Article:Thursday NCAA Tournament News and Notes

Sports betting news and notes from for Thursdays NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Thursday

= George Mason-Notre Dame =

The Patriots are 12-4 to the sportsbooks in their last 16 neutral site games as an underdog.

= Georgia-Xavier =

The Musketeers are 23-7 against the spread their last 30 neutral site games.

= USC-Kansas State =

Kansas State didn’t not finish the year strong, going 5-7 straight up after a 15-4 start. Averaging 78.7 points per game, they exceeded 80 points 13 straight times. USC has no seniors on the roster. In fact, freshman and sophomores accounted for 95.7 percent of their scoring, the highest in the country.

Incredibly six of USC’s 11 losses were to teams that were in the Top 4 ranked teams in the country at one point this season.

= Cal State Fullerton-Wisconsin =

The Titans are 16-5 their last 22 overall.

= Portland State-Kansas =

The Jayhawks are 3-15 their last 18 Thursday games.

= Arizona-West Virginia =

Probably no at-large teams skidded into the postseason more than Arizona. They lost 8-of-12 and two of the wins were to Oregon State, the first team to ever go winless in Pac-10 play. However, the Wildcats have two key players back, whose absence certainly contributed to the skid. Star freshman Jerryd Bayless and point guard Nic Wise. Bayless is averaging 20 points per game. Arizona is 1-6 in the tournament when seeded eighth or lower.

= Texas A&M-BYU =

The Aggies are 13-3 in the back pocket in their last 16 on neutral courts. The Cougars are 24-56 to the number as a dog. BYU has defeated Louisville and has won 15 of their last 17 straight up. BYU has just two NCAA Tournament wins since 1988.

= Winthrop-Washington State =

Eagles 10-2 last 12 neutral site games. Cougars are 3-10 their last 13 to the number to opponent with a winning percentage of .600 or greater.

= Mississippi Valley State-UCLA =

If handicappers are looking for a top seeded team that could rest star players, note that UCLA stud freshmen Kevin Love strained his lower back in the Pac-10 tournament. He has returned to practice. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute sprained his ankle and he is questionable.

Miss Valley does have mostly upperclassmen and even a 6-10 senior Larry Cox to help contend with Love.

= Temple-Michigan State =

The Owls are 9-1 their last 10 versus an opponent with a winning percentage of .600 or greater. The Spartans are 11-2 in the NCAA Tournament as a favorite. It’s a 10:30 AM tipoff Detroit time so MSU will skip their morning shoot around.

= Baylor-Purdue =

The Bears are 13-3 as dog of 6.5 or less. The Boilermakers are 14-3 their last 18 overall as they have a push along the way. The Bears are 21-10 straight up with nine losses by 10 or less and eight to NCAA tournament teams.

= Kent-UNLV =

Kent went 16-0 at home, but Grandmaster handicapper Joe Duffy, of Dream Team at GodsTips, the anchor of OffshoreInsiders.com,  warns that a neutral game is no less a home game than a road contest. They won 18-of-21 down the stretch following a 29-point rout at the hands of North Carolina.

= Duke-Belmont =

Blue Devils are 1-7 against the spread as a Big Dance favorite.

GodsTips is 31-13 with CBB plays including New Mexico last night.