Free Picks2Play for Sunday 3/17......
Game: Xavier vs Oklahoma
Tip-off: 10:30 pm ET
Line: Oklahoma- 6
Total: 130.5
Angles/Analyses:
Xavier comes into today?s game 7-0 SU and 5-1-1 ATS the last seven games, winning the A-10 championship with a 73-60 rout of Richmond and upsetting Hawaii 70-58 holding them to only 6-29 FG shooting in the 2nd half. Xavier has been solid all year long defensively, giving up 62.6 ppg. and 39.8% FG on the year. That being said, the Sooners can also play a heck of a defense, in this tourney they are holding opponents to 29.1% from 3-point land. On Friday, the held Illinois-Chicago to 33% shooting and went on to win 71-63.
Xavier entered this tournament with a #77 strength of schedule in the RPI compared to a #12 slate for the Sooners. What does this mean? Well, it means that they haven?t really played any quality teams this year except for Cincinatti which they got blown out by 20. Oklahoma should win this one by double digits.
Favorable Trends:
Xavier:
2-4 ATS as an underdog on the year
Oklahoma:
6-1 ATS on the season playing on 1 day or less rest
Pick2Play: Oklahoma - 6 (5 units)
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Game: Dallas at Lakers
Tip-off: 9:30 pm ET
Line: Lakers - 9
Total: 211.5
Angles/Analyses:
The Lakers seek their 23rd straight win at home over the Dallas Mavericks when the Western Conference powerhouses meet in the opener of a home-and-home series at the Staples Center on Sunday.
Los Angeles has won six consecutive meetings with Dallas overall, including a 98-94 triumph here on December 5 and a 101-94 victory at the American Airlines Center on February 3. Dallas is playing good ball right now have won six of seven, including a 117-100 road triumph over Golden State on Saturday.
Both Dallas losses to L.A have been by no more than 7 and we see no reason why this one should be any different. Look for Dallas to give the Lakers a run for their money today and at least keep this one close.
Favorable Trends:
Dallas:
19-11-1 ATS on the road this season.
Pick2Play: Dallas + 9 (5 units)
Good Luck,
Picks2Play
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Here's our entire card for Sunday 3/17....
Game: Miss St vs Texas
Tip-off: 2:15 pm ET
Line: Texas ? 1.5
Total: 141
Angles/Analyses:
The No. 6 seed Texas Longhorns look to extend their season today as they get set to take on the No. 3 seed and end-of-season ranked No. 17 in the land, Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Longhorns will have plenty of their faithful wearing burnt orange in the stands on Sunday as this game is played only 180 miles from their campus.
Texas has done very well this season 21-12. Thomas, a 6-8 soph, has stepped up since the loss of Chris Owens and has led the team in scoring seven times and with his solid rebounding (8.9 rpg) will keep the candle lit in the future as well. Sophs 6-5 Brandon Mouton (14.6 ppg) and 6-4 Royal Ivey (11.6 ppg) are the leading scorers and freshman 5-11 point T.J. Ford (10.5 ppg) has kept the offense flowing with 8.9 assists per game. The Longhorns average almost 80 ppg on 45% shooting from the field including 37% from outside the line. Mississippi State right now (27-7, SEC champs). The Rebels beat Alabama, 61-58, in the SEC Championship Game, the team's eighth win in a row and ninth in their last 10 contests.
This game should easily reach the 140?s and can very well end up somewhere in the high 160?s. Look for a shoot out in Texas.
Pick2Play: Texas/Miss St over 141 (5 units)
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Game: Connecticut vs NC State
Line: Uconn ? 1.5
Total: 145
Angles/Summary:
No. 2 Connecticut faces a stern test on Sunday afternoon when it meets seventh-seeded North Carolina State in the second round of the East Region. Connecticut (25-6) has won 10 straight straight but the last one was not easy. Freshman Emeka Okafor collected 12 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks as the Huskies held off No. 15 Hampton, 78-67, on Friday. Connecticut is averaging 77..95 points per game this year
North Carolina State (23-10) is one of three Atlantic Coast Conference teams left in the field and made its first appearance since 1991 with a 69-58 victory over Michigan State on Friday. The Wolfpack trailed by 12 points at halftime but exploded for 51 points in the second half. 23-10 North Carolina State is led by Julius Hodge (10 ppg), sophomore Marcus Melvin, who averaged 10 points and five rebounds and senior guard Anthony Grundy. Grundy led the team in scoring (18 ppg), rebounding, steals and assists this season.
Both of theses teams can score, North Carolina State is averaging 75.5 points per game this year while Connecticut averages 77.5 points per game this year.
Favorable Trends:
NC STATE :
6-1 OVER after 2 straight games making 78% of their free throws or better since 1997.
5-0 OVER after a game where their opponent was called for 27 or more fouls since 1997.
10-3 OVER after a game where they made 78% of their free throws or better over the last 3 seasons.
5-1 OVER versus teams who average 40 or more rebounds/game on the season this season.
CONNECTICUT:
is 5-1 OVER after 5 or more consecutive wins this season.
6-1 OVER after 6 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.
5-1 OVER after having won 12 or more of their last 15 games this season.
5-1 OVER as a neutral court favorite of 6 points or less over the last 3 seasons
Pick2Play: Uconn/NC State over 145 (5 units)
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Game: Creighton vs Illinois
Line: Illinois - 10
Total: 143.5
Angles/Summary:
No. 4 Illinois can give coach Bill Self another trip to the regional semifinals on Sunday afternoon when it meets upset-minded No. 12 Creighton in a second-round Midwest Region matchup.
Illinois (25-8) turned in one of the more impressive performances in the first round with a 93-64 rout of San Diego State. Freshman Luther Head scored 19 points and Cory Bradford added 13 for the Fighting Illini
Creighton (23-8) made its fourth straight NCAA appearance a memorable one by posting a thrilling 83-82 victory over Florida in double overtime. Terrell Taylor's 3-pointer with less than a second left gave the Bluejays the triumph.
Creighton is averaging 76.2 points per game and should be able to score on Illinois. The Fighting Illini average 77.8 points per game and score in the 80?s today against Creighton.
Favorable Trends:
CREIGHTON:
5-1 OVER versus good defensive teams - shooting pct defense of <=42% over the last 3 seasons.
5-1 OVER versus good teams - outscoring their opponents by 4+ points/game over the last 3 seasons
Pick2Play: Creighton/Illinois over 143.5 (5 units)
Game: Xavier vs Oklahoma
Tip-off: 10:30 pm ET
Line: Oklahoma- 6
Total: 130.5
Angles/Analyses:
Xavier comes into today?s game 7-0 SU and 5-1-1 ATS the last seven games, winning the A-10 championship with a 73-60 rout of Richmond and upsetting Hawaii 70-58 holding them to only 6-29 FG shooting in the 2nd half. Xavier has been solid all year long defensively, giving up 62.6 ppg. and 39.8% FG on the year. That being said, the Sooners can also play a heck of a defense, in this tourney they are holding opponents to 29.1% from 3-point land. On Friday, the held Illinois-Chicago to 33% shooting and went on to win 71-63.
Xavier entered this tournament with a #77 strength of schedule in the RPI compared to a #12 slate for the Sooners. What does this mean? Well, it means that they haven?t really played any quality teams this year except for Cincinatti which they got blown out by 20. Oklahoma should win this one by double digits.
Favorable Trends:
Xavier:
2-4 ATS as an underdog on the year
Oklahoma:
6-1 ATS on the season playing on 1 day or less rest
Pick2Play: Oklahoma - 6 (5 units)
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Game: Dallas at Lakers
Tip-off: 9:30 pm ET
Line: Lakers - 9
Total: 211.5
Angles/Analyses:
The Lakers seek their 23rd straight win at home over the Dallas Mavericks when the Western Conference powerhouses meet in the opener of a home-and-home series at the Staples Center on Sunday.
Los Angeles has won six consecutive meetings with Dallas overall, including a 98-94 triumph here on December 5 and a 101-94 victory at the American Airlines Center on February 3. Dallas is playing good ball right now have won six of seven, including a 117-100 road triumph over Golden State on Saturday.
Both Dallas losses to L.A have been by no more than 7 and we see no reason why this one should be any different. Look for Dallas to give the Lakers a run for their money today and at least keep this one close.
Favorable Trends:
Dallas:
19-11-1 ATS on the road this season.
Pick2Play: Dallas + 9 (5 units)
Good Luck, Picks2Play
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Here's our entire card for Sunday 3/17....
Game: Miss St vs Texas
Tip-off: 2:15 pm ET
Line: Texas ? 1.5
Total: 141
Angles/Analyses:
The No. 6 seed Texas Longhorns look to extend their season today as they get set to take on the No. 3 seed and end-of-season ranked No. 17 in the land, Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Longhorns will have plenty of their faithful wearing burnt orange in the stands on Sunday as this game is played only 180 miles from their campus.
Texas has done very well this season 21-12. Thomas, a 6-8 soph, has stepped up since the loss of Chris Owens and has led the team in scoring seven times and with his solid rebounding (8.9 rpg) will keep the candle lit in the future as well. Sophs 6-5 Brandon Mouton (14.6 ppg) and 6-4 Royal Ivey (11.6 ppg) are the leading scorers and freshman 5-11 point T.J. Ford (10.5 ppg) has kept the offense flowing with 8.9 assists per game. The Longhorns average almost 80 ppg on 45% shooting from the field including 37% from outside the line. Mississippi State right now (27-7, SEC champs). The Rebels beat Alabama, 61-58, in the SEC Championship Game, the team's eighth win in a row and ninth in their last 10 contests.
This game should easily reach the 140?s and can very well end up somewhere in the high 160?s. Look for a shoot out in Texas.
Pick2Play: Texas/Miss St over 141 (5 units)
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Game: Connecticut vs NC State
Line: Uconn ? 1.5
Total: 145
Angles/Summary:
No. 2 Connecticut faces a stern test on Sunday afternoon when it meets seventh-seeded North Carolina State in the second round of the East Region. Connecticut (25-6) has won 10 straight straight but the last one was not easy. Freshman Emeka Okafor collected 12 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks as the Huskies held off No. 15 Hampton, 78-67, on Friday. Connecticut is averaging 77..95 points per game this year
North Carolina State (23-10) is one of three Atlantic Coast Conference teams left in the field and made its first appearance since 1991 with a 69-58 victory over Michigan State on Friday. The Wolfpack trailed by 12 points at halftime but exploded for 51 points in the second half. 23-10 North Carolina State is led by Julius Hodge (10 ppg), sophomore Marcus Melvin, who averaged 10 points and five rebounds and senior guard Anthony Grundy. Grundy led the team in scoring (18 ppg), rebounding, steals and assists this season.
Both of theses teams can score, North Carolina State is averaging 75.5 points per game this year while Connecticut averages 77.5 points per game this year.
Favorable Trends:
NC STATE :
6-1 OVER after 2 straight games making 78% of their free throws or better since 1997.
5-0 OVER after a game where their opponent was called for 27 or more fouls since 1997.
10-3 OVER after a game where they made 78% of their free throws or better over the last 3 seasons.
5-1 OVER versus teams who average 40 or more rebounds/game on the season this season.
CONNECTICUT:
is 5-1 OVER after 5 or more consecutive wins this season.
6-1 OVER after 6 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.
5-1 OVER after having won 12 or more of their last 15 games this season.
5-1 OVER as a neutral court favorite of 6 points or less over the last 3 seasons
Pick2Play: Uconn/NC State over 145 (5 units)
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Game: Creighton vs Illinois
Line: Illinois - 10
Total: 143.5
Angles/Summary:
No. 4 Illinois can give coach Bill Self another trip to the regional semifinals on Sunday afternoon when it meets upset-minded No. 12 Creighton in a second-round Midwest Region matchup.
Illinois (25-8) turned in one of the more impressive performances in the first round with a 93-64 rout of San Diego State. Freshman Luther Head scored 19 points and Cory Bradford added 13 for the Fighting Illini
Creighton (23-8) made its fourth straight NCAA appearance a memorable one by posting a thrilling 83-82 victory over Florida in double overtime. Terrell Taylor's 3-pointer with less than a second left gave the Bluejays the triumph.
Creighton is averaging 76.2 points per game and should be able to score on Illinois. The Fighting Illini average 77.8 points per game and score in the 80?s today against Creighton.
Favorable Trends:
CREIGHTON:
5-1 OVER versus good defensive teams - shooting pct defense of <=42% over the last 3 seasons.
5-1 OVER versus good teams - outscoring their opponents by 4+ points/game over the last 3 seasons
Pick2Play: Creighton/Illinois over 143.5 (5 units)
