Duke's Smith and Scheyer Are Best Bets
It's finally here, the 2009-2010 NCAA Championship. The Butler Bulldogs take on the Duke Blue Devils for the right to call themselves the best college hoops team of the 2009 - 2010 College Basketball Season.
Because it's the championship, just betting on a team to win either straight-up or against the spread, isn't the only wager that sports gamblers can make. There are also a number of prop bets that the sportsbook is offering as well as who will win the Final Four MVP Award.
Below is a look at each contender and the odds on that player to win the Final Four MVP Award.
NCAA Tournament: Final Four MVP Award
Game-night: 4/5/2010
Tip-off: 9:15 pm EST
Best Bet: Jon Scheyer +300
Nolan Smith is the favorite, but I really like Scheyer to take home the MVP. First, I'm not sold on Gordon Heyward from Butler because even though Heyward is one of the best players I've seen during this tournament, I don't have a lot of faith in Butler winning the championship. So, to me, Scheyer is the bet. Scheyer was incredible against West Virginia scoring 23 points, dishing out 6 assists and grabbing 2 boards. Also, because he's Duke's point-guard, he controls the flow of the game. That always impresses MVP voters. Scheyer is the bet to win the Final Four MVP.
Nolan Smith +250 - - I'm not in love with the odds on Smith, but I have to admit that he was exceptional this past Saturday against West Virginia. Smith's numbers weren't as good as Scheyer's, he put up only 19 points and dished out 6 assists, but he made some really good decisions out there on the court. He could also have a bigger game than Scheyer on Monday night which means that Smith has a shot to win the MVP.
Kyle Singler +400 - - It's hard to overlook the fact that Singler had 21 points, 5 assists and 9 rebounds against the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday. Singler could easily put up the same type of numbers on Monday night. If he does, he too could be in line to win the MVP. The only problem with Singler is that he does things so easily and he's so smooth on the court that MVP voters might forget he's even out there. Singler isn't flashy at all and he's the most likely of Duke's Big Three not to have a huge game on Monday night which is one of the reason's he's going off at 4 to 1 to win the MVP.
Gordon Heyward +300 - - Heyward is the obvious choice to win the Final Four MVP if sports gamblers believe that Butler could win the championship on Monday night. Here's the issue, though. Yes, Heyward has been terrific but Duke has done a phenomenal job against their opponent's best player during the NCAA Tournament including holding Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia's best player, to only 10 points before his devastating injury on Saturday. Heyward could have a tough night.
Shelvin Mack +500 - - If Heyward doesn't have a big game, then Butler won't beat Duke. If Butler beats Duke, then Heyward will be the MVP, not Shelvin Mack. Mack isn't even worth looking at as a possible MVP candidate in my opinion.
The NCAA Championship Final is here! Besides betting on the team you like to win the championship, put some money on the player you think will win the Final Four MVP.
(c)1994-2009 BetUS.com
St. Mary's brings an Australian flair to NCAA tournamentMar. 26--Exposure is a relative term for the St. Mary's basketball program, which has long been obscured by the success at Gonzaga and tucked discreetly beneath the giant redwoods near Moraga, Calif.
The Gaels made a cross-country trek for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament to play in front of East Coast fans who have few chances to see the West Coast Conference team.
But for two years their league games have been televised regularly by ESPN Australia. And that market is much more relevant to coach Randy Bennett.
When the 10th-seeded Gaels take on Baylor tonight in Houston, three Australian players will be in the starting lineup. Two more are likely to see time off the bench.
It's been that way since Bennett took over at the small liberal arts college in 2001 after two seasons as an assistant at St. Louis University. Ten Australians have played for the Gaels (28-5), helping them challenge Gonzaga for the top of the WCC.
"I think good news travels fast," Bennett said. "The first kid who came over here was a fluke deal. We just happened to have a scholarship, and we took him really sight unseen. He had a great experience. He started for us. He took the news back to the kids at the Institute of Sport."
Word has even spread to the East Coast. A watch party is being held for St. Mary's fans in New York tonight at an appropriate restaurant: The Australian.
Center Omar Samhan may be the centerpiece and lead vocalist of the team, but his foreign teammates provide one tight backup band.
Starting forward Ben Allen, guard Matthew Dellavedova and forward Clint Steindl have followed the path of the program's original Australian, Adam Caporn. And Jorden Page and Mitchell Young get minutes off the bench.
Allen, who averages 10.5 points and 7.6 rebounds, started his career at Indiana and has been playing in the United States for five years. But he knows his following back home is just as significant.
"I hear from my mom and dad a lot," he said. "My dad is here and my mom has been jumping up and down on the couch at home. They have been playing all the games live down there, so I'm getting huge support. I got like a hundred texts after the (Villanova) game."
Allen's countrymen at St. Mary's are all younger -- Dellavedova, Page and Young are freshmen and Steindl a sophomore. But they have all made contributions to the program's first Sweet 16 appearance since 1959.
The five players have accounted for 47 percent of the team's scoring, 48 percent of the rebounds and 57 percent of the assists. They are shooting a combined 44 percent from the field and have made 38 percent (188 of 489) of their 3-pointers.
Bennett has learned his way around the basketball community in Australia since those early days and knows where to find the players.
"The basketball community is not that big," he said. "So, it's not like there's hundreds of players over there that are good enough to come over and play. There's maybe 10 to 15 a year. Once you get in there and have a good name, it makes it a lot easier."
St. Mary's isn't the first college to reach into Australia. Andrew Gaze became a star at Seton Hall and played in the 1989 national title game in a losing effort against Michigan. Andrew Bogut became national player of the year at Utah in 2005.
Bennett has a supply of players to last several more years at this point if he remains at St. Mary's.
But for now, their relative youth and lack of historical perspective in regard to American college basketball could be just the calming ingredient the Gaels need for another upset.
They don't seem fazed by the prospect of high-profile opponents. Dellavedova had a highlight reel moment against Villanova when he slipped while bringing the ball upcourt, maintained his dribble on the floor and evaded his defender to nail a clutch 3-pointer.
To the youngsters, Allen said, Villanova and Baylor are no different than WCC opponent Loyola Marymount.
"The four Australians who are so young, they just don't know anything about that," Allen said. "They are so young and impressionable that they don't care who Villanova is. They are from Australia and it's just another team in our way. So that gives us an edge against those teams."
Copyright (c) 2010, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Duke Blue Devils vs California Golden Bears NCAAB OddsThe action has been seemingly non-stop in NCAA basketball for the last few days and in a matter of hours the Sweet 16 will be set. If seeds and odds have anything to say about it the Duke Bue Devils should be a part of the Sweet 16 as they face the California Golden Bears in the second round of the NCAAB tournament later today.
Here are the odds as set for each team to win straight up:
California: +240 (12/5)
Duke: -280 (5/14)
Duke showed a high level of determination in the opening round and during the ACC tournament. A couple days ago they faced the lowest seed in their region, a team that they could have taken lightly in Arkansas Pine Bluff, and yet Coach K and his squad left nothing to chance as they came out with a ton of energy and played a fundamentally sound game in covering a huge spread that was set at -24.
The game should be closer this evening but expect Duke to come out with energy again. Do not expect California to be an easy out in any way but Duke have the players this year to answer the call of an upstart low seed. If the game goes to the wire, Coach K has multiple players that are capable of making big plays down the stretch and so our recommendation is to take the Blue Devils with confidence at -280 with tip time being at 17:25 ET.
crunchsports.com
K. State Tourny Odds
Not one of the more storied programs in college basketball, the 2009-10 Kansas State Wildcats have turned some heads this season and could end their Final Four dry spell this year.
Head coach Frank Martin is a fiery guy and since taking over the program in 2007 for Bob Huggins he has continued to build a winning program. The Wildcats reached the NCAA Tournament in 2008, ending a 12-year drought, and now K-State is working toward making its first Final Four since 1964.
Oddsmakers have given Kansas State 20/1 odds to win the NCAA Tournament the Wildcats opened with 7/2 odds to win the Big 12 Tournament.
The Wildcats meet Kansas tonight for the Big 12 Tournament title. The Jayhawks hold two wins over Kansas State, but the Wildcats were the first team to defeat Texas and have four other wins over ranked opponents. Just this week, Kansas State has defeated Oklahoma State and Baylor to reach the tournament finals. At 26-6, Kansas State ranks ninth in the country, and the Wildcats have lost back-to-back games just once this season.
Kansas State averages 80.1 points per-game, which is third in the Big 12. They also rank third in rebounding at 39.1 boards per-game. The Wildcats spread the ball out, dishing out 14.78 assists per-game, ranking third in the conference while ranking second in turnover margin at +2.34
Jacob Pullen has led K-State, averaging 19.1 points and 3.5 assists per-game. The guard shoots a team-high 81 percent from the free throw line. Denis Clemente is scoring 16.2 points per-game and dishing out 4.2 assists while forwards Jamar Samuels and Chris Kelly each average over 11 points while both shoot 57 percent from the floor.
2010 March Madness Odds
Kansas State 20/1
2010 Big 12 Tournament Odds
Kansas State 7/2
(c)1999-2009 TheSpread.com Inc
Spartans Betting Favorites vs Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines and the #12 Michigan State Spartans will both be trying to pick up a win on Sunday afternoon at 4:00pm EST when they battle at Breslin Center in a game that can be seen on CBS. College basketball odds makers have the Spartans listed as 10-point betting favorites against the Wolverines while the game's total is sitting at 126. DeShawn Sims went for 23 points and six rebounds as Michigan manhandled Minnesota 83-55 on Tuesday night. Michigan cashed as 1-point home underdogs in college basketball betting odds while the teams played OVER the 122.5-point total set at online sportsbooks.
Michigan netted 43 points in the first half and 40 in the second to end their three game losing streak while shooting 7-15 three pointers and 60.4 percent from the floor. Manny Harris added 22 points in the win. The Wolverines have their chance to win their third game of the season against ranked teams when they face Michigan State today but will have to put behind them a 57-56 home loss to the Spartans back in January. Heading into today's match-up, the Wolverines are 14-15 straight up on the season, 13-12 against the spread as college basketball betting underdogs and 5-5 after playing Minnesota.
Michigan State was outscored in the second half but managed to hang on and defeat Penn State 67-65 on Thursday for their second straight win. Michigan State failed to cover the 13-point spread as college basketball betting favorites while the combined score made it OVER the posted total of 131.5 at online sportsbooks. Draymond Green poured in 14 points with 10 rebounds for a double-double while Raymar Morgan netted 16 points in the victory. Heading into today's game on CBS, Michigan State is 23-7 straight up on the season, 11-18 against the spread as betting favorites in college basketball odds and 8-2 after playing Penn State. Bet the Spartans -10 as home favorites at online sportsbooks against the Wolverines for today's game.
Michigan is 5-2 against the spread as college basketball betting favorites in their last 7 games on the road while Michigan State is 5-0 straight up in their last 5 games when playing at home against the Wolverines and 18-2 straight up in their last 20 games at home. The total has gone OVER in 4 of Michigan State's last 5 games at home while the total has gone UNDER in 4 of Michigan's last 5 games when playing on the road against the Spartans. Vegas odds have the Michigan State Spartans -10 betting favorites against the Michigan Wolverines with a total of 126.5
Copyright (c) Vegas Sports Odds.com
Duke vs Virginia - College Basketball Odds & Picks
Duke vs. Virginia - College Basketball Odds & Picks: The fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils (24-4, 11-2 ACC) travels to Charlottesville to play the Virginia Cavaliers (14-12, 5-8) at John Paul Jones Arena on Sunday, Feb 28 with tip off slated for 7:45 pm Eastern (FSN).
College basketball oddsmakers at online sportsbooks list the Blue Devils as 11-chalk favorites versus the Cavaliers with a 132 total. Virginia backers are getting +425 odds on the moneyline while Duke is giving -550.
Early betting trends show Duke is a heavy favorite among gamblers both in SU moneyline wagers (89%) and ATS (85%). Public gamblers prefer( by 87%) wagering the OVER in totals betting.
The Blue Devils are led by guards Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith, and forward Kyle Singler. Scheyer, a senior, leads the team in scoring (18.8 ppg) and assists (5.4 apg). He is shooting 40.3 percent (79-196) from three-point range and 88.7 percent (141-159) from the free-throw line. Smith, a junior, is averaging 17.9 points a game. He is shooting 42.2 percent (43-102) from three-point range and 79.5 percent (93-117) from the free-throw line. Singler, a junior, is averaging 16.9 points a game and leads the team with an average of 7.2 rebounds a game. He is shooting 38.5 percent (57-148) from three-point range and 77.8 percent (105-135) from the free-throw line. As a team Duke is averaging 79.7 points a game and allowing an average of 62.1 points a game.
Duke poured in 36 second half points as they ran past Tulsa 70-52 on Thursday. Duke failed to cover the 19-point spread, while the 122 points went UNDER the posted total of 141.5. Brian Zoubek netted 10 points to go with 10 rebounds for a double-double for Duke. Nolan Smith added 18 points in that win.
Sylven Landesberg poured in 27 points for Virginia in its 74-62 loss to Miami on Tuesday night. Miami covered as 6.5-point home favorites, while the teams played OVER the 130.5-point total listed by oddsmakers.
Copyright 1997-2009 Point Spreads
Freee College Basketball Spread Pick For St. Valentine's DayValentine's Day winner is to take DePaul plus the points. They are getting 14 at Seton Hall. Here is why you should take the underdog.
The Blue Demons are far from being a good team but they are much improved and despite probably losing a 12th game in the last 13 I do believe they will be competitive enough to stay within this dozen plus number.
Seton Hall is a pretty good team led by a baller in Jeremy Hazell who scores a ton game in and game out. I've also always liked Bobby Gonzalez as a coach since his days leading Manhattan to the tournament and don't mind backing the Pirates when getting some points but they are not a squad that is used to be laying such a large number.
Seton Hall is a solid hunter that can step up with big boys but they also have the potential to play down to an opponent's level and that should be the case here. DePaul has enough with a bona fide scorer in Wil Walker and a big boy down low in Mac Koshwal to stay within range today.
The Pirates are not a very good defensive squad and had lost three in a row before finally just holding on last time out on for the win but non-cover against a Notre Dame team that lost their stud in Luke Harangody midway through the contest. Seton Hall allowed 87 points in that game which is inexcusable. They also have not won a game by more than three points in over a month.
Tracy Webster has done a solid job as the interim coach after Jerry Wainwright was fired. The Blue Demons have been competitive covering six straight and I see number seven in their future.
The pick: De Paul
offshoreinsiders.com
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