NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (8-0) vs. KENTUCKY WILDCATS (5-2)
2010-12-08
SEC/Big East Invitational – Louisville, KY
Sportsbook.com Line: Kentucky -5 & 141
One team is undefeated, the other team is facing a losing streak. One team has five seniors in its starting lineup. The other team has one senior on its entire team. One team is rated 23rd in the nation and rising. The other team is rated 16th and dropping. Welcome to Notre Dame vs. Kentucky.
Undefeated in eight games, the Irish are off to their best start ever under head coach Mike Brey. Despite losing player of the year candidate Luke Harangody to the NBA, the Irish are showing that a team’s experience can help to close the gap when depth appears to be lacking. Notre Dame is being led by senior guard Ben Hansbrough who is leading them in points and assists (15.8 PPG, 4.0 APG), and forward Tim Abromaitis (15.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG) who continues to be one of the most improved players in the Big East from year to year. Last season, Abromaitis averaged 18.2 PPG in league play. Forward Carleton Scott has become a double-digit scorer and is leading the team in rebounds (7.8 RPG). Forward Tyrone Nash (12.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG) is third on the Irish in scoring, and just behind Scott in the rebounding category. With victories over Georgia, California and Wisconsin that helped them win the Old Spice Classic, Notre Dame has gone a long way to enhance its tournament resume (never too early to talk about that stuff kids!). A win over No. 16 Kentucky would take the conversation to a whole new level.
Kentucky is in the part of its December schedule where it will play key out-of-conference rivals in contests that are only moderately important … if you consider bragging rights and life or death “moderately” important. The ‘Cats are coming off of a 75-73 defeat at North Carolina in Chapel Hill. After Notre Dame, Kentucky has a contest against another cross-state rival, Indiana on Saturday. On New Year’s Eve, John Calipari’s kiddie ’Cats will complete the scheduling gauntlet with a game against Louisville, a surprising 6-0 to start the season. The Wildcats lost to UNC despite a 24-point effort from freshman guard Doron Lamb. Freshman Terrence Jones is leading Kentucky in both scoring and rebounding (19.0 PPG, 9.6 RPG), but struggled against the Tar Heels, tallying just nine points and six boards in 28 minutes of play before fouling out. Freshman Brandon Knight (17.0 PPG, 3.4 APG, 3.3 RPG) has been impressive as he continues to fully grasp Calipari’s system.
The last time that Notre Dame started off this well was in 1973-74 when it began the season 12-0. That year, the biggest achievement for the Irish came when they broke up a certain 88-game winning streak belonging to some team from out west. That will not happen this year, but it doesn’t mean that Mike Brey’s squad won’t have a chance to do something else memorable this year. Wednesday in Louisville they have a shot at another tournament-resume-boosting win. While Christmas is just 17 days away, March will be here before you know it, and the selection committee is always interested in who’s been naughty and who’s been nice.
Kentucky won four straight series meetings (SU and ATS) from 2001 to 2004, but Notre Dame was the most recent series winner, 77-67 in 2009. These two trends like Notre Dame to at least cover the spread on Wednesday night
NOTRE DAME is 18-5 ATS (+12.5 Units) versus good teams - outscoring their opponents by 4+ points/game over the last 2 seasons. The average score was NOTRE DAME 72.4, OPPONENT 66.7 - (Rating = 3*).
NOTRE DAME is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. The average score was NOTRE DAME 73.3, OPPONENT 66.3 - (Rating = 2*).
Sportsbook.com has just put up a variety of props on the Heisman Trophy. Who will finish with a higher finishing positition, Andrew Luck or Kellen Moore? Luck is -300 favorite. Get in the action now at Sportsbook.com.
UCLA BRUINS (3-2, 3-1 ATS) at KANSAS JAYHAWKS (6-0, 3-1 ATS) Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series2010-12-02Sportsbook.com using Kansas -16.5
Two legendary
nfl football betting Online Bingo Play Slots Online in US NFL Betting Lines programs, one dynamic college basketball setting, history, tradition. That is about all that undefeated Kansas (6-0) and UCLA (3-2) will have in common when they take the court Thursday night in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks bring a nation-best, 64-game home winning streak into play, and the Bruins will be about as welcome in Lawrence as LeBron James will be welcome Thursday night in Cleveland.
Kansas has been clicking on all cylinders, and they have yet to add top recruit Josh Selby to the rotation. The NCAA ruled recently that Selby can play beginning on December 18. So far without Selby, Kansas is shooting a Division I best 57.8% from the field. Their average margin of victory (35.3 PPG) is also tops in the nation. As a team, they are averaging 22 assists per game. The Morris brothers have been outstanding so far. Marcus Morris leads the team in scoring at 19 PPG, while brother Markieff is averaging 12.3 PPG and a team-high 9.5 RPG. Tyshawn Taylor has been stellar so far at the point, averaging a team high 7.2 APG to complement his 9.2 PPG.
After a 3-0 start, Ben Howland’s Bruins lost in the semifinals and then the consolation game of the Preseason NIT Championship in Madison Square Garden. Sophomore forward Reeves Nelson leads the Bruins in points and rebounds (17.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG), and totaled 30 points and 23 rebounds in the two losses in New York City. Nelson and Tyler Honeycutt (14.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG) are both sophomores, and headline a young Bruins club that does not have a single senior on the team. The poise and discipline of this UCLA team will be sorely tested on Kansas’ home floor. The Bruins have totaled 84 assists and 81 turnovers this season. The combination of a young team that doesn’t protect the basketball, playing in a hostile road environment against an experienced team that has won 64 straight on its home floor and loves to pressure the ball looks like a bad combination for the baby bears. Normally when Kansas and UCLA play, that smell in the air is tradition. Thursday night in Lawrence, that won’t be tradition you’re whiffing, but more like the smell of a young team getting smoked.
69% of action at Sportsbook.com is betting that the Jayhawks will cover the big spread against the Bruins.
KANSAS is 20-5 ATS (+14.5 Units) when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 80%) over the last 3 seasons. The average score was KANSAS 80.3, OPPONENT 63.6 - (Rating = 3*).
NCAA Hoops: Pitt vs. Maryland betting odds and preview2010-11-18Sportsbook.com Pitt vs. Maryland betting lines: Pitt -7, O/U 146
For one night in the Garden, east coast basketball fans can pretend that the old Big East-ACC challenge is back when Pittsburgh takes on Maryland in a semifinal game of the 2K Classic. The Panthers (91.7 PPG in three games) are off to a sizzling start offensively, as they have been led by the starting backcourt of Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker.
Each player is averaging 19.3 PPG. Despite an opening-game scare from the Rhode Island Rams, the Panthers have been generally dominant, winning its first three games by an average of 32 points. In addition to scoring, the 6-foot-4 Wanamaker is also tops on the Pitt’s stat sheet in assists (6.3 APG) and steals (2.0 SPG). Over the past two seasons, Pittsburgh ranked sixth in the nation in rebounding margin, and are picking up where they left off last year. The Panthers are outrebounding opponents by more than 21 rebounds a game so far this season.
The college basketball betting crowd at Sportsbook.com are pro Pitt, as 89 percent of the point spread bettors are backing the Panthers.
Despite those gaudy numbers on the glass, Jamie Dixon’s squad will have a major challenge on its hands in the paint against Maryland. Sophomore center Jordan Williams is off to a phenomenal start. Williams averaged 9.6 PPG and 8.6 RPG last season. So far this year, he is pulling down 13.7 RPG to go along with his 21.0 PPG. The only other ACC player to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in the past decade was Tyler Hansbrough.
While the backcourt of Adrian Bowie and Sean Mosley is still learning the ropes with one another, Gary Williams’ team has gotten a boost from freshman guard Pe’Shon Howard, who had 14 points and the game-winning basket versus Charleston in a one-point win last week. Watching the Panthers team of defenders (six players are averaging at least 5.0 RPG) battle Williams for supremacy on the glass could be the matchup that determines who will step up and take control of this game down the stretch.
This college hoops betting trend favors the favorites covering the point spread tonight.
Play On - Favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (PITTSBURGH) - an excellent defensive team (<=63 PPG) against an average defensive team (67-74 PPG), after a blowout win by 20 points or more. (68-33 over the last 5 seasons.) (67.3%, +31.7 units. Rating = 2*).
PITTSBURGH is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) versus teams who average 40 or more rebounds/game on the season over the last 3 seasons. The average score was PITTSBURGH 72.9, OPPONENT 64.7 - (Rating = 2*).
Now that you know the scoop for tonight’s game, head over to Sportsbook.com to bet on college hoops.