WEDNESDAY SERVICE PLAYS

• There aren't any shouts yet!

[HOVA]

 

[TheGame]

CONFERENCE PREVIEWS
By The Gold Sheet

CONFERENCE TOURNEY WEEK!

By the early '80s, conference tournaments were truly en vogue, and many credit them with hastening alignments that eventually made independent status practically obsolete. Remember, before the NCAA tourney expanded in 1975, it probably was preferable for the South Carolinas of the world to go independent, and not be inhibited by conference rules that allowed only one rep to go "dancing" in those years. Many schools were "indies" in those days, including almost all of the eastern universities save those in the Ivy League; most of the major, private Catholic schools of the midwest (Notre Dame, Marquette, DePaul, Loyola-Chicago, Detroit, Saint Louis, etc.), much of the lower midwest and mid-south (Louisville and Memphis State were both independents when they reached Final Fours in the early '70s); and one of the legendary teams of all-time, Guy Lewis' late '60s Houston Cougars, including the back-to-back Final Four squads featuring Elvin Hayes in 1967-68.

But the independent appeal had worn off by the late '70s, and with conference tourneys as a major draw, leagues such as the Metro Conference were eventually formed, enlisting many of those wayward independents, with a conference tourney one of the main enticements. The east also featured several different looks, with the Eastern Eight originally rivaling the Big East for primacy, and the Atlantic 10 (which once actually had ten teams!) another alternative for those long-time independents. Eventually, the Big East rose above all in the region, really catching lightning in a bottle in the early '80s, with its wild success fueled largely by its enormously-popular conference tournament right in the heart of Manhattan at Madison Square Garden. And it was that Garden venue for the conference tourney that many believe really established the Big East as the major brand name for college hoops in the region.

We've enjoyed these conference tournaments for years, many of them first-hand. The old PCAA (now the Big West) instituted the first conference tourney west of the Mississippi River in 1976, held at the old Stockton Civic Auditorium (an event won that year by San Diego State) before moving to the Anaheim Convention Center where we first watched action the following year. We saw many of those PCAA long-ago tourney games in person, with the games becoming quite memorable in the early '80s when the event moved to the Inglewood Forum, the former home of the L.A. Lakers, and the PCAA added Jerry Tarkanian's UNLV Runnin' Rebels, who staged a few memorable wars vs. Boyd Grant's Fresno State teams in the early '80s. The Forum conference tourney venue, along with UNLV's presence, allowed the PCAA/Big West to challenge and even exceed the more-established Pac-10 on the hardwood for a few years in the '80s. A couple of years ago, we decided to take a little tour of the country and watch more of these events in person, and took a wild three-day swing through the midwest (Big Ten in Indianapolis), south (SEC at Atlanta, dodging a tornado along the way) and back to the west (Big West at Anaheim), an adventure we will recall as a "Best of TGS" feature on our website this week.

After a handful of mid-major and lesser conferences whetted our appetites with their tourneys last week, the "big boys" are ready for center stage this week. Following are brief previews of those events, complete with dates, location, last year's NCAA, NIT, and CBI qualifiers, and a brief handicap of each remaining event.

ACC--Tourney March 11-14 at Greesnboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC. Last year...NCAA-7 (North Carolina-Champion, Duke-Sweet 16, Maryland-2nd round, Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Wake Forest); NIT-2 (Miami Florida-2nd round, Virginia Tech-2nd round). What to expect...Different than past years in that North Carolina is not expected to be much of a factor. Duke will be aiming for a Big Dance regional No. 1 seed if it can prevail, with Maryland looking to secure likely NCAA protected-seed (1 thru 4) status with a decent showing. Florida State and Clemson and probably Wake Forest, all merely positioning for better Big seeding prospects. But there's some real urgency for Georgia Tech, not yet guaranteed an NCAA at-large slot after late-season fades; Virginia Tech might feel the same after a couple of Selection Sunday slights in recent years, but we project the Hokies safely into the Big Dance field after their 10-6 ACC mark.

ATLANTIC TEN--Tourney first round March 9 at campus sites; quarters, semis, and final March 12-14 at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ. Last year...NCAA-3 (Xavier-Sweet 16, Dayton-2nd round, Temple); NIT-2 (Rhode Island-2nd round, Duquesne); CBI-1 (Richmond, semifinals). What to expect...With a few teams (Rhode Island, Dayton, and Charlotte) effectively playing their way off of the NCAA bubble in recent weeks, and Saint Louis desperately trying to get into the at-large mix, plenty of intrigue should be on tap once festivities move to Atlantic City after first-round action at campus sites earlier in the week. Temple, Xavier, and Richmond are all securely into the 65-team field, with the Owls (winners of this event the past two years) having a chance to secure a protected seed if they make it a hat trick by the shore.

BIG EAST--Tourney March 9-13 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY. Last year...NCAA-7 (UConn-Final Four, Villanova-Final Four, Louisville-Elite 8, Pittsburgh-Elite 8, Syracuse-Sweet 16, Marquette-2nd round, West Virginia); NIT-3 (Notre Dame-semifinals, Providence, Georgetown); CBI-1 (St. John's). What to expect...After Syracuse's 6-OT opening-round win over UConn last season, nothing will surprise us anymore in the Big Apple. Right now, we're projecting eight Big East entries into the Big Dance field (aforementioned Syracuse, plus West Virginia, Villanova, Pitt, Marquette, Louisville, Georgetown, and Notre Dame); of that group we think only the Fighting Irish ought to make sure they don't lose a first-round game. It's probably too late for the likes of South Florida, Seton Hall, or UConn to do enough to warrant an at-large NCAA look, especially since any of the three are going to have to play five days in a row to get to the tourney finale!

BIG TEN--Tourney March 11-14 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN. Last year...NCAA-7 (Michigan State-2nd place, Purdue-Sweet 16, Wisconsin-2nd round, Michigan-2nd round, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State); NIT-2 (Penn State-Champs, Northwestern). What to expect...The only NCAA "bubble" teams left in the Big Ten field are Illinois, which has some very good wins in its satchel (at Clemson and Wisconsin) but also too many losses (13, including 5 in its last 6 games), and perhaps Minnesota, which would probably have to make a deep run to the final on Sunday to get as much as a look from the Selection Committee. The conference might be far down from its 7 NCAA bids a year ago, as only four (Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State, and Wisconsin) look solid heading into Conseco Fieldhouse. Either the Buckeyes or Boilermakers (now proceeding minus injured star F Robbie Hummel) would be in the frame for a regional top seed by winning the event at Indianapolis. An intriguing darkhorse could be 11th-seed Penn State, playing some very good basketball in recent weeks and the most-likely of the Big Ten lower-seeds to post an upset or two in Indy.

BIG XII--Tourney March 10-13 at Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO. Last year...NCAA-6 (Missouri-Elite 8, Oklahoma-Elite 8, Kansas-Sweet 16, Oklahoma State-2nd round, Texas-2nd round, Texas A&M-2nd round); NIT-3 (Baylor-runner up, Kansas State-2nd round, Nebraska). What to expect...This might be a coronation for Kansas, which figures to proceed to an NCAA top regional seed and preferred sub-regional assignment at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City next week. Of more interest will be to see if Kansas State restores some of the confidence it seemed to lose last week after defeats vs. the Jayhawks and Iowa State and solidifies its protected seed status. Baylor and stretch-running Texas A&M can also make cases for protected seeds with strong showings in KC, while Oklahoma State, Missouri, and recently-fading Texas will be looking to tune up for the Big Dance. There are a couple of interesting longshots, not the least of which will be the aforementioned Cyclones, something of a disappointment this season but with a big-time go-to-threat in PF Craig Brackins and some momentum after that win at Kansas State, and perhaps no-nonsense Colorado. One team we're not expecting to do much is fading Texas Tech, which has been out of the NCAA at-large discussion for weeks and might have played itself out of NIT, CBI, and CIT consideration as well after a season-ending 7-game losing streak that has HC Pat Knight looking over his shoulder.

BIG WEST--Tourney March 10-13 at Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA. Last year...NCAA-1 (CS Northridge); CIT-1 (Pacific-semifinals). What to expect...Some spirited action should be on tap from this one-bid league in which none of the eight entries would appear to be without a realistic chance. Although Pacific and UCSB enter as co-favorites after sharing the loop's regular-season crown, sone regional observers believe a darkhorse could emerge; many are keeping an eye on UC Davis, with a couple of potentially dominating components in 6-10 sr. F Dominic Calegari (double-figure scoring in 11 straight games) and 6-7 hybrid PG Mark Payne, back in the lineup after being sidelined by injuries and illness earlier in the season.

CONFERENCE USA--Tourney March 10-13 at Bank of America Center, Tulsa, OK. Last year...NCAA-1 (Memphis-Sweet 16); NIT-2 (Tulsa-2nd round, UAB); CBI-2 (UTEP-2nd place, Houston). What to expect...C-USA appears to be at least a 2-bid league this year; the potential semifinal matchup that would feature surging Memphis and UAB shapes up as a possible NCAA at-large elimination game, although some projections have both the Tigers and Blazers, plus regular-season champ UTEP (which looks safely into the field of 65), all Big Dance-bound. Interesting contenders could be dangerous Marshall or host Tulsa, although either would have to win this event to reach the field of 65. Only UTEP, Memphis, and UAB remain in the at-large frame.

MAC--Tourney quarters, semis, and final March 11-13 at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH. Last year...NCAA-1 (Akron); NIT-1 (Bowling Green). What to expect...Kent State and Akron rate as the co-favorites in what still figures as a wide-open event in Cleveland. Sunday's first round matchups don't figure as a particular negative for the survivors of those games, given that the next games won't be until Thursday. Which is why regional observers are not overlooking senior-laden Buffalo, which eased past lowly Toledo in not much more than a high-profile first-round scrimmage on Sunday, and figures as a top challenger to the Golden Flahes and Zips at The Q. Others caution to keep an eye on Charlie Coles' tempo-conscious Miami-Ohio, which played Kentucky within 2 points back in November and had the benefit of some extra rest as the 4 seed, bypassing the Sunday first-round games.

MOUNTAIN WEST--Tourney March 10-13 at Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV. Last year...NCAA-2 (Utah, BYU); NIT-3 (San Diego State-semifinals, New Mexico-2nd round, UNLV); CBI-1 (Wyoming). What to expect...For the first time in many years, New Mexico enters the MWC Tourney assured on an NCAA bid; the Lobos might even have a protected seed already in their pocket, so the normal urgency isn't attached this week in Vegas. Nor is it for BYU, although the Cougs could be playing for an NCAA protected seed at the Thomas & Mack Center. More attention is being focused upon host UNLV, which has won this event two of the past three years and is looking good (but not yet certain) for an NCAA at-large, and San Diego State, one of the last teams knocked off the Big Dance bubble last season and by most accounts right on the cut line again starting this week. Note that should the host Rebels hook BYU in the semifinals, the Cougs have lost seven straight vs. UNLV on this floor. A possible longshot to watch in Utah, which beat first-round foe UNLV twice this season, although the Utes flattened out a bit in the last week, losing badly vs. BYU and lacking spark in a Saturday loss at Colorado State.

PAC 10--Tourney March 10-13 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA. Last year...NCAA-6 (Arizona-Sweet 16, Arizona State-2nd round, UCLA-2nd round, Southern Cal-2nd round, Washington-2nd round, Cal); NIT-1 (Washington State); CBI-2 (Oregon State-champs, Stanford-semifinals). What to expect...Anyone's guess, really. Cal enters on the heels of its first outright regular-season conference crown since 1960 (Pete Newell's last Golden Bears team), and events of the last few weeks suggest that Mike Montgomery's team is in very good shape for an NCAA at-large bid, regardless what happens at Staples Center. Whether the Bears win this event or not probably determines if the Pac-10 (in an admitted down year) becomes a 2-bid league, although Arizona State appears to have moved to the periphery of the bubble discussion heading into Los Angeles. Close observers aren't dismissing any of the entries, paying particular attention to Washington (which has finally started to win some road games in recent weeks) and perhaps Craig Robinson's Oregon State, which has White House support and flourished in tourney mode last March when winning the CBI postseason event.

SEC--Tourney March 11-14 at Bridgestone Arena (nee Sommet Center, home of NHL's Nashville Predators), Nashville, TN. Last year...NCAA-3 (LSU-2nd round, Mississippi State, Tennessee); NIT-4 (Auburn-quarterfnals, Florida-quarterfinals, Kentucky-quarterfinals, South Carolina). What to expect...Entering Nashville, only three entries (Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee) are set with their Big Dance bids, which means that "bubblers" Florida (on a 3-game losing streak), Ole Miss, and Mississippi State will likely be playing for their NCAA lives at Bridgestone Arena. An intriguing darkhorse could be South Carolina, a bit up and down the past month but good enough to deal UK one of its two regular-season defeats and also to beat Vandy across town at Memorial Gym last Saturday thanks in part to electric sr. G Devan Downey, perhaps the most explosive scorer in this event.

WAC--Tourney March 11-13 at Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV. Last year...NCAA-1 (Utah State); CBI-2 (Boise State, Nevada); CIT-1 (Idaho-2nd round). What to expect...Next year, this tourney moves to the Orleans Hotel Arena in Las Vegas, so Reno fans will have to enjoy this event while they can. Hot Utah State (on a 14-game win streak) has positioned itself as a potential NCAA at-large entry should it lose at the Lawlor Center, but we doubt Stew Morrill will want to take a chance with the bubble after being denied what seemed to be a likely at-large berth a few years ago while still campaigning in the Big West. A recent uprising by tourney host Nevada suggests the Wolf Pack (with arguably the league's top two players in F Luke Babbitt & G Armon Johnson) might be ready to pounce, although the Pack's lack of depth could prove a big negative in the bang-bang-bang conference tourney format. Others are keeping an eye on explosive New Mexico State, even though the Aggies just lost on the road last week to both the Utags and Wolf Pack

[TheGame]

PICK 'N' ROLL

Today's best NBA bets

Los Angeles Clippers at Miami Heat

The Miami Heat don’t have much in their backcourt besides Dwyane Wade but the cupboard is even more bare since Rafer Alston jumped ship.

Carlos Arroyo is manning the point and he’s taking the job seriously. Arroyo has got in the face of some teammates (read Michael Beasley) for not being in the right place offensively.

Beasley doesn’t mind Arroyo aggressive temperament though.

"There's no egos right now on this team," he told the Florida Sun-Sentinel. "With Carlos as the point guard, we understand that when I come back and get the ball, that he's going to get shots, as well, that a lot of guys are going to get shots.”

Beasley scored 22 points on Saturday, just as many as he totaled over his prior three games. Seems like he’s on the same page with Arroyo.

All you need to know about the Clippers is that Drew Gooden is their most productive player right now.

Pick: Heat


New York Knicks at San Antonio Spurs (-8.5, 207)

If there’s one good thing for the Spurs about Tony Parker’s broken hand it’s that Manu Ginobili will get more touches. Ginobili, who’s been in a funk for most of the season, nearly willed San Antonio to a win over the LeBron James-less Cavs on Monday.

“Manu Ginobili is a bad boy,” Cavs coach Mike Brown told San Antonio Express-News after the game.

The Argentinean scored 38 points dished out five assists and pulled down seven rebounds.

Without Parker running the show, the Spurs don’t push the tempo as much and usually get fewer points in the paint.

The Knicks still love to run ‘n’ gun but Mike D’Antoni is putting out a different starting five almost every game.

Pick: Under

[TheGame]

ICE PICKS

Today's best NHL bets

Los Angeles Kings at Chicago Blackhawks (-177, 5.5)

The Blackhawks were handed a rude awakening by division rival Detroit Sunday. The Red Wings proved to the young Chicago roster that they still run the Central with a 5-4 win.

That game marked the seventh straight game in which the Blackhawks have played over the total. Chicago has averaged more than 4.5 goals during this stretch. And more notable, it has given up an average of almost four goals a night in that same span. Detroit scored all five of their goals in the middle frame of Sunday’s game.

"We seem to let down in the second period, and it's been happening way too much lately," winger Andrew Ladd told the Daily Herald. "It's something we've got to figure out in this room or we're not going to go as far as we want to. We've got to play for 60 minutes instead of in bits and pieces."

It seems the entire club is focusing on playing better defense and putting themselves between the puck and their goaltenders. With Chicago tightening up on the blueline, goals could be tougher to come by Wednesday night.

Pick: Under


Dallas Stars at Buffalo Sabres (-193, 5.5)

If American sports fans didn’t know who Ryan Miller was before the Olympics, they know now. The Team USA goaltender, who claimed the tournament MVP at the Vancouver 2010 games, is back on NHL ice and maintaining his high level of play.

Miller was on the Today Show while in New York earlier this week. Buffalo edged the Rangers 2-1 in overtime while Miller stopped 35 shots.

"It felt amazing, usually you go to opposing rinks and hear a lot of boos," Miller told the Today Show. "Hopefully we built some hockey fans."

Miller has made fans out of NHL bettors. He has allowed two or less goals in his past four starts, winning three of those contests. Under bettors are thrilled that Miller has avoided an Olympic hangover like some players, keeping scores below the betting total in all four of those outings.

Pick: Under

[TheGame]

DCI CBB

03/10/10 Predictions

Season
Straight Up: 3734-1201 (.757)
ATS: 1621-1606 (.502)
ATS Vary Units: 4420-4461 (.498)
Over/Under: 1436-1472 (.494)
Over/Under Vary Units: 2171-2191 (.498)

Big 12 Conference Tournament
1st Round at Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
Colorado 86, Texas Tech 82
Missouri 78, Nebraska 64
Oklahoma State 82, Oklahoma 72
Texas 79, Iowa State 76

Big East Conference Tournament
2nd Round at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Georgetown 73, South Florida 66
Louisville 76, Cincinnati 67
Marquette vs. ST. JOHN'S: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Seton Hall 83, Notre Dame 82

Big Sky Conference Tournament
Championship at regular-season champion
WEBER STATE 74, Montana 71

Big West Conference Tournament
1st Round at Anaheim Convention Center Arena, Anaheim, CA
Cal State Fullerton 80, Cal State Northridge 77
UC Irvine 75, Cal Poly 72

Conference USA Tournament
1st Round at BOK Center, Tulsa, OK
Houston 81, East Carolina 73
Smu 67, Ucf 64
Southern Miss 64, Tulane 56
TULSA 75, Rice 57

Great West Conference Tournament
1st Round at McKay Events Center, Orem, UT
Houston Baptist 79, Chicago State 75
New Jersey Tech 67, North Dakota 66
UTAH VALLEY 66, Texas-Pan American 61

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament
Quarterfinals at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC
Delaware State 51, Bethune-Cookman 48
Morgan State 77, North Carolina A&T 67
1st Round at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC
Umes 62, Coppin State 59

Mountain West Conference Tournament
1st Round at Thomas & Mack Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Wyoming 64, Air Force 60

Northeast Conference Tournament
Championship at higher remaining seed
QUINNIPIAC 71, Robert Morris 69

Pacific-10 Conference Tournament
1st Round at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Washington State vs. Oregon: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Southland Conference Tournament
Quarterfinals at Merrell Center, Katy, TX
Sam Houston State 82, Nicholls State 69
Stephen F. Austin 69, UT Arlington 66
Texas State 80, Southeastern LouiSIAna 76
UT San Antonio 70, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 68

Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament
Quarterfinals at CenturyTel Center, Bossier City, LA
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 67, Mississippi Valley State 59
Jackson State 74, Grambling State 57


DCI NHL

03/10/10 Predictions

Season: 336-224 (.600)

BUFFALO 3, Dallas 2
NEW JERSEY 3, N.Y. Rangers 2
WASHINGTON 4, Carolina 3
CHICAGO 4, Los Angeles 3
Vancouver vs. PHOENIX: TOO CLOSE TO CALL


DCI

Season
Straight Up: 627-274 (.696)
ATS: 489-444 (.524)
ATS Vary Units: 1165-1053 (.525)
Over/Under: 463-476 (.493)
Over/Under Vary Units: 622-638 (.494)

Charlotte vs. PHILADELPHIA: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
BOSTON 101, Memphis 93
Utah 102, DETROIT 93
MIAMI 100, L.A. Clippers 89
Denver 112, MINNESOTA 103
OKLAHOMA CITY 104, New Orleans 95
DALLAS 107, New Jersey 89
SAN ANTONIO 109, New York 96
SACRAMENTO 107, Toronto 106

[TheGame]

RINKPLAY SPORTS:

4* Phoenix Coyotes over Vancouver Canucks
3* Buffalo Sabres over Dallas Stars

Free selection is on the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Black Hawks Over the total

[TheGame]

Insider Sports Report
4* Colorado -1
3* SMU -2
3* Wyoming -2

[TheGame]

Arthur Ralph Sports
407 - 297 run 58 %

Free Play WED Southern Miss -7

[TheGame]

SPORTS ADVISORS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT

(at New York)

Seton Hall (19-11, 8-16 ATS) vs. Notre Dame (21-10, 14-10-1 ATS)

As the 10th seed, Seton Hall opened tourney play Tuesday, and the Pirates got a big scare from 15th-seeded Providence in an offensive explosion, holding on 109-106 but falling short as a 5½-point favorite. Seton Hall, which had a 29-point second-half lead against the Friars, has won three in a row and seven of nine, and has scored 83 points or more in four straight games – perhaps not surprising considering the Hall is averaging 81.3 ppg (eight nationally) while allowing 75.3.
Notre Dame, seeded seventh, is making a late push to reach the Big Dance, despite little contributions from star Luke Harangody. The nation’s No. 2 scorer, at 24.2 ppg, missed five straight games with a knee injury and played just 11 minutes Saturday at Marquette. But the Irish have now won their last four SU and ATS, including a 63-60 overtime upset of the Golden Eagles as a 6½-point road underdog. In the last five games, Mike Brey’s troops have averaged 71.2 ppg and allowed 63.6, cashing in all five.
Seton Hall ended a six-game losing streak to Notre Dame with a 90-87 victory laying 5½ points on Feb. 11, with Harangody suffering his knee injury in the second half of the contest. However, the Irish are now 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings, and the underdog is on a 7-1 ATS run in this rivalry.
The Pirates are 6-7 SU and 5-7 ATS outside of New Jersey (1-1 SU, 0-2 ATS on neutral courts), and with last night’s non-cover, they’re on a bundle of pointspread dives, including 6-15 overall, 6-14 in Big East play, 5-13 against winning teams, 2-9 after a SU win and 7-20 on neutral floors.
The Irish, who went 6-4-1 SU and 5-7 ATS away from South Bend (1-1 SU and ATS on neutral courts), own positive ATS streaks of 5-0 overall (all in the Big East), 4-0 after a SU or an ATS win, 5-0 against winning teams and 5-1 on Wednesday. However, they are 2-5 ATS in their last seven neutral-site starts.
The Hall is on “over” stretches of 4-0 overall (all in conference play), 5-1 at neutral sites and 5-2 after a SU win, and the over is 6-0-1 in Notre Dame’s last seven against winning teams and 7-0-1 in the last eight clashes in this rivalry. The Irish, though, sport “under” runs of 4-0 overall (all inside the Big East), 6-0 at neutral sites, 7-1 after a SU win, 17-4 after a spread-cover and 8-2 against teams with a win percentage above .600.

ATS ADVANTAGE: NOTRE DAME


Cincinnati (17-14, 7-19 ATS) vs. Louisville (20-11, 10-16 ATS)

As the No. 11 seed, Cincinnati also had to play on Tuesday and barely got by No. 14 Rutgers, winning 69-68, but in typical fashion failed to cover as an eight-point chalk. Of 330 rated teams, the Bearcats’ 7-19 ATS mark puts them at 329th in the nation. They are 3-1 SU (2-2 ATS) on neutral courts this year, averaging 66.0 ppg and giving up 61.0.
Louisville is pressing for a Tourney berth, bouncing back from an ill-timed 1-2 SU hiccup to beat No. 1 Syracuse 78-68 Saturday as a one-point home pup, which also halted a 1-4 ATS slide. The sixth-seeded Cards, who won last year’s Big East tournament, have gone 7-3 SU (4-6 ATS) in their last 10 starts, all in the Big East, though on the road this season, they are getting outscored by just over a bucket per game, averaging 69.8 ppg and allowing 72.2.
Louisville is 6-2 SU in the last eight clashes in this rivalry, but has gone an even 4-4 ATS in that stretch. In this year’s lone meeting, the Cardinalss won 68-60 at home, but Cincy got the cash as a nine-point ‘dog (one of just four spread-covers in Big East play for the Bearcats). The SU winner is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
The Bearcats are on ATS freefalls of 4-19 overall, 5-21 in the Big East, 7-20 against winning teams, 8-25 versus teams with a win percentage above .600, 3-9 after a SU win, 1-4 after an ATS setback and 0-6 on Wednesday. The Cardinals have gone 5-11 ATS in their last 16 outings overall, 1-9 ATS in their last 10 after a pointspread win and 0-6 ATS in their last six after a SU victory, but they are 47-23-2 ATS in their last 72 Big East outings.
The over is 5-2 in Cincinnati’s last seven games following a SU win and 8-1 in Louisville’s last eight Wednesday contests. But Louisville is on “under” surges of 6-2-1 overall (all in the Big East) and 5-1 after a SU win, Cincy is on “under” rolls of 5-1 at neutral sites and 7-3 against winning teams, and the total has gone low in seven of the last 10 meetings in this rivalry, including three of the last four. January’s contest stayed well short of the 141.5-point posted price.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER


BIG 12 TOURNAMENT

(at Kansas City)

Oklahoma (13-17, 10-17 ATS) vs. Oklahoma State (21-9, 14-9-1 ATS)

The 10th-seeded Sooners enter the Big 12 tourney on an eight-game losing streak (2-6 ATS), and Oklahoma’s 10-17 ATS mark for the season rates a lowly 306th among 330 teams. Oklahoma capped the regular season with Saturday’s 69-54 home loss to Texas A&M as a 3½-point underdog. The Sooners averaged 78 ppg at neutral sites this season, but they gave up an average of 81.2 and went 1-3 SU and ATS in those contests.
Oklahoma State, seeded seventh, has alternated SU and ATS wins and losses over its last five games, though it routed Nebraska 74-55 Saturday as an 11½-point home chalk, and 11 days ago, the Pokes upended then-No. 1 Kansas 85-77 as a six-point home ‘dog. The Cowboys are averaging 74.4 ppg and giving up 67.6 ppg for the year, and on neutral floors, they put up 70.2 ppg and held foes to just 59.2 ppg on 35. 7 percent shooting, going 3-1 SU and ATS in the process.
Oklahoma is 6-2 SU in the last eight clashes in the Bedlam basketball rivalry, but the two teams have split the cash in those meetings. This year, Oklahoma won 62-57 at home in overtime as a 1½-point chalk Jan. 11, and Oklahoma State returned the favor in a 97-76 beatdown laying 8½ points at home on Feb. 13. The Pokes have cashed in three of the last four contests.
The Sooners are on nothing but negative ATS streaks, including 3-9 overall (all in the Big 12), 1-4 at neutral sites, 1-4 on Wednesday, 3-8 against winning teams and 2-5 after a SU loss. On the flip side, the Cowboys are on ATS rolls of 25-10-1 overall, 21-8-2 on neutral floors, 18-7-1 after a SU win, 16-7 after a spread-cover, 5-2 in the Big 12 and 4-0 against losing teams.
The over for Oklahoma is on upticks of 5-0 following a double-digit home loss and 4-1-1 after a non-cover, but the under is 4-1 in the Sooners’ last five Wednesday outings. Also, Oklahoma State is on “over” runs of 6-1 at neutral sites and 16-7 after a SU victory. Finally, in this rivalry, the under is 6-3 in the last nine meetings.

ATS ADVANTAGE: OKLAHOMA STATE


Iowa State (15-16, 15-12-1 ATS) vs. Texas (23-8, 10-17 ATS)

Iowa State, seeded 11th, was on a 1-8 SU nosedive heading into its regular-season finale Saturday, then posted a shocking 85-82 overtime victory against No. 5 Kansas State as an overwhelming 15-point road pup. It was the third straight cover for the Cyclones, who went 8-5 ATS away from Ames this year, though they were 4-9 SU in those contests (1-2 SU and ATS at neutral sites).
Texas, the No. 6 seed, won its first 17 games of the year in ascending to No. 1 in the rankings, but has gone just 6-8 SU since then to drop out of the polls entirely. On Saturday at No. 21 Baylor, the Longhorns got rolled 92-77 as a three-point ‘dog, falling to 1-5 ATS in their last six games while taking their first loss in Waco since 1998. Despite its recent woes, Texas still averages 81.7 ppg (fifth nationally), shooting 47.2 percent, while allowing 69.0 ppg on 39.8 percent shooting.
Texas has won five in a row in this rivalry (2-3 ATS), including a 90-83 road victory in the only meeting this season, but Iowa State narrowly covered as an eight-point pup in that Jan. 13 contest. The Cyclones are 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings, all as the underdog.
The Longhorns have cashed in five straight neutral-site starts and went 3-0 SU and ATS on neutral courts this year. However, they are just 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games away from Austin and are on a bundle of additional pointspread freefalls, including 3-15 overall, 5-20-1 in the Big 12, 3-11 after a non-cover, 2-5 after a SU loss and 1-5 against losing teams.
The Cyclones are in a 1-5 ATS rut at neutral sites and are 3-7-2 ATS in their last dozen Wednesday games, but they are on ATS surges of 3-0-1 overall (all in the Big 12), 4-1 after a spread-cover and 5-2 against winning teams.
The under for Iowa State is on stretches of 5-1 against teams with a win percentage above .600 and 7-1 after a pointspread win, but the Cyclones are on “over” rolls of 4-0 against winning teams, 16-4-1 at neutral sites and 19-7 after a SU win. In addition, the total has also gone high in Texas’ last five neutral-site outings, and in this rivalry, the over has hit in each of the last four clashes.

ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER


NBA

Memphis (33-31, 34-29-1 ATS) at Boston (40-22, 24-37-1 ATS)

The Grizzlies look to extend a six-game road winning streak when they make their one and only trip of the season to TD Garden for a battle with the Celtics.
Memphis is coming off Monday’s 107-101 home win over New Jersey, though it came up short as an 8½-point favorite. The Grizzlies have won three of their last four and four of their last six, but they’ve followed up a 6-2 ATS run with consecutive non-covers (both as a favorite). Memphis has won six straight road games both SU and ATS, and the visitor is 13-1 ATS in its last 14 contests.
Boston took a four-game winning streak to Milwaukee on Tuesday and blew a four-point fourth-quarter lead, falling 86-84 as a 1½-point road underdog. The Celtics are just 11-6 SU in their last 17 games and 14-27 ATS in their last 41. Also, Doc Rivers’ squad has split its last 14 games at the Garden, going a dreadful 1-12-1 ATS.
The Celtics have won the last six meetings in this rivalry, but the teams have split the cash and in fact have alternated spread-covers in the last seven series meetings. Back on Dec. 14 in Memphis, Boston pulled out a 110-105 win but failed to cash as a 7½-point road chalk. The Grizzlies are 13-4-1 ATS in their last 17 contests against the Celtics (all as an underdog), and they’ve cashed in nine straight trips to Boston. Finally, the visitor is on a 6-1 ATS roll.
In addition to cashing in six straight road games, the Grizzlies are on ATS runs of 19-8 against the Eastern Conference, 6-1 against Atlantic Division squads and 5-0 on Wednesday, but their 1-4 ATS in their last five when playing after one day of rest. The Celtics are in pointspread ruts of 7-16-1 overall, 15-37-1 at home (1-12-1 last 14), 3-8-1 against winning teams, 2-9-1 versus Western Conference foes and 1-4 against the Southwest Division.
The under is 9-4 in Memphis’ last 13 against the Eastern Conference, while Boston carries “under” trends of 6-1 against the Western Conference, 4-1 versus Southwest Division foes and 4-1 when playing on back-to-back days. However, the Grizzlies carry “over” trends of 22-10 on the road, 5-0 against winning teams and 9-1 against Atlantic Division foes. Also, these teams have topped the total in seven straight meetings overall and four straight at TD Garden.

ATS ADVANTAGE: MEMPHIS and OVER

[TheGame]

Craig Davis
Wednesday's Lineup

40 Dime – SOUTHERN MISS

[TheGame]

RedZone Sports/Jr. O'Donnell free internet play: Texas (NCAAB)

[TheGame]

John Morrison

LA Clippers B
Miami

New York A
San Antonio

[dsanty]

ST Bernadine's Sports
34paytonplace (SIDE PLAYS)
8-3 RUN (73%)

GEORGETOWN -6.5 over South Flordia--12pm
S.F.AUSTIN -2.5 over Texas-Arlington--1pm et

[dsanty]

PittViper
Airforce +1.5 over Wyoming--5pm
SMU -1 over Central Florida--930pm

[dsanty]

Youngstown Connection
Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2010
$25.00 Guaranteed Selection:

NCAA Afternoon Play #1

#628 Colorado PK 12:30PM Eastern

Line as of 5:05AM Eastern 3/10/10

TT comes in losers of 7 in a row with their last road game win coming on 2/9/10. Their last game at Colorado 4 days ago they lost by 11 as 4.5 dogs and now face the same club on a neutral court as a PK. Colorado comes in winners of 3 straight and played the upper echelon of the league pretty tough while TT was being blown out by the same teams. Add to the fact that Colorado is 8-4 ATS their last dozen and has faced better opponents on a neutral court, I'll side with the surging team in Colorado rather than a team that is looking forward to Spring Break. Take the Buffs.

[dsanty]

Trace Adams


1000* - Oklahoma State Cowboys, 500* - Minnesota Timberwolves A little dicey laying these points with the Cowboys away from Gallagher-Iba, but I would rather lay the points with the surging Pokes, than take them with the sliding Sooners.

Oklahoma State comes into this Big 12 tourney with wins in 5 of their last 7 to move to 21-9 for the season - and likely an at-large bid come Sunday - but a convincing win tonight would get them firmly off the fence, and into the Dance for sure, and OU is a willing opponent this evening.

The Sooners lost Willie Warren and his 16 ppg to an ankle injury, and that is a loss Jeff Capel's team just hasn't been able to overcome. The losing streak is at 8 straight, and just 2-6 against the spread in that span as well.

Okie State has captured 2 of the last 3 in this series both straight up, and against the spread, and while they have done the majority of their best work at home, the same can be said for the Sooners, as Oklahoma is just 2-13 straight up away from Norman, and 5-10 against the number in those away games.

Gonna lay the chalk with the Cowboys tonight.

1000♦ - Oklahoma State Cowboys

In the NBA, willing to give the Timberwolves a shot plus the generous number at home.

This is the start of a 4-game road trip for the Nuggets who will be without Coach Karl as he undergoes cancer treatment, and I can easily see Denver doing just enough to get the win against the desperate Timberwolves.

Minnesota has lost 6 in a row, and 12 of their last 13, and in that span they have lost ALL 6 of their home games! Maybe desperate is not the proper word to use, but the T-Wolves still own a 17-15-1 home spread mark, while the Nuggets are just 12-15-3 against the spread away from home this year.

Thus far these teams have met 3 times this year, Denver winning the last pair, but Minnesota covering in those 2.

I like the points to work again tonight.

500♦ - Minnesota Timberwolves

[goldengreek]

capthetrap

South Florida +7
Colorado -1
Texas Arlington +2.5

[dsanty]

Spartan

**Triple Star Release**

Iowa State +8.5 Bookmaker.com vs. Texas

[dsanty]

Anthony Redd 3-1 +95 units

30* 601 Charlotte (NBA) -1
10* 620 Georgetown -7 (12:00 EST)
10* 629 Nebraska +10 (2:00)

[dsanty]

Brandon Lang 1-1 0 units

5* 632 Oklahoma State -7 (7:00)

[dsanty]

Chuck O'Brien 1-1 +5 units

25* 633 Iowa State +9 (9:30)
10* 623 Notre Dame (7:00)

[dsanty]

Karl Garrett 0-4 -70 units

10* 601 Charlotte (NBA) -1
10* 632 Oklahoma State -7 (7:00)

[dsanty]

Stephen Nover 1-3 -20 units

40* 622 Marquette -4 (2:00)
25* 613 NJ Nets +11

[dsanty]

Bobby Maxwell 0-4 -900 units

400* 632 Oklahoma State -7 (7:00)
100* 647 CA Northridge +2.5 (9:00)

[dsanty]

Michael Cannon 1-2 -50 units

25* 622 Marquette -4 (2:00)
10* 628 Colorado -1 (12:30)