Oakland seeks upset of Pittsburgh in NCAA Tournament
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
03/19/2010 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Riding an 11-game win streak, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies are in to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history as they confront the Pittsburgh Panthers in first-round action in the West Regional at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.
Oakland, the 14th seed in the 72nd annual event, has lost only once in the last 21 outings, a 78-54 setback at IUPUI as part of a four-game road trip through Summit League foes back on January 28th. The squad has won a school- record 26 games thus far, thanks in part to capturing the Summit League Tournament title with a 76-64 triumph over that same IUPUI program 10 days ago.
As for third-seeded Pittsburgh, this is its 22nd appearance in the tourney, showing a record of 21-22 over that stretch. Guided by Jamie Dixon, who needs just once more win to tie the NCAA Division I all-time record for wins through seven seasons as a head coach (188), the Panthers are one of two Big East teams in this bracket along with top-seeded Syracuse. Playing in what many consider to be the toughest league in the country, Pitt finished 13-5 as it tied for the second-highest win total in Big East action since the school joined the conference back in 1982-83.
Only one of seven teams to advance to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last nine seasons, the Panthers own a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series against Oakland. The winner of this meeting heads to the second round on Sunday to challenge the winner of the Xavier/Minnesota contest.
Sporting three players who started all 34 games thus far, the Grizzlies are led on offense by Keith Benson who not only averaged a double-double with his 17.0 ppg and 10.5 rpg, he also logged an astounding 116 blocked shots to lead the league. The Summit League Player of the Year, Benson needs just 10 more rebounds to tie the single-season league record and considering he posted 18 double-doubles this season that's not out of the realm of possibility. Johnathon Jones (12.4 ppg) was not only tied for second on the team in scoring, he also was first with a staggering 219 assists and recorded 63 steals to lead the group at both ends of the floor. Derick Nelson (12.4 ppg) and Larry Wright (11.1 ppg) were also key factors in the team generating almost 77 ppg, considering no one else on the roster is putting up even seven points per game at this stage.
Pittsburgh, a team that fell to Notre Dame twice in the last month, only had a handful of games in which the offense took control. In fact, the team's most recent outing eight days ago is something the group would rather forget as the Panthers delivered a weak 45-point effort versus the Fighting Irish, a team that lost to Old Dominion in the first round of this tourney on Thursday. One of four players to have started every game, Ashton Gibbs is responsible for 15.8 ppg this season, having made good on not only 89 percent of his free- throw attempts but also 40.2 percent behind the three-point line. Brad Wanamaker (12.1 ppg) is a player who can do it all for the Panthers, from his team-best 149 assists and 39 steals, to 5.7 rpg which is second only to Gary McGhee (7.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg). Jermaine Dixon has had his moments coming up with 10.7 ppg, but considering he has made just 21.9 percent of his three-point tries, he'd be better off giving the ball to a teammate than taking a bad shot out on the perimeter.
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers are obviously heavily favored in this afternoon's clash with the 15th-seeded Morgan State Bears in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Awaiting the winner o
<< Cat Fight in Buffalo, as Missouri takes on Clemson in "Big Dance"
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The seventh-seeded Clemson Tigers and the 10th-
seeded Missouri Tigers will do battle this afternoon in the first round of the
2010 NCAA Tournament from HSBC Arena in Buffalo.
The winner of this East Regional b
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Jacksonville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - What is expected to be one of the most
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Temple Owls against the 12th-seeded Cornell Big Red in East Region action at
Veterans Memori
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Spokane, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fourth-seeded Maryland Terrapins have won
their last nine first-round matchups in the NCAA Tournament and they will try
to continue that streak tonight against the 13th-seeded Houston Cougars at
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<< Midwest Regional action pits Cowboys against Yellow Jackets
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 10th-seeded Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
and the seventh-seeded Oklahoma State Cowboys go head-to-head tonight in the
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Midwest Regio
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With teams from the Big East Conference an endangered species after just one day of the 2010 NCAA Tournament, the Syracuse Orange try to prove that they deserved their top seeding in the West Regional as they take
Top-seeded Duke opens tourney play against Arkansas-Pine Bluff >>
Jacksonville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions will
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first-round action of the South Region at Spokane Veterans Arena.
The Saints will b
Utah State and Texas A&M meet in South Regional action >>
Spokane, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aggies will collide in first-round action in
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the Spokane Memorial Arena.
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Buckeyes battle Gauchos in first-round action in Milwaukee >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes square
off against the 15th-seeded UC Santa Barbara Gauchos tonight in a Midwest
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advance to th
MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?
Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite. Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight. With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites. As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).
Midwest
#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler
The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April. Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT. After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games. Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season. As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers. Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS). Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field. With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.
#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV
As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year. If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season. As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well. This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons. Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late. There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games. It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.
East
#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown
“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season. Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU. They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games. With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field. Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense. Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc. The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range. Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.
#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC
The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country. Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times. Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter. UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen. UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS. An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games. This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS. USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types. An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough. USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS. They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12. When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING
NCAA Football BettingMany fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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