Talent-wise, one could argue that Mississippi State is the second-best team in the Southeastern Conference. But the Bulldogs often don’t play to their talent level. However, don’t rule out a possible upset by MSU tonight when red-hot and top-ranked Kentucky visits. UK is a 9.5-point favorite and there will be live betting available at Bovada’s NCAA basketball odds.
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Kentucky (26-1, 12-0) can clinch at least a tie for the regular-season SEC title with a win – although it’s a foregone conclusion that UK will win the title outright with a three-game lead over second-place Florida. The Cats have won 18 in a row since their only loss, which came on a buzzer-beater at Indiana. On Saturday, Kentucky had little trouble with Ole Miss in a 77-62 victory. Terrence Jones led the way with 15 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Player of the Year candidate Anthony Davis had a fairly quiet game due to first-half foul trouble. The freshman had 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks (to add to his national-leading total). The win over Mississippi was UK’s 50th in a row at home. Defensively, UK is holding opponents to just 36.2 percent shooting from the floor, lowest in the NCAA.
Mississippi State (19-8, 6-6) dropped its third straight Saturday, 65-55 at Auburn (the previous two losses were both by two points in OT). The Bulldogs played without big man Renardo Sidney due to back spasms, and Auburn took advantage with several scores in the paint and outrebounding the Bulldogs by five. Sidney will be a game-time decision tonight. He averages 10.4 points and 5.2 rebounds a game and will be needed to deal with Davis. The Bulldogs are led by Arnett Moultrie, who is the lone player in the SEC averaging a double-double with team-highs in scoring (16.5 ppg.) and rebounding (10.8).
MSU coach Rick Stansbury has never beaten a top-ranked team in his coaching career and is 1-8 vs. ranked Kentucky teams. The Bulldogs have hosted the No. 1 team just once under Stansbury, a loss to Florida in 2007. MSU and Kentucky have split the past six meetings, although UK is on a three-game winning streak. This is the only scheduled meeting of this season. The road team has covered the past five meetings.
Sometimes a game just screams “trap” for a highly-ranked college basketball team and Wednesday’s Big 12 matchup between No. 5 Kansas and Texas A&M in College Station appears to be just that. The Jayhawks are 9.5-point favorites on Bovada’s NCAA basketball odds.
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On paper, Kansas (22-5, 12-2) wouldn’t seem to have much trouble. KU leads the Big 12 and enters having won four in a row. On Saturday, all cylinders were clicking as the Jayhawks slaughtered Texas Tech 83-50 behind 16 points and 8 rebounds from Thomas Robinson, the lock Big 12 Player of the Year and the Bovada betting favorite for National Player of the Year (just slightly ahead of Kentucky’s Anthony Davis). In addition, KU already handled these Aggies, beating them 64-54 on Jan. 23 in Lawrence behind 18 points and 10 boards from Robinson. The Jayhawks had their worst three-point shooting game of the season (4-of-20) that night. Kansas had 20 baskets, matching its season low. Kansas is 18-1 against Texas A&M all-time, the lone loss coming in February 2007.
But there are a few reasons why this could be a trap for Kansas. First, the Aggies played well in that first game, leading at halftime and holding Robinson to 2 first-half points. Plus A&M played without arguably its best player in Khris Middleton, who had a knee injury. Also, this could be the Aggies’ last chance at KU for a while as A&M is off to the SEC after this season. So this is the final meeting scheduled barring a matchup in the Big 12 Tournament. Finally, KU could well be looking ahead to Saturday’s mammoth showdown with Missouri, with the winner likely to claim the Big 12 title in the final scheduled Border War matchup (Mizzou also headed to SEC).
This time Texas A&M (13-13, 4-10) is pretty healthy. Middleton is back and starting guard Dash Harris has practiced recently with the Aggies and he may be able to play tonight. Harris has missed the last month because of an injured foot. He last played against Kansas on Jan. 23. However, the Aggies have lost five of six. They were beaten 71-62 by Missouri on Saturday but had a chance in the final minutes. Middleton, in his third game back after missing five straight with a knee injury, had 15 points to lead A&M. The Aggies were actually picked as co-champs with KU in the preseason Big 12 coaches poll.
The game of the day Saturday in college basketball is easily from Lawrence, Kansas, as the No. 5 Jayhawks host No. 3 Missouri in the final regular-season Border War matchup between the two with the Tigers off to the SEC next season. Oh, and the Big 12 regular-season title also is likely on the line, something KU has won seven years in a row. There will be live betting available on this game at Bovada’s NCAA basketball odds.
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Missouri (25-3, 12-3) enters a game behind KU in the Big 12 thanks to a 78-68 upset home loss to Kansas State on Tuesday. Michael Dixon led Mizzou with 21 points and Marcus Denmon added 19. The Tigers made just 38.3 percent of their field goal attempts after entering the game hitting more than 50 percent, tops in the Big 12 and third best nationally. Missouri was 8-of-26 from 3-point range. Two of Missouri’s three losses have been to K-State.
Kansas (23-5, 13-2) has won five straight. On Wednesday, the Jayhawks survived a trap game at Texas A&M, winning 66-58. KU star Thomas Robinson, the Bovada national player of the year betting favorite, struggled from the field, going 3-for-10 for 10 points. But he did have 13 rebounds. This is the seventh straight season the Jayhawks have had 13 conference wins and their 23rd consecutive season with 23 wins.
KU’s last loss just so happened to come at Missouri on Feb. 4, 74-71. Denmon converted a 3-point play and hit two 3-pointers in the final 2:05, the last for the go-ahead points. He had 29 points and a career-best six 3-pointers. It was only Missouri’s second win in the past 12 meetings with Kansas.
This will be the 267th and perhaps final meeting between the schools as Big 12 foes (a rematch in Big 12 or NCAA Tournament remains possible). KU and MU have been in the same league since 1908. A Kansas victory would give KU at least a share of an unprecedented eighth straight Big 12 title. Kansas has won the last 12 meetings with MU in Allen Fieldhouse dating back to 2000.
The University of Kentucky basketball was nearly upset Tuesday night at Mississippi State but staged a dominant second-half rally. The Cats have never lost at home under Coach John Calipari, but Vanderbilt is more than capable of pulling the upset. There will be live betting available on this game at Bovada’s NCAA basketball odds.
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Kentucky (27-1, 13-0) won its 19th straight game Tuesday but was down 41-28 at halftime at MSU. That was the Wildcats’ biggest deficit of the season. UK took its first lead at 63-62 with 4:11 remaining on a layup by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and the Cats never trailed again. Kidd-Gilchrist scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half and also added 10 rebounds. Kentucky finished the game on a 20-4 run. A win here officially clinches the SEC regular-season title for UK.
Vanderbilt (20-8, 9-4) has won three in a row. The Commodores had little trouble Wednesday with South Carolina, winning 59-48. SEC leading scorer John Jenkins led the way with 21. He leads the nation in 3-pointers made per game. Jeffery Taylor, the SEC's second-leading scorer averaging 17.8 points, had a season-low four.
Vandy gave Kentucky all it could handle in Nashville, losing 69-63 on Feb. 11. Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats didn’t allow a point inside the final 4 minutes. Vanderbilt led 63-61 with 4:08 to go on a jumper by Brad Tinsley. The loss ended a four-game home winning streak over No. 1 teams for Vandy.
The Commodores, who lost by two points last season at Rupp Arena, 68-66, have not won at Kentucky since the 2007 campaign. UK leads the all-time series in Lexington 78-14. Vandy has faced Kentucky 15 times when the Wildcats were No. 1 and have a 4-11 record against UK in those games. VU is 0-6 in those games played in Lexington.
The defending national champion Connecticut Huskies are squarely on the bubble for an at-large NCAA Tournament berth – much as they were at the end of last regular season before a stunning run to the Big East Tournament title. But UConn likely can assure itself of an NCAA bid if it can pull the upset of visiting Syracuse on Saturday night. However, the Orange are 5-point favorites on Bovada’s NCAA basketball odds.
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Connecticut (17-10, 7-8) got a huge, huge win on Monday at Villanova. Sophomore Shabazz Napier, who had called his teammates out after a loss last Saturday, hit a 29-footer with 0.6 seconds left in overtime for the 73-70 win. Star Jeremy Lamb led the Huskies, who rallied from an 18-point deficit, with a career-high 32 points. It was the sixth straight game UConn had played without head coach Jim Calhoun, who is dealing spinal stenosis that has forced him to take a medical leave of absence. He will miss at least the next two games as well. The Huskies are 3-3 without him. Associate head coach George Blaney will continue in charge of the team in Calhoun's absence.
No. 2 Syracuse (28-1, 15-1) is the Big East regular-season champion, a lock for the NCAA Tournament and probably a cinch for a No. 1 seed as well. The Orange were a little ragged on Wednesday in beating South Florida 56-48. SU missed 12 of its first 14 shots and overcame a 13-point deficit for its eighth straight win. Syracuse matched school records for most regular-season and conference victories -- both set in 2009-10.
The Orange and Huskies met back on Feb. 11 at the Carrier Dome, with Syracuse winning 85-67. SU’s Scoop Jardine hit three 3-pointers and a layup in the closing minutes to break open a 63-61 game, finishing with a season-high 21 points. Jardine was 8 for 9 from the field and had six assists against only one turnover. Syracuse shot 59.3 percent and hit 10 of 16 from beyond the arc to offset UConn's 8-of-19 effort from long range. Lamb had 18 to lead UConn. Syracuse has won four of its past five against Connecticut, the only loss coming in overtime in last year's Big East Tournament.
The Florida Gators will be looking to sweep the season series against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Tuesday night when those schools hit the hardwood in Nashville. Get up to date college basketball betting lines at Bovada.
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The Gators won at home against the Commodores back on February 4, picking up a 73-65 victory as a 6.5-point favorite on the NCAA money line at Bovada. The combined score went UNDER the posted total of 142.5 points for the day.
Kenny Boynton led the way for Florida with 18 points in that victory over Vanderbilt, with Bradley Beal good for 16 points and seven rebounds, and Erving Walker adding 11 points and five assists in the contest.
Jeffery Taylor poured in a game-high 25 points in that losing cause for Vanderbilt, with John Jenkins scoring 15 points, and Lance Goulbourne adding 11 rebounds on the day.
Florida is 7-3 both straight up and against the spread in its last 10 games against Vanderbilt, last losing to the Commodores back in March of 2010. The OVER/UNDER has gone 5-5 over the 10 most recent meetings between the two SEC schools.
Florida is just one game up on Vanderbilt in second place in the SEC standings, and they lost 76-62 on the road against Georgia in their last game on Saturday. Beal had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Gators in that loss to the Bulldogs.
Vanderbilt was tagged with a loss last time out as well, falling 83-74 on the road against top-ranked Kentucky. Taylor tossed in a team-high 19 points for the Commodores in that day's defeat.
The last time the Duke Blue Devils scored over 90 points in a game was when they took on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons back on January 19. They'll be looking for another big game from their offense on Tuesday night when the schools meet again. Get your NCAA odds for the tilt at Bovada.
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The Blue Devils rolled to a 91-73 win over the Demon Deacons in that January 19 contest, with Andre Dawkins pouring in a team-high 21 points and Austin Rivers and Ryan Kelly scoring 20 points apiece on the day.
C.J. Harris was good for 20 points in that losing cause for Wake Forest, and Travis McKie picked up 16 points and 10 rebounds on the day for the Demon Deacons.
Duke failed to cover a big 21.5-point spread on the college basketball odds in that win, but they're still 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games against Wake Forest. The Blue Devils are also 8-2 straight up in the last 10 contests between the two schools.
Duke enters Tuesday's matchup riding a six-game winning streak, getting past Virginia Tech 70-65 at home in their last game on the weekend. The Blue Devils will be trying not to look ahead to their final game of the regular season on Saturday, when they play host to arch-rival North Carolina in a showdown at the top of the ACC standings.
Wake Forest has managed to win just three of its last 10 games as it flounders in the ACC standings to close out the season. The Demon Deacons, however, thumped Boston College 85-56 at home in their most recent game on Saturday.
The North Carolina Tar Heels will be looking for a rare ATS win over the Maryland Terrapins on Wednesday night as those ACC schools hit the hardwood in Chapel Hill. Get the official NCAA money line from Bovada to bet on the event.
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North Carolina has only managed to cover the posted spread once in its past seven games against Maryland, and that was in an 87-76 home victory as a 6.5-point favorite last February. Prior to that, they hadn't covered against Maryland since back in 2006.
When the Terrapins and Tar Heels met earlier this season North Carolina won 83-74 on the road but didn't cover the 11.5-point spread. The Tar Heels were actually down 40-37 at halftime in that contest, but surged in the second half to get the SU victory.
Tyler Zeller picked up 22 points for North Carolina in that win in early February, with John Henson adding 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Harrison Barnes scoring 18 points. Terrell Stoglin tossed in a team-high 20 points in that loss for the Terrapins.
Each of the last seven matchups between North Carolina and Maryland paid off as OVER results in totals betting.
The Tar Heels enter Wednesday's matchup at 25-4 straight up and 15-13 against the spread, and they're tied with Duke at 12-2 atop the ACC standings. North Carolina ran its winning streak to five games last time out with a 54-51 road win over Virginia.
The Terrapins are just 16-12 straight up and 11-12-1 against the spread on the season, and they're 6-8 against ACC opponents this year. Maryland lost 63-61 on the road against Georgia Tech in their last game.
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The Illinois Fighting Illini lost to the Michigan Wolverines two weeks ago; they'll get another shot at them on Thursday night when the Big Ten schools do battle at Assembly Hall in Champaign. Get your odds for the NCAA tilt at Bovada.
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Illinois fell 70-61 on the road against Michigan on February 12, picking up an ATS defeat in that game as well as they had been listed as just 5-point underdogs. Totals bettors saw that game pay out as an OVER result.
Brandon Paul scored 21 points in that losing cause for the Fighting Illini, while Tyler Griffey tossed in 18 points, and D.J. Richardson scored 12 points. Meyers Leonard contributed 12 rebounds on the day.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had a team-high 15 points for Michigan in that win over Illinois, with Trey Burke adding 14 points, and Zack Novak picking up 12 points and nine rebounds.
That loss came in the middle of a six-game losing streak for Illinois, which they just stopped on Sunday with a 65-54 win at home over Iowa. The Fighting Illini are 17-12 overall this season, but just 6-10 against Big Ten opponents.
The Wolverines, now at No. 13 in the AP Top 25, are 21-8 overall this year and 11-5 in Big Ten conference play as they look to bounce back from a 75-61 loss at home to Purdue in their last game on Saturday; that ended their four-game winning streak.
Overall Michigan is just 4-6 straight up and 5-5 against the spread in its last 10 games against Illinois dating back to 2007. The OVER/UNDER went 3-7 in those 10 contests.
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A pair of ranked ACC teams will hit the hardwood at the John Paul Jones Arena on Thursday night as the No. 24 Virginia Cavaliers play host to the No. 22 Florida State Seminoles. Get your college basketball betting line for the event at Bovada.
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Both of those schools will be looking to rebound from losses in their most recent games as they tune up for the upcoming ACC Tournament.
The Seminoles lost their second straight game last time out, falling 78-62 on the road against Miami on Sunday; that followed up their 74-66 home loss to Duke last Thursday night. Michael Snaer had 20 points for Florida State in that Sunday defeat.
The Cavaliers are coming off a slim 54-51 loss at home to North Carolina in their last game on Saturday, allowing Tar Heels star Tyler Zeller to put up 20 points. Jontel Evans had a team-high 13 points for Virginia, and Joe Harris added 12 points in the contest.
Virginia also lost when they played Florida State earlier this season, falling 58-55 on the road back on February 4. Harris and Mike Scott each scored 16 points for the Cavaliers in the loss, with Okaro White picking up 13 points in the win for Florida State.
Overall the Seminoles are 9-1 straight up and 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games against the Cavaliers, with the UNDER having paid off for totals bettors in each of the last eight meetings between the schools.
Florida State is third in the ACC with a 10-4 conference record this season, with Virginia just behind them at 8-6 in conference play. Overall the Seminoles are 19-9 (13-13 ATS), and the Cavaliers are 21-7 (14-8-1 ATS).
The Seminoles will close out their regular-season schedule at home on Sunday afternoon against Clemson, while the Cavaliers are at home to Maryland on Sunday.
The Butler Bulldogs have been one of the big stories of the last two NCAA Tournaments, with the mid-major Bulldogs reaching back-to-back championship games only to fall short. However, coach Brad Stevens’ club won’t get a chance at a third Cinderella run if it doesn’t win the Horizon League Tournament. The Bulldogs face a good Milwaukee team in the second round Friday night. Bet on the game at Bovada’s NCAA basketball odds.
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The problem is that Butler has an RPI of just 119 and a strength of schedule of 122. The Bulldogs also haven’t beaten a top-flight non-conference team, losing by double digits to Louisville, Indiana, Xavier and Gonzaga. And they are 0-2 this year against regular-season Horizon champion Valparaiso, meaning the Crusaders would have any at-large edge over Butler should Valpo not win the conference tournament as well.
Butler (19-13) did open the Horizon Tournament with a 70-52 home win over Wright State on Tuesday behind 25 points and seven rebounds from Andrew Smith. Butler went into halftime with a narrow 30-29 lead, but opened the second half on a 13-0 run to pull away from the Raiders. It was the Bulldogs’ sixth win in the past seven games. At No. 5, Butler has its lowest seed in this tournament since 2005.
Milwaukee (20-12) is the third seed and will be the “home” team even though Friday’s game is in Valparaiso’s gym. The Panthers are on a five-game winning streak and opened the Horizon Tournament with a 68-55 home win over Illinois-Chicago. Milwaukee scored 34 of the game’s first 40 points.
Butler and Milwaukee split the regular season series at 1-1 with each team winning at home. The two sides also met in last year's league title game and will be squaring off in the league tournament for the third straight season -- Butler won the previous two meetings.
It’s Senior Night at Rupp Arena on Thursday night when No. 1 Kentucky plays its final home game of the season, and the Cats figure to have no trouble with Georgia, which is a 21-point underdog on Bovada’s NCAA basketball odds.
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UK has already clinched the SEC regular-season title and has won 20 straight games overall and 51 straight at home – still yet to lose under Coach John Calipari. Tonight could emotional because several of Kentucky’s stars are likely playing their final home game. Freshman Anthony Davis, the likely SEC Player of the Year, certainly will enter the NBA draft. So too could fellow freshmen Marquis Teague and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as well as sophomore Terrence Jones. Darius Miller and Eloy Vargas are UK’s only seniors.
Davis comes off probably his best game of the season, scoring a career-high 28 points (10 of 11 shooting) to go with 11 rebounds and five blocks (he leads the nation by a mile in that category) in an 83-74 home win over Vanderbilt on Saturday. UK (28-1, 14-0 SEC) actually trailed at halftime and couldn’t pull away until late in the game. Only two teams since 1956 have finished league play undefeated -- Kentucky in 1996 and 2003. The 1996 team went on to win a national title, and the '03 group lost in the regional finals to Marquette. The Wildcats close the regular season on Sunday with a tough game at No. 13 Florida.
Georgia (13-15, 4-10) won’t be playing any postseason ball barring a miracle run in the SEC Tournament. The Dawgs are one of the nation’s worst offensive teams, ranking near the bottom of the country in points (61.5 per game) and shooting (39.7 percent). Georgia does come in off an upset of Florida, however, 76-62 on Saturday. Freshman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 18 points to lead the Dawgs, who never trailed. Georgia shot a season-high 53.8 percent against an SEC opponent.
Kentucky had a bit of trouble at Georgia back on Jan. 24, winning 57-44. Miller came off the bench to lead UK with 19 points – he and Kidd-Gilchrist were the only two Wildcats in double figures. It was Kentucky’s lowest-scoring game of the season and it shot just 7-for-23 from the field in the second half. Kentucky has won 13 of the past 17 overall vs. Georgia and is 55-5 against the Dawgs in Lexington. However, the Cats have covered just three of their past 17 home games overall. And Georgia has covered the past five at Rupp.
Could there possibly be a better way to cap the final Saturday of college basketball’s regular season than with North Carolina visiting archrival Duke with the ACC regular-season title and likely a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament on the line? This game will have live betting available on Bovada’s NCAA basketball odds and the Blue Devils opened as 1-point favorites.
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UNC and Duke have combined to win 47 regular-season ACC titles, with the Tar Heels claiming 28 and the Blue Devils 19. The rest of the schools in the conference have combined for just 23.
These two Tobacco Road superpowers played one of the games of the season back on Feb. 8, with the Blue Devils stunning North Carolina in Chapel Hill, 85-84, on a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Austin Rivers. The freshman scored a season-high 29 points and hit six 3s, the last over 7-footer Tyler Zeller with Duke down two. The Heels were up 10 points with less 2:38 left but instead saw their school-record 31-game home winning streak come to an end. UNC was up only three at the half but led by as much as 13 in the second half thanks to big performances from Zeller (who scored 19 of his 23 points in the first half) and Harrison Barnes (19 of his 25 in the second). Zeller, however, missed a free throw with just under 14 seconds left that allowed Rivers’ shot to be the winner.
That was UNC’s only loss in the past 12 games and its only home loss of the year. The Heels (26-4, 13-2) have since won six in a row, last crushing Maryland 88-64 on Wednesday in their final home game of the season. Zeller, a senior, led the way with 30 (20 of 23 at the foul line) on Senior Night. He is probably the ACC Player of the Year.
Duke (26-4, 13-2) is on a seven-game winning streak that started with the stunner of UNC. The Blue Devils won at Wake Forest 79-71 on Tuesday behind a career-high 23 points from Ryan Kelly. Duke became the third team in school history to finish 8-0 in conference road games.
This will be the 44th time the two have met with both ranked in the Top 10. It will be the seventh time that the rivals have played each other in the regular-season finale with the ACC title on the line. The team with the halftime lead has won five of the previous six winner-take-all matchups. Roy Williams is 2-0 in those games since he arrived at Chapel Hill but 8-10 overall against Duke. The Blue Devils look for their third straight win in the series and sixth in the past seven meetings. Duke hasn’t lost in Durham to UNC since Feb. 11, 2009.
It’s Senior Day at the Carrier Dome on Saturday as struggling Louisville visits Syracuse, which looks to finish the year perfect at home. The Orange are solid favorites on Bovada’s NCAA basketball odds and there will be live play-by-play betting available.
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The Cardinals (22-8, 10-7) are struggling and have slid to seventh in the Big East. They have lost three of five, a stretch that started with a 52-51 home loss to these Orange on Feb. 13. Syracuse senior leaders Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph, who will be honored Saturday, struggled in that first meeting. Jardine missed all eight of his shots and Joseph, Syracuse's leading scorer, struggled with foul trouble.
C.J. Fair stepped up with 13 points and Syracuse scored the final six points of the game to snap a seven-game losing streak against Louisville. The Cards took a 51-46 lead with a 15-2 run, but the Orange held the Cardinals without a point over the final 3½ minutes and Fair hit the go-ahead layup with 2:11 left. Louisville was held 20 points below its average output against the Orange in the seven-game winning streak and UL’s 16 turnovers allowed the Cards to lose a game in which Syracuse shot just 6.7 percent from long range.
Louisville didn’t look good last time out, either, losing 58-51 at home to South Florida on Wednesday, matching the Cards’ lowest-scoring game of the season – which was the first Syracuse game. The loss to USF snapped a string of 13 straight Senior Day victories. The Bulls snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Cardinals.
No. 2 Syracuse (29-1, 16-1) already has clinched the Big East title and will have a double-bye in the conference tournament. It has won nine in a row since its lone loss of the season, at Notre Dame. The Orange should be well rested as they haven’t played since last Saturday’s 71-69 win at UConn. Joseph had 21 points to lead the Orange. The win was the first for Syracuse at Gampel Pavilion, where the Orange had been 0-4.
Louisville is 1-4 against ranked foes this season, dropping the past four. SU is 4-0 vs. Top-25 teams. UL and Syracuse both are 0-4 ATS in their past four. Louisville has covered in seven of the past eight meetings.
The Michigan State Spartans have clinched at least a share of the Big Ten title, but if Sparty wants a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament it probably needs to beat Ohio State on Sunday to keep the conference crown to itself and not share it with the Buckeyes (and maybe Michigan too). Bet on the game at Bovada’s NCAA basketball odds.
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The No. 5 Spartans (26-4, 13-4) could have clinched the outright title on Tuesday night but lost 70-55 at Indiana to see their seven-game winning streak come to an end. Draymond Green finished with 29 points, including 16 straight during a stretch of about 12 minutes, and eight rebounds for Michigan State. None of his teammates scored more than eight points. MSU clearly was off, getting outrebounded and allowing 41 points in the first half, a season high allowed in any half this season by the Spartans.
Regardless, MSU will have a seventh regular-season Big Ten title under Tom Izzo. Only four coaches have won more and none active. Prior to this season, Izzo led MSU to titles in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2009 and 2010, winning the title outright in 1999 and 2009.
No. 11 Ohio State (24-6, 12-5) kept its title hopes alive with a 75-73 win at Northwestern on Wednesday. All-American Jared Sullinger’s bank shot from the side of the lane with three seconds to play gave the No. 10 Buckeyes the win, but only after Ohio State had blown a 12-point lead with less than six minutes to play. Sullinger finished with 22 points and 19 rebounds, his first double-double in five games.
MSU, which will be the top seed in the Big Ten Tournament no matter what, took control of the Big Ten with a 58-48 win in Columbus on Feb. 11. That ended OSU’s 39-game home winning streak. Ohio State shot just 26.4 percent from the floor, its worst field goal percentage at home in the last 15 seasons and the third-worst in any game over the last 15 seasons. Sullinger had 17 points and 16 rebounds but was just 5 of 15 from the field. Green had 12 points and 9 rebounds for the Spartans. Either Green or Sullinger will be the Big Ten Player of the Year. This game could determine which.
Michigan State has beaten six Top-25 teams this season and had won three in a row against ranked foes before the Indiana loss. OSU hasn’t visited East Lansing since Feb. 21, 2010, when the Buckeyes won 74-67.
Arguably the best mid-major rivalry in the country is renewed on Monday night when No. 25 Gonzaga faces No. 18 Saint Mary’s in the championship game of the West Coast Conference in Las Vegas. The Zags opened as 2.5-point favorites on Bovada’s NCAA basketball odds and there will be live play-by-play betting available.
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Both clubs should make the NCAA Tournament regardless of tonight’s result. Gonzaga advanced to its 15the consecutive tournament final with a 77-58 win over a very good BYU team on Saturday. Freshman Kevin Pangos scored 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting and as Gonzaga advanced to its 15th consecutive West Coast Conference title game.
The Gaels, the WCC regular-season champions, scraped by San Francisco 83-78. Saint Mary's trailed the entire first half and didn't take its first lead until 12:12 left to play. The Gaels once again played without starting shooting guard Stephen Holt who has been out three weeks with a knee injury. He isn’t expected to play tonight but is officially called a game-time decision. Holt, the team’s best perimeter defender, continues to rehab in hopes of playing in the postseason.
It’s the fourth year in a row that SMC is in the WCC Tournament Final – all have been against Gonzaga. Saint Mary's has played in six WCC title games in coach Randy Bennett's 11 seasons and won the 2010 event with a 19-point victory over the Bulldogs. Gonzaga and SMC have played 11 times in the last four seasons. Saint Mary's and Gonzaga have split their last six matchups and, this season each team won a decisive victory on its home floor. Saint Mary's (26-5) won 83-62 at home on Jan. 12, and Gonzaga (25-5) returned the favor with a 73-59 win in Spokane on Feb. 9.
The Horizon League Championship game is Tuesday night at top-seeded Valparaiso and the regular-season champion Crusaders might be on the outside looking in for an NCAA Tournament bid if they are upset by the third-seeded Titans. Valpo is a 2-point favorite on Bovada’s NCAA basketball odds and there will be live play-by-play betting available (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET).
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Valparaiso (22-10) hasn’t reached the Big Dance since 2004 but it has assured the fellow Horizon League member Butler won’t go back to the NCAA Championship Game for the third year in a row after knocking the Bulldogs off in the Horizon semifinals, 65-46 on Saturday. Horizon League Player of the Year Ryan Broekhoff had 19 points and 16 rebounds as Valparaiso defeated Butler for the third time in three seasons and assured the Bulldogs a trip only to the NIT. Valpo’s resume may not be strong enough for an at-large bid should it lose here.
Detroit (21-13) also will be headed to the NIT most likely if it loses here. The Titans beat Cleveland State 63-58 in their semifinal Saturday. Star Ray McCallum scored 26 points and Detroit avenged a pair of losses to Cleveland State during the regular season. Detroit makes its first Horizon League championship game since the 2004-05 season and is gunning for its first NCAA appearance since 1999. Historically, the three seed has performed well in the Horizon League tournament, advancing to the championship game 15 times (since 1979-80) and winning it six times (last time: Cleveland State in 2009).
This marks Valparaiso’s 11th appearance in a conference championship game at the Division I level, but the Crusaders’ first since joining the Horizon League prior to the 2007-2008 campaign. All 10 of Valpo’s previous title game appearances came in the Mid-Continent Conference, where it went 8-2 in the title games. The Crusaders swept the two meetings with Detroit this season and have won five in a row in the series. Detroit could have won both games this year. It lost on a buzzer-beater at home on Jan. 6 and blew a 10-point second-half lead at Valpo on Feb. 2 to lose 78-73.
The Kentucky Wildcats seemingly have everything going for them as they get themselves prepared for this week's SEC Tournament at the New Orleans Arena, as their NCAA basketball futures have them favored to win.
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The Wildcats dominated the SEC during the regular season, going a sparkling 16-0 against conference opponents en route to locking up the top seed and 4/11 favored status at the Bovada Sportsbook for this week's event in Louisiana.
Kentucky is also No. 1 in the country with a 30-1 straight-up mark on the season, and they're riding a 22-game winning streak into their tournament opener on Friday.
Kentucky won the SEC Tournament last season, thumping Florida 70-54 in that title game after getting past Mississippi and Alabama in their first two matchups.
The only concern with the Wildcats right now is their ability to pay off for their supporters on the college basketball betting lines this postseason; dominant Kentucky went just 13-17 against the spread this season.
No. 1 Kentucky, No. 2 Tennessee (20/1), No. 3 Vanderbilt (6/1) and No. 4 Florida (11/2) will all be in action in second-round matchups at the SEC Tournament on Friday this week, where they'll be taking on the four winners of Thursday's opening-round contests.
Thursday's games are No. 8 LSU (100/1) vs. No. 9 Arkansas (200/1), No. 5 Alabama (20/1) vs. No. 12 South Carolina (300/1), No. 7 Mississippi (100/1) vs. No. 10 Auburn (200/1) and No. 6 Mississippi State (40/1) vs. No. 11 Georgia (200/1). The semifinals are on Saturday, with the championship game set for Sunday.
The best options for bettors in the SEC this past season were Tennessee (19-9-1 ATS), LSU (16-11 ATS), and Auburn (14-9 ATS), while the team to avoid was Arkansas (9-14 ATS). South Carolina was the best OVER wager at 16-9 on the totals this season.
The North Carolina Tar Heels have momentum on their side as they prepare to make a run in the ACC Tournament this week at the Philips Arena in Atlanta. The NCAA basketball odds at the Bovada Sportsbook suggests they have the means to do it.
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The Tar Heels bounced rival Duke 88-70 in the final game of the regular season on Saturday, paying off on the college hoops odds for their supporters and clinching the top seed for this week's conference tournament in Georgia.
North Carolina went 14-2 in ACC action this season, splitting their two games with Duke; the Tar Heels were also 27-4 overall and 17-13 against the spread on the year. The Blue Devils went 13-3 in the conference, 26-5 overall and 13-18 ATS.
And now the Tar Heels (10/11 odds to win the tournament) and Blue Devils (7/5) are favored in the Pac-12 futures to meet once again in the championship game on Sunday, just like last season when Duke powered its way to a 75-58 win in the title contest against their bitter rival.
First, though, those schools will have to get past Friday's quarterfinals, where they'll take on winners of Thursday's first-round matchups; No. 1 North Carolina, No. 2 Duke, No. 3 Florida State (7/1) and No. 4 Virginia (9/1) all have byes into the tourney's second round.
On Thursday the event's first-round matchups are No. 8 Maryland (150/1) vs. No. 9 Wake Forest (200/1), No. 5 N.C. State (14/1) vs. No. 12 Boston College (250/1), No. 7 Clemson (30/1) vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech (30/1) and No. 6 Miami (18/1) vs. No. 11 Georgia Tech (150/1).
The semi-finals are then set for Saturday, with the championship on Sunday afternoon.
North Carolina was the best option for bettors in the ACC this season with their 17 wins against the spread, while Clemson was the worst at just 9-16 ATS this year. Duke paid out nicely for OVER bettors in the regular season, going 20-10-1 on the OVER/UNDER.
Washington won the Pac-10 Tournament as a No. 3 seed last season, and they'll be looking to take advantage of the NCAA basktball odds turn in the same result as the top seed this time around as the conference event gets underway on Wednesday at Los Angeles' Staples Center.
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The Huskies finished atop the expanded Pac-12 this season with a 14-4 mark against conference opponents, putting them one game up on both California and Oregon. Washington was also 21-9 overall and 15-13 against the college basketball odds this year.
Washington edged Arizona 77-75 in the tournament's title game last year, and both of those schools will jump into the action on Thursday this week in the second round of the tournament; No. 1 Washington, No. 2 California, No. 3 Oregon and No. 4 Arizona have all earned a bye to the quarterfinals of the event.
Wednesday's opening round has eight schools in action at the Staples Center, with No. 8 Washington State vs. No. 9 Oregon State, No. 5 UCLA vs. No. 12 USC, No. 7 Stanford vs. No. 10 Arizona State and No. 6 Colorado vs. No. 11 Utah.
The winners of Thursday's matchups will then meet in the semifinals of the tournament on Friday, with the Pac-12 Championship Game on Saturday afternoon.
Utah and Colorado will be making their debuts in the Pac-12's postseason, with both schools joining the conference this past season. The Buffaloes went 11-7 in Pac-12 play and 13-13 ATS, and the Utes struggled at 3-15 in the conference and 13-15-1 ATS on the season.
USC and Arizona State were the worst options for bettors in the Pac-12 this season, going 9-21 and 9-20-1, respectively, against the posted odds at the Bovada Sportsbook.
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Kentucky (26-1, 12-0) can clinch at least a tie for the regular-season SEC title with a win – although it’s a foregone conclusion that UK will win the title outright with a three-game lead over second-place Florida. The Cats have won 18 in a row since their only loss, which came on a buzzer-beater at Indiana. On Saturday, Kentucky had little trouble with Ole Miss in a 77-62 victory. Terrence Jones led the way with 15 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Player of the Year candidate Anthony Davis had a fairly quiet game due to first-half foul trouble. The freshman had 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks (to add to his national-leading total). The win over Mississippi was UK’s 50th in a row at home. Defensively, UK is holding opponents to just 36.2 percent shooting from the floor, lowest in the NCAA.
Mississippi State (19-8, 6-6) dropped its third straight Saturday, 65-55 at Auburn (the previous two losses were both by two points in OT). The Bulldogs played without big man Renardo Sidney due to back spasms, and Auburn took advantage with several scores in the paint and outrebounding the Bulldogs by five. Sidney will be a game-time decision tonight. He averages 10.4 points and 5.2 rebounds a game and will be needed to deal with Davis. The Bulldogs are led by Arnett Moultrie, who is the lone player in the SEC averaging a double-double with team-highs in scoring (16.5 ppg.) and rebounding (10.8).
MSU coach Rick Stansbury has never beaten a top-ranked team in his coaching career and is 1-8 vs. ranked Kentucky teams. The Bulldogs have hosted the No. 1 team just once under Stansbury, a loss to Florida in 2007. MSU and Kentucky have split the past six meetings, although UK is on a three-game winning streak. This is the only scheduled meeting of this season. The road team has covered the past five meetings.