Cnotes53 College Basketball Best Bets/Trends/ News Thru The Madness !

[Cnotes53]

Sunday's NCAA Tournament second round betting preview: Midwest Region

(11) Syracuse Orange vs (3) Michigan St. Spartans (-9, 129.5)

Game to be played at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

Michigan State looks to advance to its first NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen in three seasons when it takes on surprising Syracuse in a Midwest Region second-round matchup Sunday in Detroit. The third-seeded Spartans advanced with a victory over Bucknell while the Orange, the 11th seed, got past TCU in first-round contests Friday.

Sophomore guard Tyus Battle leads the Syrcause offensive attack, averaging 19.7 points, while forwards Oshae Brissett and Frank Howard each chip in 14.9 points per contest. But the story of the Orange is coach Jim Boeheim's matchup zone defense that causes teams lots of troubles and will be a big test for a Michigan State team that has struggled with zones this season. Forward Miles Bridges (17.3 points) is a versatile offensive force, hitting 68 3-pointers but also capable of getting to the hoop and finishing at the rim. The key for the Spartans will be the play of point guard Cassius Winston (12.6 points, 51.4 3-point percentage, 6.9 assists), who must handle the zone and the size of the Syracuse defenders when they extend the zone to apply pressure on the ball.

TV: 1:40 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: The Spartans opened as 8-point chalk and money coming in on Michigan State pushed that line to 9 at most shops. The total hit betting boards at 129.5 and has yet to move off the opening number.

BETTING STATS:

ABOUT SYRACUSE: Freshman forward Marek Dolezaj had scored in double figures just twice in the last 14 games prior to the Orange's first-round contest against TCU, but the Slovakian had a team-high 17 points to give Syracuse an offensive boost. Boeheim would love to see the same thing when his team faces Michigan State in the second round because as good as Syracuse's defense is, it will need to score points against a very tough defensive team in the Spartans. With Battle finishing with fewer than 10 points for just the second time this season, Dolezaj's production was much needed, and it will be needed again for as long as the Orange stay alive in the tournament.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE: Since the Spartans' first loss of the season to Duke in November, the question of whether Bridges is aggressive enough offensively in big games has been there for coach Tom Izzo. The sophomore has tried to find balance in his offensive game, with the deep Michigan State rotation allowing him to not have to dominate the ball, but against Bucknell, it was Bridges who closed the door, scoring 14 of his 29 points in a nine-minute spurt in the second half that pushed the Spartans' lead from six to 14. Bridges will have to work on that balance again when facing Syracuse, as the Orange's zone doesn't have much room to drive against but doesn't give many open looks from the perimeter either.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Orange are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games.
* Spartans are 1-5-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 5-0 in Orange last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Under is 6-1 in Spartans last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Orange are 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 61 percent of bettors taking the underdogs from Syracuse, while 51 percent of totals wagers are on the Under.




(5) Clemson Tigers vs (4) Auburn Tigers (-1.5, 146.5)

Game to be played at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.

It?s been 15 years since Auburn made a trip to the Sweet Sixteen, and even longer for Clemson. One of their droughts will end Sunday when the two Tigers square off in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in San Diego.

Auburn is in the tournament for the first time since 2003, when it made a run to the Sweet Sixteen as a No. 10 seed. The fourth-seeded Tigers survived a scare in a 62-58 win over College of Charleston in Friday?s first-round matchup, forcing 21 turnovers to help overcome a lackluster offensive outing. Clemson hadn?t won an NCAA Tournament game since a First Four victory over Alabama-Birmingham in 2011, and it hadn?t reached the second round since a Sweet Sixteen trip in 1997. Shelton Mitchell scored 23 points and Gabe DeVoe added 22 in Clemson?s 79-68 win over New Mexico State on Friday.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: Auburn opened as 1-point favorites and the pointspread has waivered between the opening number and 1.5 - as of Sunday morning Auburn is sitting as 1.5-point chalk. The total hit betting boards as low as 146.5 and has held firm.

BETTING STATS:

ABOUT CLEMSON: Clemson had lost two of three and five of its last eight entering the tournament, but the Tigers didn?t have much trouble with the Aggies in the first round. The starting backcourt trio of Marcquise Reed (15.9 points), DeVoe (13.5 points), and Mitchell (12.3 points) combined for 60 points, but center Elijah Thomas (10.6 points, 8.0 rebounds) was limited to six points on 2-of-7 shooting despite grabbing 10 rebounds. The Tigers only attempted nine free throws against New Mexico State and likely will need to do a better job at getting to the line to advance Sunday.

ABOUT AUBURN: The fourth-seeded Tigers won the SEC regular-season title but stumbled a bit down the stretch, losing three of their last five going into the SEC Tournament, where they were bounced by Alabama in their first game. Their offensive struggles continues against the Cougars, as they shot below 40 percent for the fourth straight game. Leading scorer Mustapha Heron (16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds) scored 16 points and Desean Murray (10.4 points, 6.8 rebounds) had a characteristic 11 points and seven boards, but Bryce Brown (16 points) struggled to find his stroke, going 3-for-10 from 3-point range.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Tigers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
* Tigers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Tigers last 5 non-conference games.
* Under is 4-1 in Tigers last 5 overall.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 57 percent of bettors taking the underdogs from Clemson, while 55 percent of totals wagers are on the Under.

 

[Cnotes53]

Sunday's NCAA Tournament second round betting preview: East Region

(10) Butler Bulldogs vs (2) Purdue Boilermakers (-3.5, 144)

Game to be played at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

Big Ten champion Purdue appeared to suffered a key injury in its 74-48 first round NCAA Tournament victory over Cal State Fullerton when 7-foot-2 center Isaac Haas suffered a fractured right elbow while fighting for a rebound in the second half. But Haas, who will need surgery to fix the injury, took part in some drills during Saturday's practice and may play in Sunday's Round of 32 contest with Butler at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit if the NCAA approves a special elbow brace he's been fitted with.

Haas, who had nine points and 10 rebounds before suffering the injury, is the second leading scorer for the Boilermakers (14.9) and also averages 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. The finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award which goes to the nation's top college center had 15 points and three rebounds in just 16 foul-plagued minutes in a 82-67 victory over the Bulldogs in a Dec. 16 meeting in the Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis, so his loss would be a big one for Purdue which is the No. 2 seed in the East Regional. "He's trying to convince me, but it is what it is," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "I don't see him playing. His future is more important." No. 10 seed Butler, which is trying for its fourth Sweet Sixteen appearance in nine years, opened the tournament with a 79-62 victory over Arkansas.

TV: 12:10 ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: Purdue opened as 3.5-point favorites and the line has yet to move off that opening number . The total hit betting boards at 144.5 and was bet down a full point to 143.5 until rebounding slightly to 144 on Sunday morning.

BETTING STATS:

ABOUT BUTLER: The Bulldogs are 15-3 when outrebounding an opponent and finished with a 45-25 edge on the boards over the Razorbacks in Friday's first round victory. Senior forward Kelan Martin went over 2,000 career points in the victory and the all-Big East pick finished with 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including five 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Kamar Baldwin also had a big game, finishing with 24 points, his seventh 20-point game of his career and sixth this season.

ABOUT PURDUE: The Boilermakers held Butler, which averages 8.3 3-pointers per game, to just one 3-pointer in the first 28 minutes in their December victory while building a 26-point lead. Sophomore guard Carsen Edwards, who leads the team in scoring (18.4), had a team-high 18 points in the first meeting with the Bulldogs while senior forward Vincent Edwards, who is third on the team in scoring (14.5), finished with 15 points, including 4-of-5 3-pointers. Senior guard Dakota Mathias is also averaging in double figures (12.3) and has connected on 92-of-199 3-pointers (46.2 percent).

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 21-5-2 ATS in their last 28 NCAA Tournament games.
* Boilermakers are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-1 in Bulldogs last 6 non-conference games.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 61 percent of bettors taking the favorites from Purdue, while 64 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.




(13) Marshall Thundering Herd vs (5) West Virginia Mountaineers (-12.5, 159.5)

Game to be played at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.

There is no love lost between Marshall and West Virginia and the in-state rivals present perhaps the most tantalizing second-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament when they meet Sunday in the East Region at San Diego. The 13th-seeded Thundering Herd won their first-ever tournament game with an 81-75 upset of Wichita State on Friday, presenting them with a chance to meet a hated foe, although the initial reaction was to downplay the bitterness.

"Hell, I?m still celebrating this one. You?re off on the other one?" Marshall coach Dan D'Antoni told the media when asked of a matchup with the Mountaineers. "I have no idea. ... Let's enjoy this a little bit and we'll get ready for West Virginia and I really don?t have to worry. These are all gym rats. They're going to be ready to go when it's time to go." The two schools - separated by about 200 miles - played every year from 1977 through 2015 before the Mountaineers elected to end the annual clash in a somewhat contentious decision. West Virginia coach Bob Huggins, who shot back at D'Antoni in 2014 when the latter suggested that the Mountaineers were planning to back out of the series because they were afraid, initially dodged questions about the renewal of the rivalry after his fifth-seeded team defeated Murray State 85-68 in the first round. "Can I say one thing?" he said later in the press conference. "I've got great respect for Danny and what he's done. He took over. They were down and I've got great respect for him since he's become the coach. ... This is not a Hatfields and McCoys thing. We have great relationships [between the] staffs."

TV: 9:40 p.m., TBS

LINE HISTORY: West Virginia opened as 11.5-point favorites and have been bet up a full point to 12.5 as of Saturday night. The total hit betting boards as low as 159.5 and has yet to move off the opening number.

BETTING STATS:

ABOUT MARSHALL: Jon Elmore, who led Conference USA in scoring this season, scored 27 points in the win over Wichita State and has at least 22 in 12 of his last 14 games. Ajdin Penava, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, chipped in 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go along with three blocks as the Thundering Herd picked up their first postseason victory since the 1967 NIT, when D'Antoni was on the team. "I told them the beginning goal is to win the NCAA Tournament," D'Antoni said. "Wherever we get in the car driving down the road to that championship, when it stops we'll all get off and we'll be happy because we like who is in the car. We like the journey we're on. We're looking forward to the next leg, and I have confidence in these guys that they'll give you a real good ballgame and got a great chance to win."

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA: Senior Jevon Carter was a force in Friday's win with 21 points, eight assists, six steals and five rebounds while stifling Murray State star Jonathan Stark, and the Mountaineers' defensive stalwart will be a handful for Elmore. "I would be shocked if he didn't play that way," Huggins said of Carter's performance. "He plays that way all the time. He plays that way in open gym. But he's always done that." Freshman Teddy Allen produced his first double-digit scoring effort in a nine-game span with 16 points, while Sagaba Konate contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for West Virginia, which is seeking a Sweet 16 berth for the third time in four years.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Thundering Herd are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 14-6 in Thundering Herd last 20 non-conference games.
* Over is 6-1 in Mountaineers last 7 overall.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 69 percent of bettors taking the underdogs from Marshall, while 53 percent of totals wagers are on the Under.

 

[Cnotes53]

Sunday - Session 2
March 18, 2018

West Region ? Charlotte ? Spectrum Center
#7 Texas A&M vs. #2 North Carolina (-6.5, 151.5) ? 5:15 PM EST ? CBS

The Tar Heels will have to defend their championship by prevailing out West next weekend just to get to San Antonio but can?t get ahead of themselves by even thinking about L.A. just yet. Hardened by persevering through one of the most challenging SEC seasons in years despite being shorthanded, Texas A&M will look to ruin the UNC coronation in Charlotte.

After surviving a tight game with Providence, the Aggies have now won four of five, losing only a 71-70 result to Alabama in the SEC Tournament. When healthy early in the season, A&M beat West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Penn State and USC. It owns wins over Kentucky and Auburn and losses to Arizona and Kansas. Billy Kennedy?s team won?t be intimidated.

North Carolina lost three starters and a 7-foot freshman reserve off last year?s national championship team, but their smaller group shoots it better and rebounds impressively. Pittsburgh transfer Cameron Johnson has become invaluable due to his versatility, but teams often try and give him space to shoot since he?s been erratic shooting it. Although he?s got a pair of games with six makes, he?s had his share of clunkers and entered the NCAA Tournament on a 5-for-18 run but went 2-for-3 against Lipscomb in the Heels? relatively painless 84-66 first-round win.

Point guard Joel Berry shot 2-for-9 from beyond the arc in the first round and is in a 12-for-45 slump from 3-point range, so he needs to start turning it around. Fellow senior Theo Pinson has shined down the stretch as a facilitator, rebounder and defender, emerging as the most valuable member of this group that?s attempting to win a second straight title. He?s also played at least 35 minutes in three of his last four games and will be up against a larger, stronger frontcourt with multiple dynamic athletes.

We?ll see here whether playing four games in as many days in the ACC Tournament last weekend affects Roy Williams? team since there isn?t a ton of depth available and they?ll be up against a team that will create issues in the paint both ends thanks to power forward Robert Williams and center Tyler Davis, each of whom average over nine boards per game and will challenge UNC?s supremacy on the boards. The duo outrebounded Providence by themselves, 29-26.

Williams called rebounding the most critical factor in his team?s game, which makes this a test for them to prove exactly how good they are at it and put it on display once again. A&M can pull off an upset if its superior size wins out, which will require staying out of foul trouble.

The under has prevailed in five of the last six games involving North Carolina this month as it has ramped up its defense in tournaments. The over has hit in eight of the last 11 A&M games, though only one of their games have gotten into the 150s, where this one started at. That contest, an 81-80 win at Auburn on Feb. 7, surpassed the posted total (153.5).

South Region ? Nashville ? Bridgetone Arena
#7 Nevada vs. #2 Cincinnati (-8, 137.5) ? 6:10 PM EST ? TNT

The Bearcats didn?t play well at all despite winning the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Orlando last weekend, struggling against SMU, Memphis and Houston last weekend. They were down in the second half of all those games, so a relatively slow start against Georgia State where they failed to cover the first-half number probably should have been expected.

Once again, their defensive intensity wore down Georgia State in a 68-53 win where they were able to cover after the Panthers fouled unnecessarily in the final minute despite the game already being decided. Cincinnati is second in the nation in points allowed per game (57), second in field-goal percentage defense (37.1), eighth in blocks (5.5) and ninth in 3-point percentage defense (30.9). The Bearcats have allowed 61 or fewer points in 18 of their last 22 games.

In Nevada, Mick Cronin?s Bearcats will have by far their most daunting defensive challenge since the regular-season finale at Wichita State. Tough to contain, the Wolf Pack haven?t scored fewer than 64 points all season. Xavier, the best offensive team Cincy saw this season, won 89-76 at Cintas Center. Cronin wasn?t singing his opponents? praises just to talk up an opponent. He called Sunday?s opponent ?nightmare to cover.?

Texas did a nice job of containing Nevada until Mo Bamba got into foul trouble and then had problems solving the mismatches that Cody Martin, Caleb Martin and Jordan Caroline all create. They?re all big wings who can shoot it, put it on the ground and set plays up for one another.

Purdue transfer Kendall Stephens is an elite shooter who also benefits from the attention teammates command, adding teeth to the attack with his touch from the perimeter. We?ll see if they?ll be able to gang rebound with to keep the bigger Bearcats from controlling the boards, but if they can hit from the perimeter, should be able to do some damage.

Nevada did lose to San Diego State twice down the stretch but were able to produce against strong defensive teams in Texas Tech, UC-Davis, UC-Irvine and Rhode Island. Losing guard Lindsey Drew late in the season means Eric Musselman is now just seven-deep, so we?ll see if the Wolf Pack have enough left in the tank to pull off another upset after working overtime against Texas. Cincinnati is deeper, so Cronin can attempt to try and wear down his opponent by keeping lineups fresh.

The x-factor for the Bearcats will be whether Jacob Evans and Jarron Cumberland can score effectively on the wing consistently. Cincinnati likes to shorten games and will want to keep Nevada from finding a rhythm, but it runs the risk of bogging its offense down if jump shots don?t go down and the Wolf Pack turn misses into run-outs.

Nevada must find a way to generate easy baskets and hit a good share of their 3-pointers to overcome the favored Bearcats but seem to have a puncher?s chance if Martin?s foot holds up. Cincinnati has stifled foes on the 3-point line. The Wolf Pack have thrived there. That battle of will decides whether there?s a chance of an upset.

Midwest Region ? San Diego ? Viejas Arena
#5 Clemson vs. #4 Auburn (-1.5, 146.5) ? 7:10 PM EST ? TBS

No 12-seed defeated a No. 5 this season, a rarity in that it?s only happened one other time in this decade. Even though these teams were favored to meet, it?s somewhat of an upset that two Southern powers better known for their football each avoided an upset in order to square off for a Sweet 16 berth.

Only Clemson?s Tigers covered, putting together an impressive win against New Mexico State. Auburn never got into a flow due to point guard Jared Harper?s foul trouble but managed to survive against a veteran College of Charleston squad that pushed the Tigers to the limit, winning in part due to a mistake by the officials that worked out in their favor. Refs never noticed that Harper, an 82 percent free-throw shooter, wasn?t supposed to be on the line for the attempts that helped secure the result. Chuma Okeke, a 69 percent shooter was. Harper helped lock up a 62-58 win.

In fairness, Auburn would?ve likely held on against Charleston, but one can?t say that for sure given the buzzer-beater bug flying around this tournament. The Tigers won despite shooting 5-for-24 from 3-point range and missing 17 of 32 free throws, which is another reason those Harper makes took on increased importance.

Since losing key forward Anfernee McLemore to an ankle fracture one month ago in a loss at South Carolina, Auburn is just 3-3. The Tigers also lost their most important frontcourt piece when Donte Grantham tore an ACL in late January, so they?re relying more on their shooting these days.

Shelton Mitchell, Gabe DeVoe and Marcquise Reed combined to make 20 of 30 shots against an athletic New Mexico State defense that is shut down shooters all season. Many of the looks were well-contested, but the three guards were simply too locked into miss. David Skara joined the Clemson starting lineup to help add more depth to the first five, while Elijah Thomas added 10 rebounds and two blocks.

Neither Bruce Pearl nor Brad Brownell have much depth to lean on. Both will also rely almost entirely on their guards. Harper, Mustapha Heron and Bryce Brown helped Auburn survive Charleston despite combining to shoot 10-for-33, so the three-guard combos involved in this matchup couldn?t come into this Round of 32 game off more different performances.

Despite that, there are striking similarities between personnel and an approach of attacking the boards collectively. Guard play will decide this game, but it probably won't be solely about who shoots it best. Defense, decision-making and perhaps most important, pace, will be major determining factors.

Auburn thrives in chaos and will pressure the Tigers with varying looks and degrees of intensity. Clemson prefers to work the shot clock, searching for the best looks even if it takes all 30 seconds. Brownell doesn't want them sped up, so it will be interesting to see how they strike a balance between attacking the press and making the most of opportunities without getting away from their personality.

Auburn leads the series 15-12, but Clemson won the most recent meeting on Dec. 14, 2015, 72-61. Pearl lost that game against Brownell, but neither had won an NCAA Tournament at their present school until Friday night. Now, one will be headed to the Sweet 16.

The under has prevailed in four of the last five Auburn games, all of which have resulted in ATS losses for Pearl's Tigers. Clemson has covered in each of its last three games, all of which have surpassed the posted total.

 

[Cnotes53]

SUNDAY, MARCH 18
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BUT at PUR 12:10 PM
PUR -4.0
U 144.5

SYR at MSU 02:40 PM
MSU -9.5
U 128.0

DRKE at UNCO 05:00 PM
UNCO -7.0
O 153.5

TAM at UNC 05:15 PM
TAM +6.5
U 151.5

NEV at CIN 06:10 PM
CIN -9.0
O 137.5

 

[Cnotes53]

CLEM at AUB 07:10 PM
AUB -2.0
U 146.0

UMBC at KSU 07:45 PM
KSU -10.5
O 135.5

FSU at XAV 08:40 PM
XAV -5.5
U 155.5

MRSH at WVU 09:40 PM
MRSH +13.0
O 156.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Monday?s 6-pack

Since 1985, North Carolina?s worst losses in NCAA tournament:

1990? Arkansas 96, North Carolina 73

2018? Texas A&M 86, North Carolina 65

1996? Texas Tech 92, North Carolina 73

2008? Kansas 84, North Carolina 66

1986? Louisville 94, North Carolina 79

2012? Kansas 80, North Carolina 67

In fairness, the Tar Heels? NCAA record since 1985: 88-26.

Quote of the Day
?This is life. It can?t define you. You enjoy the good times and you gotta be able to take the bad times. When you step into the arena?the consequences can be historic losses?and you have to deal with it.?
Tony Bennett, after Friday night?s loss to UMBC

Monday?s quiz
Which retired NBA great once co-starred with Gabe Kaplan in the 1979 basketball movie Fast Break?

Sunday?s quiz
Michigan coach John Beilein was the coach at West Virginia before Bob Huggins.

Saturday?s quiz
Comedian Bill Murray?s son is an assistant coach for Xavier.

*********************

Monday?s List of 13: Wrapping up a great sports weekend

13) Not the best day in the city of Cincinnati.

Florida State 75, Xavier 70? West #1-seed Musketeers blew a 12-point lead.
Nevada 75, Cincinnati 73? Southeast #2-seed Bearcats blew a 22-point lead.

12) From 2005-17, 46 of 52 #1-seeds made it to the Sweet 16. This year, Virginia/Xavier won?t be going, the 3rd time (2000, 2004) since 1985 that two #1-seeds got KO?d early.

11) Nevada was down 14 to Texas on Friday; they were down 22 in this game. Eric Musselman?s team is the mentally toughest team in America. Seriously? they only used six players in this game, and the same six guys played against Texas Friday.

? Musselman was an NBA head coach for three years, going 108-138 with Kings/Warriors.
? He has coached everywhere:
CBA? 270-122 with the Rapid City Thrillers
USBL? 53-3 with the Florida Sharks and Florida Beach Dogs
G-League? 77-30 with the Reno Bighorns and Los Angeles D-Fenders

? He played high school basketball with Tom Tupa, who went on to QB at Ohio State? Tupa scored the first 2-point conversion in NFL history.
? Musselman went to U of San Diego where his roommate was George Tarkanian, son of the late Jerry Tarkanian, the great coach at UNLV.

10) Nevada-Loyola game in Sweet 16 is the first #7-11 seed matchup in a regional semifinal since a George Mason-Wichita State game in 2006.

9) Jordan Caroline is one of Nevada?s best players; his dad is Simeon Rice, the old linebacker for the Tampa Bay Bucs. His grandfather is JC Caroline, who played 10 years in the NFL? he picked off Johnny Unitas? first-ever NFL pass and ran it back for a touchdown. JC Caroline is in the College Football Hall of Fame.

8) Syracuse 55, Michigan State 53?Over the last ten years, #11 or lower seeds in regional semifinal games are 3-14 SU but 9-8 vs spread- since 2012, they?re 7-2 vs spread.

7) Texas A&M 86, North Carolina 65? Tar Heels played in national title game last two years, but they got bamboozled here. UNC was 6-31 on arc, A&M was 10-24.

6) Purdue 76, Butler 73? Boilermakers won despite not having their big man Haas, who broke his elbow Friday. Purdue scored 1.27 ppp, making 11-24 on the arc.

5) Clemson 84, Auburn 53? Epic tank job by Auburn had Charles Barkley congratulating Clemson during the halftime studio show. Clemson is in Sweet 16 for first time since 1997, when they lost in double overtime to Minnesota.

4) Gonzaga coach Mark Few stood on his hands in the locker room Saturday after his Zags held off Ohio State to reach the Sweet 16. Coach Few is 55; I am three years older? I?m lucky I can stand on my feet.

3) Kansas State 50, UMBC 43? In the 24 hours after they upset Virginia for the first 1-16 upset ever, UMBC sold more gear on their website than they had in the previous YEAR!!!!

2) Seton Hall?s Angel Delgado had 24 points, 23 rebounds in the Pirates? loss to Kansas Saturday; he is the first player to grab 23+ rebounds in an NCAA tournament game since 1977, when Phil Hubbard did that for Michigan when they beat a Detroit team coached by Dick Vitale, 87-81.

1) For the first time ever, the Sweet 16 in a region won?t have any of the top four seeded teams in the region: the Southeast Region in Atlanta is: #5 Kentucky, #7 Nevada,#9 Kansas State, #11 Loyola.

 

[Cnotes53]

Second Round

SATURDAY, MARCH 17

Matchup Score ATS Result
Alabama 58 vs. Villanova (-11.5) 81 81-58 Favorite-Under 150
Rhode Island 62 vs. Duke (-9.5) 87 87-62 Favorite-Push 149
Buffalo vs. Kentucky (-5.5) 95-75 Favorite-Over 154.5
Loyola-Chicago (+5, ML +200) vs. Tennessee 63-62 Underdog-Under (131)
Seton Hall vs. Kansas (-5) 83-79 Underdog-Over (154.5)
Ohio State vs. Gonzaga (-4.5) 90-84 Favorite-Over (143.5)
Florida vs. Texas Tech (-1.5) 69-66 Favorite-Over (133.5)
Houston vs. Michigan (-4) 64-63 Underdog-Under (135)

SUNDAY, MARCH 18

Matchup Score ATS Result
Butler vs. Purdue (-4) 76-73 Underdog-Over (144.5)
Syracuse (+10, ML +460) vs. Michigan State 55-53 Underdog-Under (126)
Texas A&M (+7, ML +320) vs. North Carolina 86-65 Underdog-Under (152)
Nevada (+8.5, ML +400) vs. Cincinnati 75-73 Underdog-Over (140)
Clemson (+7, ML +105) vs. Auburn 84-53 Underdog-Under (146.5)
Maryland-Baltimore Co. vs. Kansas State (-10) 50-43 Underdog-Under (136.5)
Florida State (+6, ML +230) vs. Xavier 75-70 Underdog-Under (157.5)
Marshall vs. West Virginia (-12.5) 94-71 Favorite-Over (156)

Sweet Sixteen

THURSDAY, MARCH 22
Matchup Score ATS Result
Loyola-Chicago vs. Nevada - -
Michigan vs. Texas A&M - -
Kentucky vs. Kansas State - -
Gonzaga vs. Florida State - -

FRIDAY, MARCH 23
Matchup Score ATS Result
Villanova vs. West Virginia - -
Purdue vs. Texas Tech - -
Kansas vs. Clemson - -
Duke vs. Syracuse - -

 

[Cnotes53]

2018 NIT, CBI, CIT Results
March 18, 2018

National Invitation Tournament (NIT)

UPPER LEFT BRACKET

Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 Notre Dame (-19.5) vs. Hampton 84-63 Favorite-Under (151.5)
Mar. 13 Oregon (-11) vs. Rider 99-86 Favorite-Over (159)
Mar. 14 Marquette (-12) vs. Harvard 67-60 Underdog-Over (146.5)
Mar. 14 Penn State (-9.5) vs. Temple 63-57 Underdog-Under (144.5)
Mar. 17 Notre Dame vs. Penn State (+5.5, ML +210) 73-63 Undedog-Under (154.5)
Mar. 18 Oregon vs. Marquette (-5) 101-92 Favorite-Over (150.5)
Mar. 20 Penn State vs. Marquette - -

LOWER LEFT BRACKET

Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 Baylor (-13) vs. Wagner 80-59 Favorite-Over (138)
Mar. 13 Louisville (-7.5) vs. Northern Kentucky 66-58 Favorite-Under (147.5)
Mar. 13 Middle Tennessee (-6) vs. Vermont 91-64 Favorite-Over (137)
Mar. 14 Mississippi State (-4.5) vs. Nebraska 66-59 Favorite-Under (142.5)
Mar. 18 Baylor vs. Mississippi State (+5.5, ML +200) 78-77 Underdog-Over (133.5)
Mar. 18 Louisville (-4.5) vs. Middle Tennessee 84-68 Favorite-Over (142)
Mar. 20 Mississippi State vs. Louisville - -

UPPER RIGHT BRACKET

Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 USC (-14) vs. UNC Asheville 103-98 Underdog-Over (151.5)
Mar. 13 Western Kentucky (-4) vs. Boston College 79-62 Favorite-Under (159)
Mar. 13 Oklahoma State (-11) vs. Florida Gulf Coast 80-68 Favorite-Under (160)
Mar. 14 Stanford (-3) vs. BYU 86-83 Push-Over (149)
Mar. 19 USC vs. Western Kentucky - -
Mar. 19 Oklahoma State vs. Stanford - -
Mar. 21 TBD vs. TBD - -

LOWER RIGHT BRACKET

Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 St. Mary's (-14.5) vs. SE Louisiana 89-45 Favorite-Under (139.5)
Mar. 14 LSU (-3.5) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette 84-76 Favorite-Push (160)
Mar. 14 Utah (-12.5) vs. UC Davis 69-59 Underdog-Under (139)
Mar. 14 Boise State vs. Washington (+2, +120 ML) 77-74 Underdog-Over (147.5)
Mar. 19 LSU vs. Utah - -
Mar. 19 St. Mary's vs. Washington - -
Mar. 21 TBD vs. TBD - -

SEMIFINALS & FINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 27 TBD vs. TBD - -
Mar. 27 TBD vs. TBD - -
Mar. 29 TBD vs. TBD - -

College Basketball Invitational (CBI)

FIRST ROUND
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 Eastern Washington at Utah Valley (-6.5) 87-65 Favorite-Over (148)
Mar. 14 Miami-OH at Campbell (-3.5) 97-87 Favorite-Over (144)
Mar. 14 Jacksonville State (+4.5, +170 ML) at Canisius 80-78 (OT) Underdog-Over (144)
Mar. 14 North Texas (+11.5, +550 ML) at South Dakota 90-77 Underdog-Over (148.5)
Mar. 14 UT Rio Grand Valley at New Orleans (-3) 77-74 Push-Under (154)
Mar. 14 Colgate at San Francisco (-7) 72-68 Underdog-Push (140)
Mar. 14 Mercer (+6, +240 ML) at Grand Canyon 78-73 Underdog-Over (142)
Mar. 14 Central Arkansas (+6.5, +250 ML) at Seattle 92-90 (OT) Underdog-Over (159.5)

QUARTERFINALS AND SEMIFINALS

Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 19 Jacksonville State at Central Arkansas - -
Mar. 19 Utah Valley at San Francisco - -
Mar. 19 New Orleans at Campbell - -
Mar. 19 Mercer at North Texas - -
Mar. 21 TBD vs. TBD - -
Mar. 21 TBD vs. TBD - -

FINALS (BEST-OF-THREE)
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 26 TBD vs. TBD - -
Mar. 28 TBD vs. TBD - -
Mar. 30 TBD vs. TBD - -

CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT)

FIRST ROUND
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 12 Central Michigan (+5.5, ML +205) at Fort Wayne 94-89 Underdog-Over (164)
Mar. 12 Abilene Christian at Drake (-8.5) 80-73 (OT) Underdog-Over (151)
Mar. 12 North Carolina A&T at Liberty (-12) 65-52 Favorite-Under (139.5)
Mar. 12 Hartford at San Diego (-10) 88-72 Favorite-Over (138)
Mar. 14 St. Francis-PA at Illinois-Chicago (-5) 84-61 Favorite-Under (156.5)
Mar. 14 Niagara at Eastern Michigan (-8.5) 83-65 Favorite-Under (153.5)
Mar. 14 Lamar at Texas-San Antonio (-3) 76-69 Favorite-Under (150.5)
Mar. 15 Louisiana-Monroe at Austin Peay (-5) 80-66 Favorite-Over (144.5)

SECOND ROUND AND QUARTERFINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 16 Central Michigan (+5.5, ML +180) at Wofford 98-94 Underdog-Over (149)
Mar. 17 Portland State at San Diego - -
Mar. 18 Drake at Northern Colorado (-7) 81-72 Favorite-Under (154)
Mar. 19 Eastern Michigan at San Houston State - -
Mar. 21 TBD at Austin Peay - -
Mar. 22 TBD at Texas-San Antonio - -
Mar. 24 TBD at Liberty - -
Mar. 22-25 TBD at Illinois-Chicago - -
Mar. 22-25 TBD at TBD - -

SEMIFINALS & FINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 28 TBD at TBD - -
Mar. 28 TBD at TBD - -
Mar. 30 TBD at TBD - -

 

[Cnotes53]

Monday's NIT Tip Sheet
March 18, 2018

The second round of this year?s NIT Tournament comes to a close on Monday with four intriguing matchups on the slate. Things tip off at 7:00 p.m. with a Big 12-Pac-12 tilt between Oklahoma State and Stanford.
Next up at 9:00 p.m., another Pac-12 team will look to advance with Utah taking on the SEC?s LSU Tigers.

The two nightcaps also feature teams from the Pac-12 starting with the WCC?s St. Mary?s Gaels hosting the Washington Huskies. The other late start sends the Conference USA?s Western Kentucky Hilltoppers to the West Coast to tangle with USC.

No. 3 Stanford at No. 2 Oklahoma State (ESPNU, 7:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Oklahoma State -7 ?, 153

Betting Matchup

Stanford was tied for third in the Pac-12 regular season standings at 11-7 straight-up and it was knocked out of the conference tournament with an 88-77 loss to UCLA as a four-point underdog. The Cardinal faced BYU in the opening round of this tournament and squeezed-out an 86-83 victory to cover as 2 ?-point favorites. They are now 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games with the total going OVER in six of their last eight contests.

Junior forward Reid Travis scored 25 points and pulled down 14 rebounds against the Cougars to post his six-straight double-double. He is averaging a team-high 19.6 points and 8.7 rebounds a game. Senior forward Michael Humphrey added 11 points and 14 rebounds to help pace last Wednesday?s win.

The Cowboys came into the NIT with a huge chip on their shoulder after getting passed over for the NCAA Tournament for their bitter rival Oklahoma. To really make matters worse, they beat the Sooners 71-60 in the Big 12 Tournament as slight 1 ?-point underdogs. Oklahoma State took some of its frustration out on Florida Gulf Coast in its NIT opener with an 80-68 victory as an 11-point home favorite. It is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games and the total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in its last six games.

Oklahoma State shot just 35.6 percent from the field while going 6-for-22 from three-point range and still manage to cover the double-digit spread in last Tuesday?s NIT opener. Senior guard Jeffery Carroll led the way with 18 points. He has now eclipsed his 15.2-point scoring average in three of his last five starts. As a team, the Cowboys are averaging 76.5 points per game.

Betting Trends

-- The Cardinal are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 nonconference games and the total has gone OVER in six of their last eight games against the Big 12.

-- The Cowboys have failed to cover in five of their last six games against the Pac-12 with the total staying UNDER in their last 11 nonconference games.

-- These two last met in 2011 and Oklahoma State has a 2-1 edge both SU and ATS in the last three meetings. The total has gone OVER in two of the three games.

No. 3 LSU at No. 2 Utah (ESPNU, 9:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Utah -3 ?, 147 ?

Betting Matchup

The Tigers stumbled into the NIT with just one victory in their previous four contests both SU and ATS. In last Wednesday?s opener, they knocked off the rival Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin? Cajuns 84-76 to cover as 3 ?-point home favorites. The total went OVER 159 ? points in that game and it has gone OVER in six of LSU?s last eight games. It is now 7-0 both SU and ATS in its last seven home games.

The trio of Tremont Waters (15.8 points), Duop Reath (12.7 points) and Skylar Mays (11.2 points) have provided the bulk of the Tigers? 77.8-point scoring average this season. Reath had the hottest hand in last Wednesday?s win with 26 points while going 10-for-14 from the field. He also pulled down 11 rebounds.

Utah made an early exit from the Pac-12 Tournament with a 68-66 loss to Oregon in a game that ended as a PUSH. In the opening round of the NIT, it beat UC Davis 69-59 but failed to cover as a heavy 12 ?-point home favorite. The total stayed UNDER 139 ? points in last Wednesday?s win and it has stayed UNDER in the Utes? last four games. Over their last six contests they are 4-2 SU, but a shaky 2-3-1 ATS.

Despite watching their coach Larry Krystkowiak get tossed out of last Wednesday?s game before halftime, the Utes rallied from an 11-point deficit to move onto this second round matchup. Senior guard Justin Bibbins has been Utah?s leading scorer all season long with 14.8 PPG. He scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to help pace the come-from-behind victory.

Betting Trends

-- The Tigers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games against the Pac-12 and the total has gone OVER in four of their last five Monday games.

-- The Utes have covered in their last five games against the SEC with the total staying UNDER in their last four home games.

-- Utah has a 3-1 edge both SU and ATS in this Pac-12/SEC matchup with the total staying UNDER in three of the four games. They last met in 2010.

No. 5 Washington at No. 1 Saint Mary?s (ESPNU, 11:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: St. Mary?s -10 ?, 144

Betting Matchup

With just three SU wins in their last nine games, the Huskies fell out of favor with the selection committee for the NCAA Tournament. They had also fallen out of favor with bettors by going 3-6 ATS in this same span. Last Wednesday against Boise State, Washington redeemed itself a bit with 77-74 upset as a two-point home underdog. The total went OVER 148 points in that win and it has gone OVER in four of the Huskies? last seven games.

Big second halves from Jaylen Nowell (25 points) and Matisse Thybulle (18 points) helped Washington advance to Monday?s second round. Each player scored 14 points over the final two quarters to hold off the Broncos? attempt at a comeback. Nowell has been the team?s leading scorer all season long with 16.1 PPG.

Saint Mary?s is a team that could take issue with the folks calling the shots in the NCAA Tournament after going 28-5 SU. However, the Gaels appear to be focused on making the most of the NIT with a dominating 89-45 beatdown of Southeastern Louisiana in the opening round. They covered as 14 ?-point home favorites in last Tuesday?s win after failing to cover in seven of their previous nine games. The total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in 14 of Saint Mary?s last 15 games.

Senior center Jock Landale has been the Gaels? driving force all season long with 21.5 points and 10.2 rebounds a game. He scored 26 points in the NIT opener with six rebounds after putting up 17 points and pulling down 19 rebounds in an opening-round victory against Pepperdine in the recent WCC Tournament.

Betting Trends

-- The Huskies have failed to cover in their last six games against a team from the WCC and the total has gone OVER in six of their last seven games against this conference.

-- The Gaels have gone 12-4 ATS in their last 17 games against the Pac-12 with the total staying UNDER in seven of their last eight games against this conference.

-- These two have not played one another since the late 90?s with Washington winning both games SU in a two-season series.

No. 4 Western Kentucky at No. 1 USC (ESPN2, 11:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: USC -4, 150

Betting Matchup

The Hilltoppers were the third-best team in C-USA this season at 14-4 and they missed out on a trip to the Big Dance by one point in a 67-66 loss to Marshall in the conference tournament?s title game. They failed to cover as 5 ?-point favorites as part of a 6-3 record ATS in their previous nine games. Last Tuesday in its NIT opener, Western Kentucky hammered Boston College 79-62 as a four-point home favorite. The total stayed UNDER the 159 ?-point closing line.

Senior forward Justin Johnson has led this team in scoring all season with 15.4 PPG. He is playing some of his best ball of the year with five-straight double-doubles in points and rebounds. He scored 19 points against BC with 12 rebounds to average 19.2 points and 11.6 rebounds during this five-game tear.

USC was second in the Pac-12 regular-season standings at 12-6 and a 75-61 loss to Arizona as a 4 ?-point underdog ended its stay in the conference tournament. The Trojans drew UNC Asheville in the opening round of this tournament and they outlasted the Bulldogs 103-98 in overtime. They could not cover the inflated 14-point spread at home to fall to 2-3 ATS in their last five games. The total went OVER 151 points after staying UNDER in previous 10 games.

Three of USC?s starters ended last Tuesday?s win with 20+ points led by senior guard Jordan McLaughlin (26 points). The Trojans shot 51.3 percent from the field and 11-for-27 from three-point range. Junior forward Chimezie Metu had been the team?s leading scorer all season (15.7 points), but he decided to opt out of the NIT to focus his efforts on this year?s NBA draft.

Betting Trends

-- The Hilltoppers are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 nonconference games with the total going OVER in four of their last five games played on Monday.

-- The Trojans have failed to cover in four of their last five Monday games and the total has gone OVER in six of their last eight games outside the conference.

-- This will be the first meeting between the two in recent memory.

 

[Cnotes53]

Saint Mary's hopes to win in NIT at home
March 18, 2018

For only the fourth time, a team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll failed to be included in the NCAA Tournament.

Southern Methodist in 2014 was ranked 25th, Utah State in 2004 was ranked 22nd and UNLV in 1993 was 19th when they were relegated to the National Invitation Tournament.

This year, No. 25 Saint Mary's joined that list. But the Gaels hope to perform better than the past three snubbed teams. SMU won one game and Utah State and UNLV bombed out in the first round.

The Gaels showed why they're the No. 1 seed in Region 4 when they demolished Southeast Louisiana 89-45. Instead of playing on the big stage, the tournament selection committee deemed the 28-5 Gaels not worthy of an at-large bid.

"I was a little worried about our guys," Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett told the San Francisco Chronicle. "That was a jolt the other day, and I don't know how long you need to get over that."

To say the Gaels are playing with a chip on their collective shoulder would be an understatement. But now the competition gets much more challenging.

The Gaels welcome the Washington Huskies to McKeon Pavilion -- where Saint Mary's went 17-1 this season -- on Monday for a second-round NIT clash. After nearly blowing a 10-point lead in the final 44 seconds, the Huskies held on for a 77-74 first-round win over Boise State on Wednesday.

The Huskies (21-12) under first-year coach Mike Hopkins were led by Jalen Nowell and Matisse Thybulle with 25 and 18 points, respectively.

All-Pac 12 forward Noah Dickerson was in foul trouble throughout the night and was held to 13 points.

Now it's on to scenic Moraga, Calif., and one of the toughest road venues in college basketball.

"Saint Mary's is an incredible program. They're very skilled, great passers, great open-look shooters and very disciplined," Hopkins said. "The message to our players is we have a great opponent and great opportunity on national TV."

The fifth-seed Huskies will have their hands full with the top-seed Gaels, who set school record by with their 29th victory. Senior center Jock Landale is the undeniable leader. His leadership extends beyond 21.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

Before the Gaels took the court against Southeast Louisiana, the 6-foot-11 native of Australia had words of advice for his teammates.

"I just said, 'Look, we've got to prove these guys wrong. If we don't go the distance in the NIT, they're going to keep thinking that Saint Mary's doesn't deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament.' ... I think that woke everyone up and I think that from then on, it was easy for us."

Landale proceeded to score 26 points on 11-of-15 from the floor. Landale also became the school's career scoring leader, passing Omar Samhan.

The Huskies can try to double Landale every time he touches the ball -- teams had success using that strategy in the regular season -- but that will leave the Gaels' sharpshooters open. Calvin Hermanson connects on 44.4 percent of his 3-point attempts and Jordan Ford makes 44.2 percent.

Point guard Emmett Naar, who holds the school record for assists, also shoots 40.7 percent from beyond the arc.

The Huskies have a good idea about how difficult it will be for them to win at McKeon Pavilion. Washington notched road wins over Colorado, USC and most-impressively, Kansas, this season.

"We're just going to go in, try hard and play our game," Huskies junior guard Dominic Green told reporters.

Monday's matchup will be the seventh all time and first since Nov. 22, 1999.

 

[Cnotes53]

march madness record: ( overall record+ best bets ) all wagers based on 5 units

03/18/2018 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00
03/17/2018 6-12-0 33.33% -36.00
03/16/2018 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00
03/15/2018 13-20-0 39.39% -4500
03/14/2018 15-8-1 65.22% +31.00
03/13/2018 7-14-1 33.33% -41.50
03/12/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00

best bets:

Ats

03/18/2018................................................2 - 7..............................-28.50
03/17/2018.............................................. .3 - 6..............................-18.00
03/16/2018.............................................. .4 - 4...............................- 2.00
03/15/2018.............................................. .7 - 6..............................+ 2.00
03/14/2018.............................................. .7 - 5..............................+ 7.50
03/13/2018.............................................. .2 - 4...............................-12.00
03/12/2018.............................................. . 1 - 0..............................+ 5.00


TOTALS.....................................................26 - 32............................- 46.00


over/under

03/18/2018................................................5 - 1................................+19.50
03/17/2018................................................2 - 4.................................-12.00
03/16/2018.............................................. .1 - 3................................- 11.50
03/15/2018.............................................. .6 - 8................................- 14.00
03/14/2018.............................................. .2 - 1................................+ 4.50
03/13/2018.............................................. .0 - 5.................................-27.50
03/12/2018.............................................. .1 - 0.................................+ 5.00


TOTALS............................................ . .....17 - 22................................+36.00

 

[Cnotes53]

What. Just. Happened?! NCAAs amp up the March Madness
March 19, 2018

One word succinctly describes what's transpired so far in the NCAA Tournament:

Madness.

But even that's probably underselling it.

A comeback for the ages by Nevada. An entire region left without a Top 4 seed in the Sweet 16 for the first time in tourney history. The 16-seed winner UMBC, falling short in its attempt to extend its historic run as underdog darlings. Oh, and defending national champion North Carolina is out, routed in its own state by Texas A&M.

And that was just on Sunday. When No. 1 seed Xavier was bounced, too.

A memorable, zany first two rounds - even by March Madness standards - set up what could be another wild two weekends in a tournament where anything can become reality.

''It's what makes March Madness special and it kills the coaches because it's so hard and you think you have a great team,'' Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. ''It's March Madness and you never know what's going to happen.''

Before the first tipoff on Thursday, many prognosticators had deemed this tournament one of the most wide-open in recent history.

It's turned into a nutty, once-in-a-generation kind of ride.

Loyola-Chicago won two thrillers to get to the Sweet 16, making a social media star out of their 98-year-old chaplain, Sister Jean. And then the telegenic nun who provides her own scouting reports to players got overshadowed by the ultimate Cinderella team.

The UMBC Retrievers became the first No. 16 seed in the history of the men's tournament to beat a No. 1 seed, defeating Virginia in the first round Friday night.

By 20 points. Over the top overall seed and the unanimous No. 1 team in the AP poll.

The Retrievers' run came to an end on Sunday night in a 50-43 loss to ninth-seeded Kansas State, but not before tattooing a lasting imprint on American sports, drawing attention from stars of the NFL, NBA and Twitch - and love from underdogs everywhere.

''We put our name on the map. We (gave) hope to teams that come to the tournament with lower seeds,'' guard K.J. Maura said.

UMBC's success story contributed to the messy, unprecedentedly jumbled bracket in the South Region, where the highest-remaining seed is No. 5 Kentucky. It's the first time in tourney history that a regional semifinal will be held without a top 4 seed, according to the NCAA.

Seventh-seeded Nevada added to that by matching the second-biggest comeback in tournament history to beat No. 2 seed Cincinnati 75-73 after trailing by 22 points in the second half.

''That locker room right now, I've never seen anything like it in my life. It's the happiest I've ever seen. It's the happiest I've ever been in my life,'' Wolf Pack coach Eric Musselman said.

The way reigning champion North Carolina got bounced from the tournament in an 86-65 loss to Texas A&M might have been the top storyline on any other tournament day. It left coach Roy Williams with the most lopsided tournament loss of his Hall of Fame career.

It was also the second straight year the titleholder lost before the Sweet 16. And it happened in UNC-friendly territory in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the Tar Heels hadn't lost a tourney game since 1979.

''I didn't picture it ending it like this,'' said Williams with his players sitting nearby. ''I pictured it ending with these guys having a huge smile on their face, but that's not college basketball.''

WHO'S LEFT: A look at the teams and matchups for the Sweet 16 by region.

South: No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 9 Kansas State; No. 7 Nevada vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago.

West: No. 4 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Florida State; No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 7 Texas A&M

Midwest: No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 5 Clemson; No. 2 Duke vs. No. 11 Syracuse

East: No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 5 West Virginia; No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 3 Texas Tech.

CALL IT A COMEBACK: Nevada's comeback from a 22-point deficit matched Duke's rally after beating Maryland in the 2001 Final Four. The biggest comeback belongs to BYU, which trailed by 25 points before beating Iona in the 2012 First Four.

GLASS SLIPPERS IN SOUTH: What a mess in the underdog-laden South.

The top four seeds - No. 1 Virginia, No. 2 Cincinnati, No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 Arizona are all done.

''You know, just obviously we didn't think 16 was going to ... beat a 1,'' Weber said. ''You thought it would be a little different situation, but we just said we could write history tonight. No 9 has ever beaten a 16 to go to the Sweet 16, so we wrote our own history tonight.''

SPOILED HOME COOKIN': Don't invite Texas A&M and Syracuse to homecoming parties.

The Aggies manhandled North Carolina in Charlotte in surprisingly easy fashion to get to the round of 16 for the second time in three seasons. After holding a 47-36 edge on the glass, Texas A&M should scare a Michigan team that has had to slog through two victories and deliver a buzzer-beater 3 to get to the Sweet 16.

In Detroit, Syracuse tuned out the noise from a Michigan State-partisan crowd for a 55-53 win . The Orange's trademark 2-3 zone gave another unfamiliar opponent fits after holding the more talented Spartans to 26 percent shooting.

An NCAA tourney run that started with the First Four in Dayton for Syracuse will continue against Duke in the Sweet 16 in Omaha, Nebraska.

TWO ONES ARE DONE: Two No. 1 seeds didn't make it out of the tournament's opening weekend for the first time since 2004, when Stanford and Kentucky both lost in the second round.

This time around, Virginia and Xavier were the top seeds that were bounced.

The Cavaliers went home on Friday after the historic loss to No. 16 seed UMBC. The Musketeers gave up a 12-point lead on Sunday and fell to Florida State, 75-70. It was a disappointing ending for a program that returned four starters from a team that lost in the Elite Eight last year to Gonzaga.

The only other years when two top seeds lost in the first weekend were 1981 and 2000.

 

[Cnotes53]

What's an NCAA Tournament upset worth? Units big bucks
March 19, 2018

UMBC made more than history in the NCAA Tournament.

By becoming the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1, the Retrievers made about $1.7 million for the America East Conference. Loyola-Chicago's buzzer-beating run to the Sweet 16 will be worth double that to the Missouri Valley Conference. Nevada's consecutive comebacks were also worth about $3.4 million for the Mountain West. The MVC and Mountain West will pocket at least as much from NCAA Tournament units as the Pac-12, which had three teams in the field, all bounced after one game each.

Units are what the NCAA calls its revenue distributions from the basketball performance fund, which rewards teams for tournament performance. The NCAA Tournament generates more than $700 million in revenue for the association and its schools, the vast majority from its media rights deal with CBS and Turner.

Units for this year's tournament are worth approximately $273,000, according to the NCAA, but their value ends up being greater than that.

The units are paid out annually each of the next six years, increasing in value each year by about 2-3 percent. The payout system means that one upset by UMBC should be worth more than $1.7 million. Units are earned every game a team appears in, with the exception of the first game played by an automatic qualifier and the NCAA championship game.

The money goes to the conferences, unless the school is an independent in basketball. The NCAA encourages equal distribution by conferences among its members, but it is not required. Most do.

The Missouri Valley has in the past received multiple bids, but only champion Loyola-Chicago got in as an automatic qualifier this year. The MVC distributes the units revenue equally among 10 members - though the NCAA Tournament participants receive an additional half-share to cover travel expenses, MVC spokesman Ryan Davis said Sunday.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has been rolling in units in recent years, with a total of 64 from 2015-17, worth more than $100 million . This season, the ACC got nine teams into the field, more than any other conference, and placed four teams in Sweet 16. Two of them - Duke and Syracuse - play in the regional semifinals, limiting the conference's earning potential.

The Big 12 also placed four teams in the round of 16. The Southeastern Conference and Big Ten each have two.

For the ACC - and other Power Five conferences - NCAA units account for less than 10 percent of conference revenue. The ACC reported $373.4 million in revenue for fiscal year 2016 - most of which comes from a television rights deals with ESPN - and paid out about $25 million to each of its members.

For low-major Division I schools such as UMBC and the eight other members of the America East, those units are real money.

UMBC's athletic budget for 2017 was $9.3 million. NCAA records from 2010-15 show the America East earned a total of eight units and $2,086,514 in basketball revenue.

Over that same period of time, the Missouri Valley earned 21 units and $5,477,099. The Mountain West earned 33 and $8,606,870.

All that money helps explain why the American Athletic Conference lured tournament-regular Wichita State from the MVC last year, despite the Shockers not having a football team, and why the Mountain West is trying to strike a similar deal to pull Gonzaga out of the West Coast Conference.

The Shockers went out in the first round, upset by Marshall, Conference USA's only tournament team. But Gonzaga is back in the Sweet 16 after padding the WCC coffers with a Final Four appearance last year.

 

[Cnotes53]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Monday, March 19

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STANFORD (19 - 15) at OKLAHOMA ST (20 - 14) - 3/19/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
STANFORD is 33-52 ATS (-24.2 Units) in road games in March games since 1997.
STANFORD is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA ST is 119-86 ATS (+24.4 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
OKLAHOMA ST is 121-84 ATS (+28.6 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
STANFORD is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LSU (18 - 14) at UTAH (20 - 11) - 3/19/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LSU is 17-30 ATS (-16.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 154-113 ATS (+29.7 Units) in all home games since 1997.
UTAH is 154-113 ATS (+29.7 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
UTAH is 71-42 ATS (+24.8 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1997.
UTAH is 63-37 ATS (+22.3 Units) in home games after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
UTAH is 108-77 ATS (+23.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON (21 - 12) at ST MARYS-CA (29 - 5) - 3/19/2018, 11:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 24-35 ATS (-14.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 24-35 ATS (-14.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 16-26 ATS (-12.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 6-19 ATS (-14.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
ST MARYS-CA is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) as a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points since 1997.
ST MARYS-CA is 69-46 ATS (+18.4 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1997.
ST MARYS-CA is 67-44 ATS (+18.6 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1997.
ST MARYS-CA is 82-112 ATS (-41.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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W KENTUCKY (25 - 10) at USC (24 - 11) - 3/19/2018, 11:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
USC is 57-37 ATS (+16.3 Units) in March games since 1997.
USC is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
W KENTUCKY is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all games this season.
W KENTUCKY is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
W KENTUCKY is 50-26 ATS (+21.4 Units) in March games since 1997.
W KENTUCKY is 59-38 ATS (+17.2 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
USC is 15-29 ATS (-16.9 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW ORLEANS (16 - 16) at CAMPBELL (17 - 15) - 3/19/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 13-30 ATS (-20.0 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JACKSONVILLE ST (22 - 12) at C ARKANSAS (18 - 16) - 3/19/2018, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in a road game where the total is 145 to 149.5 since 1997.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 48-29 ATS (+16.1 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1997.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MERCER (19 - 14) at N TEXAS (16 - 17) - 3/19/2018, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N TEXAS is 21-37 ATS (-19.7 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1997.
N TEXAS is 13-32 ATS (-22.2 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UTAH VALLEY ST (23 - 10) at SAN FRANCISCO (19 - 15) - 3/19/2018, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 89-128 ATS (-51.8 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 87-127 ATS (-52.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 56-80 ATS (-32.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 32-53 ATS (-26.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

E MICHIGAN (22 - 12) at SAM HOUSTON ST (19 - 14) - 3/19/2018, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E MICHIGAN is 118-154 ATS (-51.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
E MICHIGAN is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all games this season.
E MICHIGAN is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
SAM HOUSTON ST is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

 

[Cnotes53]

NCAAB

Monday, March 19

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STANFORD @ OKLAHOMA STATE
Stanford is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Stanford is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Oklahoma State is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma State's last 6 games

EASTERN MICHIGAN @ SAM HOUSTON STATE
Eastern Michigan is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Eastern Michigan's last 5 games

JACKSONVILLE STATE @ CENTRAL ARKANSAS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Jacksonville State's last 5 games on the road
Jacksonville State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

MERCER @ NORTH TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of North Texas's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of North Texas's last 5 games at home

LSU @ UTAH
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LSU's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LSU's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Utah's last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games

UTAH VALLEY @ SAN FRANCISCO
Utah Valley is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games
Utah Valley is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
San Francisco is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Francisco's last 11 games at home

WASHINGTON @ SAINT MARY'S-CALIFORNIA
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Washington's last 20 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Washington's last 19 games
Saint Mary's-California is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Saint Mary's-California's last 11 games at home

WESTERN KENTUCKY @ USC
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Western Kentucky's last 5 games on the road
Western Kentucky is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games
USC is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of USC's last 11 games

 

[Cnotes53]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Monday, March 19


Stanford @ Oklahoma State

Game 617-618
March 19, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Stanford
64.412
Oklahoma State
68.509
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma State
by 4
148
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma State
by 7 1/2
154
Dunkel Pick:
Stanford
(+7 1/2); Under

LSU @ Utah

Game 619-620
March 19, 2018 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LSU
63.713
Utah
66.248
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 2 1/2
143
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 4
148 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LSU
(+4); Under

Washington @ St Mary's

Game 621-622
March 19, 2018 @ 11:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
58.736
St Mary's
72.135
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St Mary's
by 13 1/2
148
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St Mary's
by 10 1/2
144
Dunkel Pick:
St Mary's
(-10 1/2); Over

Western Kentucky @ USC

Game 623-624
March 19, 2018 @ 11:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Western Kentucky
60.602
USC
66.712
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
USC
by 6
156
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
USC
by 4
150
Dunkel Pick:
USC
(-4); Over

New Orleans @ Campbell

Game 626-626
March 19, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
45.402
Campbell
48.823
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Campbell
by 3 1/2
149
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Campbell
by 6
144
Dunkel Pick:
New Orleans
(+6); Under

Jacksonville St @ Central Arkansas

Game 627-628
March 19, 2018 @ 6:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Jacksonville St
51.338
Central Arkansas
52.419
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Central Arkansas
by 1
154
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Jacksonville St
by 1
148
Dunkel Pick:
Central Arkansas
(+1); Over

Mercer @ North Texas

Game 629-630
March 19, 2018 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Mercer
56.745
North Texas
53.317
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Mercer
by 3 1/2
136
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Mercer
by 1
141
Dunkel Pick:
Mercer
(-1); Under

Utah Valley @ San Francisco

Game 631-632
March 19, 2018 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah Valley
60.271
San Francisco
56.118
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah Valley
by 4
134
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah Valley
by 1
141 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Utah Valley
(-1); Under

Eastern Michigan @ Sam Houston St

Game 633-634
March 19, 2018 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Eastern Michigan
54.672
Sam Houston St
55.774
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Sam Houston St
by 1
130
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Eastern Michigan
by 2
135 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Sam Houston St
(+2); Under

 

[Cnotes53]

MONDAY, MARCH 19
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

UNO at CAMP 07:00 PM
CAMP -7.0
O 146.5

STAN at OKST 07:00 PM
OKST -8.0
O 155.0

EMU at SHSU 07:30 PM
EMU -1.5
U 135.5

JVST at CARK 08:00 PM
JVST -2.5
O 150.5

MER at UNT 08:00 PM
MER -2.0
O 143.0

LSU at UTAH 09:00 PM
UTAH -5.0
U 148.5

UVU at SF 10:00 PM
UVU +2.0
O 143.0

WASH at SMC 11:00 PM
WASH +10.0
O 143.5

WKU at USC 11:30 PM
WKU +5.0
O 150.0

 

[Cnotes53]

march madness record: ( overall record+ best bets ) all wagers based on 5 units

03/19/2018 9-9-0 50.00% -4.50
03/18/2018 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00
03/17/2018 6-12-0 33.33% -36.00
03/16/2018 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00
03/15/2018 13-20-0 39.39% -4500
03/14/2018 15-8-1 65.22% +31.00
03/13/2018 7-14-1 33.33% -41.50
03/12/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00

best bets:

Ats

03/19/2018................................................4 - 5...............................-7.50
03/18/2018.............................................. .2 - 7..............................-28.50
03/17/2018.............................................. .3 - 6..............................-18.00
03/16/2018.............................................. .4 - 4...............................- 2.00
03/15/2018.............................................. .7 - 6..............................+ 2.00
03/14/2018.............................................. .7 - 5..............................+ 7.50
03/13/2018.............................................. .2 - 4...............................-12.00
03/12/2018.............................................. . 1 - 0..............................+ 5.00


TOTALS............................................ .......30 - 37............................- 53.50


over/under

03/19/2018................................................3 - 1.................................+9.50
03/18/2018.............................................. .5 - 1................................+19.50
03/17/2018.............................................. .2 - 4.................................-12.00
03/16/2018.............................................. .1 - 3................................- 11.50
03/15/2018.............................................. .6 - 8................................- 14.00
03/14/2018.............................................. .2 - 1................................+ 4.50
03/13/2018.............................................. .0 - 5.................................-27.50
03/12/2018.............................................. .1 - 0.................................+ 5.00


TOTALS............................................ . .....20 - 23................................- 26.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Tuesday's NIT Tip Sheet
March 19, 2018

The first two matchups in the quarterfinals for this season?s NIT men?s basketball tournament take place this Tuesday night on ESPN.

First up in Region 1, Penn State travels to Milwaukee to face the Marquette Golden Eagles at 7:00 before the Cardinals will host Mississippi State in a Region 2 matchup from Louisville.

No. 4 Penn Stateat No. 2 Marquette (ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Marquette -1 ?

Betting Matchup

The Lions knocked Ohio State out of the recent the Big Ten Tournament as five-point underdogs before falling to Purdue by eight points in the semifinals as 8 ?-point underdogs. They came into the NIT as 9 ?-point home favorites in an opening round matchup against in-state rival Temple and went on to win 63-57. Enjoying the role of underdog, Penn State went on to beat Notre Dame 73-63 in Saturday?s second round matchup as a 5 ?-point underdog on the road. It is now 6-1 against the spread in its last seven games closing as an underdog.

Against Temple, the Lions overcame an 11-point deficit on the strength of junior guard Josh Reaves? double-double (19 points and 11 rebounds) and a pair of clutch three-point shots by senior guard Shep Garner late in that game. In the victory against the Fighting Irish, sophomore guard Tony Carr elevated his game as the team?s leading scorer (19.5 points) with game-high 24 points. Penn State shot just 37.9 percent from the field on Saturday while going 9-for-26 from three-point range.

Marquette?s run in the Big East Tournament ended with a 94-70 loss to Villanova as a 11 ?-point underdog. It opened play in this tournament with a 67-60 victory at home against Harvard as a 12-point favorite. Covering at home as 4 ?-point favorites, the Golden Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals with a 101-92 victory against Oregon. This was the first time in the Golden Eagles? last four games they covered a spread and the total has gone OVER in four of their last six games.

The 101 points scored against the Ducks was Marquette?s highest total of the season. Senior guard Andrew Rowsey led the way with 29 points and nine assists as one of four players in double figures playing off the bench. The Golden Eagles shot a blistering 57.6 percent from the field and they connected on 12-of-26 attempts from three-point range. Sophomore guard Markus Howards has been the team?s leading scorer all season long with 20.4 points per game and he added 18 points in the winning cause.

Betting Trends

-- The Nittany Lions have gone 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven games against the Big East and the total has stayed UNDER in 16 of their last 21 nonconference games.

-- The Golden Eagles are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has stayed UNDER in six of their last seven Tuesday games.

-- This will be the first meeting between the two schools.

No. 4 Mississippi State at Louisville (ESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Louisville -4 ?

Betting Matchup

The Bulldogs lost to Tennessee 62-59 in their second game of the SEC Tournament, but they manage to cover as six-point underdogs. With Sunday?s 78-77 upset against Baylor as 5 ?-point road underdogs in the second round of the NIT, they are now a perfect 4-0 ATS in their last four outings. The total went OVER 135 points against the Bears after staying UNDER in four of their previous five games. Mississippi State is 6-1 ATS in its last seven road games and the total has gone OVER in five of those contests.

In a 66-59 opening round victory against Nebraska, the Bulldogs got a big effort from junior forward Aric Holman off the bench with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Quinndary Weatherspoon was the hero against Baylor with a game-winning three-point shot with time running out on the clock. The junior guard has led the way all season long with a team-high 14.5 points while converting on 48.4 percent of his shots from the floor. The Bulldogs are averaging 73.6 PPG.

Louisville dropped four of its last five regular season games SU, but it did beat Florida State as a 2 ?-point underdog before losing to Virginia by 17 points as a seven-point underdog in the ACC Tournament. After getting past Northern Kentucky at home in this tournament, the Cardinals beat Middle Tennessee 84-68 on Sunday as 4 ?-point home favorite. They are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games with the total going OVER in four of their last six games at home. Louisville is 5-4 ATS over its last nine games overall.

The duo of Ray Spalding and Jordan Nwora playing off the bench combined to score 34 points in Sunday?s win. The Cardinals also got a big effort from sophomore guard Ryan McMahon off the bench with 15 points while going 5-for-8 from the field. Louisville shot 53.7 percent from the field and 52.4 percent from three-point range. This was just the second time it surpassed its 76.1-point scoring average in its last nine games.

Betting Trends

-- The Bulldogs have failed to cover in seven of their last eight games against an ACC team and the total has gone over in five of their last seven games following an ATS win.

-- The Cardinals are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against the SEC. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five Tuesday games.

-- This will be the first meeting between the two in recent memory.

 

[Cnotes53]

Tuesday?s 6-pack

Conferences with 3+ teams but no wins in an NCAA tournament:

1981 Pac-10 (0-3)

1985 Pac-10 (0-4)

1989 SEC (0-5)

1990 WAC (0-3)

2004 Mountain West (0-3)

2018 Pac-12 (0-3)

Quote of the Day
?Um, I think it?s probably well overdue. You know understanding what he?s been going through throughout this season so ? obviously health is uh, the most important with everything. In life like, not surprised by it at all.?
Lebron James, on Cavaliers? coach Tyronn Lue

Tuesday?s quiz
John Calipari went 72-112 as the head coach of which NBA team?

Monday?s quiz
Bernard King co-starred with Gabe Kaplan in the 1979 basketball movie Fast Break.

Sunday?s quiz
Michigan coach John Beilein was the coach at West Virginia before Bob Huggins.


***********************************


Tuesday?s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but?..

13) First of all, thanks to Ken Thomsen for having me on his excellent sports talk show last night from Las Vegas. Sportsxradio is well worth your time for knowledge about sports, with emphasis on the gambling side of it; it is on from 10-12 every weeknight here in the East.

12) Sports is big business; read today that when Florida Gulf Coast made the 2013 Sweet 16, applications to attend FGCU went up 27.5% the next year.

When Butler made two Final Fours under Brad Stevens, applications went up 50%, so UMBC is expecting a boost to their coffers this coming year. Their online store did more sales Saturday than they did in the previous year combined.

11) Penny Hardaway will be introduced as the new basketball coach at Memphis today; Tigers won 21 games under Tubby Smith this year, but obviously the big-$$$ boosters wanted things to change, so they changed. Hardaway has been coaching a high school team in Memphis, a really good team, so the thought is that this opens the door for Memphis HS recruits to stay home.

10) Looks like Vikings @ Eagles is the NFL season opener September 6. Defending Super Bowl champ almost always opens the following season with a Thursday night home game.

9) Eight NFL quarterbacks will make more $$$ than Tom Brady this coming season; four of the eight have never won a Super Bowl.

8) Red Sox-New York will play two AL East games in London in June 2019, as baseball tries to suck every last dollar out of other countries now. Think A?s-Seattle open next season in Japan for first time since 2012. I?m not a fan of all this, but no one asked me.

7) Look up JReidDraftScout on Twitter; there is an interesting 140-second clip on there of the interview Carson Wentz had with the Eagles at the 2016 NFL Combine. They showed him clips of some of his college plays and asked him to explain what he saw and why he did what he did on that particular play. Interesting stuff.

6) Did lot of research on Nevada coach Eric Musselman Sunday; his dad Bill was also a really good coach, in college and the pros. He once went 48-6 as coach of a CBA team here in Albany. When Bill Musselman was coaching the Virginia Squires in the ABA (1976), he once played his whole starting lineup the whole 48:00. Imagine someone doing that today?

5) Was doing some fantasy baseball research Monday; Cincinnati OF Scott Schebler hit .215 in 393 PA vs righties LY, but with 38 walks. he hit .271 vs lefties, but with only one walk in 135 PA vs southpaws. One walk in 135 PAs? A .290 OB% vs lefties is no bueno.

4) Arizona Diamondbacks put a humidor in their stadium this year, hoping to make baseballs less ?happy? with the goal to reduce the amount of home runs hit there this season. They did this in Colorado a few years ago and it worked a little bit.

3) Oklahoma State 71, Stanford 65? Chippy game where host Cowboys came back in 4th quarter to extend their season.

2) Utah 95, LSU 71? I turned this game on and it was 31-9 Utah; guess LSU kids weren?t too excited about playing in high altitude.

1? Get well soon to Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue, who has taken a medical leave of absence after leaving three games with an unknown illness. Hopefully he?ll be back soon.