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**TheGame** · 03-03-2016, 07:18 AM

Re: CBB Betting Info. 3/3

College basketball betting TV guide: Must-watch, must-wager games
By STEVE MERRIL

It is the final week of the college basketball regular season as teams make their final push to be a part of the field for the NCAA tournament. Steve Merril has scoured the schedule for the must-watch, must-wager games for each day on the college hoops calendar so that you don’t miss any of the action.

Thursday: California at Arizona
Where to watch: ESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET

California will complete their regular season with two games on the road. The Golden Bears went undefeated at home this season, but they are just 3-6 SU in true road games. Arizona will finish their regular season with a pair of home games. They come into this game off back-to-back road losses, so the Wildcats will be primed for a big effort against California.

**TheGame** · 03-03-2016, 07:18 AM

Re: CBB Betting Info. 3/3

Preview: Fighting Illini (13-16) at Terrapins (23-6)

Date: March 03, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Maryland is struggling at a time when it should be nearing its peak.

Coach Mark Turgeon apparently is not at all worried, given his response Wednesday when reminded that the 14th-ranked Terrapins have lost three of four.

'We've won one out of two, haven't we?' Turgeon said with a grin.

True enough, yet Maryland fell out of contention for the Big Ten title with an 83-79 loss at then-No. 20 Purdue on Saturday. The defeat also blunted the momentum created by an 86-82 win over Michigan on Feb. 21.

So, the Terrapins (23-6, 11-5) have indeed won one of two heading into Thursday night's home finale against Illinois. Prior to that, though, Maryland lost at home to Wisconsin and on the road against lowly Minnesota.

Senior forward Jake Layman, who will be among those honored Thursday before his final home game, said, 'It's time for us to take the next step forward and just start playing.'

Turgeon believes there's time for Maryland to catch fire before March Madness gets under way.

'I feel good about our team,' he said. 'Hopefully what we went through is going to make us a better team in March. That's all you can hope for.'

The schedule of late has been kind to the Terrapins, who have played only once since facing Michigan. That means plenty of time in the gym, working out the kinks in lengthy practice sessions.

'We've got to be where we're playing our best basketball, and we're making some pretty good strides toward that,' Turgeon said. 'I know it doesn't look that way, maybe, if you look at what we've done. But we've had some time to practice and I feel like we're getting ready to really start playing well, whether it's going to be this week, next week or the week after.'

Turgeon hopes the time off will be helpful to guard Melo Trimble, who is 11 for 47 from the field in his last four games. The sophomore guard logged 146 of 160 possible minutes over that span and was really in need of a break.

'This week in practice he shot it well. I think he's getting his legs back underneath him,' Turgeon said. 'He was playing a lot of minutes.'

The Terrapins are also looking for a bounce-back performance from junior forward Robert Carter, who has reached double figures in only one of his last five games.

'We need him,' Turgeon said. 'When he plays well, we win.'

Maryland is 7-0 when Carter scores more than 15 points.

Trimble and Carter are important contributors, but it's going to take a collective effort for the Terrapins to make something good happen in March and overcome the disappointment of being eliminated from contention in the Big Ten title chase.

'That's fine. We still have some things we know we can be better at and we still have some goals we can achieve this year,' senior guard Rasheed Sulaimon said. 'We're just going to try to finish the best we can.'

Illinois (13-16, 5-11) is likely to finish below .500 for the first time since 2007-08. The Illini have lost their three matchups with Top 25 foes by an average of 24.4 points since upsetting Purdue on Jan. 10. Their only other conference wins have come against the teams below them in the standings - two apiece over Minnesota and Rutgers.

One of those victories came Sunday, 84-71 over the Golden Gophers as top scorers Kendrick Nunn and Malcolm Hill combined for 47 points. That duo totaled 13 in a 74-47 loss three days earlier to conference champion Indiana.

Freshman guard Jalen Coleman-Lands had 21 points in that defeat and followed with 18 on Sunday, hitting a combined 10 3-pointers.

Maryland was among the national leaders in defending the 3 at 29.7 percent before allowing its last four opponents to hit 43.0 percent.

Hill's 28 points lifted Illinois to a 64-57 upset of 11th-ranked Maryland last season in the teams' only meeting since the Terrapins joined the Big Ten.

**TheGame** · 03-03-2016, 07:19 AM

Re: CBB Betting Info. 3/3

Preview: Huskies (20-9) at Mustangs (24-4)

Date: March 03, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

SMU's seniors would be playing their final game at Moody Coliseum on Thursday night even if the NCAA didn't levy probation that will keep them from participating in the American Athletic Conference and NCAA tournaments.

Coach Larry Brown said Senior Night "is never fun," but it might be even more emotional considering the 24th-ranked Mustangs have only one more game remaining after facing Connecticut.

The postseason ban stemming from an NCAA probe that revealed academic fraud significantly shortens the season for SMU (24-4, 12-4), which won its first 18 - including the first nine while Brown was suspended for lack of program control - and undoubtedly would make its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

The Mustangs' lone chance for any sort of championship is winning the regular-season AAC crown. They're tied atop the conference with Temple after Sunday's 74-53 win over Tulane gave them a fourth victory in five games.

Leading scorer Nic Moore finished with five points and five turnovers while going 1 of 9 from the field, but Ben Moore had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Sterling Brown scored 15.

'I think it's affected us for the last month,' Brown said of the NCAA ruling. 'I don't think about that other stuff - stupid people making a stupid decision, in my mind. The reality is what these kids have accomplished. They did it with obstacles.'

SMU wraps up its season Sunday at Cincinnati.

'We think about it, but we just try and look at the next game,' freshman Jarrey Foster said.

Seniors Nic Moore, Jordan Tolbert and Markus Kennedy will get one last chance for a victory at Moody, where SMU has gone 15-1. It has won three straight overall since losing 68-62 at Connecticut on Feb. 18.

Nic Moore had 14 points and Ben Moore added 13 and 12 boards, but Amida Brimah finished with 16 points and five blocks for the Huskies (20-9, 10-6), who are looking for another quality victory to add to their NCAA Tournament resume.

Some prognosticators have the Huskies as one of the last teams in even with them having dropped two of three. They crumbled down the stretch Sunday in a 75-68 home loss to Houston despite Daniel Hamilton's 20 points.

The Cougars' point total was the highest UConn had allowed in 14 games, and their 51.9 percent shooting marked the best performance for an opponent all season.

'It just comes down to toughness and I'm going to stop my man,' coach Kevin Ollie said. 'The lack of effort that we showed out here is very disappointing.'

UConn beat then-No. 21 SMU but lost its other two against ranked opponents. It concludes the regular season against Central Florida on Sunday at home, and a second victory over the Mustangs plus a strong showing in the AAC tournament should be enough to lock in an NCAA Tournament berth.

The Huskies missed it last season after winning the national title the previous year.

"It's really frustrating, but we put ourselves in this situation," Hamilton said. "Now we just got to get ourselves out, starting on Thursday."

Hamilton finished with 14 points, six rebounds and four assists in the first meeting with SMU, which has won both home matchups since the creation of the AAC in 2013-14.

**TheGame** · 03-03-2016, 07:19 AM

Re: CBB Betting Info. 3/3

Preview: Golden Bears (21-8) at Wildcats (22-7)

Date: March 03, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

After entering February with its postseason hopes in peril, California heads into March playing as well as anybody in the country.

The 25th-ranked Golden Bears head into the final weekend of the regular season with a seven-game winning streak and hopes of winning a conference title.

Cal needs a sweep in Arizona - starting with Thursday night's matchup against the No. 18 Wildcats - and for Oregon to lose its season finale against Southern California in order to claim a share of its second Pac-12 title since 1959-60.

"That's big, that's history," coach Cuonzo Martin said Tuesday. "I always tell our guys when it comes to history, you can't get those days back. That is what it is, it's written in stone. That's 20 years from now, 50 years from now. That won't change."

Those kinds of hopes seemed far-fetched for the Bears when they ended January by losing five of seven conference games. But Martin's team has engineered quite the turnaround and enters Thursday with the second-longest winning streak among all power conference teams. Only No. 1 Kansas has a longer streak at 10 games.

A win Thursday would give Cal (21-8, 11-5) its longest conference win streak since taking 11 straight in '59-60, but the players say they remain focused on the small details, not the big picture.

"We're not looking at it like that," guard Jordan Mathews said. "It's just an opportunity to get better."

The only time the Bears have even won a share of the conference title since Pete Newell stepped down after 1960 came in 2009-10. There has been little success in Berkeley for much of the past half-century, but Martin has started to change that trend in his second season at Cal with help from a stellar freshman class led by Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb.

Cal has been dominant during this current run, making it back into the AP poll for the first time since November. The Bears have outscored the opposition by nearly 15 points per game and won six games by double figures. The defense has led the way, limiting the opposition to 39.4 percent shooting from the field and 28.2 from 3-point range.

The offense has been aided by improved outside shooting. The Bears hit 42 percent of their 3-point attempts in February, up from 35.4 coming into the month. Martin said the turnaround happened after he added a practice drill where the team's eight perimeter players are required to hit 200 3-pointers in a 12-minute span.

Jabari Bird has led the way by hitting 57.9 percent of his shots from long range (22 of 38), opening up the offense for Brown to slash and Rabb on the inside.

"That definitely helps a lot," Rabb said. "It takes some of the attention away from me. It just slows the defense down when they're trying to double or collapse on me. ... We have a lot of guys who can make shots on this team so it makes it a lot more difficult for other teams."

Brown has also gotten into the act with his outside shooting, making 10 of his last 22 3-point attempts after opening the season 18 for 68. That added dimension has made him a more complete player and Cal a much more difficult team to defend.

Martin credits Brown for understanding where he needed to improve his game and then making it happen.

"He's really slowing down," Martin said. "He's a really a good athlete. His shot has really improved in my opinion. Early in the year he was shooting 3-point shots. Now he's making them. It was more or less, `I'll just shoot this shot or this pull up because it looks like a good move.' But it wasn't always the best move."

Arizona (22-7, 10-6) began this season aiming for a third straight Pac-12 title, but those hopes were dashed with losses at Colorado and Utah last week.

"That's the reason we play. That's the reason we work hard," coach Sean Miller told the school's official website. "Those nine road games and nine home games (in a conference season) - it's one heck of an accomplishment in college sports, in a BCS conference, to win a regular season championship. Even with a split, our hope would have still been alive."

Those consecutive defeats dropped the Wildcats into fourth place in the conference and has them in danger of losing three straight for the first time since Feb. 13-25, 2010.

Getting back to Tucson should provide a lift for Arizona, which has won 15 of 16 there this season and 53 of 54 dating to 2012-13.

Freshman Allonzo Trier was again a bright spot in the Wildcats' 70-64 loss to Utah on Saturday, scoring a game-high 23 points.

Trier has averaged 18.0 points in his last five games, and will face Cal for the first time after missing a 74-73 loss in Berkeley on Jan. 23 because of a broken hand.

The Bears ended a four-game series losing streak in that game as Mathews scored a season-high 28 points and matched a career best with six 3-pointers.

**TheGame** · 03-03-2016, 07:19 AM

Re: CBB Betting Info. 3/3

Thursday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards

**California at Arizona**

-- The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas opened Arizona (22-7 straight up, 15-14 against the spread) as a 5.5-point favorite. However, the betting shop adjusted the Wildcats to six-point ‘chalk’ 26 minutes later.

-- Sean Miller’s team has won 15 of 16 home games while compiling a 9-7 spread record. The Wildcats have been single-digit home favorites just two times, going 0-2 ATS with one outright loss to Oregon.

-- Arizona has lost back-to-back games both SU and ATS. Even worse, the Wildcats are mired in a 1-4 ATS slump that’s chafed the pockets of their backers. They lost 75-72 at Colorado last Thursday before dropping a 70-64 decision Saturday at Utah as 3.5-point underdogs. Allonzo Trier scored 23 points in the losing effort, while Ryan Anderson was the only other player in double figures with 11 points and eight rebounds.

-- Anderson, the senior transfer from Boston College, is averaging team-bests in scoring (15.8 points per game), rebounding (10.1 RPG) and field-goal percentage (57.1%). Anderson is joined in the paint by senior seven-footer Kaleb Tarczewski, who averages 9.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game.

-- Arizona is No. 30 in the RPI Rankings due to a lack of Top-25 wins (as in none). The Wildcats are 2-6 versus the Top 50 and 12-7 against the Top 100.

-- California (21-8 SU, 17-12 ATS) is in sole possession of third place in the Pac-12, one game back of the league-leading Ducks of Oregon. The Bears are 11-5 in conference action, while Arizona is 10-6.

-- California has won seven in a row both SU and ATS to move up to No. 16 in my latest Power Rankings. The Bears smashed slumping Southern Cal 87-65 Sunday night as eight-point home favorites. They led by 14 at intermission and by as many as 28 in a wire-to-wire blowout. Ivan Rabb was the catalyst with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Jaylen Brown finished with 18 points, eight boards and two blocked shots. Jordan Mathews added 17 points, while Tyrone Wallace contributed 12 points, six assists and five rebounds.

-- Cuonzo Martin’s squad has lost six of nine road assignments while going 4-5 ATS. The Bears haven’t won outright in any of their four games as road underdogs, but they have managed a 2-2 ATS ledger.

-- Cal is No. 16 in the RPI Rankings, going 7-6 against the Top 50 and 13-7 versus the Top 100. The Bears have just one bad loss, a neutral-court defeat vs. Richmond (RPI: 127). If there’s a blemish to their resume, it’s that they only have one Top-100 win on the road over Washington.

-- After missing five games with a hand injury, Wallace returned to form right away. He’s scored in double figures in all six games. In last week’s 75-63 home win over UCLA, the senior guard had 14 points, 10 rebounds, one steal and six assists compared to just one turnover. For the season, Wallace averages 15.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

-- Brown, the true freshman power forward who was a 5-star recruit landed by Martin, is averaging 15.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest.

-- The ‘under’ is 15-14 overall for Cal, 5-4 in its road outings. The Bears have seen the ‘under’ go 3-1 in their last four games.

-- The ‘over’ is 19-10 overall for Arizona, hitting at an incredible 13-3 clip in its home games.

-- ESPN will have the broadcast at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

**Connecticut at Southern Methodist**

-- The Westgate opened SMU (24-4 SU, 11-13 ATS) as a 5.5-point favorite. Larry Brown’s team is trying to win all it has out there, which would be an AAC regular-season title. The Mustangs are currently in a first-place tie with Temple (12-4), while Cincinnati is one game behind with an 11-5 league mark.

-- SMU has won 15 of its 16 home games, but it has limped to a 4-8 ATS record. The Mustangs have been single-digit home ‘chalk’ only four times, going 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS.

-- Brown’s bunch has won three straight, covering the number in the last two, including Sunday’s 74-53 shellacking of Tulane as a 19.5-point home favorite. The Green Wave actually held a one-point advantage at intermission, only to get outscored 46-24 in the final 20 minutes. Ben Moore led the Mustangs with 16 points, 12 rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocked shots. Sterling Brown added 15 points, five boards, four assists, two steals and one rejection.

-- SMU is No. 12 in the RPI with a 2-1 record against the Top 50 and an 8-4 mark against the Top 100. The Mustangs have wins at Tulsa, at Stanford and vs. Colorado on a neutral floor. They’ve also collected home scalps over Yale, Michigan, Cincy, Houston and Gonzaga.

-- SMU is led by senior point guard Nic Moore, who averages 16.1 points PPG and shoots treys at a 42.6 percent clip. Moore has a 143/61 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Ben Moore averages 12.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game and has a team-high 37 blocked shots.

-- UConn (20-9 SU, 12-12-1 ATS) has won six of its nine road games while going 5-4 ATS. The Huskies have been road underdogs twice, going 1-1 both SU and ATS with a loss at Cincy and a win at Texas.

-- UConn has lost two of its last three games, including Sunday’s 75-68 home loss to Houston as a 10-point home favorite. Hamilton had 20 points and seven boards in the losing effort. Amida Brimah was the only other Husky in double figures with 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

-- UConn has a balanced scoring attack led by Shonn Miller’s 13.0 PPG average. Rodney Purvis, the transfer from N.C. St., scores at a 12.9 PPG clip and makes triples at a 38.9 percent rate. Seton Hall transfer Sterling Gibbs (11.8) is making 38.7 percent from downtown and 85.0 percent at the charity stripe. Daniel Hamilton (11.6 PPG) averages team-highs in assists (5.0 APG), rebounding (8.9 RPG) and steals (1.1 SPG).

-- These AAC rivals met in Storrs on Feb. 18 and UConn captured a 68-62 win as a three-point home ‘chalk.’ Brimah paced the winners with 16 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots. Hamilton added 14 points, six boards and four assists. Nic Moore had 14 points and handed out six helpers in defeat.

-- The ‘under’ has cashed in five consecutive games for the Mustangs, who have seen the ‘under’ go 13-11 overall and 7-5 in their home games.

-- The ‘under’ is 14-10-1 overall for the Huskies, 7-2 in their road outings.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.

**TheGame** · 03-03-2016, 07:20 AM

Re: CBB Betting Info. 3/3

NCAA Basketball Betting 3-Point Play: Three Interesting March 3 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews

In some ways, the American Athletic Conference is the most interesting major conference in the nation (I said major, not Power 5). That's because its potential regular-season champion and the only ranked team in the conference, SMU, is ineligible for postseason play. Thus, the AAC could get anywhere from as few as two teams in the Big Dance to as many as five. That number partly could be decided by two games Thursday I will look at here.

UConn at No. 24 SMU (-6)

AAC game at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. UConn (20-9, 10-6) was projected as a No. 8 seed in the Big Dance earlier this week, but it slipped onto the bubble -- "Last Four Byes" -- with a 75-68 loss to Houston on Sunday, the Huskies' first defeat this season at their on-campus arena (they also play some games in Hartford). UConn led by nine in the first half. The Huskies missed seven of their final nine shots from the field in the game. They were 6-for-18 from long range overall. Daniel Hamilton had 20 points and seven rebounds in the loss. If the Huskies win here, they should be in the NCAA Tournament no matter what happens in the conference tournament. They close the regular season with what looks like a sure win at home against UCF.

It's Senior Night at SMU (24-4, 12-4) and maybe, just maybe, Coach Larry Brown's final home game with the program. You never know when Brown might leave, and the program can't play postseason basketball because yet another of Brown's schools ran afoul of NCAA rules. The Mustangs are tied with Temple for first in the AAC. SMU closes with a tough game at Cincinnati. Seniors Nic Moore, Markus Kennedy and Jordan Tolbert, the team's three best players, will be honored before the game. Moore has a good shot at repeating as AAC Player of the Year. He's a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award nationally as well. SMU is 3-0 all-time at home vs. UConn but lost in Hartford 68-62 on Feb. 18. Amida Brimah had 16 points, eight rebounds and five blocks for the Huskies.

Key trends: UConn is 2-5 against the spread in its past seven games. SMU is 5-1-1 ATS in its past seven following a win of at least 20 points. The home team is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings.

I'm leaning: SMU, which has just one home loss, and it will be an emotional night in Dallas saying goodbye to the best senior class in many, many years.

Cincinnati at Houston (-1)

Another AAC game at 9 p.m. ET but on the CBS Sports Network. Like UConn, Cincinnati (21-8, 11-5) is listed among the "Last Four Byes" for the NCAA Tournament, but the Bearcats could still take the AAC regular-season title by winning out and with some help. They close at home vs. No. 24 SMU on Sunday. If UC could win close games, it would be in clear control of the conference race. Four of its five AAC losses could have gone the other way: 59-57 at SMU, 67-65 in double OT at Temple, 63-59 at Memphis and 70-68 in OT at Tulsa. Cincinnati is the only team in the nation to rank in the Top 20 in scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense, blocks and steals. As usual, it's all about whether this club can score enough.

Houston (21-8, 11-6) isn't listed as even being considered for the NCAA Tournament right now, but I disagree with that. I will say that the Cougars played a nonconference schedule that resembled what the Baylor football team would do. And UH lost to Rhode Island and Grand Canyon. But since a four-game losing streak in the AAC, the Cougars have won eight of 10, including a victory over SMU. On Sunday, they went to UConn and won 75-68, shooting 51.9 percent against one of the nation's top field-goal percentage defensive teams. The Cougars lead the league in scoring at 78.5 points per game and have the AAC's leading scorer in Rob Gray Jr., who averages 16.4 points. This is Houston's final regular-season game. It lost at Cincinnati 70-59 on Jan. 13.

Key trends: Cincinnati is 2-5 ATS in its past seven road games. UH is 4-1 ATS in its past five at home.

I'm leaning: Houston.

No. 25 California at No. 18 Arizona (-5.5)

Pac-12 game at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. This is the only matchup of the night featuring ranked teams. Cal (21-8, 11-5) entered Wednesday third in the Pac-12, a game behind Oregon and a half game behind Utah. The Bears no doubt will be watching the Ducks' game at UCLA on Wednesday night. Oregon finishes with a tough one at USC. Cal closes the season at Arizona State, which should be a win. The Bears bring a seven-game winning streak into this one and finished their home slate 18-0, the school's best record ever at home, with an 87-65 wipeout of USC on Sunday. Five of the seven games in Cal's current win streak were played at home. The Bears' Jaylen Brown, the team's leading scorer (15.8 ppg) and second-leading rebounder (5.7 rpg), likely will be Pac-12 Freshman of the Year -- and probably enter the NBA Draft.

Arizona (22-7, 10-6) is the two-time Pac-12 regular-season champion but would need a win here and at home vs. Stanford on Saturday plus a lot of help to share the crown. The Cats like to lose in pairs. They did Jan. 7 & 9 at UCLA and at USC. They did Jan. 23 & 28 at Cal and home to Oregon -- that loss ended UA's national-best 49-game home winning streak. And they did last week, at Colorado and at Utah. The first Cal result was 74-73, with the Cats' Gabe York not getting off a great shot in the final seconds. Cal's Brown made the second of two free throws with 18.4 seconds left, leaving Arizona one last chance to win it. He finished with 15 points and seven assists. UA had won four straight in the series.

Key trends: Cal is 1-4 ATS in its past five road games vs. teams with a winning home record. Arizona is 9-4 ATS in its past 13 at home. The home team is 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings.

I'm leaning: Cal is just 2-5 in Pac-12 road games, and the Cats have only one home loss all year. So go Arizona.

**TheGame** · 03-03-2016, 07:20 AM

Re: CBB Betting Info. 3/3

NCAAB

Notes for Thursday's games..........

Louisiana Tech won nine of its last 11 games; Bulldogs won 98-77/81-57 in two C-USA games with Marshall, both in Ruston. This first time the Bulldogs have been a C-USA underdog this year; they're 3-4 on road in conference. Marshall covered five of its last six games; they're 6-1 as HF, but lost their last two games, both on road. C-USA home favorites of 5 or less points are 16-6 against the spread.

Georgia beat South Carolina 69-56 Feb 2, holding Gamecocks to 31.6% from floor; Dawgs are 10-3 in last 13 series games- teams split last four in Columbia. Georgia lost three of last four games overall; they're 3-3 as SEC road dogs. Carolina lost three of last five games; they're 6-1 as SEC home favorites, with only home loss to Kentucky. SEC home favorites of 7 or less points are 20-11 against the spread.

Memphis beat Temple 67-65 at home Jan 13, rallying back from down 11 in second half; Tigers are 3-2 vs Temple in AAC play- they won by 10 here in only visit two years ago. Memphis is 4-8 in its last 12 games; they're 1-6 SU on AAC road, 2-2 as road underdog. Temple won seven of last eight games, is 2-3 as a home favorite. AAC home favorites of 5 or less points are 7-5 against the spread.

UConn beat SMU 68-62 at home two weeks ago; home side won four of five series games. Huskies lost 74-65/73-55 in two AAC trips here- they split last six games after a 17-6 start, are 5-3 on AAC road, 1-1 as road underdogs. Mustangs won last three games, allowing 59.3 ppg; they are 2-6 as home favorites. AAC home favorites of more than five points are 15-25 against spread. Senior Night for SMU team whose season ends on Sunday- they're ineligible for postseason.

California won/covered its last seven games; they're 1-2 as road dog in Pac-12. Arizona lost 74-73 at Cal Jan 23, its first loss in last five games against Bears, who are 1-4 in last five visits to Tucson, losing by 4-2-28-23 points. Arizona got swept at Colorado/Utah LW; they won three in a row at home, are 4-3 vs spread as a home favorite. Pac-12 home faves of 6 or less points are 17-12 against the spread.

Cincinnati/Houston both won eight of last ten games; Cougars lost by 11 at Cincinnati Jan 13, despite making 10-22 on arc- they shot 30.3% on 2-point shots. Bearcats won all five AAC games with Houston, winning 61-60/63-53 in two visits here. Cincy is 4-4 on AAC road; their losses on road were by total of 10 points. Houston is 5-3 at home in the AAC. AAC home favorites of 4 or less points are 7-4 vs spread. .

Missouri Valley tournament
Road team won both Bradley-Loyola games this year, both low-scoring tilts- first half totals were 44-43. Bradley is 1-4 in MVC tourney the last four years- they won a game LY, but lost four of last five games overall, covering six of last eight. Loyola is 2-7 in conference tourneys last seven years- they did win game each of last two years. Ramblers are 1-6 vs the spread as a Missouri Valley favorite.

Missouri State swept Drake by 9 points each this year after trailing both games at half; Bears outscored Drake 35-16 on foul line in those games. State is 4-2 in its first Arch Madness game last six years. Drake is 2-7 in this event last seven years; Bulldogs lost seven of their last eight games overall, Missouri State five of last seven; not lot to choose from here. Bulldogs are 2-5-1 as road dogs, State is 1-2-1 vs spread as a favorite.

MAAC tournament
Home side won both Rider-Quinnipiac games this season; Bobcats shot 28.2%/33.3% inside arc in those games. Rider is 4-2 vs Quinnipiac in its MAAC matchups; Broncs are 1-4 in this tourney last four years- they lost in first round after 12-6/15-5 seasons. Quinnipiac was 1-2 in its first two MAAC tourneyes; Bobcats lost seven of last eight games overall, Rider three of its last four games. These early round games don't present you with lot of appetizing investment opportunities.

Canisius beat local rival Niagara twice this year, 70-61 on road, 65-60 at home week ago tonight; Griffins shot 56%+ inside arc in both wins, only 8-42 outside arc. Niagara lost eight of last nine games, Canisius eight of last 11. Canisius is just 1-5 in this event last five years, winning in first round two years ago. Niagara is 10-3 in first round tourney games in last 13 years, but most of that was when Joe Mihalich was the coach there.

Marist is 39-111 in MAAC regular season the last eight years, but 4-3 in first round of MAAC tourney. Manhattan won MAAC tourney the last two years, but slumped to 9-11 this year. Road team won both series games this year; Marist won 75-70 back in December, rallying back from 11 down in second half. Jaspers won 81-73 on road Feb 13. Marist won last two games, covered four of last five. Manhattan lost five of its last six games overall.

Ohio Valley Conference tournament
Austin Peay upset Tennessee Tech, but didn't overwor their kids, with 92-72 win; Governors are now 5-2 in their last seven games overall. 2-3 in OVC tourney since '10. Tennessee State didn't play in OVC tourney last two years; they won first tourney games by 7-13 last two times it was in. Tigers are 5-2 in last seven games overall; they're #25 in country in experience, #36 at forcing turnovers, forcing 21 miscues a game.

Murray State won five of last six games, with easy win last night- four kids still played 32:00+. Racers are now 8-4 in OVC tourney since '10, winning title in '10/'12- they beat Morehead State 62-57 at home Jan 2, in OVC opener. Morehead won its last five games, is 12-4 in their last 16; Eagles won their first OVC tourney game last seven years, they are 12-5 in this event since 2009, winning it in '09/'11.

**Satch** · 03-03-2016, 08:47 AM

Re: CBB Betting Info. 3/3

March Madness is NOW! Betting this week’s NCAAB small conference tournaments
By Jason Logan
For those that think March Madness doesn’t begin until the selection committee has their say on that tense Sunday in mid-March, we say “WRONG”.
The official and oft-forgotten kickoff to the NCAA postseason begins this week when 13 mid-major conferences open their respective conference tournaments. With a few small conference tournaments, already underway, these leagues will fill out the first outright selections of the national tournament and, along the way, likely burst the bubble of a few major conference programs on the NCAA fringe.
Chances are you haven’t paid attention to these little leagues during the course of the season, since many of their games go without odds. Hell, you may not know some of them even existed. So we’re giving you a head start when it comes to capping these conference tournaments, pointing out the favorites as well as some live underdogs to win their respective tournament.
America East (March 2, 7 & 12)
Favorite: Stony Brook Seawolves (23-6, 14-2 conference) – The Seawolves have one of the best all-around players in the country in forward Jameel Warney, the three-time America East Player of the Year. Stony Brook boasts one of the best defenses in the country, allowing only 62.6 points per game.
Underdog: Vermont Catamounts (19-12, 10-3) – The No. 3 seeded Catamounts have momentum heading into the America East tournament, picking up a one-sided win over Stony Brook in the season finale. That win gave Vermont five straight victories, making it the hot team entering the postseason.
Atlantic Sun (March 1, 3 & 6)
Favorite: North Florida Osprey (22-10, 14-1) – The Osprey managed to steer out of a four-game skid with a four-game winning streak to end the regular season. North Florida can fill it up, averaging 85.7 points per game, but allows 78.7 points against – ranked 321st in the country.
Underdog: Lipscomb Bison (12-20, 7-7) – The Bison are sitting pretty in the Atlantic Sun tournament, which tipped off Tuesday. They stunned Jacksonville in OT and now get Stetson, which upset NJIT in the opening round. Lipscomb has a win over North Florida and could burst some bubble should they somehow win out.
Big South (March 3-6)
Favorite: High Point Panthers (20-9, 13-5) – The Panthers established themselves as the team to beat in the Big South with a season-ending six-game winning streak. High Point should be on high alert, as the Big South tournament is known for turning out upsets.
Underdog: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (18-10, 12-6) – The Chanticleers are right where they want to be, sitting No. 3 in the tournament bracket. Coastal Carolina has won back-to-back Big South tournaments, taking it as a No. 3 last year, and spit meeting with High Point and Winthrop.
Colonial (March 4-7)
Favorite: Hofstra Pride (22-8, 14-4) – The Pride wrapped conference play on a six-game winning run, including a one-point win at NC-Wilmington. Juan’ya Green and Ameen Tanksley are a dynamic duo for Hofstra, which has all five starters averaging at least 11.6 points per game.
Underdog: William & Mary (19-10, 11-7) – William & Mary are always a bridesmaid and never a bride, having made it to the CAA tournament final the past two years only to crumble. The Tribe have never made the NCAA cut, so that motivation along with the agony of the two previous postseasons could be enough to push them to an upset as the No. 5 seed.
Horizon League (March 5-8)
Favorite: Valparaiso Crusaders (26-5, 16-2) – The Crusaders have the experience and the talent to make waves, not only in the Horizon League tournament but in the NCAA. Valparaiso ranks among the top teams in defense while running a methodical offensive pace.
Underdog: Oakland Grizzlies (21-10, 13-5) – The Grizzlies are tested, having played six of their final nine games away from home. Oakland lost both meetings with Valparaiso, most recently a two-point loss at home, but have the Horizon League’s most entertaining player in guard Kahlil Felder – a 5-foot-9 dynamo who is fourth in scoring (24.4) and tops in assists (9.4).
MAAC (March 3-7)
Favorite: Monmouth Hawks (26-6, 17-3) – By now, most people have heard of the Hawks – or at least their entertaining bench antics. Monmouth has some big non-conference wins on the resume but conference tournaments are a different beast. The Hawks finished the year on a 2-6 ATS slide, and four of those were at home.
Underdog: Fairfield Stags (18-12, 11-4) – The Stags enter the MAAC tournament as one of the hottest team in the conference, boasting a six-game winning streak before losing by four to Saint Peter’s in the season finale. Fairfield has a win over Iona and was tested at the end of conference play with five of its last eight games on the road.
Missouri Valley (March 3-6)
Favorite: Wichita State Shockers (23-7, 16-2) – The Shockers (-175 to win the tournament) are now a household name but didn’t have the season to match to notoriety. Wichita State failed to live up to its lofty non-conference slate and wobbled a bit in MVC play. But, the Shockers straightened out just in time for the postseason, winning five in a row behind the No. 1 defense in all the land (59.4 points against).
Underdog: Northern Iowa Panthers (19-12, 11-7) – The Panthers (+650) stumbled out of the gates during MVC play but finished with nine wins in their final 10 games, including a victory over WSU. Northern Iowa is a quality team with resume wins against North Carolina and Iowa State and could meet the Shockers in the semifinal of Arch Madness.
Northeast (March 2, 5, 8)
Favorite: Wagner Seahawks (20-9, 13-5) – The Seahawks were the best of the conference but not by much, given their conference record. Wagner did win five straight to end the regular season and ranks 17th in the country in defense, but this could be anyone’s postseason title.
Underdog: LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds (15-14, 9-9) – The Blackbirds have the Seahawks’ number, winning both meetings with the No. 1 seed this season. LIU Brooklyn has an uphill climb, seeded No. 6, but with seven of the Northeast’s teams at 9-9 or better during conference play, value is on the board in just about every game.
Ohio Valley (March 2-5)
Favorite: Belmont Bruins (20-10, 12-4) – The Bruins have big game experience and nearly knocked Virginia out of the Big Dance last March. Belmont averages almost 82 points and can get hot from downtown. It has an extremely efficient offense, shooting better than 49 percent from the field, but alternated wins and losses in the second half of conference play.
Underdog: Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks (18-13, 10-6) – The Skyhawks topped the OVC West thanks to a strong finish which saw them victorious in eight of their final nine outings after starting conference play a little flat. That run may be a bit inflated since six of those games were played at home. But UT Martin gets some help from the eight-team OVC bracket, getting an automatic bye to the semifinals.
Patriot League (March 1, 3, 6, 9)
Favorite: Bucknell Bison (17-12, 14-4) – The Patriot League tournament opened played Tuesday, but the No. 1 Bison won’t see action until Thursday. Bucknell won four straight to finish conference play and can flat out score the basketball. But the Patriot League had much in the way of parity, with seven teams at 9-9 or better during conference play.
Underdog: Lehigh Mountain Hawks (15-14, 13-5) – You could probably swap out Lehigh and Bucknell when it comes to the Patriot League favorite. The Mountain Hawks enter the postseason on fire with nine wins in a row, including a 15-point smashing of the Bison at home. Be warned: the Mountain Hawks have bowed out in the quarterfinals the past two years.
Southern (March 4-7)
Favorite: Chattanooga Mocs (26-5, 15-3) – The Mocs could be flirting with an at-large bid after wins against Georgia, Dayton and Illinois during non-conference competition but there is work to be done in the Southern. Chattanooga enters the postseason on a three-game ATS skid, including a nail-bitter at VMI which should have been an easier win to lock up the Southern’s No. 1 seed.
Underdog: Western Carolina Catamounts (15-16, 10-8) – The hottest team hitting the postseason in the Southern is WCU, which has won seven of its last eight outings including a four-game winning streak. The Catamounts have beaten three of the four teams ahead of them in the standings, with victories over Chattanooga and Wofford.
Summit League (March 5-8)
Favorite: IUPU-Ft. Wayne Mastodons (23-8, 12-4) – If you’ve been hardcore about betting college hoops over the past few seasons, you’re very familiar with the Mastodons. They followed a 21-9-2 ATS mark in 2013-14 with a 15-9-2 ATS record in 2014-15, and followed that with a 20-6 ATS count this season – that’s a 56-24-4 ATS combined record (70 percent) over the past three seasons.
Underdog: Nebraska Omaha Mavericks (18-12, 10-6) – The Mavericks can fill a scoresheet, ranked fifth in the country in points per game at 84.9. Omaha plays a break-neck pace, ranked sixth in tempo on KenPom.com. They open the tournament against Denver, who upended the Mavericks on their home court in their last meeting.
West Coast Conference (March 4-5, 7-8)
Favorite: Gonzaga Bulldogs (23-7, 15-3) – The Bulldogs haven’t been challenged like this years. Gonzaga is a +120 favorite to once again win the WCC but the St. Mary’s Gaels are hot on their heels at +180. The Zags actually enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed after suffering two losses in their final five games, and have dropped both meetings with the Gaels.
Underdog: BYU Cougars (22-9, 13-5) – It’s tough to call St. Mary’s an underdog, so we go with the next best thing. Brigham Young (+300) had a solid season, including wins over both Gonzaga and SMU. However, it stumbled against lesser teams. It does have the best player in the conference, outside of Kyle Wiltjer, in Kyle Collinsworth, who was named WCC Player of the Year.

**TheGame** · 03-03-2016, 10:54 AM

Re: CBB Betting Info. 3/3

QUINNIPIAC vs. RIDER
No trends available
Rider is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Rider's last 13 games

BRADLEY vs. LOYOLA OF CHICAGO
No trends available
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Loyola of Chicago's last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Loyola of Chicago's last 9 games when playing Bradley

MEMPHIS vs. TEMPLE
Memphis is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Memphis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Temple is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Temple is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

MASSACHUSETTS vs. RHODE ISLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Massachusetts's last 6 games on the road
Massachusetts is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Rhode Island is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Massachusetts
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Rhode Island's last 5 games when playing Massachusetts

LOUISIANA TECH vs. MARSHALL
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Marshall's last 5 games at home
Marshall is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

NIAGARA vs. CANISIUS
No trends available
Canisius is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Niagara
Canisius is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games

MIDDLE TENNESSEE vs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Middle Tennessee is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Florida Atlantic
Middle Tennessee is 8-13-2 ATS in its last 23 games on the road
Florida Atlantic is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Florida Atlantic's last 10 games

GEORGIA vs. SOUTH CAROLINA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Georgia's last 5 games when playing on the road against South Carolina
Georgia is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against South Carolina
South Carolina is 20-1 SU in its last 21 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of South Carolina's last 7 games at home

ILLINOIS vs. MARYLAND
Illinois is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Illinois is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Maryland
Maryland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Illinois
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Maryland's last 6 games when playing Illinois

UAB vs. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
UAB is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
UAB is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Florida International is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida International's last 5 games at home

ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK vs. APPALACHIAN STATE
Arkansas-Little Rock is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Appalachian State is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Appalachian State's last 7 games at home

GEORGIA SOUTHERN vs. LOUISIANA-MONROE
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Georgia Southern's last 9 games on the road
Georgia Southern is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Louisiana-Monroe is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Louisiana-Monroe's last 12 games

CHARLOTTE vs. RICE
Charlotte is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Rice is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Rice is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

OLD DOMINION vs. NORTH TEXAS
Old Dominion is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Old Dominion is 6-12-1 ATS in its last 19 games on the road
North Texas is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games
North Texas is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games

GEORGIA STATE vs. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
Georgia State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Georgia State's last 12 games on the road
Louisiana-Lafayette is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
Louisiana-Lafayette is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home

SOUTH ALABAMA vs. TEXAS-ARLINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of South Alabama's last 13 games on the road
South Alabama is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas-Arlington's last 7 games
Texas-Arlington is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games

TROY vs. TEXAS STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Troy's last 5 games on the road
Troy is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Texas State is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
Texas State is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games at home

CINCINNATI vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Cincinnati's last 17 games on the road
Cincinnati is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati

CONNECTICUT vs. SOUTHERN METHODIST
Connecticut is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Connecticut's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Southern Methodist's last 5 games
Southern Methodist is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games

MARIST vs. MANHATTAN
No trends available
Manhattan is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Marist
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Manhattan's last 6 games

NORTH DAKOTA vs. MONTANA
North Dakota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Montana
North Dakota is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Montana is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Montana's last 8 games

SOUTHERN MISS vs. WESTERN KENTUCKY
Southern Miss is 2-15 SU in its last 17 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Southern Miss's last 6 games on the road
Western Kentucky is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Western Kentucky's last 5 games at home

NORTHWESTERN vs. PENN STATE
Northwestern is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Northwestern is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Penn State is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Northwestern
Penn State is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games when playing Northwestern

CALIFORNIA vs. ARIZONA
California is 2-20 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Arizona
California is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Arizona's last 11 games when playing California
Arizona is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

NORTHERN COLORADO vs. MONTANA STATE
Northern Colorado is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Montana State
Northern Colorado is 5-13-1 ATS in its last 19 games on the road
Montana State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Montana State's last 6 games

IDAHO STATE vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON
Idaho State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Eastern Washingto
Idaho State is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Eastern Washingto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Eastern Washington's last 6 games at home
Eastern Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

DRAKE vs. MISSOURI STATE
No trends available
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Missouri State's last 9 games
Missouri State is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games

WEBER STATE vs. IDAHO
Weber State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Weber State's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Idaho's last 11 games
Idaho is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

HAWAII vs. UC DAVIS
Hawaii is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Hawaii's last 7 games on the road
UC Davis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of UC Davis's last 9 games

UC RIVERSIDE vs. SANTA BARBARA
UC Riverside is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
UC Riverside is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Santa Barbara is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing UC Riverside
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Santa Barbara's last 8 games when playing UC Riverside

NORTHERN ARIZONA vs. PORTLAND STATE
Northern Arizona is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Northern Arizona's last 6 games on the road
Portland State is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games when playing at home against Northern Arizona
Portland State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Northern Arizona

SOUTHERN UTAH vs. SACRAMENTO STATE
Southern Utah is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Sacramento State
Southern Utah is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento State's last 7 games at home
Sacramento State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

STANFORD vs. ARIZONA STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Stanford's last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona State
Stanford is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Arizona State
Arizona State is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games at home
Arizona State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

CAL POLY vs. UC IRVINE
Cal Poly is 5-17 SU in its last 22 games on the road
UC Irvine is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games at home
UC Irvine is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

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CBB Betting Info. 3/3

CBB Betting Info. 3/3

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