Posts Tagged ‘ncaa’
There is plenty to rant about in the sports world with all of the great games and players but most of my rants this week are about off the field actions. The rants will cover Jerry Jones and why his problems may be just starting, Alabama losing even when they are winning, and why you have to be rooting Michael Vick to play in the NFL again.
This week it was reported that the Alabama Crimson Tide football team will forfeit some wins. This is due to a violation for free textbooks. The school found 22 athletes that were misusing scholarships and giving textbooks to other students. This one was easy to rant about. It looks like that Alabama may forfeit some wins but they will not forfeit scholarships or championships and in college football that is all that matters. This is the second time that Alabama has been under the microscope for violations and this punishment was a joke. If you want these colleges to follow the rules they have to make the punishment severe which is why teams like Alabama and the Tennessee Volunteers make a mockery of the system and dare it to punish them. Until they do this type of behavior will not stop.
The only person that may have had a worst week then Alabama is Jerry Jones. It was announced this week that Jones and the Dallas Cowboys knew of an earlier collapse of the same facility that collapsed earlier this year injuring several people. Jerry has to come out publicly announce he was at fault, take the blame and pay some people. This is a media disaster for the Cowboys and it has to stop and it starts with Jerry Jones.
It was announced today that the Falcons released ex QB Michael Vick. This had to be done because no one was going to make a trade for the embattled player. As a fan of the game you want to see Michael Vick in the NFL again. Let PETA worry about beating him up and you can be assured they will. The bottom line is he did his time and if he has stayed in shape, he can be a star again. In his last season in the league he set rushing records for a quarterback and after he shakes off the rust he will be good again. With quarterbacks being hard to come by today in the game someone will take a chance on him and they will be rewarded.
Posted by Matthew Regaw in Rants | No Comments »Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, Alabama on probation, Atlanta Falcons, Brett Favre, college football, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Cowboys practice facility, forfeit wins, free agent, Jerry Jones, Lane Kiffen, Michael Vick, Michael Vick released, Michael Vick waived, Minnesota Vikings, ncaa, nfl, Nick Saban, PETA, probation, Tennessee Volunteers
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June 12th, 2009
There is plenty to rant about in the sports world with all of the great games and players but most of my rants this week are about off the field actions. The rants will cover Jerry Jones and why his problems may be just starting, Alabama losing even when they are winning, and why you have to be rooting Michael Vick to play in the NFL again.
This week it was reported that the Alabama Crimson Tide football team will forfeit some wins. This is due to a violation for free textbooks. The school found 22 athletes that were misusing scholarships and giving textbooks to other students. This one was easy to rant about. It looks like that Alabama may forfeit some wins but they will not forfeit scholarships or championships and in college football that is all that matters. This is the second time that Alabama has been under the microscope for violations and this punishment was a joke. If you want these colleges to follow the rules they have to make the punishment severe which is why teams like Alabama and the Tennessee Volunteers make a mockery of the system and dare it to punish them. Until they do this type of behavior will not stop.
The only person that may have had a worst week then Alabama is Jerry Jones. It was announced this week that Jones and the Dallas Cowboys knew of an earlier collapse of the same facility that collapsed earlier this year injuring several people. Jerry has to come out publicly announce he was at fault, take the blame and pay some people. This is a media disaster for the Cowboys and it has to stop and it starts with Jerry Jones.
It was announced today that the Falcons released ex QB Michael Vick. This had to be done because no one was going to make a trade for the embattled player. As a fan of the game you want to see Michael Vick in the NFL again. Let PETA worry about beating him up and you can be assured they will. The bottom line is he did his time and if he has stayed in shape, he can be a star again. In his last season in the league he set rushing records for a quarterback and after he shakes off the rust he will be good again. With quarterbacks being hard to come by today in the game someone will take a chance on him and they will be rewarded.
Posted by Matthew Regaw in Rants | No Comments »Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, Alabama on probation, Atlanta Falcons, Brett Favre, college football, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Cowboys practice facility, forfeit wins, free agent, Jerry Jones, Lane Kiffen, Michael Vick, Michael Vick released, Michael Vick waived, Minnesota Vikings, ncaa, nfl, Nick Saban, PETA, probation, Tennessee Volunteers
March 9th, 2009
Colonial Athletic Association Championship
George Mason (20-9) vs. Virginia Commonwealth (23-9)
Monday, 7:00 pm Eastern – ESPN 2
SBG Global Opening Line: Virginia Commonwealth - 4 , Total 122.5
An NCAA Tournament berth will be on the line as George Mason plays Virginia Commonwealth on Monday for the Colonial Athletic Association Championship. It is the third straight year the Patriots have been in the title game. George Mason is the second seed in the tournament while VCU is the top seed. SBG Global reports that early College basketball line has the public taking Virginia Commonwealth at Home.
George Mason was able to get past Towson on Sunday as Cam Long hit three 3-pointers in the final 10 minutes as the Patriots pulled away to win 56-48.
VCU has played in five previous CAA title games, winning three times, the last of which came in 2007 against George Mason. VCU is led by Eric Maynor, the conference Player of the Year the last two seasons. He had 23 points in Virginia Commonwealth’s 61-53 semifinal win over Old Dominion.
The two teams met earlier this season and VCU came away with a 76-71 victory. Maynor led all scorers with 28 points in that game and he had help as Larry Sanders, Kirill Pishchalnikov and Brandon Rozzell all scored in double-digits. George Mason was led by Long’s 24 points while Dre Smith added 16.
Here are the College Basketball betting stats for Monday’s game. The Patriots are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 vs. the Colonial Athletic Association. The Patriots are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 Monday games. The Patriots are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
The Rams are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 Monday games. The Rams are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Rams are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 neutral site games. The favorite is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings between the two teams.
SBG Global Current Line: Virginia Commonwealth - 3.5 , Total 121.5
The Under is 6-0-1 in the Patriots last 7 vs. the Colonial Athletic Association. The Under is 6-1-1 in the Patriots last 8 overall. The Under is 4-1 in the Patriots last 5 neutral site games.
The Under is 4-0 in the Rams last 4 overall. The Under is 6-1 in the Rams last 7 Monday games. The Under is 5-1-1 in the Rams last 7 neutral site games.
Pick: Gmason!
March 3rd, 2009
College Basketball Betting Preview
Auburn (19-10) at Alabama (16-12)
Tuesday, 9:00 pm Eastern – ESPN
SBG Global Opening Line: Alabama - 2 , Total TBA
Auburn will look to clinch the #2 seed in the SEC’s Western Division as they travel to Alabama on Tuesday. The Tigers have won six of their last seven games with five of those wins coming by double digits. Alabama is also playing well having won three straight. Alonzo Gee is averaging 20.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game during the winning streak for Alabama. The Tide is averaging 88.3 points per game in the past three games. The magic number for Alabama seems to be 80. When they score 80 or more points they are 7-1. On the other side of the coin the Tide is 1-6 when allowing 80 or more points. SBG Global reports that early College basketball line has the public taking Alabama at Home.
Auburn will be trying for their first 20-win season since 2002-2003. On Saturday the Tigers routed Mississippi State 76-58 as four players scored in double figures led by Frankie Sullivan with 14. Auburn is very balanced as a number of players can lead the team each night. DeWayne Reed leads the team in scoring with 13.2 points per game and a team-high 111 assists while Korvotney Barber has averaged 12.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game this season.
Alabama leads the all-time series 84-54 and they lead at Tuscaloosa 41-8. Auburn though has won four of the last five meetings between the two teams including 85-71 earlier this season.
Here are the College Basketball betting stats for Tuesday’s game. The Tigers are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 vs. the SEC. The Tigers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games.
The Tigers are 17-5 ATS in their last 22 games overall. The Tigers are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings between the two teams.
SBG Global Current Line: Alabama - 1.5 , Total TBA
The Crimson Tide are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. the SEC. The Crimson Tide are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 Tuesday games. The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the two teams.
The Under is 7-1 in the Tigers last 8 road games. The Over is 4-0 in the Crimson Tide’s last 4 overall. The Over is 9-3 in the Crimson Tide’s last 12 home games. The Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between the two teams.
Pick: Alabama
March 2nd, 2009
College Basketball Betting Preview
Villanova (23-6) at Notre Dame (16-12)
Monday, 7:00 pm Eastern – ESPN
SBG Global Opening Line: Notre Dame - 3.5 , Total TBA
Notre Dame gets another chance to impress the NCAA Tournament committee as they host 10th ranked Villanova on Monday. The Fighting Irish are 7-9 in the Big East and definitely on the bubble for making the NCAA Tournament. The Irish played 2nd ranked Connecticut on Saturday and they were in the game for the most part but lost 72-65. “I think we still have a shot (at the NCAA tournament),” said guard Kyle McAlarney, “We’ve been recovering from losses from this all year. This isn’t a game where a loss knocks us out. A win would have propelled us, but we can still recover from this.” The Irish really need a win over Villanova on Monday to improve their tourney resume. SBG Global reports that early College basketball line has the public taking Villanova on the Road.
If Villanova expects to win on Monday they will need a better effort from Luke Harangody who leads the Big East in scoring at 23.6 points per game. He is averaging just over 17 points in his last three games.
The Wildcats are coming off a poor shooting effort on Saturday against Georgetown as they lost 56-54. The Wildcats shot 33.3 percent and it cost them. “I thought we played hard but we didn’t execute and didn’t adjust to their defense,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “They played better. They knew our personnel and did a great job of playing our personnel and executing their game plan.”
Here are the College Basketball betting stats for Monday’s game. The Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Wildcats are 1-5-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings between the two teams.
The Fighting Irish are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 vs. the Big East. The Fighting Irish are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games. The Fighting Irish are 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 Monday games.
SBG Global Current Line: Notre Dame - 3 , Total TBA
The Over is 7-1 in the Wildcats last 8 road games. The Over is 6-2 in the Wildcats last 8 overall. The Over is 6-2 in the Wildcats last 8 vs. the Big East.
The Under is 4-1 in Notre Dame’s last 5 home games. The Under is 4-1 in Notre Dame’s last 5 vs. the Big East.
Pick: Nova
February 26th, 2009
College Basketball Betting Preview
Memphis (24-3) at UAB (19-8)
Thursday, 9:00 pm Eastern – ESPN 2
SBG Global Opening Line: Memphis – 4.5 , Total 138.5
The last team to beat Memphis in Conference USA was UAB almost three years ago. The Tigers have won 54 league games since. The Tigers come into Thursday’s game ranked #5 having won 18 straight games. To keep that streak going they will have to beat a UAB team that hasn’t lost at home this season. “When we’re on the court, I’ve known and played against those guys,” UAB guard Robert Vaden said. “There’s going to be some bad blood. There’s going to be some trash talk and all that stuff. What game isn’t there?
Off the court, we’re all OK. On the court, there’s no friends between Memphis and UAB.”
SBG Global reports that early College basketball line has the public taking Memphis on the Road.
UAB has won 26 of their last 27 home games with the only loss coming 79-78 last year against Memphis in a game in which UAB’s Lawrence Kinnard hit a shot at the end of the game that was ruled to have come just after the buzzer. Memphis came from behind in the last minute to win that game last season. The Blazers would definitely like a little revenge. “I don’t think there is bad blood between the two teams,” UAB coach Mike Davis said. “I think it is more of the fact we are trying to close the gap between Memphis and the rest of the league. And I think Memphis knows we are closing the gap. Until you win on a consistent basis you can’t close the gap.”
The matchup on Thursday pits UAB’s shooting against the defense of Memphis. Vaden leads the league in made 3-pointers for UAB but Memphis has a defense that shuts teams down. “We’re really excited,” Vaden said. “This is a chance for us to get a statement win. Everybody’s looking forward to this one, all our fans, everyone in the community. We’re going to come out and play our hardest and of course come out with a win.”
Here are the College Basketball betting stats for Thursday’s game. The Tigers are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games overall. The Tigers are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 Thursday games.
The Blazers are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 Thursday games. The home team is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings between the two teams.
SBG Global Current Line: Memphis – 4.5 , Total 138.5
The Under is 4-1 in the Tigers last 5 overall. The Under is 6-2 in the Tigers last 8 road games.
The Over is 6-1 in the Blazers last 7 overall. The Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings at UAB between the two teams.
Pick: Memphis
January 20th, 2009
College Basketball Betting Preview
Ohio State (13-3) at Illinois (15-3)
Tuesday, 7:00 pm Eastern – ESPN
SBG Global Opening Line: Illinois - 7.5 , Total TBA
Illinois will look for a little revenge against Ohio State as the teams meet on Tuesday night. The Buckeyes won both regular season contests last season against Illinois, winning 74-58 at Illinois and 64-58 in Columbus and Ohio State has won the last five meetings between the two teams overall. The Illini lead the all-time series 100-64 over Ohio State, and Illinois leads 59-23 in games played at Champaign. The Buckeyes, however, carry a five-game winning streak over the Illini into Tuesday night’s game. SBG Global reports that early College basketball line has the public taking Illinois at Home.
Illinois has won 19 of its last 23 games dating back to the end of last season.
Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 57 points per game. Illinois is second in the conference and is 24th in the country in scoring margin at 13.1 points per game.
Ohio State freshman William Buford was the Big 10 player of the week as Ohio State won at home against Indiana and at Michigan. Buford averaged 17 points and six rebounds per game. Four players, two sophomores and two freshmen, average 10 or more points in Big Ten Conference play this season for the Buckeyes. Evan Turner is averaging 15.6 points per game while Buford is next at 14.6 points per game. Sophomore Jon Diebler averages 13.6 points per game and freshman B.J. Mullens adds 10.8 points per game.
Here are the College Basketball betting stats for Tuesday’s game. The Buckeyes are 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 Tuesday games. The Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. The Buckeyes are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games overall. The Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the two teams.
The Fighting Illini are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Tuesday games. The Fighting Illini are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games overall. The Fighting Illini are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. the Big Ten. The home team is 11-4 ATS in the last 15 meetings between the two teams.
SBG Global Current Line: Illinois - 7.5 , Total TBA
The Under is 4-0 in the Buckeyes last 4 road games. The Over is 6-1 in the Buckeyes last 7 Tuesday games.
The Under is 7-1 in Illinois’ last 8 home games. The Under is 5-2 in Illinois’ last 7 overall. The Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between the two teams but the Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Illinois.
Pick: Ohio St +7.5 3units
January 17th, 2009
NCAA Betting Preview
No. 13 Georgetown Hoyas (12-3) at No. 3 Duke Blue Devils (15-1)
Saturday, 1:30PM Eastern
Bookmaker.com betting line -
This weekend marks an exciting two days of College Basketball with a number of high profile games. Highlighting the weekend is an epic battle between two of the better teams from the best two conferences in America. The Big East #13 Georgetown Hoyas travel to Cameron Indoor to take on the ACC’s #3 ranked Duke Blue Devils. The Hoyas have bounced back nicely after dropping two straight to top 15 teams Notre Dame and Pittsburgh. Georgetown has won their last two games including a dominating performance Wednesday over #8 Syracuse 88-74. The Hoyas will be looking to prove how strong the Big East is against one of the top teams in the ACC. Duke has been on an impressive run of late winning 7 straight game by no less than 8 points. The Blue Devils will try and hold on to their number 3 ranking when they host a tough Georgetown team on a big day in College Basketball.
Georgetown still holds a strong ranking despite their 3 losses on the season. The Hoyas schedule is simply brutal and they play the best competition week in and week out. Georgetown presents a strong defensive team that tends to keep the scoring down. The Hoyas will have to continue to play strong defense against one of the best scoring teams in the country. The Blue Devils rank 14th in the land with 81.5 points per contest. Georgetown has shot the ball extremely well knocking down 48% of their shots from the field that has equaled 74 points per contest for the Hoyas. Georgetown will turn to a group of talented starters and look for someone to break through in what would be a mild upset. Junior forward DeJuan Summers leads the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game and has 3 other teammates that are averaging double figures. Summers has not been held to under 11 points this season and he will need to have big game this Saturday.
Duke is very good on both sides of the court. The Blue Devils not only sport one of the best scoring offenses in the country, but also one of the best scoring defenses holding teams to a mere 60 points per game. The Blue Devils are really getting a lift from junior Gerald Henderson in recent games. Henderson is becoming a big threat in the Duke offense scoring 25 points against Florida State and adding 19 more against Georgia Tech. Henderson appears to be evolving into the breakout player the Blue Devils desperately need. Sophomore Kyle Singler leads the team in scoring with 16.7 points per game and he is a solid shooter than can get hot from anywhere on the court. Georgetown likes to work the ball inside so it will be interesting to see the defensive looks the Blue Devils will present since they are known for strong defense.
What to watch for…
Rebounding will play a big role. Duke ranks 9th in the nation in rebounding with 40.3 boards per game while Georgetown is only averaging 33 rebounds per game. The Blue Devils are not necessarily a big team, but they have controlled the glass well. If that continues to happen, Georgetown might not have the fire power to keep up. The Hoyas need to control the paint and force Duke to make outside shots as well.
Pick – Duke
January 17th, 2009
NCAA Betting Preview
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (15-0) at Clemson Tigers (16-0)
Saturday, 3:30PM Eastern
Bookmaker.com betting line -
Little John Coliseum will be the site that hosts a pair of undefeated teams when the #10 Clemson Tigers host the #2 Wake Forest Demon Deacons. If you had to guess which two teams in the ACC would be undefeated at this point in the season, it probably would not have been Wake Forest or Clemson. However, both ball clubs have been impressive especially the Demon Deacons who took down North Carolina and currently appear among the nation’s very best. Clemson has a chance to earn a lot more respect. Despite being undefeated, Clemson has yet to play any of the ACC’s best. The Tigers will get that chance this Saturday along with opportunity to grab a lot of national attention if they can beat Wake Forest.
Wake Forest owns one of the best scoring teams in America averaging a 4th best 85 points per game. The Demon Deacons also sport the number 3 ranked shooting club in the nation knocking down over 51% of their shots as a team. Wake Forest presents many different threats on the court that give opponents a hard time to defend. The Demon Deacons offensive weapons start primarily around the play of sophomore guard Jeff Teague. Teague is averaging slightly over 20 points per game this season and that includes 31 points on average in the last 3 outings. The Wake Forest inside presence is not too bad either. James Johnson and Al-Faroug Aminu both nearly average double-doubles with 13 points per game and over 8 rebounds. Wake Forest looks to continue their strong early season dominance with another convincing victory when they travel to Clemson on Saturday.
Clemson was predicted to be a vastly improved team in the ACC this season, but nobody expected a 16-0 start by the Tigers. Clemson ranks 16th in the country in field goal percentage as the Tigers have knocked down 49% of their shots on the year. Clemson has been lifted by the play of Trevor Booker. The big junior is averaging 15.1 points per game while adding a strong 9.1 rebounds. K.C Rivers and Terrence Oglesby are two more guys that average double figures for the Tigers. Oglesby is a streaky shooter that can be flat out scary when he gets hot. These three standouts lead a Clemson team that is averaging a stout 80 points per game against another great offense in what appears to be a fast pace scoring type game. The Tigers look to disprove the public perception that they have yet to defeat a quality team to rest with what would be a huge win over Wake Forest.
What to watch for…
Keep an eye on the transition game from one side of the court to the other. Both teams like to score quickly. Wake Forest moves the ball down court and scores before the defense gets set faster than anyone. The Tigers best bet will be to actually slow the game down and run some set offenses because I do not think they fair well in a run n gun type game against the Demon Deacons.
Pick – Wake Forest
January 17th, 2009
NCAA Basketball Preview
No. 1 Pittsburgh Panthers (16-0) at No. 21 Louisville Cardinals
Saturday, 6:00PM Eastern
Bookmaker.com betting line –
The top ranked Pittsburgh Panthers travel on the road in the extremely difficult conference of the Big East late Saturday evening to try and keep the undefeated campaign in tact. The Panthers have held off all challengers this season with convincing wins over Georgetown and St. Johns. The Panthers appear to be the class of the nation, but with a brutal schedule ahead upsets in the Big East will likely become regular. Louisville reached the number 3 ranking earlier this season before suffering some heart breaking losses. The Cardinals bounced back strong with two big victories over top 25 teams Villanova and Notre Dame in their last two outings.
Louisville may be back to playing the type of basketball we have expected them to play all season. The Cardinals are one of the best rebounding teams in the land averaging 40.4 boards per contest that ranks in the top 25 in the country. The Cardinals are led by a group of big men that can take control of the paint. Earl Clark, Samardo Samuels, and Terrence Williams are all averaging over 10 points per game and together these 3 standouts combine for 25 rebounds per game. The big men we need to play big and keep sophomore sensation DeJuan Blair off the glass to control the inside game. The Cardinals are known for playing very well at home and they will get a chance at the number 1 team in the land in front of the nation this Saturday.
Pittsburgh has been superb in all aspects of the court this season. The Panthers rank 12th in the country in rebounding with 41.7 boards per game. Add to the fact Pittsburgh is shooting 48% from the floor that is also among tops in the land and you can quickly see why the Panthers have been so successful this season. Pittsburgh dominated a very good Georgetown team two weeks ago 70-54 and they will have to hold off another tough conference opponent. Sam Young and DeJuan Blair have carried the performance for the Panthers this season. Young leads the teams with 19 points per game and Blair is possibly the best inside player in the country. Blair ranks 3rd in the country with 12.7 rebounds per contest and the young sophomore is only getting better as the season progresses. Pittsburgh has had some convincing wins this season and they will get a chance to do the same in a big conference battle.
What to watch for…
Both teams have had a lot of success inside the paint this season. The Cardinals and the Panthers score a lot of inside points and control the boards very well. It will be interesting to see which team continues this path considering the success both have had so far this year.
Pick – Louisville is playing well, and I believe they keep it within the points.
December 19th, 2008
College Basketball Preview
Xavier Musketeers (9-0) at Duke Blue Devils (9-1)
Saturday, 2:00PM Eastern
Betting Line
A pair of top ten teams meet center court in Durham, NC. The undefeated Xavier Musketeers will be trying to stay perfect in front of the Cameron Crazies at Duke. The Blue Devils were upset by Michigan two weeks ago 81-73 and they look to get back to their winning ways. The Blue Devils beat the Musketeers in their last meeting in the NCAA Tournament back in 2004. Xavier will look to make things result a little differently this time around. The winner of this game will likely make their claim as a legitimate front runner and quite possibly receive a top 5 ranking.
Xavier has played very well in the early part of the season. The Musketeers have controlled the boards averaging 41 rebounds per game this season. Xavier has three players averaging double digit point totals. Junior forward Derrick Brown leads the Musketeers with 14 points per game with nearly 6 rebounds. Xavier will try and work the paint against the Blue Devils considering they will have a size advantage. If Xavier can control the boards as they have in many games this season, Duke could have their hands full. The Musketeers rank as the 40th best defense in the country in terms of field goal percentage against. Xavier has held teams to only shoot 41% from the field this season and they will try to make that trend continue.
The Blue Devils have shot well from the floor this season knocking down 47% of their attempts. Duke has also faired well on the boards this season ranking 25th in the nation averaging 41.4 rebounds per game. Duke has 4 players that average 10 points or more led by the play of sophomore Kyle Singler. Singler is averaging 17 points per game this season along with 8 rebounds and 3 assist. The Blue Devils are averaging a fairly high 15 assist per game. The Blue Devils have averaged a 22 points margin of victory in their 8 wins this season and hope to have another big day against Xavier. Duke is in desperate need of a win after just falling to Michigan a little over a week ago and a victory could make the statement that Duke is a national power.
What to watch for…
Xavier’s inside presence should present problems for Duke. The Blue Devils are only shooting 30% from 3-pt range this season and they will take a lot of shots outside the arc. The game comes down to the Xavier game inside the paint vs. the outside shooting game of Duke
Betting Trends…
Duke has gone 5-4 ATS this season while going 4-2 ATS in their past 6 games. The Blue Devils have gone on the over total 5 out of 9 games this season as well. Xavier has gone on the over total in their past 3 games while splitting against the spread at a record of 4-4.
Pick – Xavier controls this one 2 out of 5 units
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