Are you wondering how the so-called "power conferences" fared in the first week of the NCAA Tournament? The Big East was the best of the Big 6 conferences against the spread, while the Atlantic Coast Conference brought up the rear among the top conferences.
However, a mid-major rises above all other conferences in the Sweet 16 when it comes to spread covers. The Horizon League, with upstart Butler and vanquished UW-Milwaukee, stands a perfect 3-0 entering this week's Tournament action.
Keep in mind, the other conferences with entrants in the Sweet 16 have played an average of nine games in the Big Dance. But you can't argue with results like that.
Butler, the No. 12 seed in the East region, relied on a Brandon Miller runner to edge Mississippi State in the first round, 47-46. As they say: survive and advance. Butler was a 7 1/2-point underdog in that affair, and entered its second round game versus No. 4 Louisville with the same pointspread. The Bulldogs held Louisville in check to record a 79-71 victory and their second straight spread victory.
UW-Milwaukee was not so lucky on the scoreboard in the West, but the Panthers scored a spread cover against Notre Dame in the first round. That gives the Horizon League a perfect 3-0 against-the-spread mark entering this round.
My Ball: The Big East is 7-1 ATS.(AP)
While that record is worth noting, the Big East's 7-1 ATS mark would have made you a lot more money last weekend. The aforementioned Notre Dame loss was the only blemish on the board for the conference that saw all four entrants advance to the Round of 16. Of course, if you waited until Thursday to play UConn versus BYU, chances are you had a push instead of a cover in that affair.
Totals players had a chance to make some bank on the Big East last weekend as well. The 'under' registered a 6-2 mark in Big East games through the first two rounds, including a 4-0 mark for Syracuse and Notre Dame.
The Pac-10, while disappointing for backers on the sides, came through for players on the opposite end of totals. Pac-10 teams were 6-2 with the 'over' through the first two rounds. The 'over' was 5-2 in Conference USA games.
The Big XII took advantage of great seeding (two No. 1 seeds) to advance, but the circuit could only manage four ATS wins in 11 attempts. None of the three Big XII representatives in this round managed to cover the number in the first round, but all three bounced back in Round 2 with ATS wins. The only Big XII team to notch an ATS victory in the first round was Oklahoma State.
Of the conferences with teams alive this round, Conference USA had the worst straight-up performance. C-USA was the only conference not to post a winning SU mark (3-3). All four entrants were favorites in the first round, with only Louisville posting a spread cover. The Cardinals met their fate against Butler as a favorite. Marquette, C-USA's Sweet 16 representative, struggled in a win over Holy Cross, but covered in a victory against Missouri in Round 2. That gives Conference USA a 2-4 ATS record (.333).
When talking about getting bang for your buck (or, in this case, bang for your bid), the Big East wins out again. All four Big East entrants made it to the Round of 16. The Big XII (three of six), ACC (two of four) and the Horizon League (one of two) each had 50 percent of its combatants still standing. The Big Ten has two of five entrants, the SEC sent two of six to the Sweet 16 and Conference USA sent one out of four. The Pac-10 has done a big flop, sending one out of five entrants to the third round. Can you imagine how the conference would have looked this week had Gonzaga been able to complete the upset of Arizona in the second round?
Below is a chart breaking down the Sweet 16 by conference, with SU and spread marks.
Conference ATS records
Conference SU record ATS record Over/Under
Big East .......8-0 ....7-1 ....... 2-6
Big XII ........8-3 ....4-7 ......6-4-1
ACC ............4-2 ....3-4 .......2-4
Big Ten ........7-3 ...4-5-1 .....4-5-1
Horizon League .2-1 ....3-0 .......1-2
SEC ............5-4 ....5-4 ......4-4-1
Pac-10 .........5-4.... 4-5....... 6-2
Conference USA .3-3 ....2-4 .......5-2
Sweet 16 Team-by-team records (broken down by region)
Team .........Year-to-date: SU & ATS
MidWest...........SU.....ATS
Kentucky ...... 31-3, 20-10
Pittsburgh ....28-4, 16-9
Marquette .....25-5, 16-9
Wisconsin .....24-7, 19-8
West
Arizona ......27-3, 13-14
Kansas .......27-7, 14-15
Duke .........26-6, 10-18
Notre Dame ...24-9,
South
Texas ........24-6, 15-9
UConn ........23-9, 14-11
Maryland .....21-9, 11-16 1
Michigan State 21-12, 17-14
East
Oklahoma ......16-6, 14-12
Syracuse ......26-5, 16-10
Auburn ........22-11, 17-12
Butler ........26-5, 13-12
Looks like crap but you get the picture.
However, a mid-major rises above all other conferences in the Sweet 16 when it comes to spread covers. The Horizon League, with upstart Butler and vanquished UW-Milwaukee, stands a perfect 3-0 entering this week's Tournament action.
Keep in mind, the other conferences with entrants in the Sweet 16 have played an average of nine games in the Big Dance. But you can't argue with results like that.
Butler, the No. 12 seed in the East region, relied on a Brandon Miller runner to edge Mississippi State in the first round, 47-46. As they say: survive and advance. Butler was a 7 1/2-point underdog in that affair, and entered its second round game versus No. 4 Louisville with the same pointspread. The Bulldogs held Louisville in check to record a 79-71 victory and their second straight spread victory.
UW-Milwaukee was not so lucky on the scoreboard in the West, but the Panthers scored a spread cover against Notre Dame in the first round. That gives the Horizon League a perfect 3-0 against-the-spread mark entering this round.
My Ball: The Big East is 7-1 ATS.(AP)
While that record is worth noting, the Big East's 7-1 ATS mark would have made you a lot more money last weekend. The aforementioned Notre Dame loss was the only blemish on the board for the conference that saw all four entrants advance to the Round of 16. Of course, if you waited until Thursday to play UConn versus BYU, chances are you had a push instead of a cover in that affair.
Totals players had a chance to make some bank on the Big East last weekend as well. The 'under' registered a 6-2 mark in Big East games through the first two rounds, including a 4-0 mark for Syracuse and Notre Dame.
The Pac-10, while disappointing for backers on the sides, came through for players on the opposite end of totals. Pac-10 teams were 6-2 with the 'over' through the first two rounds. The 'over' was 5-2 in Conference USA games.
The Big XII took advantage of great seeding (two No. 1 seeds) to advance, but the circuit could only manage four ATS wins in 11 attempts. None of the three Big XII representatives in this round managed to cover the number in the first round, but all three bounced back in Round 2 with ATS wins. The only Big XII team to notch an ATS victory in the first round was Oklahoma State.
Of the conferences with teams alive this round, Conference USA had the worst straight-up performance. C-USA was the only conference not to post a winning SU mark (3-3). All four entrants were favorites in the first round, with only Louisville posting a spread cover. The Cardinals met their fate against Butler as a favorite. Marquette, C-USA's Sweet 16 representative, struggled in a win over Holy Cross, but covered in a victory against Missouri in Round 2. That gives Conference USA a 2-4 ATS record (.333).
When talking about getting bang for your buck (or, in this case, bang for your bid), the Big East wins out again. All four Big East entrants made it to the Round of 16. The Big XII (three of six), ACC (two of four) and the Horizon League (one of two) each had 50 percent of its combatants still standing. The Big Ten has two of five entrants, the SEC sent two of six to the Sweet 16 and Conference USA sent one out of four. The Pac-10 has done a big flop, sending one out of five entrants to the third round. Can you imagine how the conference would have looked this week had Gonzaga been able to complete the upset of Arizona in the second round?
Below is a chart breaking down the Sweet 16 by conference, with SU and spread marks.
Conference ATS records
Conference SU record ATS record Over/Under
Big East .......8-0 ....7-1 ....... 2-6
Big XII ........8-3 ....4-7 ......6-4-1
ACC ............4-2 ....3-4 .......2-4
Big Ten ........7-3 ...4-5-1 .....4-5-1
Horizon League .2-1 ....3-0 .......1-2
SEC ............5-4 ....5-4 ......4-4-1
Pac-10 .........5-4.... 4-5....... 6-2
Conference USA .3-3 ....2-4 .......5-2
Sweet 16 Team-by-team records (broken down by region)
Team .........Year-to-date: SU & ATS
MidWest...........SU.....ATS
Kentucky ...... 31-3, 20-10
Pittsburgh ....28-4, 16-9
Marquette .....25-5, 16-9
Wisconsin .....24-7, 19-8
West
Arizona ......27-3, 13-14
Kansas .......27-7, 14-15
Duke .........26-6, 10-18
Notre Dame ...24-9,
South
Texas ........24-6, 15-9
UConn ........23-9, 14-11
Maryland .....21-9, 11-16 1
Michigan State 21-12, 17-14
East
Oklahoma ......16-6, 14-12
Syracuse ......26-5, 16-10
Auburn ........22-11, 17-12
Butler ........26-5, 13-12
Looks like crap but you get the picture.
