. They are averaging 79 points a game and shooting 49.6 percent from the floor.

Minnesota reeled off five straight victories before falling to Syracuse and Arkansas. The Gophers are 6-2 SU overall with a 3-3 record ATS. Andre and Austin Hollins have led the way with a combined 28.8 points a game which is close to 40 percent of the team’s 77.9 point scoring average.

The Golden Gophers are laying three points at home to the Seminoles.

FSU hasn’t been a successful team in the Challenge of late, losers each of the last five seasons.

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ACC/Big Ten Challenge Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com

Illinois Fighting Illini at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+1)

Rayvonte Rice sat out last season after transferring from Drake to Illinois, but the junior guard has made up for lost time in sparking the Illini to a 7-0 start. Rice averaged 16.1 points two years ago for Drake, and has led the Illini in scoring four times in seven games. The Illini have been tough when the opposition shoots from long-range, ranking 11th nationally in 3-point defense at 34.9 percent.

Georgia Tech returns home after a pair of disappointing losses to Mississippi and St. John’s in the Barclays Center Classic, in which the Yellow Jackets were unable to put two good halves together. Solomon Poole came off the bench to score 24 points in the loss to Mississippi, but no other Yellow Jackets’ player scored more than 11 points in either of Georgia Tech’s two defeats this weekend.

TRENDS:

* Fighting Illini are 4-0 ATS in their last four vs. Atlantic Coast.
* Over is 7-0 in Yellow Jackets last seven vs. Big Ten.
* Yellow Jackets are 0-5 ATS in their last five vs. Big Ten.

Indiana Hoosiers at Syracuse Orange (-6)

Indiana entered the 2013 NCAA Tournament as an offensive juggernaut capable of winning it all, but Syracuse’s 2-3 zone proved to be too much for the top overall seed to overcome. The Hoosiers are much younger this time around, but rebounded from their only loss of the season with last Tuesday’s rout of Evansville. This game will mark the first time these teams have played on a campus site in six all-time meetings. The Hoosiers lead the nation in rebound margin at plus-18 and are fifth in field-goal percentage defense (35.1).

The Orange improved to 9-0 all-time in Maui, thanks in large part to tournament MVP C.J. Fair, who scored 24 points in the title game. Tyler Ennis averaged 17 points, six assists and four steals while committing only two turnovers during the event. Syracuse has started no worse than 9-0 over the previous five seasons and is 4-1 all-time against Indiana.

TRENDS:

* Over is 3-0-1 in Orange last four overall.
* Hoosiers are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games.
* Orange are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

Penn State Nittany Lions at Pittsburgh Panthers (-14)

Penn State guard D.J. Newbill hasn’t scored less than 15 points in a game this season and is 20-for-32 from the field in the last two games, including 6-for-11 from 3-point range. The loss to Mississippi in Saturday's championship game at the Barclays Center Classic ended a five-game winning streak for the Nittany Lions, their longest in five years. Penn State began the week with the third-fewest turnovers in Division I, giving the ball away just under nine times a game.

Pittsburgh’s go-to guy is Lamar Patterson, who is coming off the best week of his five-year career after averaging 21.7 points and shooting 56.8 percent from the floor in three games. Patterson needs 86 points, 53 rebounds and 89 assists to become the third player in Pittsburgh history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists in a career.

TRENDS:

* Favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Nittany Lions are 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Panthers are 0-4 ATS in their last four vs. Big Ten.

Michigan Wolverines at Duke Blue Devils (-7)

With the Wolverine's leading scorer Nik Stauskas sidelined, Zak Irvin recorded a career-high 24 points against Coppin State and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Michigan is 3-9 all-time in Cameron Indoor Stadium and has not won at the venue since 1996.

Although Duke is 21-8 all-time against the Wolverines, the Blue Devils look to rebound after falling to 0-2 against ranked foes following Friday’s loss to No. 2 Arizona in the NIT Season Tip-Off title game. Jabari Parker, who saw his seven-game streak of scoring 20 points or more snapped with 19 against the Wildcats, became only the second player over the last 10 years (Texas’ Kevin Durant in 2006) to open his college career with such a run.

TRENDS:

* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Blue Devils are 1-4 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
* Over is 13-3 in Wolverines last 16 vs. Atlantic Coast.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Iowa Hawkeyes (-9.5)

Notre Dame gets its first taste of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with a visit to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to face No. 24 Iowa. One of the keys to Notre Dame's success going forward is the play of junior swingman Pat Connaughton, who has had periods of inactivity this season. Against Army, he took just three shots, but he followed that up with his third career double-double with 18 points and 10 boards against Cornell Sunday.

After playing three games in three days in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, then a longer than expected trip home, there's a school of thought that Iowa could be run down for the matchup with Notre Dame. But Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery doesn't see it that way. “These kids are in great shape,” McCaffery told the Iowa City-Press Citizen. “It's something we prepared for. These guys have been through those kinds of trips.”

TRENDS:

* Over is 4-1 in Hawkeyes last five home games.
* Fighting Irish are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Over is 7-1 in Fighting Irish last eight overall.

Florida State Seminoles at Minnesota Golden Gophers (-3)

Florida State has lost two of its last three games, including a heartbreaking 67-66 loss to No. 12 Florida on Nov. 29. Boris Bojanovsky scored a season-high 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting in the loss to Florida. Miller leads the team in average minutes (28.7), points per game (15.1), free throw percentage (94.3) and total assists (24).

The Golden Gophers bounced back from two consecutive defeats in the Maui Invitational tournament with an 83-68 victory over Chaminade to secure seventh place in the competition. Minnesota will be back in the friendly confines of Williams Arena and hopes to make it two straight wins over the Seminoles after beating them 77-68 in Tallahassee in the 2012 edition of the challenge.

TRENDS:

* Seminoles are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games.
* Seminoles are 1-6 ATS in their last seven vs. Big Ten.
* Golden Gophers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six home games.