College Basketball betting
May 19th College Basketball news ... Check us out daily for all of these necessary tools to make the big score this college basketball betting season.
Welcome to collegebasketballbetting.com, the site with all of the latest college hoops information.
In order to turn a profit during the college basketball season, you must be up to date on all of the latest news, trends, lines and information.
Check us out daily for all of these necessary tools to make the big score this college hoops season. With all of the latest tips, news, trends and gossip we are confident that we can assist you in turning a profit during the college basketball season.
Welcome to collegebasketballbetting.com, the site with all of the latest college hoops information.
In order to turn a profit during the college basketball season, you must be up to date on all of the latest news, trends, lines and information.
Check us out daily for all of these necessary tools to make the big score this college hoops season. With all of the latest tips, news, trends and gossip we are confident that we can assist you in turning a profit during the college basketball season.
College Basketball betting News
CBB: Big Men to play big roles in South Region
2010-03-26
This time of year the mantra of winning college basketball is having great guard play. Every team reportedly needs a player that can control the tempo, knock down shots and defend the perimeter. But what about a big fella in the middle? All four teams tonight have individual or collective key big players that could be the reason they move on to Sunday’s Elite Eight.
Omar Samhan vs. the Waco Gang
Tenth-seeded St. Mary’s has much the same feel as the conference partner Gonzaga had back in 1999. That Gonzaga team went to the Elite 8, with three consecutive upsets, led by guards Matt Santangelo and Richie Frahm. Watching that team play, you were struck by the fact they looked like a collection of guys that would be playing at the health club in the not too distant future, not being Mickey D’s All-Americans with a professional career in their future.
Taking a gander at St. Mary’s (28-5, 22-9 ATS), their team has many of those same qualities except for one person, Omar Samhan. The Gaels big man is one of the finest centers in the country and a terrific example of someone who benefitted from four years of collegiate ball. He has an assortment of moves around the basket and always works to make himself available for passes to the post, which is how he’s scored 61 points in two games. Samhan this season has become a more skilled passer, able to find open shooters on the weak side as double-teams are about to arrive. He’s a very big reason why St. Mary’s is 16-6 ATS facing defensive teams forcing 14 or fewer turnovers game this season.
He and 6’11 Ben Allen will be dueling with Baylor’s big men.
The Bears (27-7, 17-10 ATS) have the size and quickness edge in the paint with 7’0 Josh Lomers and 6’10 Ekpe Udoh. It appears Udoh will probably draw Samhan on defense and he has the quickness and arm length to play denial defense and shot-blocking skill to make him hesitant. Lomers also will undoubtedly take a few turns and he has the bulk to match strength with St. Mary’s big men.
Udoh is also a rim-runner, able to play at accelerated pace, which makes him devastating dunker and exceptional offensive rebounder. Baylor’s length at several positions on the floor allows them to be 7-0 ATS vs. excellent three point shooting teams converting 41 or better of their attempts.
Baylor is a 4.5-point favorite, with total having dipped to 142.5 at Sportsbook.com. Though Waco is a long way from Houston (where this game is being played), Texans tend to stick together and the Bears will have partisan fan-base. The Bears are 11-2 ATS having won four of their last five games and are 14-3 OVER after playing a game as favorite this season. Don’t expect St. Mary’s to be intimidated, with the gregarious Samhan always having something to say.
The Gaels are 8-1 ATS in any tournament game this year and 10-seeds are 4-7 SU against three seeds in this round. One bad note for St. Mary’s, if this 10-seed didn’t make the tournament last year (which the Gaels did not), they are 0-7 SU.
JaJuan Johnson takes on Duke brigade
Purdue (29-5, 15-18 ATS) lacked size before Robbie Hummel went down, now they have to find other ways to win. Coach Matt Painter has dug into the old Southern Illinois playbook (his last stop), where he made size not matter. To upset Duke as 8.5-point underdogs, the Boilermakers are going to have to win the battle on the perimeter and have Johnson create a stalemate inside.
Johnson has good moves around the basket, however, as he exhibited against the stronger Texas A&M big men, he can go outside and bank 15-footers and comfortably make 18-footers, which opens the middle for cutters. Much like the win over the Aggies, Purdue has to manufacture points and have a high number of points per possession. The Boilers have cashed eight of previous 11 tickets as neutral site pooches.
Duke (31-5, 20-14 ATS) can bring tall, strong players in waves. Center Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas start things off with solid defense and score enough to have to be guarded by opponent. Next comes the Plumlee brothers, both are aggressive rebounders on each of the floor and what they lack in quicks, they make-up for by using bodies to stay fundamentally sound. Like Purdue, the Blue Devils permit 61 points per game and their opponents only convert 40.1 percent of the time. With Duke’s defense, they are 8-2 ATS after allowing 25 points or less in the first half last game this year.
The oddsmakers believe Purdue will control the tempo, with 127 the listed total. The Boilermakers can’t allow many short Duke runs of 6-0 or 8-2, since they lack the firepower to run with the Blue Devils and are 6-13-1 ATS after a cover dating back to last season. Jon Scheyer and teammates only committed five turnovers against California last Sunday and are 8-1 ATS after a game committing eight or less miscues.
This was the only region to have the expected 1 vs. 4 matchup. The top seeds are 26-10 SU, winning by 8.6 points per game. A key number for the lower seed is score differential to pull the upset. Four seeds that win by 10 or more points are 7-6 when these seeds collide; all others are 3-18 SU. (Purdue is +9.9)
The StatFox Power Lines show Baylor by 4, Duke by 8
CBB: College hoops teams try to make their case
2010-03-02
This evening, ranked teams Vanderbilt and Ohio State are looking for brownie points to enhance their positions in the NCAA Tournament, but what about their opponents, what kind of noise can they make, since it is because of them you even know the name Joe Lunardi, the ESPN Bracketologist. Here is a look at what Florida & Illinois have to do tonight as we play the final regular season week of college basketball. Get the latest lines and key betting information on the LIVE ODDS & GAME MATCHUPS pages of Sportsbook.com.
Leave the alligator alone
Florida (20-9, 13-11 ATS) is attempting to reenter the NCAA Tournament after a two-year period making their way thru the minor leagues of the NIT. Depending on one’s point of view, the optimist would see playing ranked teams Vanderbilt (22-6, 13-12 ATS) and Kentucky as a real opportunity to lockdown a bid, while the pessimist would see two more losses coming.
The Gators didn’t help their own confidence, losing at Georgia 78-76 this past Saturday and they are 6-15 ATS off a loss. Nevertheless, the coach believes they will come back.
“This team has played hard all year, and they’ve responded well,” coach Billy Donovan said. “I anticipate that they’ll respond and play as hard as they can. Our guys understand we have to play well to put ourselves in a good position.”
Florida is a three-point home favorite at Sportsbook.com with total of 146.5. The Gators are 6-2 ATS against teams with winning records and are 11-1 and 8-4 ATS at the O'Connell Center against the Commodores. Vandy is only 4-15 ATS after having won four of their last five games over the last three seasons.
What kind of fight does Illini have?
Illinois’ home loss to Minnesota this past Saturday might be the deciding factor as to why they don’t make the field of 65. Coach Bruce Webber’s team has lost three of four and needs to beat ranked teams Ohio State and Wisconsin this week and probably at least get into Big Ten tourney semifinals to secure a spot. After going thru a period of six games starting in late January where they shot 51.1 percent as team (5-1, 4-2 ATS), Illinois (18-11, 11-15-1 ATS) has gone frigid, shooting 37.3 percent or worse in three of its last four contests.
The off-target Illini were 23 for 72 against the Golden Gophers, yet remain hopeful since they are 11-1 ATS in road games after a game where they made 33 percent of their shots or less.
They will take on a motivated Ohio State squad (23-7, 15-15 ATS) who has plenty to play for. This is the Buckeyes last Big Ten game and a victory assures them of finishing no worse than tied for conference crown, with a chance to still win it outright, pending the results of Purdue and Michigan State, who also have four league losses. The Buckeyes have won nine of 10 (5-5 ATS) and are off a non-cover against Michigan, which plays to their favor since they are 27-12 ATS off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite.
The sixth ranked Buckeyes are led by Evan Turner, whose stellar all-around play (21.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.1 steals) has him as virtual shoo-in for Big Ten player of the year and in a small group for national player of the year. “I wanted to win a Big Ten title, try to get a national championship and try to be one of the best to ever come out of here,” Turner said.
Ohio State is a 9.5-point favorite, however the way the Big Ten season has gone, road teams have enjoyed much success when you least expect it, especially among the top level clubs. Illinois is 7-1 ATS in road games this season, while the grey and scarlet clad Buckeyes are 0-7 ATS in home games after five straight games committing 14 or less turnovers this campaign.
CBB: Ohio State at Illinois (1:00 PM ET, CBS)
2010-02-12
A tip for fellow bettors out there…try to schedule your sweetie-time, or Valentine’s Day dates for the early dinner hours, as any other time on Sunday, you will miss out on some top-shelf sports action, be it the Daytona 500, the NBA All-Star Game, or a pair of nationally televised college hoops contests. In a key 1:00 PM ET tip-off, two of the front runners in the Big Ten will go head-to-head when Illinois hosts Ohio State. Let’s take a quick look at this game, including a Best Bet from the StatFox Platinum Sheet. Get more great betting info on this and all of the other 18 college tilts for Sunday on the LIVE ODDS, BETTING TRENDS, and TEAM STATISTICS pages of Sportsbook.com.
This matchup had Big Ten Network written all over two weeks ago, instead it’s an indicator of who might emerge as conference champions. Illinois (17-8, 9-13-1 ATS) was NIT bound after losing three league games in a row in the middle of January. Nobody gave them much a chance, since they still had the meat of their schedule ahead, however three wins gave the team confidence, which were followed by upsets of Michigan State and Wisconsin. Even an overzealous Brent Musburger has Bruce Webber up for coach of the year with this turnaround. What Webber really did is punish bad behavior from various players by giving them splinter time and they have roared back. The Fighting Illini are 12-1 in Champaign and perfect 9-0 as home favorites, though 3-6 ATS.
Ohio State (19-6, 12-13 ATS) has won eight of nine (5-4 ATS) to crawl back into the Big Ten title chase. The return of Evan Turner has made this team complete and they are hell-bent on winning it all since Turner is likely to enter the NBA Draft after the season. Turner’s ability to score allows William Buford and David Lighty to find more open shots. Illinois will also have to contend with center Dallas Lauderdale, who is a load in the low blocks. The Buckeyes are 3-7 ATS away from Columbus this season and 1-5 SU and ATS as road underdogs.
The Illini are 6-3 SU and ATS hosting Ohio State and swept them last season. The StatFox Power Line shows Illinois by 1 but this is what StatFox Steve had to say in the Platinum Sheet regarding this showdown: The most recent action in the Big Ten has two teams setting themselves apart, and neither of them is Michigan State, who lost twice this past week. At this point, I’d have to say the top team in the league is Ohio State, and the Buckeyes will face the same test that the Spartans failed on when they travel to Illinois on Sunday. They figure to be a pick or slight road favorite, which could be good since: Matta is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) as a road favorite of 3 points or less or pick in all games he has coached since 1997. Ohio State has been on fire since Evan Turner returned. I don’t see them losing here.
CBB: Connecticut at Michigan (1:30 PM ET, CBS)
2010-01-15
Connecticut and Michigan take a break from the rigors of Big East and Big Ten play with a non-conference tilt on Sunday afternoon. CBS brings the action live to your living room, and as always, Sportsbook.com will be the home for the wagering action on this and all of Sunday’s 15 college hoops games. Visit the LIVE ODDS, BETTING TRENDS, and TEAM STATISTICS pages for all the latest info on the action.
The Huskies (11-5, 5-8-1 ATS) knew coming into the season, despite plenty of size, they were not going to have the same scoring power with the departure of Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet. Their absence has expanded the roles of Stanley Robinson and Gavin Edwards and both have taken the challenge and become more complete players. However, that hasn’t proven to be enough yet, and coach Jim Calhoun needs Ater Majok and Charles Okwandu to be more valuable contributors, instead of players just using up minutes. With its size, UConn is 11-3 ATS when they grab 10 or more rebounds than their opponents. They will have a chance to do so in this matchup versus the undersized Wolverines.
Michigan (9-7, 5-7 ATS) knows what to expect every night from Manny Harris, being one of the best players in the Big Ten, and coach John Beilein knows what to look for from DeShawn Sims, his most versatile performer, who creates matchup issues for opponents. What has been lacking most of the season is that dependable third option. Laval Lucas-Perry, Stu Douglass or Zack Novak have all had their moments, nevertheless, sometimes they have failed all together also. With Connecticut’s decided size edge in this contest, the Wolverines cannot afford to make less than 30 percent of three point attempts, since they are 3-16 ATS when they do. As you’ll see in a bit, Michigan has been a feisty home dog and figures to come out biting in this one.
The StatFox Power Line shows a Pick em’. StatFox Steve indicates that Connecticut is a team that has played a different level of basketball at home when compared to on the road. At home, the Huskies won their first 10 games. On the road, they were just 1-4 in their first five. It’s not surprising considering how young and inexperienced they are. Well, here they will be in unfamiliar territory, playing at Michigan against a Wolverines’ team that has been both inept and exceptional at various times this season. It’s not a stretch to say they are underachieving. However, that should lead to a motivational home underdog pointspread and Michigan has been quite effective in that role historically: MICHIGAN is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997. The average score was MICHIGAN 70.5, OPPONENT 68.2 - (Rating = 1*). Michigan’s Manny Harris figures to be the best player on the court and I look for him to be the difference.
2010-03-26
This time of year the mantra of winning college basketball is having great guard play. Every team reportedly needs a player that can control the tempo, knock down shots and defend the perimeter. But what about a big fella in the middle? All four teams tonight have individual or collective key big players that could be the reason they move on to Sunday’s Elite Eight.
Omar Samhan vs. the Waco Gang
Tenth-seeded St. Mary’s has much the same feel as the conference partner Gonzaga had back in 1999. That Gonzaga team went to the Elite 8, with three consecutive upsets, led by guards Matt Santangelo and Richie Frahm. Watching that team play, you were struck by the fact they looked like a collection of guys that would be playing at the health club in the not too distant future, not being Mickey D’s All-Americans with a professional career in their future.
Taking a gander at St. Mary’s (28-5, 22-9 ATS), their team has many of those same qualities except for one person, Omar Samhan. The Gaels big man is one of the finest centers in the country and a terrific example of someone who benefitted from four years of collegiate ball. He has an assortment of moves around the basket and always works to make himself available for passes to the post, which is how he’s scored 61 points in two games. Samhan this season has become a more skilled passer, able to find open shooters on the weak side as double-teams are about to arrive. He’s a very big reason why St. Mary’s is 16-6 ATS facing defensive teams forcing 14 or fewer turnovers game this season.
He and 6’11 Ben Allen will be dueling with Baylor’s big men.
The Bears (27-7, 17-10 ATS) have the size and quickness edge in the paint with 7’0 Josh Lomers and 6’10 Ekpe Udoh. It appears Udoh will probably draw Samhan on defense and he has the quickness and arm length to play denial defense and shot-blocking skill to make him hesitant. Lomers also will undoubtedly take a few turns and he has the bulk to match strength with St. Mary’s big men.
Udoh is also a rim-runner, able to play at accelerated pace, which makes him devastating dunker and exceptional offensive rebounder. Baylor’s length at several positions on the floor allows them to be 7-0 ATS vs. excellent three point shooting teams converting 41 or better of their attempts.
Baylor is a 4.5-point favorite, with total having dipped to 142.5 at Sportsbook.com. Though Waco is a long way from Houston (where this game is being played), Texans tend to stick together and the Bears will have partisan fan-base. The Bears are 11-2 ATS having won four of their last five games and are 14-3 OVER after playing a game as favorite this season. Don’t expect St. Mary’s to be intimidated, with the gregarious Samhan always having something to say.
The Gaels are 8-1 ATS in any tournament game this year and 10-seeds are 4-7 SU against three seeds in this round. One bad note for St. Mary’s, if this 10-seed didn’t make the tournament last year (which the Gaels did not), they are 0-7 SU.
JaJuan Johnson takes on Duke brigade
Purdue (29-5, 15-18 ATS) lacked size before Robbie Hummel went down, now they have to find other ways to win. Coach Matt Painter has dug into the old Southern Illinois playbook (his last stop), where he made size not matter. To upset Duke as 8.5-point underdogs, the Boilermakers are going to have to win the battle on the perimeter and have Johnson create a stalemate inside.
Johnson has good moves around the basket, however, as he exhibited against the stronger Texas A&M big men, he can go outside and bank 15-footers and comfortably make 18-footers, which opens the middle for cutters. Much like the win over the Aggies, Purdue has to manufacture points and have a high number of points per possession. The Boilers have cashed eight of previous 11 tickets as neutral site pooches.
Duke (31-5, 20-14 ATS) can bring tall, strong players in waves. Center Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas start things off with solid defense and score enough to have to be guarded by opponent. Next comes the Plumlee brothers, both are aggressive rebounders on each of the floor and what they lack in quicks, they make-up for by using bodies to stay fundamentally sound. Like Purdue, the Blue Devils permit 61 points per game and their opponents only convert 40.1 percent of the time. With Duke’s defense, they are 8-2 ATS after allowing 25 points or less in the first half last game this year.
The oddsmakers believe Purdue will control the tempo, with 127 the listed total. The Boilermakers can’t allow many short Duke runs of 6-0 or 8-2, since they lack the firepower to run with the Blue Devils and are 6-13-1 ATS after a cover dating back to last season. Jon Scheyer and teammates only committed five turnovers against California last Sunday and are 8-1 ATS after a game committing eight or less miscues.
This was the only region to have the expected 1 vs. 4 matchup. The top seeds are 26-10 SU, winning by 8.6 points per game. A key number for the lower seed is score differential to pull the upset. Four seeds that win by 10 or more points are 7-6 when these seeds collide; all others are 3-18 SU. (Purdue is +9.9)
The StatFox Power Lines show Baylor by 4, Duke by 8
CBB: College hoops teams try to make their case
2010-03-02
This evening, ranked teams Vanderbilt and Ohio State are looking for brownie points to enhance their positions in the NCAA Tournament, but what about their opponents, what kind of noise can they make, since it is because of them you even know the name Joe Lunardi, the ESPN Bracketologist. Here is a look at what Florida & Illinois have to do tonight as we play the final regular season week of college basketball. Get the latest lines and key betting information on the LIVE ODDS & GAME MATCHUPS pages of Sportsbook.com.
Leave the alligator alone
Florida (20-9, 13-11 ATS) is attempting to reenter the NCAA Tournament after a two-year period making their way thru the minor leagues of the NIT. Depending on one’s point of view, the optimist would see playing ranked teams Vanderbilt (22-6, 13-12 ATS) and Kentucky as a real opportunity to lockdown a bid, while the pessimist would see two more losses coming.
The Gators didn’t help their own confidence, losing at Georgia 78-76 this past Saturday and they are 6-15 ATS off a loss. Nevertheless, the coach believes they will come back.
“This team has played hard all year, and they’ve responded well,” coach Billy Donovan said. “I anticipate that they’ll respond and play as hard as they can. Our guys understand we have to play well to put ourselves in a good position.”
Florida is a three-point home favorite at Sportsbook.com with total of 146.5. The Gators are 6-2 ATS against teams with winning records and are 11-1 and 8-4 ATS at the O'Connell Center against the Commodores. Vandy is only 4-15 ATS after having won four of their last five games over the last three seasons.
What kind of fight does Illini have?
Illinois’ home loss to Minnesota this past Saturday might be the deciding factor as to why they don’t make the field of 65. Coach Bruce Webber’s team has lost three of four and needs to beat ranked teams Ohio State and Wisconsin this week and probably at least get into Big Ten tourney semifinals to secure a spot. After going thru a period of six games starting in late January where they shot 51.1 percent as team (5-1, 4-2 ATS), Illinois (18-11, 11-15-1 ATS) has gone frigid, shooting 37.3 percent or worse in three of its last four contests.
The off-target Illini were 23 for 72 against the Golden Gophers, yet remain hopeful since they are 11-1 ATS in road games after a game where they made 33 percent of their shots or less.
They will take on a motivated Ohio State squad (23-7, 15-15 ATS) who has plenty to play for. This is the Buckeyes last Big Ten game and a victory assures them of finishing no worse than tied for conference crown, with a chance to still win it outright, pending the results of Purdue and Michigan State, who also have four league losses. The Buckeyes have won nine of 10 (5-5 ATS) and are off a non-cover against Michigan, which plays to their favor since they are 27-12 ATS off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite.
The sixth ranked Buckeyes are led by Evan Turner, whose stellar all-around play (21.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.1 steals) has him as virtual shoo-in for Big Ten player of the year and in a small group for national player of the year. “I wanted to win a Big Ten title, try to get a national championship and try to be one of the best to ever come out of here,” Turner said.
Ohio State is a 9.5-point favorite, however the way the Big Ten season has gone, road teams have enjoyed much success when you least expect it, especially among the top level clubs. Illinois is 7-1 ATS in road games this season, while the grey and scarlet clad Buckeyes are 0-7 ATS in home games after five straight games committing 14 or less turnovers this campaign.
CBB: Ohio State at Illinois (1:00 PM ET, CBS)
2010-02-12
A tip for fellow bettors out there…try to schedule your sweetie-time, or Valentine’s Day dates for the early dinner hours, as any other time on Sunday, you will miss out on some top-shelf sports action, be it the Daytona 500, the NBA All-Star Game, or a pair of nationally televised college hoops contests. In a key 1:00 PM ET tip-off, two of the front runners in the Big Ten will go head-to-head when Illinois hosts Ohio State. Let’s take a quick look at this game, including a Best Bet from the StatFox Platinum Sheet. Get more great betting info on this and all of the other 18 college tilts for Sunday on the LIVE ODDS, BETTING TRENDS, and TEAM STATISTICS pages of Sportsbook.com.
This matchup had Big Ten Network written all over two weeks ago, instead it’s an indicator of who might emerge as conference champions. Illinois (17-8, 9-13-1 ATS) was NIT bound after losing three league games in a row in the middle of January. Nobody gave them much a chance, since they still had the meat of their schedule ahead, however three wins gave the team confidence, which were followed by upsets of Michigan State and Wisconsin. Even an overzealous Brent Musburger has Bruce Webber up for coach of the year with this turnaround. What Webber really did is punish bad behavior from various players by giving them splinter time and they have roared back. The Fighting Illini are 12-1 in Champaign and perfect 9-0 as home favorites, though 3-6 ATS.
Ohio State (19-6, 12-13 ATS) has won eight of nine (5-4 ATS) to crawl back into the Big Ten title chase. The return of Evan Turner has made this team complete and they are hell-bent on winning it all since Turner is likely to enter the NBA Draft after the season. Turner’s ability to score allows William Buford and David Lighty to find more open shots. Illinois will also have to contend with center Dallas Lauderdale, who is a load in the low blocks. The Buckeyes are 3-7 ATS away from Columbus this season and 1-5 SU and ATS as road underdogs.
The Illini are 6-3 SU and ATS hosting Ohio State and swept them last season. The StatFox Power Line shows Illinois by 1 but this is what StatFox Steve had to say in the Platinum Sheet regarding this showdown: The most recent action in the Big Ten has two teams setting themselves apart, and neither of them is Michigan State, who lost twice this past week. At this point, I’d have to say the top team in the league is Ohio State, and the Buckeyes will face the same test that the Spartans failed on when they travel to Illinois on Sunday. They figure to be a pick or slight road favorite, which could be good since: Matta is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) as a road favorite of 3 points or less or pick in all games he has coached since 1997. Ohio State has been on fire since Evan Turner returned. I don’t see them losing here.
CBB: Connecticut at Michigan (1:30 PM ET, CBS)
2010-01-15
Connecticut and Michigan take a break from the rigors of Big East and Big Ten play with a non-conference tilt on Sunday afternoon. CBS brings the action live to your living room, and as always, Sportsbook.com will be the home for the wagering action on this and all of Sunday’s 15 college hoops games. Visit the LIVE ODDS, BETTING TRENDS, and TEAM STATISTICS pages for all the latest info on the action.
The Huskies (11-5, 5-8-1 ATS) knew coming into the season, despite plenty of size, they were not going to have the same scoring power with the departure of Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet. Their absence has expanded the roles of Stanley Robinson and Gavin Edwards and both have taken the challenge and become more complete players. However, that hasn’t proven to be enough yet, and coach Jim Calhoun needs Ater Majok and Charles Okwandu to be more valuable contributors, instead of players just using up minutes. With its size, UConn is 11-3 ATS when they grab 10 or more rebounds than their opponents. They will have a chance to do so in this matchup versus the undersized Wolverines.
Michigan (9-7, 5-7 ATS) knows what to expect every night from Manny Harris, being one of the best players in the Big Ten, and coach John Beilein knows what to look for from DeShawn Sims, his most versatile performer, who creates matchup issues for opponents. What has been lacking most of the season is that dependable third option. Laval Lucas-Perry, Stu Douglass or Zack Novak have all had their moments, nevertheless, sometimes they have failed all together also. With Connecticut’s decided size edge in this contest, the Wolverines cannot afford to make less than 30 percent of three point attempts, since they are 3-16 ATS when they do. As you’ll see in a bit, Michigan has been a feisty home dog and figures to come out biting in this one.
The StatFox Power Line shows a Pick em’. StatFox Steve indicates that Connecticut is a team that has played a different level of basketball at home when compared to on the road. At home, the Huskies won their first 10 games. On the road, they were just 1-4 in their first five. It’s not surprising considering how young and inexperienced they are. Well, here they will be in unfamiliar territory, playing at Michigan against a Wolverines’ team that has been both inept and exceptional at various times this season. It’s not a stretch to say they are underachieving. However, that should lead to a motivational home underdog pointspread and Michigan has been quite effective in that role historically: MICHIGAN is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997. The average score was MICHIGAN 70.5, OPPONENT 68.2 - (Rating = 1*). Michigan’s Manny Harris figures to be the best player on the court and I look for him to be the difference.