Top-10 foes collide in Big 12 showdown
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
02/08/2012 - Waco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Ferrell Center is the venue for a top-10 showdown for the second time in less than a month, as the sixth-ranked Baylor Bears play host to the seventh-ranked Kansas Jayhawks in a crucial Big 12 battle this evening in Waco.
These two teams are tied for second place in the Big 12 standings at 8-2, just a half game behind league-leading Missouri (9-2). This marks the 20th all-time meeting in a series that has been dominated by Kansas, 17-2. The Jayhawks have won each of the last three meetings and are seeking the regular season sweep after posting an impressive 92-74 rout over Baylor in Lawrence back on January 16th.
Bill Self's Jayhawks have proved to be unbeatable at home this season thus far (12-0), but the road has been a different story, as Kansas is 6-5 when not at the Allen Fieldhouse. The team has dropped two of its last three games, with setbacks at Iowa State (72-64) and most recently, at Missouri (74-71).
Scott Drew's Bears are 11-1 at home, with the lone loss at the Ferrell Center coming on January 21st to then fifth-ranked Missouri (89-88). Since then, Baylor has won four straight games, including last weekend's 64-60 victory at Oklahoma State.
Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor did what they do best, but a combined 46 points between them still wasn't enough in a three-point setback to Missouri in Columbia this past weekend. Robinson once again did his damage down low, finishing with his 16th double-double of the season, posting 25 points and 13 rebounds. Taylor poured in 21 points, but the two also combined for 11 of the team's 15 turnovers. Elijah Johnson added 11 points for Kansas, which despite shooting 53.6 percent from the floor, was unable to earn the win.
Robinson's name is certainly on everyone's short list when it comes to potential National Player of the Year nominees. The 6-10 junior power forward is converting nearly 55 percent of his shots this year, leading the Jayhawks in scoring (18.0 ppg) and the Big 12 in rebounding (12.0 rpg). Taylor is both a prolific scorer (16.9 ppg) and deft distributor (5.2 apg) and can really extend defenses, preventing them from collapsing down on Robinson, as he is shooting a healthy .440 from behind the arc (37-of-84). Travis Releford (9.6 ppg), Johnson (9.2 ppg) and Jeff Withey (8.1 ppg) round out the starting five. The Jayhawks have played well at both ends of the floor and enjoy a solid +14.1 scoring margin as a result.
The Bears are similar in their offensive approach, as they can score both inside and out as well. Baylor may have a bit more depth however, with a strong frontcourt trio, as well as a balanced backcourt. Forward Perry Jones III leads the team in scoring (14.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.9 rpg), converting just over 55 percent from the floor. Fellow forwards Quincy Acy (12.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and Quincy Miller (12.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg) add depth up front. Point guard Pierre Jackson (12.7 ppg, 5.9 apg) is charged with running the offense and has the ability to both distribute and find his own shot. Fellow guard Brady Heslip (9.6 ppg) gives the team a second long range threat, as he and Jackson has combined for 101 of the team's 166 three-pointers to date.
Baylor displayed its strong defensive skills in the win over Oklahoma State this past weekend, holding the hometown Cowboys to just 40 percent from the floor and outrebounding OSU 39-29. In addition, BU was able to score 22 points off of 14 Oklahoma State turnovers. Jones and Acy both recorded double-doubles in the win, as Jones finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Acy posted 11 points and 12 boards. Jackson tied for team-high in scoring with 16 points of his own.
Chapel Hill, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One of the greatest rivalries in all of sports adds another chapter to its storied history this evening, as the 10th- ranked Duke Blue Devils and fifth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels square off in ACC action
<< Nebraska entertains No. 22 Michigan
Lincoln, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Meeting for the first time in nearly 20 years,
the 22nd-ranked Michigan Wolverines and Nebraska Cornhuskers square off in
Lincoln tonight for a Big Ten Conference tussle at the Bob Devaney Sports
Center.
Michi
<< Sabres open homestand against Bruins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The surging Buffalo Sabres will try to open a four-game
homestand on a positive note when they host the Boston Bruins this evening at
First Niagara Center.
The Bruins, meanwhile, will try to record consecutive wins for the
<< Western Illinois offensive coordinator resigns
Macomb, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Western Illinois is seeking an offensive
coordinator following the resignation of Doug Ruse on Tuesday.
He held the position over the the last two years, including the Leathernecks'
2010 FCS playoff season.
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<< Zvonareva, Kirilenko advance at Pattaya Open
Pattaya City, Thailand (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two-time champion Vera Zvonareva and
fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko were second-round winners Wednesday at the
$220,000 Pattaya Open tennis tournament.
The top-seeded Zvonareva moved on with
Chestnut Hill, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 15th-ranked Florida State Seminoles look to remain in first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings tonight as they head to the Conte Forum to take on the Boston College Eagles. This will be
Top-25 matchup pits Orange against Hoyas >>
Syracuse, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 12th-ranked Georgetown Hoyas will attempt
to tarnish the second-ranked Syracuse Orange's perfect home record tonight as
the two square off in a Big East battle at the Carrier Dome.
This will be the 87th en
Demon Deacons and Cavs meet in ACC affair >>
Charlottesville, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Wake Forest Demon Deacons will
attempt to snap their four-game losing streak tonight as they head to the John
Paul Jones Arena for an Atlantic Coast Conference battle against the 19th-
ranked Virginia
Penn State comes calling on No. 11 Michigan State >>
East Lansing, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams at opposite ends of the Big Ten
Conference standings meet in East Lansing this evening, as the Penn State
Nittany Lions challenge the 11th-ranked Michigan State Spartans at the Breslin
Center.
P
Motoring: Red Wings seek 18th straight home win vs. Oilers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings will put the NHL's longest home
winning streak since the mid-1970s on the line tonight, as they welcome the
Edmonton Oilers for a battle at Joe Louis Arena.
It's been over three months since the Red W
MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL lines
Now that the 2008 NFL schedule is finally out, it is only matter-of-course for lines on “Week 1” to follow. Of course MySportsbook.com is the first to churn out odds for the NFL’s inaugural week for the upcoming season. Expect a lot of fireworks the first Thursday night of the season as the defending champion Indianapolis Colts face off against the surprise of the 2008 season, the New Orleans Saints. These teams were ranked #1 and #3 in the NFL respectively a season ago so a high scoring affair could be in order. As of now, the Colts will be giving 6 points to the Saints; keep in mind the Saints were one of the better road teams last season going 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS. The first Monday night of the season will again provide a “double feature”. Coming off a disappointing season, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get back to playoffs and improve their public image as they take on the AFC North favorite Baltimore Ravens. The second game features a couple of teams that haven’t had too much success recently but each could make some noise if the NFC is as weak as it was last year as the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. The most interesting game of the opening week will feature the NFC champion Bears as they hit the road to take on the NFL’s top team during last year’s regular season, the San Diego Chargers.
MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds:
Saints +6 @ Colts -6
Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em)
Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em)
Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5
Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1
Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3
Patriots -5 @ Jets +5
Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5
Steelers -4 @ Browns +4
Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6
Bears +6 @ Chargers -6
Lions +3 @ Raiders -3
Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5
Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4
Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3
Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3
Super Bowl line (2008)
NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5
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Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting
So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.
Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?
If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)
Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).
In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.
Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.
| The Bubble Breakdown | |||
| CONFERENCE | LOCKS | SHOULD BE INS | AT-LARGES TAKEN (assuming no auto bid outlier) |
| ACC Betting Odds | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| Big East Betting Odds | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Big Ten Betting Odds | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Big 12 Betting Odds | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Pac-10 Betting Odds | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| SEC Betting Odds | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| MVC Betting Odds | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| MWC Betting Odds | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 28 | 5 | 25 |
As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.
(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)
If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.
Atlantic Coast Conference
Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech
The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.
Work left to do:
Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.
Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).
Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.
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