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NIT Picks and Predictions Are Up For March Madness Odds

March 18, 2009 JoeDuffy.net Administrator Leave a comment

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: Dwyane Wade and the Heat battle the Celtics, the Blackhawks meet the Blue Jackets, and action continues in the NIT.

NCAA Tournament Odds

In addition to the usual March Madness college basketball betting odds for the individual games, as well as odds to make it to the Final 4 betting line and win the Big Dance, sports bettors can wager on the lowest ranked seed to advance beyond the first round and to the Final Four. What No. 2 seed will be the first eliminated from the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, which mid-major conference will be the most successful and more prop betting odds for March Madness are up.

The march toward Madness . . .

The NCAA Tournament begins its first-round action on Thursday, but college hoops fans can still get their fix on Wednesday with games in the NIT, CBI, and CollegeInsider.com tournaments. There are eight matchups in the NIT on Wednesday, with Miami at Providence, Duquesne at Virginia Tech, Jacksonville at Florida, Tenn-Martin at Auburn, Bowling Green at Creighton, Illinois State at Kansas State, Georgetown at Baylor, and Northwestern at Tulsa to end the night.

In the CBI on Wednesday it’s St. John’s at Richmond, Buffalo at Wichita State, Charleston at Troy, Vermont at Wisconsin-Green Bay, Houston at Oregon State, and Boise State at Stanford. Meanwhile, the CollegeInsider.com event offers up Belmont at Evansville, Mount St. Mary’s at James Madison, Portland at Pacific, Austin Peay at Bradley, Drake at Idaho, and Citadel at Old Dominion. Those three tourneys continue throughout March, but will be in the Big Dance’s shadow.

March Madness NIT picks and prediction, CBI and College Insider winners

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Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA loads up with 11 games on the schedule for Wednesday night, including Dwyane Wade and the Heat on the road in Boston. That pair of Eastern Conference contenders last met on the hardwood on March 11, when the Heat pulled out a 107-99 home victory as a 3.5-point favorite. Wade poured in 32 points for Miami in that win, while Ray Allen led the Celtics’ attack with 27 points.

Also on the NBA schedule for Wednesday: Sacramento at Charlotte, Portland at Indiana, New Jersey at New York, Minnesota at New Orleans, Chicago at Oklahoma City, Denver at Memphis, Orlando at Milwaukee, Philadelphia at Phoenix, Washington at the Clippers, and Detroit at Houston. The Pistons and Rockets met on January 25, with Houston picking up a 108-105 victory in Detroit.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

There are four games on the National Hockey League schedule for Wednesday night, including the Blackhawks in Columbus for a Central Division matchup. The Hawks and Jackets clashed on Friday, with Antoine Vermette scoring twice in a 5-3 Columbus victory. Rick Nash picked up his 33^rd goal of the season in that game, and Brent Seabrook, Kris Versteeg, and Patrick Kane replied for Chicago.

Rounding out the Wednesday slate: New Jersey at Carolina, Dallas at Calgary, and Nashville at Anaheim. The Predators and Ducks are both still gunning for one of the last playoff spots in the Western Conference, and Nashville will be looking for a repeat of their last meeting; Pekka Rinne stopped 28 of 30 Anaheim shots on February 5 as the Predators rolled to a 4-2 home victory over the Ducks .

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, the second round of the World Baseball Classic draws closer to a conclusion on Wednesday with action at both Miami‘s Dolphin Stadium and San Diego‘s Petco Park. In Miami it’ll be Venezuela vs. United States, with the winner of that matchup finishing in top spot in Pool 2. In San Diego it’ll be Cuba vs. the loser of Tuesday’s late-night matchup between Japan and Korea, and whoever comes out on top in that game will head to the Pool 1 championship on Thursday.

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2009 NCAA Tournament Picks and Predictions: Pitt Panthers

March 18, 2009 JoeDuffy.net Administrator Leave a comment

The Pittsburgh Panthers are a huge seed on the March Madness odds for their opening round contest against the East Tennessee State Buccaneers as the NCAA Tournament kicks off in just a few days.

The question for the Pitt Panthers isn’t going to be can they get past the first round – or the first weekend, for that matter – it will be a question of whether they can get beyond the Sweet Sixteen. The Panthers have been led by head coach Jamie Dixon for six seasons and in that time, they have qualified for the NCAA Tournament every single year. That’s a positive. But in those six years, they haven’t been past the Sweet Sixteen. That’s a negative.

March Madness betting handicappers have realized that the bar has been raised for the program, which is a good sign, but now they have to jump the new bar that has been set or they will be just half-satisfied once again.

The current version of the Panthers, though, is built for a serious run and quite frankly, anything besides the Elite Eight will be viewed as a huge disappointment. March Madness betting handicappers should take a good look at the Panthers’ roster. They are led by a talented point guard, Levance Fields, a senior forward who can fill it up in Sam Young and a powerful post presence in DeJuan Blair. Those three players are well above average at their positions, which is why the Panthers are where they are.

And while the scoring for this team has increased, March Madness betting sharps have noticed that the defense is just as stifling. Only seven opponents have scored more than 70 points per game on the Panthers this season.

There are a couple of issues for the Panthers to watch out for. For starters, the Panthers typically lose when DeJuan Blair gets into foul trouble. When he is forced to sit on the bench, the Panthers just don’t have the same inside-out game and the team struggles. In all four of the Panthers losses, Blair was in some sort of foul trouble. To be specific, Blair has fouled out in three games and in each of those games, the Panthers have lost.

Secondly, you have to wonder about health for this team. Maybe an early round exit from the Big East Tournament was a blessing in disguise for the Panthers, who were banged up near the end of the season. Fields used the extra week to recover, even though he played through pain against West Virginia. March Madness betting sharps shouldn’t be too concerned as of right now, but keep in mind that the Panthers might not be the healthiest squad heading to the Tournament.

Their first-round opponent, East Tennessee State, who have been a tricky first-round opponent in the past. No No. 16 seed has ever come closer to winning against a No. 1 seed than ETSU. In 1989, they fell short of top-ranked Oklahoma by one point. No No. 16 seed has ever defeated a No. 1 seed.

March Madness betting sharps should note that ETSU feels a little slighted that they got stuck with a No. 16 seed. They felt that with their RPI, they could easily have been one or two seedings higher. As a No. 14 seed, ETSU toppled the No. 3 Arizona Wildcats back in 1992.

Overall, this will be the eighth appearance by ETSU in the NCAA Tournament. They are just 2-8 to this point.

ETSU maybe is a bit better than a 16 seed and if they can get Blair into foul trouble, anything can happen. But the more likely scenario is the Blair dominates the paint, since ETSU hasn’t seen anyone of his caliber through their Atlantic Sun Conference run.

March Madness betting is all about the upsets but ETSU would need some miraculous help to get past the Panthers in this first round matchup.

For the best picks and predications against the spread, it’s OffshoreInsiders.com

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NIT: New Mexico-Notre Dame Lines Preview

March 18, 2009 JoeDuffy.net Administrator Leave a comment

The New Mexico Lobos and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will both be trying to pick up a win on Thursday when they battle at Joyce Center in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament.
Odds aren't yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.
Daniel Faris scored 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead New Mexico past Nebraska 83-71 in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament on Tuesday night.
New Mexico covered as 8-point home favorites as the game played over the 127-point total set by sportsbooks.
Luke Harangody finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead Notre Dame over UAB 70-64 in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament on Tuesday night.
Notre Dame covered as 5.5-point home favorites as the game played under the 147.5-point total posted by oddsmakers.
Team records:
New Mexico: 22-11 SU, 15-15-1 ATS
Notre Dame: 19-14 SU, 11-17 ATS
New Mexico most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 9-1
After a win are 7-3

Notre Dame most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
After a win are 5-5
A few trends to consider:
New Mexico is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
New Mexico is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
New Mexico is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Notre Dame is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

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CIT: The Citadel-Old Dominion Lines Preview

March 18, 2009 JoeDuffy.net Administrator Leave a comment

The Citadel Bulldogs and the Old Dominion Monarchs will both be gunning for a victory on Thursday when they meet at Ted Constant Center in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
Odds aren't yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.
Team records:
The Citadel: 20-12 SU, 18-7-1 ATS
Old Dominion: 21-10 SU, 11-15 ATS
The Citadel most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
After playing Samford are 1-0
After a loss are 6-4

Old Dominion most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
After playing Virginia Commonwealth are 6-4
After a loss are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
The Citadel is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The Citadel is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The Citadel is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
The Citadel is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Old Dominion is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Old Dominion is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Old Dominion's last 6 games at home
Old Dominion is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home

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Round of 64: Mississippi State-Washington Odds Preview

March 18, 2009 JoeDuffy.net Administrator Leave a comment

The Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Washington Huskies will both be gunning for a victory on Thursday when they meet at Rose Garden in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Oddsmakers currently have the Huskies listed as 5½-point favorites versus the Bulldogs, while the game's total has not yet been posted.
Mississippi State upset Tennessee 64-61 as a 5.5-point underdog in the SEC Tournament final on Sunday. The combined score fell UNDER the posted over/under total (147.5).
Phil Turner scored 12 points, while Ravern Johnson and Barry Stewart each delivered 11 points in the win.
Isaiah Thomas netted 17 points for Washington in its 75-65 loss to Arizona State in the Pac-10 Tournament semifinals on Friday night.
Arizona State won as a pick 'em, as the game pushed the 140-point total set by oddsmakers.
Team records:
Mississippi State: 23-12 SU, 18-12 ATS
Washington: 25-8 SU, 18-11-1 ATS
Mississippi State most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 8-2
After playing Tennessee are 5-5
After a win are 6-4

Washington most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 8-2
After playing Arizona State are 3-7
After a loss are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
Mississippi State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

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Round of 64: Chattanooga-Connecticut Odds Preview

March 18, 2009 JoeDuffy.net Administrator Leave a comment

The Chattanooga Moccasins and the Connecticut Huskies will both be gunning for a victory on Thursday when they meet at Wachovia Center in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Oddsmakers currently have the Huskies listed as 21-point favorites versus the Moccasins, while the game's total has not yet been posted.
Connecticut was outlasted in six overtimes as they fell 127-117 to Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament last Thursday. Oddsmakers had Connecticut as 5.5-point favorites in that game, while the combined score fell UNDER the posted total of 145.5.
A.J. Price dropped a team-high 33 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Stanley Robinson also had a double-double with 28 points and 14 rebounds in a losing effort.
Team records:
Chattanooga: 18-16 SU, 12-17-1 ATS
Connecticut: 27-4 SU, 13-14 ATS
Chattanooga most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 3-7
After playing College of Charleston are 7-3
After a win are 7-3

Connecticut most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 10-0
After playing Syracuse are 8-2
After a loss are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chattanooga's last 6 games
Chattanooga is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Chattanooga is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Connecticut is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Connecticut's last 21 games
Connecticut is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games

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Round of 64: Maryland-California Lines Preview

March 18, 2009 JoeDuffy.net Administrator Leave a comment

The fans at Sprint Center will be treated to a game between the Maryland Terrapins and the California Golden Bears when they take their seats on Thursday for the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Oddsmakers currently have the Golden Bears listed as 1-point favorites versus the Terrapins, while the game's total has not yet been posted.
Eric Hayes led Maryland with 20 points in a 67-61 loss to Duke in the semifinals of the ACC tournament on Saturday afternoon.
The Terps did cover the 9.5-point spread, while the final score played UNDER the day's posted total of 140.
Jerome Randle dropped 18 points to lead Cal in its 79-75 loss to USC in the Pac-10 Tournament quarterfinals last Thursday night.
Southern California cashed as 2-point underdogs as the game played over the 137.5-point total set by sportsbooks.
Team records:
Maryland: 20-13 SU, 15-10-2 ATS
California: 22-10 SU, 16-13 ATS
Maryland most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
After playing Duke are 7-3
After a loss are 7-3

California most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
After playing USC are 4-6
After a loss are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Maryland's last 7 games
Maryland is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of California's last 5 games
California is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games
California is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
California is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games

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Round of 64: Radford-North Carolina Odds Preview

March 18, 2009 JoeDuffy.net Administrator Leave a comment

The fans at Greensboro Coliseum will be treated to a game between the Radford Highlanders and the North Carolina Tar Heels when they take their seats on Thursday for the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Oddsmakers currently have the Tar Heels listed as 26½-point favorites versus the Highlanders, while the game's total has not yet been posted.
Wayne Ellington led North Carolina with 24 points and Tyler Hansbrough had 22 points and 11 boards in a 73-70 loss to Florida State on Saturday afternoon in the semifinals of the ACC tournament.
The Tar Heels failed to cover the 8-point spread, while the final score played UNDER the posted total of 148.5.
Team records:
Radford: 21-11 SU, 1-0 ATS
North Carolina: 28-4 SU, 12-19 ATS

North Carolina most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
After playing Florida State are 6-4
After a loss are 9-1
A few trends to consider:
North Carolina is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games
North Carolina is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games

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Round of 64: Northern Iowa-Purdue Lines Preview

March 18, 2009 JoeDuffy.net Administrator Leave a comment

The fans at Rose Garden will be treated to a game between the Northern Iowa Panthers and the Purdue Boilermakers when they take their seats on Thursday for the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Oddsmakers currently have the Boilermakers listed as 8-point favorites versus the Panthers, while the game's total has not yet been posted.
Purdue defeated Ohio State 65-61 as a 5.5-point favorite in the Big Ten Tournament final on Sunday. The combined score fell UNDER the posted over/under total (126.5).
E'Twaun Moore scored 17 points for Purdue and JaJuan Johnson poured in 16 points in the win.
Team records:
Northern Iowa: 23-10 SU, 16-13 ATS
Purdue: 25-9 SU, 15-16 ATS
Northern Iowa most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
After playing Illinois State are 6-4
After a win are 8-2

Purdue most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 4-6
After playing Ohio State are 6-4
After a win are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
Northern Iowa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Northern Iowa's last 6 games
Northern Iowa is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Purdue is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games

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Round of 64: Texas A&M-BYU Odds Preview

March 18, 2009 JoeDuffy.net Administrator Leave a comment

The Texas A&M Aggies and the BYU Cougars will both be trying to pick up a win on Thursday when they battle at Wachovia Center in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Oddsmakers currently have the Cougars listed as 2-point favorites versus the Aggies, while the game's total has not yet been posted.
Texas A&M fell 88-83 to Texas Tech last Wednesday, as 6.5-point favorites. That game's combined 171 points sailed OVER the posted total of 147.
Donald Sloan collected 22 points from 8-for-12 shooting in the loss.
Jimmer Fredette dropped 17 points for BYU in its 64-62 loss to San Diego State in the Mountain West Tournament semifinals on Friday night.
San Diego State cashed as 1-point underdogs as the game played under the 130-point total set by sportsbooks.
Team records:
Texas A&M: 23-9 SU, 14-10-1 ATS
BYU: 25-7 SU, 18-13 ATS
Texas A&M most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 8-2
After playing Texas Tech are 5-5
After a loss are 6-4

BYU most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 4-5
After playing San Diego State are 7-3
After a loss are 8-2
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Texas A&M's last 7 games
Texas A&M is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Texas A&M is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of BYU's last 6 games
BYU is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
BYU is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games

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