College Basketball Top 25 Saturday Betting Cheat Sheet
Saturday’s college basketball slate has plenty of wagering options for NCAA hoop heads. We look at the biggest and best matchups featuring Top 25 teams with our NCAAB betting cheat sheet.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at (16) North Carolina Tar Heels
*Georgia Tech G Chris Bolden, who had started seven straight games before the Clemson contest, has been suspended indefinitely for what coach Brian Gregory termed, “not adhering to the expectations of our program.”
*The Tar Heels’ frontcourt is red hot: Brice Johnson is 23-of-35 from the field in his past three games, averaging 19 points per contest, while Kennedy Meeks is 14-of-18 from the field in his past two games.
(17) Oklahoma Sooners at Texas Tech Red Raiders
*No team has shot above 50 percent against Oklahoma this season and five of the last seven opponents have shot less than 40 percent.
*If the Red Raiders want to be competitive they will need t do better than their 21.2 shooting percentage they had against Oklahoma in their last game.
Minnesota Golden Gophers at (4) Wisconsin Badgers
*The Golden Gophers gave up 6.32 makes from 3-point range per game before Indiana drained 18-of-32 and Northwestern nailed 15-of-32 from behind the arc.
*The Badgers lead the nation in least turnovers (7.4) and fouls (12.9) per game to go along with an offense that shoots 48 percent.
Kansas State Wildcats at (20) Baylor Bears
*Coach Bruce Weber has sounded off on his players, who have seem uninterested at times lately, this week. “When guys won’t compete and battle and come to practice every day.… You can’t just come once in a while and think you are going to be a great college player. You have to bring it every day.”
*Baylor is 2nd nationally with a +9.7 average rebound margin, 3rd with 15.3 offensive rebounds per game and 4th with 40.7 total boards per game.
(22) West Virginia Mountaineers at (24) Oklahoma State Cowboys
*Phil Forte III and teammate Anthony Hickey Jr. lead the Big 12 in steals (2.08); West Virginia G Jevon Carter is third (1.85).
*Le’Bryan Nash and Phil Forte III account for 49.4 percent of the Cowboys offense this season.
(14) Iowa State Cyclones at Texas Longhorns
*The Cyclones are coming off just their third road victory of the season. “You get the monkey off your back a little bit,” Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters. “We’ve had three really good road wins: Iowa, West Virginia and now Oklahoma State.”
*Miles Turner is averaging 11.5 points and a team-leading 6.6 rebounds, and his 74 blocks are the main reason why the Longhorns lead the nation in blocked shots per game (7.73).
Miami Hurricanes at (12) Louisville Cardinals
*Miami is 8-2 when playing in front of a crowd that is 75 percent of the arena’s capacity, with one loss at sold-out No. 12 Notre Dame and one at home. Miami is 6-6 when the crowd is less than 75 percent capacity.
*“What’s stopping us from being a very good basketball team – the last three years we’ve been one of the most feared defensive teams in the nation with steals, turnovers. We’ve just been void of both,” coach Rick Pitino told reporters.
(19) Butler Bulldogs at Xavier Musketeers
*Butler will be without F Andrew Chrabascz, the Bulldogs’ third leading scorer, for two to four weeks after undergoing surgery on his right hand.
*It seems that Xavier may have some issues to deal with if they want to make an impact. “We’ve handled adversity a lot better than we’ve handled success,” coach Chris Mack said. “That was my message to our team quickly in the locker room.”
(6) Villanova Wildcats at Marquette Golden Eagles
*When the Wildcats convert seven or more 3-pointers in a contest in 2014-15, they are 17-1 SU (.938).
*Marquette 6-11 C Luke Fischer plays 28.3 minutes but has grabbed more than six rebounds only twice in 17 games.
Bradley Braves at (11) Northern Iowa Panthers
*Only seven teams in the nation score fewer points per game than do the Braves, who average 57.7 – including 55.9 in conference play.
*The Panthers strengths are their shooting ability – they are tied for 12th in the nation at 48.7 percent – and their No. 4 ranked defense, which has limited their opponents to 54.3 points per contest.
TCU Horned Frogs at (8) Kansas Jayhawks
*By holding K-State to only 15 first half points, TCU has now held two league foes to 15 or fewer points in the opening frame.
*Seventeen of Kansas’ victories during its 21-game home winning streak have come by double figures.
(10) Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Boston College Eagles
*”We are definitely making defense a mission for us,” said Notre Dame’s Austin Torres. “When we put up 80-plus points, we’re not going to lose many games. It’s on the defensive end to get the stops and get the defensive rebounds.”
*Boston College’s ACC Player of the Year candidate is carrying a massive load on many fronts, playing all but two minutes over the five-game hot stretch, which includes a double-overtime loss to Miami on Monday.
Clemson Tigers at (5) Duke Blue Devils
*The Tigers have lost three of their last four games, including a 63-52 loss to Georgia Tech on Monday.
*After spraining his ankle against UNC, Jahlil Okafor looks like he will play against Clemson. “We’ll see what happens – sometimes you can play the night of the game because of the adrenaline and everything’s moving,” Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters. “We’ll see if he’s going to be ready for Saturday.”
(17) Arkansas Razorbacks at Mississippi State Bulldogs
*Arkansas ranks second in the SEC, hitting 36.5 percent of its 3-point attempts, and its 183 3-pointers as a team also ranks second in the league.
*The Bulldogs have a very balanced attack — with four players averaging between 9.1 and 10.4 points led by Roquez Johnson — but MSU shoots just 42.7 percent from the floor and averages only 62 points as a team.
Auburn Tigers at (1) Kentucky Wildcats
*Auburn is experiencing a transition season under first-year coach Bruce Pearl, and it isn’t always pretty “There are a lot of great teams in this league,” coach Pearl told reporters. “We’re not scaring anybody.”
*Kentucky is not fooling themselves, they know they are hunted men. “We as players just have to know that it is going to be tough everywhere we go,” center Willie Cauley-Stein told reporters. “Especially now, we have this huge target on our back, (and) the country wants us to lose — they want to see us lose.”
UCLA Bruins at (7) Arizona Wildcats
*Depth has been an issue for UCLA this season. After two Bruins fouled out against Arizona State, UCLA blew a double-digit lead thanks to only having eight scholarship players.
*The Wildcats, who have won 35 straight games at home, are tied for the lead in the conference with a big showdown against co-leader Utah on the horizon.
(2) Gonzaga Bulldogs at St. Mary’s Gaels
*Gonzaga has won 20 straight conference games dating to last Feb. 23 at San Diego, a run that includes three double-digit victories over the Gaels.
*Gaels’ Aaron Bright is averaging 15.5 points over his last two games after a nine-game stretch in which he never surpassed 13 points.
(25) San Diego State Aztecs at San Jose Spartans
*The Aztecs are 48-1 in their last 49 games against schools from California.
*The Spartans have dropped 15-straight games against D1 schools and coach Dave Wohcik knows it sucks. “I’ve never gone through anything like this, in all my years,” coach Dave Wojcik told reporters. “But it’s like I tell the kids. That’s life. It’s not fair sometimes. It’s going to throw a curveball at you. But you have to continue on.”
POINTWISE
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
KEY RELEASES
OREGON STATE over Colorado (Sat) RATING: 2
BOWLING GREEN over Buffalo (Sat) RATING: 3
DAVIDSON over Fordham (Sat) RATING: 4
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21 SCORE
(11:00) EAST CAROLINA 66 – South Florida 53 (ESPNU) _____ _____
(12:00) WISCONSIN 79 – Minnesota 67 (ESPN) _____ _____
(12:00) SYRACUSE 75 – Pittsburgh 74 _____ _____
(12:00) ST JOHNS 81 – Seton Hall 71 (FOX) _____ _____
(12:00) NORTH CAROLINA 78 – Georgia Tech 70 (CBSC) _____ _____
(12:00) Oklahoma 77 – TEXAS TECH 55 (ESPNN) _____ _____
(12:00) Texas A&M 74 – SOUTH CAROLINA 67 (SEC) _____ _____
(12:00) VA COMMONWEALTH 72 – UMass 65 (ESPN2) _____ _____
(12:30) DELAWARE 83 – Elon 81 _____ _____
(1:00) BAYLOR 85 – Kansas State 67 (ESPNU) _____ _____
(1:00) INDIANA STATE 62 – Southern Illinois 59 _____ _____
(1:00) LSU 68 – Florida 67 (CBS) _____ _____
(2:00) GEORGIA STATE 70 – Appalachian State 48 _____ _____
(2:00) OHIO U 69 – Kent State 62 _____ _____
(2:00) BOWLING GREEN 76 – Buffalo 63 _____ _____
(2:00) Toledo 81 – WESTERN MICHIGAN 74 _____ _____
(2:00) XAVIER 73 – Butler 71 _____ _____
(2:00) UNC-Wilmington 68 – TOWSON 60 _____ _____
(2:00) LOUISVILLE 69 – Miami-Florida 63 _____ _____
(2:00) OKLAHOMA STATE 84 – West Virginia 71 (ESPNN) _____ _____
(2:00) Dayton 66 – DUQUESNE 65 (NBCS) _____ _____
(2:00) TEXAS 87 – Iowa State 78 (ESPN) _____ _____
(2:30) VANDERBILT 76 – Missouri 61 (SEC) _____ _____
(2:30) Villanova 80 – MARQUETTE 66 (FOX) _____ _____
(3:00) NORTHWESTERN 59 – Penn State 58 (ESPNU) _____ _____
(3:00) Louisiana Tech 71 – OLD DOMINION 67 _____ _____
(3:00) BOISE STATE 65 – Nevada 46 _____ _____
(4:00) PEPPERDINE 72 – San Francisco 66 _____ _____
(4:00) Arkansas 70 – MISSISSIPPI STATE 69 (FSN) _____ _____
(4:00) NORTHERN IOWA 78 – Bradley 52 _____ _____
(4:00) NORTHEASTERN 61 – Drexel 60 (NBCS) _____ _____
(4:00) KANSAS 89 – Tcu 71 (ESPN2) _____ _____
(4:00) Notre Dame 73 – BOSTON COLLEGE 72 _____ _____
(4:00) DUKE 82 – Clemson 70 (ESPN) _____ _____
(4:00) RICHMOND 78 – George Washington 65 (CBSC) _____ _____
(4:00) Rhode Island 67 – GEORGE MASON 63 _____ _____
(4:30) CENTRAL MICHIGAN 81 – Ball State 66 _____ _____
(5:15) Arkansas-Little Rock 64 – TROY 60 _____ _____
(5:30) CHARLOTTE 69 – Southern Mississippi 62 _____ _____
(6:00) BROWN 65 – Cornell 51 _____ _____
(6:00) FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 60 – North Texas 59 _____ _____
(6:00) LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT 72 – Santa Clara 64 _____ _____
(6:00) NEW MEXICO 71 – Unlv 70 (CBSC) _____ _____
(6:00) COLORADO STATE 78 – Air Force 67 _____ _____
(6:00) KENTUCKY 80 – Auburn 52 (ESPN) _____ _____
(6:00) NO CAROLINA ST 79 – Virginia Tech 66 (ESPN2) _____ _____
(6:30) STANFORD 73 – California 69 (PAC12) _____ _____
(7:00) FLORIDA ATLANTIC 68 – Rice 62 _____ _____
(7:00) JAMES MADISON 67 – Charleston 57 _____ _____
(7:00) HARVARD 76 – Princeton 71 _____ _____
(7:00) DARTMOUTH 60 – Pennsylvania 53 _____ _____
(7:00) YALE 72 – Columbia 58 _____ _____
(7:00) YOUNGSTOWN 74 – Detroit 70 _____ _____
(7:00) ST JOSEPHS 77 – St Bonaventure 73 _____ _____
(7:00) DAVIDSON 85 – Fordham 61 _____ _____
(7:30) AKRON 76 – Miami-Ohio 62 _____ _____
(7:30) MISSISSIPPI 83 – Tennessee 80 (ESPNU) _____ _____
(7:30) GEORGIA SOUTHERN 78 – South Alabama 55 _____ _____
(8:00) ALABAMA 69 – Georgia 67 (ESPN2) _____ _____
(8:00) La-Monroe 61 – ARKANSAS STATE 56 _____ _____
(8:00) ILLINOIS STATE 57 – Loyola-Chicago 53 _____ _____
(8:00) VALPARAISO 68 – Wright State 54 _____ _____
(8:00) GEORGETOWN 71 – DePaul 69 (CBSC) _____ _____
(8:00) CAL-FULLERTON 69 – Cal-Santa Barbara 65 _____ _____
(8:00) NORTHERN ILLINOIS 60 – Eastern Michigan 58 _____ _____
(8:00) UAB 79 – Marshall 59 _____ _____
(8:15) TEXAS-ARLINGTON 82 – La-Lafayette 81 _____ _____
(9:00) UTAH STATE 73 – Fresno State 66 _____ _____
(9:00) UTEP 78 – Texas-San Antonio 65 _____ _____
(9:00) ARIZONA 90 – Ucla 67 (ESPN) _____ _____
(9:30) Cincinnati 68 – HOUSTON 52 (ESPNU) _____ _____
10:00) CAL-RIVERSIDE 67 – Cal-Poly Slo 63 _____ _____
(10:00) San Diego State 84 – SAN JOSE STATE 54 _____ _____
(10:00) CAL-DAVIS 81 – Hawaii 78 _____ _____
(10:00) Gonzaga 79 – SAINT MARYS 64 (ESPN2) _____ _____
(10:00) CAL-IRVINE 75 – Cal-Northridge 61 _____ _____
(10:00) Portland 73 – PACIFIC 63 _____ _____
(11:00) OREGON STATE 64 – Colorado 55 (PAC12) _____ _____
BEST BETS: TEXAS A&M, BOWLING GREEN(3), MIAMI-FLA, RICHMOND,
BROWN, DAVIDSON(4), TENNESSEE, LOY-CHICAGO, DEPAUL, GONZAGA,
PORTLAND, OREGON STATE(2).
College Basketball
Pitt (-3) beat Syracuse 83-77 at home Feb 7, rallying back from 10-point deficit in first half. Panthers are 3-5 in last eight games, 2-2 as road dogs; four of their five road losses are by 12+ points. Syracuse is 3-4 in its last seven games, beating Louisville team this week playing without its PG; Orange are 2-7 as ACC favorites, 1-4 at home. Pitt is worst defensive team in ACC. Syracuse forces turnovers 18.8% of time, best in the ACC. ACC home favorites of 5 or less points are 9-6 vs spread.
UMass had six-game win streak snapped at URI last game; they’re 5-2 on A-14 road, losing by 6 at St Joe’s, 1 at URI. UMass lost two of three vs VCU in A-14, with home side winning both regular season meetings, Rams winning in league tourney in ’13. VCU won last two games by 13-20 points with Graham back in lineup; they’re 2-4 as home faves, with three of four home wins by 15+ points. A-14 double digit home favorites are 10-8-1 vs spread.
Bowling Green won four of its last five games, covered eight of last ten; they’re 5-2 as home faves, with all five MAC home wins by 10+ points. Buffalo lost three of last four games, four of last six on road; they’re 1-1-1 as MAC road dogs, losing away games by 10-11-2-3 points. Falcons are forcing turnovers 21.1% of time; Buffalo is playing fastest tempo but they can’t shoot, making 27.4% from arc. MAC home teams are 14-10-1 in games where spread was less than four points.
Butler (-3) beat Xavier 88-76 at home Jan 10, going 32-42 on line while Xavier was 19-25; Bulldogs trailed by hoop with 14:10 left but scored 32 points in last 10:00 of game. Butler won six of last seven games is 4-2 on Big East road with four of last five away games decided by 4 points or less. Xavier beat crosstown rival Cincinnati by hoop last game; they won three of last four games, are 4-3 as home faves. Big East home favorites of 4 or less points are 6-9 vs spread.
Louisville PG Jones is back after one-game banishment; Cards lost by 10 at Syracuse in his absence, have lost three of last four games- they won 63-55 (-4.5) at Miami Feb 3, game they never trailed. Louisville is 2-4 as home favorites; three of four home wins were by 10+. Underdogs are 6-0 vs spread in Miami’s ACC road games; ‘canes are 3-0 as road underdogs, with no road losses by more than five points. ACC home favorites of 8+ points are 10-16 vs spread.
Oklahoma State lost last two games by 15-5 points, are 4-2 as favorites at home, but they lost two of last three at home. West Virginia is 2-3 in last five games after Monday’s upset of Kansas; they lost three of last four road games, are 1-2 as road dogs (favorites covered four of their five road games). Mountaineers force turnovers 26.9% of time, best in Big X, but if you break pressure, they’re not very good. Big X home favorites of 7 or less points are 19-14 vs spread.
Iowa State (-5) beat Texas 89-86 at home Jan 26, as Longhorns rallied in last 8:08 from a 21-point deficit to cover spread, hitting 10-22 from arc. State outscored them 25-10 on foul line. Cyclones lost four of last five on road, are 5-2 in last seven overall, 3-2 as road dogs- home side covered five of their last six games. Texas won three of its last four games, is 2-4 as home favorite, just 3-3 SU. Faves are 12-7 vs spread in Big X games with spread of 3 or less points.
UTEP (-8.5) squashed Tex-San Antonio 73-55 on road Jan 17, forcing 20 turnovers (+5), shooting 57% inside arc. Miners won last six games, are 3-3 as home favorites, with three double digit wins. UTSA won three of last four games, is 4-1 as road underdog, with only two road losses by 9-15 points. Underdogs covered Roadrunners’ last seven games. UTEP won its last five home games. C-USA double digit home favorites are 6-14.
UCLA’s last three road games were all decided by 2 points each; Bruins are 2-6 on Pac-12 road, with only wins at USC/Stanford, but they’re 3-1 in last four games with Arizona, beating Wildcats in last two conference tourneys (LY’s final). Arizona won its last three games by 27-25-30 since they got upset at Arizona State; Wildcats are 10-3 vs spread in Pac-12, 5-1 as home favorites, with all six home wins by 14+ points. Pac-12 double digit home favorites are 11-4-2 vs spread.
Cal-Davis’ only Big West loss was 84-76 (+3.5) at Hawai’i Jan 22, when Aggies turned ball over 24 times (-15) in game where teams combined to make 19-37 from arc. Rainbows had 18 steals in 70-possession game. Big West home favorites of 4+ points are 10-12-1 vs spread. Davis is 3-1-1 as home favorite; they’re 6-0 since Hawai’i loss, but have only one home win by more than six points. Hawai’i is 3-2 in last five games, 2-2 as road underdog, with losses by 4-15-1-15 on foreign soil.
St Mary’s needs to beat Gonzaga to get on bubble; they lost at Gonzaga 68-47 (+14) in first meeting Jan 22. Zags pulled away from 27-21 lead at half; they’re won 20 games in row, are 0-5 vs spread in last five games on road, winning away games by 7-12-12-2-17-14-11-10 points. Gaels won five of last seven games, are 7-1 at home, losing to Pepperdine by 5 in a game they led by 11 in first half. WCC home dogs of 8 or less points are 8-12 against the spread.
Noth Dakota State won six of last seven games since 77-71 loss Jan 24 in Fort Wayne, when Mastodons scored 1.22 ppp, making 58% of its shots inside arc. Bison are 4-3 as home favorites, winning home games by 6-3-13-7-7-24-9 points. Fort Wayne won/covered its last seven games, is 3-1 as road underdog, losing away games by 6-4-29- they won last three road games. Summit home faves of 5 or less points are 7-11 against the spread.
Eastern Washington leads by game in race for #1 seed and home court for Big Sky tournament; Eagles won seven of last eight games; last three all were decided by 3 or less points- they’re 1-0 as Big Sky dog. Northern Arizona won six of last seven games, is 6-1-1 vs spread in their last eight games. Lumberjacks are 2-3-1 as home favorites, but covered last two in wins by 25-7 points. Big Sky home teams are 10-21 vs spread in games with spread of 3 or less points.
StatFox Super Situations™ – FoxSheets
CBB | IUPU-FT WAYNE at N DAKOTA ST
Play Against – Home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (N DAKOTA ST) after allowing 25 points or less in the first half last game against opponent after 2 straight wins by 15 points or more
46-18 over the last 5 seasons. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units )
6-5 this year. ( 54.5% | 0.5 units )
CBB | GONZAGA at ST MARYS-CA
Play Against – Home underdogs of +145 to +350 vs. the money line (ST MARYS-CA) off a home win by 10 points or more, in February games
150-38 since 1997. ( 79.8% | 62.5 units )
2-3 this year. ( 40.0% | -5.9 units )
CBB | CALIFORNIA at STANFORD
Play Against – A home team vs. the 1rst half line (STANFORD) after failing to cover the spread in 5 or more consecutive games, a good team (60% to 80%) playing a team with a winning record
41-15 over the last 5 seasons. ( 73.2% | 24.5 units )
7-5 this year. ( 58.3% | 1.5 units )
NCAA Basketball Picks
West Virginia at Oklahoma State
The Mountaineers head to Oklahoma State today to face a Cowboys team that is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 Saturday games. West Virginia is the pick (+5) according to Dunkel, which has the Cowboys favored by only 2.
Dunkel Pick: West Virginia (+5).
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Game 511-512: South Florida at East Carolina (11:00 a.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: South Florida 52.379; East Carolina 56.412
Dunkel Line: East Carolina by 4
Vegas Line: East Carolina by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: South Florida (+6 1/2)
Game 513-514: Minnesota at Wisconsin (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 61.843; Wisconsin 79.600
Dunkel Line: Wisconsin by 18
Vegas Line: Wisconsin by 14 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Wisconsin (-14 1/2)
Game 515-516: Pittsburgh at Syracuse (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 61.098; Syracuse 69.365
Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 8
Vegas Line: Syracuse by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Syracuse (-4 1/2)
Game 517-518: Seton Hall at St. John’s (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seton Hall 61.460; St. John’s 67.330
Dunkel Line: St. John’s by 6
Vegas Line: St. John’s by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seton Hall (+8 1/2)
Game 519-520: Georgia Tech at North Carolina (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia Tech 62.583; North Carolina 76.040
Dunkel Line: North Carolina by 13 1/2
Vegas Line: North Carolina by 11
Dunkel Pick: North Carolina (-11)
Game 521-522: Oklahoma at Texas Tech (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma 68.959; Texas Tech 60.729
Dunkel Line: Oklahoma by 8
Vegas Line: Oklahoma by 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas Tech (+10 1/2)
Game 523-524: Texas A&M at South Carolina (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas A&M 66.233; South Carolina 63.198
Dunkel Line: Texas A&M by 3
Vegas Line: South Carolina by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas A&M (+1 1/2)
Game 525-526: Massachusetts at VCU (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Massachusetts 58.485; VCU 70.382
Dunkel Line: VCU by 12
Vegas Line: VCU by 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: VCU (-9 1/2)
Game 527-528: Elon at Delaware (12:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Elon 44.444; Delaware 48.682
Dunkel Line: Delaware by 4
Vegas Line: Delaware by 6
Dunkel Pick: Elon (+6)
Game 529-530: Kansas State at Baylor (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas State 61.715; Baylor 78.164
Dunkel Line: Baylor by 16 1/2
Vegas Line: Baylor by 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baylor (-9 1/2)
Game 531-532: Southern Illinois at Indiana State (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Southern Illinois 52.871; Indiana State 57.292
Dunkel Line: Indiana State by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Indiana State by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Southern Illinois (+6 1/2)
Game 533-534: Florida at LSU (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 64.139; LSU 71.824
Dunkel Line: LSU by 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LSU by 4
Dunkel Pick: LSU (-4)
Game 535-536: Appalachian State at Georgia State (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Appalachian State 44.888; Georgia State 63.919
Dunkel Line: Georgia State by 19
Vegas Line: Georgia State by 17
Dunkel Pick: Georgia State (-17)
Game 537-538: Kent State at Ohio (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kent State 55.747; Ohio 52.542
Dunkel Line: Kent State by 3
Vegas Line: Kent State by 1
Dunkel Pick: Kent State (-1)
Game 539-540: Buffalo at Bowling Green (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 60.286; Bowling Green 59.142
Dunkel Line: Buffalo by 1
Vegas Line: Bowling Green by 2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (+2)
Game 541-542: Toledo at Western Michigan (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toledo 58.842; Western Michigan 59.754
Dunkel Line: Western Michigan by 1
Vegas Line: Toledo by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Western Michigan (+1 1/2)
Game 543-544: Butler at Xavier (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Butler 66.419; Xavier 72.817
Dunkel Line: Xavier by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Xavier by 4
Dunkel Pick: Xavier (-4)
Game 545-546: NC-Wilmington at Towson (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NC-Wilmington 54.172; Towson 52.676
Dunkel Line: NC-Wilmington by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Pick
Dunkel Pick: NC-Wilmington
Game 547-548: Miami (FL) at Louisville (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (FL) 64.144; Louisville 69.848
Dunkel Line: Louisville by 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Louisville by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (FL) (+8 1/2)
Game 549-550: West Virginia at Oklahoma State (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: West Virginia 68.089; Oklahoma State 70.122
Dunkel Line: Oklahoma State by 2
Vegas Line: Oklahoma State by 5
Dunkel Pick: West Virginia (+5)
Game 551-552: Dayton at Duquesne (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dayton 62.825; Duquesne 57.179
Dunkel Line: Dayton by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Dayton by 8
Dunkel Pick: Duquesne (+8)
Game 553-554: Iowa State at Texas (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Iowa State 70.358; Texas 74.753
Dunkel Line: Texas by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas by 2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-2)
Game 555-556: Missouri at Vanderbilt (2:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Missouri 54.778; Vanderbilt 64.994
Dunkel Line: Vanderbilt by 10
Vegas Line: Vanderbilt by 12
Dunkel Pick: Missouri (+12)
Game 557-558: Villanova at Marquette (2:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Villanova 73.923; Marquette 61.156
Dunkel Line: Villanova by 13
Vegas Line: Villanova by 10
Dunkel Pick: Villanova (-10)
Game 559-560: Penn State at Northwestern (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Penn State 61.002; Northwestern 64.736
Dunkel Line: Northwestern by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: Northwestern by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Northwestern (-1 1/2)
Game 561-562: Louisiana Tech at Old Dominion (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Louisiana Tech 59.934; Old Dominion 63.526
Dunkel Line: Old Dominion by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: Old Dominion by 1
Dunkel Pick: Old Dominion (-1)
Game 563-564: Nevada at Boise State (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Nevada 54.803; Boise State 66.031
Dunkel Line: Boise State by 11
Vegas Line: Boise State by 13 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Nevada (+13 1/2)
Game 565-566: San Francisco at Pepperdine (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco 57.885; Pepperdine 56.701
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1
Vegas Line: Pepperdine by 3
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+3)
Game 567-568: Arkansas at Mississippi State (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arkansas 71.613; Mississippi State 61.249
Dunkel Line: Arkansas by 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Arkansas by 8
Dunkel Pick: Arkansas (-8)
Game 569-570: Bradley at Northern Iowa (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Bradley 53.139; Northern Iowa 67.938
Dunkel Line: Northern Iowa by 15
Vegas Line: Northern Iowa by 17
Dunkel Pick: Bradley (+17)
Game 571-572: Drexel at Northeastern (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Drexel 47.220; Northeastern 59.855
Dunkel Line: Northeastern by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Northeastern by 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Northeastern (-9 1/2)
Game 573-574: TCU at Kansas (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: TCU 65.568; Kansas 75.629
Dunkel Line: Kansas by 10
Vegas Line: Kansas by 12 1/2
Dunkel Pick: TCU (+12 1/2)
Game 575-576: Notre Dame at Boston College (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Notre Dame 67.587; Boston College 58.396
Dunkel Line: Notre Dame by 9
Vegas Line: Notre Dame by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Notre Dame (-6 1/2)
Game 577-578: Clemson at Duke (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings:
Dunkel Line:
Vegas Line:
Dunkel Pick:
Game 579-580: George Washington at Richmond (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: George Washington 58.604; Richmond 61.511
Dunkel Line: Richmond by 3
Vegas Line: Richmond by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: George Washington (+5 1/2)
Game 581-582: Rhode Island at George Mason (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Rhode Island 63.653; George Mason 54.957
Dunkel Line: Rhode Island by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Rhode Island by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Rhode Island (-6 1/2)
Game 583-584: Ball State at Central Michigan (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Ball State 49.486; Central Michigan 59.576
Dunkel Line: Central Michigan by 10
Vegas Line: Central Michigan by 12
Dunkel Pick: Ball State (+12)
Game 585-586: AR-Little Rock at Troy (5:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: AR-Little Rock 50.271; Troy 48.260
Dunkel Line: AR-Little Rock by 2
Vegas Line: Troy by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: AR-Little Rock (+1 1/2)
Game 587-588: Southern Mississippi at Charlotte (5:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Southern Mississippi 45.273; Charlotte 60.781
Dunkel Line: Charlotte by 15 1/2
Vegas Line: Charlotte by 13
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (-13)
Game 589-590: Cornell at Brown (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings:
Dunkel Line:
Vegas Line:
Dunkel Pick:
Game 591-592: North Texas at Florida International (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: North Texas 51.804; Florida International 50.176
Dunkel Line: North Texas by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Florida International by 2
Dunkel Pick: North Texas (+2)
Game 593-594: Santa Clara at Loyola Marymount (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings:
Dunkel Line:
Vegas Line:
Dunkel Pick:
Game 595-596: UNLV at New Mexico (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UNLV 55.555; New Mexico 60.365
Dunkel Line: New Mexico by 5
Vegas Line: New Mexico by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Mexico (-3 1/2)
Game 597-598: Air Force at Colorado State (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Air Force 55.316; Colorado State 64.313
Dunkel Line: Colorado State by 9
Vegas Line: Colorado State by 11 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Air Force (+11 1/2)
Game 599-600: Auburn at Kentucky (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Auburn 56.015; Kentucky 84.333
Dunkel Line: Kentucky by 28 1/2
Vegas Line: Kentucky by 25 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kentucky (-25 1/2)
Game 601-602: Virginia Tech at NC State (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Virginia Tech 56.332; NC State 66.950
Dunkel Line: NC State by 10 1/2
Vegas Line: NC State by 13 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Virginia Tech (+13 1/2)
Game 603-604: California at Stanford (6:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: California 59.598; Stanford 66.975
Dunkel Line: Stanford by 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Stanford by 10
Dunkel Pick: California (+10)
Game 605-606: Rice at Florida Atlantic (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Rice 48.255; Florida Atlantic 52.442
Dunkel Line: Florida Atlantic by 4
Vegas Line: Florida Atlantic by 2
Dunkel Pick: Florida Atlantic (-2)
NBA Odds and Predictions: Saturday, February 21 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews
What an awesome trade deadline we had on Thursday. Sure, there was no true superstar dealt, but for the final 30 minutes or so before the 3 p.m. ET deadline things went nuts. I had the ESPN and NBA.com blogs going live, and I couldn’t keep up. In my opinion, the big winners were Miami (Goran Dragic), Oklahoma City (Enes Kanter, D.J. Augustin), Portland (Arron Afflalo) and Detroit (Reggie Jackson). Thought Utah got robbed and the 76ers somehow are going into even deeper tank mode. All the top contenders stood pat but might sign a guy who is bought out (Kendrick Perkins for one). Any guys dealt who didn’t make it to their teams or get cleared in time to play Friday should on Saturday if those teams are in action. But there are some TBAs because of the uncertainty.
Thunder at Hornets (TBA)
Charlotte practically could have had another training camp during the All-Star Break as this is the Hornets’ first game since Feb. 10. They are expecting back Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as he missed the final two before the break. Oklahoma City kicked off the second half with a 104-89 home win over Dallas on Thursday, the Thunder’s fourth straight win. Do you realize we probably are looking at a Thunder-Warriors first-round playoff matchup? Russell Westbrook followed his All-Star Game MVP performance with 34 points and 10 assists vs. the Mavs. Serge Ibaka had his best game of the year with 21 points and a career-high 22 rebounds. Kevin Durant is dealing with pain in his right foot and struggled with 12 points; he left late in the fourth quarter and was seen limping (thus the TBA). None of the new Thunder players were in action on Thursday as obviously that was too soon after the deadline. Charlotte lost 98-75 at Oklahoma City on Dec. 26. The Hornets scored the first two points and never led again. Durant missed that game.
Key trends: The Thunder are 0-4 against the spread in their past four vs. the East. Charlotte is 5-2 ATS in its past seven vs. teams with a winning record. The “over/under” has gone under in seven of the Hornets’ past eight.
Early lean: Have to wait on Durant.
Pelicans at Heat (TBA)
New Orleans played in Orlando on Friday night while Miami was at the Knicks. Potentially huge news for the Heat and it’s not good. With the addition of Dragic, Miami would a great starting five of Dragic, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside. Dragic is expecting to debut in this game after not playing Friday while awaiting his physical results. However, there are reports that Bosh could miss the rest of the season with a blood clot(s) in his lungs. He hadn’t been feeling good for a while and saw doctors this week, missing Friday’s game. The Miami Herald is reporting that the fear is clots in his lungs. That would obviously end the Heat’s hopes of pulling an upset of two in the playoffs, and I’m not sure they even make the postseason. By the time you read this, an announcement could have been made. This is the first meeting between the Pelicans and Heat.
Key trends: New Orleans is 13-3 ATS in its past 16 in the second of a back-to-back. Miami is 1-4 ATS in its past five at home. The under is 9-1 in Miami’s past 10 vs. the West.
Early lean: Incredibly hard to handicap this game because any energy the Heat might have been feeling with the addition of Dragic would be gone if Bosh is finished. Wait and see on him and Dragic.
Suns at Bulls (TBA)
Phoenix was in Minnesota on Friday and Chicago at Detroit. The Suns were crazy busy on Thursday, trading away Dragic and fellow point guard Isaiah Thomas (that was the surprise) and getting Brandon Knight from Milwaukee, Marcus Thornton from Boston and some junk from the Heat. I don’t think the Suns are better with those moves but not necessarily much worse as Knight was having a great season. Knight didn’t play Friday so should debut here. The Bulls didn’t do anything but will look out at buyout candidates, including Perkins. Chicago lost in Phoenix 99-93 on Jan. 30. Eric Bledsoe had 23 points and Dragic 21. It was the second of a back-to-back off an OT game in Los Angeles the night before for the Bulls. Derrick Rose had 23 for Chicago and 22 from Jimmy Butler.
Key trends: The Suns are 1-4 ATS in their past five vs. teams with a winning record. The Bulls are 6-1 ATS in their past seven against teams above .500. The under is 6-1 in Chicago’s past seven in the second of a back-to-back.
Early lean: Bulls will win high-scoring game.
Raptors at Rockets (-3.5, 211.5)
Toronto had a big game in Atlanta Friday while Houston was in Dallas. The Raptors were quiet at the deadline, while the Rockets made a sneaky-good move in getting K.J. McDaniels from Philadelphia. Some call him a poor man’s Scottie Pippen because McDaniels is an athletic beast on defense. Houston also landed a backup point guard in New York’s Pablo Prigioni. This is the first meeting of the season between the teams. They split last year. Houston has won seven in a row at home vs. the Raptors.
Key trends: Toronto has covered six straight Saturday games. Houston is 8-2 ATS in its past 10 at home. The over is 4-1 in the past five meetings.
Early lean: Rockets and under.
Kings at Clippers (TBA)
Sacramento hosted Boston on Friday in George Karl’s first game as coach. The Kings made a minor move, reuniting point guard Andre Miller with his long-time coach in Karl. They sent Ramon Session to Washington for Miller. Nothing to see here. I didn’t think the Clippers would beat the visiting Spurs on Thursday night without Blake Griffin but they did, 119-115. At least I hit the over. DeAndre Jordan continued his amazing play with 26 points and 18 rebounds. The Spurs were hacking the terrible free-throw shooter, and he was just 10-for-28 from the line. Jordan became the first player to have 25 free-throw attempts in consecutive games since Wilt Chamberlain during the 1961-62 season. Teams are going to keep doing this. The Clips are now 3-1 without Griffin. The Kings and Clippers have split two meetings. The most recent was a 117-108 L.A. win in Sacramento on Jan. 17 behind 30 points from Griffin. Kings point guard Darren Collison was listed as doubtful for Friday’s game so probably will be here too (thus the TBA).
Key trends: The Kings have covered their past four in the second of a back-to-back. The Clips are 0-4 ATS in their past four against teams with a losing record. The under has hit in eight of the past 11 meetings in L.A.
Early lean: Looks like a Clippers rout.
POINTWISE
NBA BASKETBALL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21 SCORE
(7:05) Oklahoma City Thunder 111 – CHARLOTTE 92 _____ _____
(7:35) MIAMI HEAT 98 – New Orleans Pelicans 92 _____ _____
(8:05) Phoenix Suns 108 – CHICAGO BULLS 106 (NBA) _____ _____
(8:05) HOUSTON ROCKETS 104 – Toronto Raptors 98 _____ _____
(10:05) LA CLIPPERS 113 – Sacramento Kings 92 _____ _____
BEST BETS: OKLAHOMA CITY (4), LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS.
NBA
Hot Teams
— Thunder won/covered last four games (6-4 AF).
— Bulls won four of their last five games (3-8 last 11 HF).
— Toronto won ten of its last twelve games (3-1 last four AU).
— Clippers won their last three games (7-3 last ten HF).
Cold Teams
— Hornets lost last three games, by 8-1-28 points (4-6-1 HU).
— Miami lost six of last nine games (2-8-1 last 11 HF). Pelicans lost their last four games (8-0 last eight AU).
— Suns lost six of their last seven games (1-3 last four AU).
— Rockets lost three of last four games (6-2-1 last nine HF).
— Kings lost five of their last seven games (3-8 last 11 AU).
Series Records
— Thunder won their last eight games with Charlotte.
— Pelicans won last two games with Miami, after losing previous five.
— Bulls won six of last eight games with Phoenix.
— Home side won last 12 Toronto-Houston games.
— Clippers won ten of last twelve games with Sacramento.
Totals
— Eight of last nine Charlotte home games stayed under.
— Six of last eight New Orleans games went over.
— Six of last seven Chicago games stayed under total.
— Five of last seven Houston home games went over.
— Four of last five Sacramento road games stayed under.
Back-to-Backs
— Pelicans are 10-2 vs spread if they played night before. Heat is 6-4-2.
— Suns are 4-6 vs spread if they played night before; Bulls are 7-6.
— Raptors are 8-2 vs spread if they played night before; Rockets are 8-5.
— Sacramento is 3-4 vs spread on road if it played night before.
StatFox Super Situations™ – FoxSheets
NBA | OKLAHOMA CITY at CHARLOTTE
Play On – Any team (CHARLOTTE) revenging a road blowout loss vs opponent of 20 points or more, off an upset loss by 15 points or more as a home favorite
29-8 since 1997. ( 78.4% | 20.2 units )
1-0 this year. ( 100.0% | 1.0 units )
NBA | OKLAHOMA CITY at CHARLOTTE
Play On – Home underdogs vs. the 1rst half line (CHARLOTTE) a marginal losing team (40% to 49%) playing a winning team, on Saturday games
96-50 since 1997. ( 65.8% | 41.0 units )
3-2 this year. ( 60.0% | 0.8 units )
NBA | TORONTO at HOUSTON
Play On – Any team vs the money line (TORONTO) good shooting team (45.5-47.5%) against an average shooting team (43.5-45.5%) after 42+ games, after game – allowing a shooting pct. of 35% or less
78-29 since 1997. ( 72.9% | 37.6 units )
2-2 this year. ( 50.0% | -1.6 units )
NBA | TORONTO at HOUSTON
Play On – Favorites of 2 to 5.5 points vs. the first half line (HOUSTON) after having lost 3 of their last 4 games, a good team (60% to 75%) playing a team with a winning record
41-15 over the last 5 seasons. ( 73.2% | 24.5 units )
3-1 this year. ( 75.0% | 1.9 units )
NEWSLETTER College Basketball Prediction From Robert Ferringo
Take St. John’s (-8) over Seton Hall (12 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 14)
Seton Hall will also continue to cash tickets – for those betting against them. The Pirates season has come completely off the rails. There has been in-fighting, players quitting the team, calls of racism, and now a suspension to their leading scorer for punching a Villanova player in the face. Seton Hall is a dumpster fire right now. St. John’s will not have sympathy. They just got crushed at Georgetown and they need some good things to happen fast or else they’ll be slotted in the NIT again. The Red Storm have been much better at home this year, and since this is a regional rivalry game I can see them pouring it on the weakened Pirates. St. John’s just needs this game more, and they are in a better position to get it.
NEWSLETTER College Basketball Prediction From Strike Point Sports
Take Oklahoma State over West Virginia (2 p.m., Saturday, February 21)
We see Oklahoma State taking care of business at home in Stillwater over West Virginia. The Mountaineers are coming off a Big Monday upset over Kansas, but there is no rest in the Big 12 and this is a good fade opportunity in their next game. WVU has lost all three of its road conference games against ranked teams, and I see the Pokes being another tough out for Bob Huggins’ squad. OSU has won three of their four league games at home vs. ranked opposition. They get the edge over West Virginia this afternoon. Take them at home, and also make sure to subscribe to our full Saturday card as well!
NEWSLETTER NHL Hockey Prediction From Doc’s Sports
Take OVER 5.5 Anaheim at Edmonton (7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 21)
Goals shouldn’t be hard to come by on Saturday night in Edmonton as the Oilers take on the Ducks. Edmonton allows the second most goals per game in the league at 3.31 per contest, ahead of only the lowly Buffalo Sabres. Anaheim is also in the bottom half at 2.72 per game, and relies more on their offensive attack to win hockey games. With the Oilers losing interest this season, it stands to reason they will be involved in more up-and-down type of games with little defensive intensity on the ice. These clubs have also been involved in some high-scoring affairs over the years, and Saturday night should really be no different. The over is the right side in the Ducks/Oilers matchup on Saturday night.
NEWSLETTER College Basketball Prediction From Allen Eastman
Take Old Dominion (-1.5) over Louisiana Tech (2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 21)
I like Old Dominion on Saturday. They need this win more than Tech does. ODU lost both games on the road last weekend, but they have been great at home this year. At one point this team was in the Top 25, so they have a lot of talent. They are one of the best defensive teams in the country (No. 15 at just 58.1 points per game allowed), and they will control this tempo. Louisiana Tech is at its best when it can get out and run. ODU will frustrate them. The Monarchs have won every game they have played at home this year (14-0), and they are undervalued right now because of their 1-9 ATS slide. But the books will not have a strong number on this game. ODU is going to take the cash and get a big Conference USA winner here.