Friday 3-16-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Friday's NCAA Tournament first round betting preview: East Region

(15) Cal St. Fullerton Titans vs (2) Purdue Boilermakers (-20.5, 146.5)

Game to be played at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

March Madness Betting Breakdown: No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 15 CS Fullerton
No. 2 Purdue is a 20.5-point favorite versus No. 15 Cal State Fullerton in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

After reaching the Sweet 16 of last year's NCAA Tournament, Purdue has bigger plans this time around. The second-seeded Boilermakers head to Detroit on Friday to take on 15th-seeded Cal State Fullerton in the East Region's first round of the Big Dance.

Purdue has not been in the Final Four since 1980 but has a real shot this season thanks to a balanced attack that ranks in the top 40 in both offense (81.1 points, 35th nationally) and defense (65.6 points allowed, 26th nationally). The Boilermakers finished second in the Big Ten during the regular season before falling to Michigan in the league title game, and now they will take on a Titans team that won the Big West Tournament title as a No. 4 seed. Cal State Fullerton played two ranked teams during the season, losing to USC (84-42) and Saint Mary's (76-57) in its first two contests. It will have its hands full with the Boilermakers, who boast a veteran squad that has threats both on the perimeter and down low with 7-2 senior center Isaac Haas.

TV: 12:40 p.m. ET, truTV

LINE HISTORY: Purdue opened as huge 20.5 favorites for this opening round matchup and as of Thursday afternoon that number has yet to move. The total hit betting boards at 146.5 and has also been steady.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT CAL STATE FULLERTON: Kyle Allman averages a team-high 19.4 points and has combined with second-leading scorer Khalil Ahmad (15.3 points) to drain 99 3-pointers this season. Allman, a junior guard, had 26 points in the Big West title game, while Ahmad added 23 points to help account for the other three starters totaling 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting. This is the first NCAA Tournament berth in 10 years for the Titans, who average 14 turnovers per game and must cut down on that number in order to stick with the Boilermakers for the full 40 minutes.

ABOUT PURDUE: The Boilermakers surround Haas with a collection of 3-point shooters, including top scorer Carsen Edwards (18.5 points, 41.2 percent from 3-point range) and unrelated Vincent Edwards (14.5 points, 39.2 percent from 3-point range). Haas averages 14.9 points and is coming off a 23-point effort on 9-of-12 shooting against Michigan. Purdue's three backcourt starters (Carsen Edwards, P.J. Thompson and Dakota Mathias) shot a combined 9-of-31 againstg the Wolverines and must be in sync consistently if coach Matt Painter's squad is going to make a deep run in this event.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Titans are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Boilermakers are 1-11-1 ATS in their last 13 games overall.
* Under is 13-3 in Titans' last 16 neutral site games.
* Over is 5-0 in Boilermakers' last 5 NCAA Tournament games.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 54 percent of bettors taking the favorites from Purdue, while 55 percent of totals wagers are on the Under.




(13) Marshall Thundering Herd vs (4) Wichita St. Shockers (-12, 165.5)

Game to be played at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.

Wichita State begins its journey in the NCAA Tournament as a fourth seed when it meets No. 13 Marshall on Friday in the first round of the East Region in San Diego. The Shockers, who lost to Houston 77-74 in the American Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals Saturday, boast a veteran team which reached the Sweet 16 in 2015 and 2016 before losing to Kentucky in the second round in 2017.

Wichita State is led by sophomore guard Landry Shamet, who averages a team-best 15 points and an AAC-most 5.1 assists. The Thundering Herd, which upset Western Kentucky 67-66 on Saturday to win the Conference USA Tournament, ride a four-game winning streak into their first NCAA Tournament since 1987. "I’m happy for these kids and I’m happy for the school,” Marshall coach Dan D’Antoni, brother of Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni, told reporters. “It’s been a long time coming and Marshall basketball kind of fell off.'' The Shockers are coached by former Marshall assistant Gregg Marshall, marking the first time in NCAA Tournament history that a school's name matches the opposing coach's last name.

TV: 1:20 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Wichita St. opened as 12-point favorites and as of Thursday evening that number has yet to move. The total hit betting boards at 166 and has been bet down slightly to 165.5.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT MARSHALL: Junior guard Jon Elmore led C-USA in scoring (22.8 points) and assists (6.9), prompting D'Antoni to tell reporters after Saturday's game: "He’s a complete ballplayer. I thought he did a great job.” Junior guard C.J. Burks averaged 20.5 points, helping the Thundering Herd average a conference-best 84.4 points (12th nationally). Junior forward Ajdin Penava (15.5 points, 8.6 rebounds) was named C-USA Tournament MVP after averaging 17 points and 8.3 rebounds in the three games.

ABOUT WICHITA STATE: Senior forward Shaquille Morris has been a force in the middle, averaging 14 points and 5.5 rebounds - both career highs - and 16.8 points over his last nine games. Senior forward Darral Willis Jr. (10.4 points, 6.0 rebounds) and senior guard Conner Frankamp (10.1 points) are also playing their final NCAA Tournaments. Junior forward Markis McDuffie is averaging 8.5 points and 3.2 rebounds - down from his 11.5 and 5.7 numbers from last season - and is averaging only 15.8 minutes over his last four games.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Thundering Herd are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.
* Shockers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Over is 14-5 in Thundering Herd last 19 non-conference games.
* Over is 15-3 in Shockers last 18 overall.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 62 percent of bettors taking the underdogs from Marshall, while 51 percent of totals wagers are on the Under.




(10) Butler Bulldogs vs (7) Arkansas Razorbacks (+1.5, 151)

Game to be played at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

No. 7 Arkansas is a 1.5-point underdog taking on No. 10 Butler in the Round of 64 of the NCAA tournament.

Tenth seed Butler and No. 7 Arkansas find themselves in the same region of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season, only this time with much different seeds. The Bulldogs and Razorbacks, who will meet Friday in the first round of the East Region at Detroit, were eliminated by eventual champion North Carolina last season in the South Region.

Kelan Martin, who led all players in scoring in Big East games at 23.6 per contest, is back in the tournament for a fourth consecutive season. The Bulldogs have had a see-saw campaign, going 4-6 since the start of February, but were never in doubt to make the field, particularly after reaching the semifinals of the Big East Tournament, where they lost to Villanova. The Razorbacks and coach Mike Anderson, who has guided his team to three tournament bids in seven seasons, advanced to the semifinals in the SEC Tournament before bowing to runner-up Tennessee. Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon have averaged 18 and 16.9 points, respectively, this season for the Razorbacks, who have won eight of their last 11 games.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, truTV

LINE HISTORY: This game opened as a Pick 'Em but steady betting action on Butler all week has pushed the Bulldogs into the favorite position at -1.5. The total hit betting boards at 152.5 and has been bet down to 151.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT BUTLER: Martin averaged 15 points and 6.3 rebounds in the Bulldog's run to the Sweet 16 last season as a No. 4 seed, which ended with a loss to the Tar Heels, and all told he has played in seven tournament games. The 6-7 forward from Louisville has been a dominant player this season for first-year coach LaVall Jordan, putting up 19 20-point games, including four games with 30 or more points. Kamar Baldwin, Paul Jorgensen and Tyler Wideman represent the main supporting cast for the Bulldogs, who lost to potential second round opponent Purdue 82-67 on Dec. 16 at the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in their hometown of Indianapolis.

ABOUT ARKANSAS: After serving more as a complementary player last season, Barford has been a star this year for the Razorbacks, who got in with a No. 8 seed last season and defeated Seton Hall before bowing to North Carolina. The senior from Tennessee improved in just about every area over last season, but none were more pronounced than his 3-point shooting, which stands at 43.6 percent after shooting below 30 percent last season. Daniel Gafford (11.9 points), a 6-11 freshman center from Argentina, leads the team in rebounding (6.2) and blocked shots (2.1).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 20-5-2 ATS in their last 27 NCAA Tournament games.
* Razorbacks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
* Over is 5-0 in Bulldogs last 5 non-conference games.
* Over is 6-1 in Razorbacks last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 66 percent of bettors taking the favorites from Bulter, while 61 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.




(12) Murray St. Racers vs (5) West Virginia Mountaineers (-10.5, 145.5)

Game to be played at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.

March Madness Betting Breakdown: No. 5 West Virginia vs. No. 12 Murray State
The No. 5 West Virginia Mountaineers are 10.5-point favorites taking on No. 12 Murray State in the Round of 64 of the NCAA tournament.

West Virginia takes its pressing defense into a fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance when it takes on No. 12 seed Murray State in the first round of the East Region on Friday in San Diego. The fifth-seeded Mountaineers, who were knocked out in the Sweet 16 by Gonzaga last season, utilized their frenetic style to force 16.5 turnovers per game - 10th-most in the country - and record a turnover margin of plus-five, third nationally.

Their run in the Big 12 Tournament ended with an 81-70 loss to Kansas on Saturday, but they will present a challenge to anyone in their way in the NCAAs. "Very versatile," senior leader Jevon Carter said of his team before the loss to the Jayhawks. "Can do a lot of different things. We can play fast. We can play slow. We can guard. We can score. Just very versatile." The Racers of the Ohio Valley Conference are making their first appearance in the tournament since 2012 and carry a 13-game winning streak - the longest active run in the country - into the event. They are led by OVC Player of the Year Jonathan Stark, who led the conference in scoring (21.8 points per game) and was 10th nationally in made 3-pointers with 109.

TV: 3:50 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: West Virginia opened as 9.5-point favorites and steady betting on the Mountaineers has pushed that pointspread up to -10.5. The total hit betting boards at 144.5 and has been bet up slightly to 145.5.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT MURRAY STATE: Stark, a senior, has averaged 26.1 points over his last eight games, including 24 in the OVC Tournament title game against Belmont. The Racers also have the league's second-ranked assist man in freshman Ja Morant, who hands out 6.4 per game, and its second-ranked rebounder in Terrell Miller Jr. (8.3). Murray State has held nine consecutive opponents to 66 points or fewer and entered Sunday ranked 25th in the country in scoring defense (65.5) and eighth in 3-point percentage defense, limiting opponents to 30.6 percent from beyond the arc.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA: Carter was an All-Big 12 first-team selection and won the league's Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second straight time after averaging 17 points, 6.6 assists and 2.85 steals - fifth in the country. Three other Mountaineers score in double digits, including big man Sagaba Konate, who joined Carter on the All-Defensive Team while recording 3.3 blocks per game. Daxter Miles Jr. averaged 22 points while making 15-of-27 3-pointers in the Big 12 Tournament and will be looking to bounce back from last season's NCAAs, during which he averaged nine points while shooting 39.1 percent.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Racers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Mountaineers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
* Under is 6-0 in Racers' last 6 NCAA Tournament games.
* Over is 5-1 in Mountaineers' last 6 overall.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 55 percent of bettors taking the favorites from West Virginia, while 56 percent of totals wagers are on the Under.

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Friday's NCAA Tournament first round betting preview: Midwest Region

(14) Bucknell Bison vs (3) Michigan St. Spartans (-14.5, 148)

Game to be played at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

Michigan State starts its drive for an eighth Final Four appearance under coach Tom Izzo when it faces Bucknell in a first-round contest in the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Region on Friday in Detroit. The Spartans, the region's No. 3 seed, won the Big Ten Conference regular-season title but had their 13-game winning streak snapped by Michigan in the league tournament semifinals, while the 14th-seeded Bison won the regular-season and tournament titles in the Patriot League.

Senior forward Zach Thomas (20.3 points, 9.2 rebounds) is the top offensive weapon for Bucknell coach Nathan Davis but he's not the only one, with center Nana Foulland and guard Stephen Brown averaging 15.4 and 14.9 points, respectively. The Bison average 81.1 points per game, hitting 47.2 percent from the field, but they'll face one of the top defensive teams in the country in Michigan State, which holds opponents to 64.8 points and 36.6 percent shooting. Offensively, the Spartans can score the ball as well, led by forwards Miles Bridges (16.9 points) and Nick Ward (12.6) and guard Cassius Winston (12.6 points, 6.8 assists, 52.6 3-point percentage). The wild card for Izzo is 6-11 freshman forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who averages 11.3 points and set the school record with 104 blocked shots but also struggles with foul trouble at times.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Friday, CBS

LINE HISTORY: Michigan St. opened as 13.5-point favorites and that pointspread has been bet up to -14.5. The total hit betting boards at 148.5 and has been bet down slightly to 148.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT BUCKNELL: The Bison will want to get a big performance from Brown, a 5-11 guard, who will be matched up with Winston, the leading assist man for the Spartans. Brown will need to handle the ball well and be able to handle the solid Michigan State defense so the Bison don't give away easy baskets off turnovers, but he also needs to put some pressure on Winston, who is prone to giving the ball away as the Spartans averaged 13.2 turnovers per game. Bucknell forced 12.6 turnovers per contest this season, but it will likely try to ratchet up from pressure on Michigan State, which has too many weapons for teams to play a half-court defense against.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE: Ward is coming off one of his worst games of the season in the Spartans' Big Ten tournament semifinal loss to Michigan, playing just 10 minutes and finishing with six points and two rebounds. Ward only had two fouls in the game -- though one was a technical -- but he was a liability for Michigan State because he couldn't handle the Wolverines' versatile forward Moritz Wagner for the second time this season. The sophomore will have to play well defensively against Bucknell forwards Foulland (60 percent shooting) and Thomas (60 3-pointers, 2.2 assists) or Izzo will likely pull his top low-post scoring threat again and go with better defenders on the interior.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Bison are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 games overall.
* Spartans are 2-8-2 ATS in their last 12 games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Bison's last 4 non-conference games.
* Over is 5-0 in Spartans' last 5 NCAA Tournament games.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 61 percent of bettors taking the favorites from Michigan St., while 54 percent of totals wagers are on the Under.




(13) Charleston Cougars vs (4) Auburn Tigers (-9, 148)

Game to be played at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.

Auburn let an otherwise sensational season get away from it down the stretch - and has little time to regroup as it prepares to face Charleston in an NCAA Tournament Midwest Region first-round game Friday in San Diego. Fourth-seeded Auburn was stunned by Alabama in the SEC Tournament and will take nothing for granted against the No. 13-seed Cougars, who won the Colonial Athletic Association title for their fifth tournament appearance.

Fans were concerned enough when the Tigers won just two of their final five games of the regular season - but they were positively shocked when Collin Sexton racked up 31 points to lead Alabama past Auburn 81-63 in their conference quarterfinal. The defeat stings even more considering the Tigers led by 10 at the half, only to surrender 50 points after the break. "It was a tale of two halves," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl told reporters afterward. "We did what we wanted to do in the first half. At the start of the second half, they came down and flipped the table on us really quickly." Charleston will look to celebrate its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1999 on a winning note, have prevailed in 14 of their previous 15 games heading into this one.

TV: 7:27 p.m. ET, truTV

LINE HISTORY: Auburn opened as 10.5-point favorites and heavy betting action on Charleston earlyin the week has push the pointspread down to 9. The total hit betting boards at 148.5 and has been bet down slightly to 148.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT CHARLESTON: The Cougars did plenty of things well this season - but distributing the ball wasn't one of them; they averaged just 11.4 assists per game, ranking in the bottom 50 in the country. Grant Riller, Jarrell Brantley and Joe Chealey provide the bulk of the scoring for Charleston, averaging a combined 54.2 points between them; Riller (18.7 points) has caught fire of late with 20 or more points in eight of his previous 10 games, while Chealey (18.5) has surpassed the 20-point plateau in four of his past five contests. Brantley averages 17 points per game and a team-best 7.1 rebounds and has been a force on the boards down the stretch, entering the Big Dance on a four-game double-double streak.

ABOUT AUBURN: Pearl knows the Tigers need Mustapha Heron (team-best 16.6 points) to be at his best if they hope to survive the opening weekend in their first tournament appearance in 15 years; Heron is averaging 20 points in four games since returning from illness but is shooting a dismal 7-of-24 over his previous two outings. Bryce Brown is a close second in scoring at 16.2 points but has been held below his season average in three of his last four games, with a 29-point showing against South Carolina his only solid performance in that span. Charleston would be wise to keep the Tigers off the free-throw line - they come into this one shooting 78.6 percent from the stripe, eighth-best in the nation.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Cougars are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. Southeastern.
* Tigers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Over is 8-2 in Cougars' last 10 overall.
* Over is 4-1 in Tigers' last 5 non-conference games.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 53 percent of bettors taking the favorites from Auburn, while 52 percent of totals wagers are on the Under.




(11) Syracuse Orange vs (6) Texas Christian Horned Frogs (-4.5, 136.5)

Game to be played at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

Jamie Dixon's first shot at coaching his alma mater resulted in a NIT championship run, while his second year at the helm of TCU resulted in the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 20 seasons. The sixth-seeded Horned Frogs seek their first win in the Big Dance since Dixon's senior season at the school Friday when they meet No. 11 seed Syracuse in first-round action of the Midwest Region in Detroit.

TCU carried over the momentum it gained from last year's title run into its most successful regular season since 1997-98, winning its first 12 games and finishing 9-9 in a conference (Big 12) that sent seven of 10 teams to the Big Dance. The Horned Frogs are only 9-11 since their undefeated start and enter the weekend on a two-game slide after dropping their last two contests by a total of six points, including a two-point overtime setback in the Big 12 quarterfinals. TCU will try to end its 31-year NCAA Tournament win drought against the Orange, who hope to repeat the success they enjoyed two years ago when they advanced to the Final Four as a No. 10 seed. Syracuse hasn't topped 60 points in three of its last four contests but improved to 3-1 over that span with Wednesday's 60-56 victory over Arizona State in First Four action.

TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: TCU opened as 4-point favorites and some sharp action on the Horned Frogs has pushed that number up to -4.5. The total hit betting boards at 136.5 and has yet to move as of Thursday night.. Check out the complete line history here.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT SYRACUSE: Freshman Oshae Brissett (14.9 points, 8.9 rebounds) overcame a hard fall in the first half to score 15 of the Orange's final 30 points while posting his second straight double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds Wednesday. Sophomore guard Tyus Battle (19.7 points), who ranks third in the ACC in scoring, has reached double figures in all but one game this season and played more minutes (1,323) than all but one Division I player. Frank Howard (14.9) shot 4-for-13 against the Sun Devils while recovering from strep throat and is 26-for-87 from the field overall in his last six outings, failing to shoot over 31 percent in five of those contests.

ABOUT TCU: Second-team all-conference guard Kenrich Williams (13.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists), who is one of 11 active players with 1,000 career points, 800 career boards and 200 career assists, has recorded double-doubles in each of his last three outings. Vladimir Brodziansky (team-high 15.1 points, 5.1 boards, 1.6 blocks) sits 11th on the program's all-time scoring list (1,351) and only needs three more blocks to match the school's career record (171). The Horned Frogs led the Big 12 in field-goal percentage (49.9, eighth in Division I), were second in 3-point percentage (40.0, 17th) and four players rank inside the top 12 in the conference in field-goal percentage - including sophomore guard Desmond Bane (12.8 points, league-best 47.2 3-point percentage).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Orange are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 vs. Big 12.
* Horned Frogs are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up loss.
* Under is 6-2 in Orange's last 8 neutral site games.
* Over is 6-1 in Horned Frogs' last 7 non-conference games.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 61 percent of bettors taking the underdogs from Syracuse, while 56 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.




(12) New Mexico St. Aggies vs (5) Clemson Tigers (-5, 133)

Game to be played at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.

March Madness Betting Breakdown: No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 New Mexico State
The No. 5 Clemson Tigers takes on the No. 12 New Mexico State Aggies as 5-point favorites in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

Clemson is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven seasons, heading into a first-round matchup in the Midwest Regional on Friday in San Diego against No. 12 seed New Mexico State. The fifth-seeded Tigers, who finished tied for third place in the rugged ACC, stumbled down the stretch by losing three games in a row before winning three of its final five games before succumbing to Virginia in the conference semifinals.

The Tigers have relied on a stellar defense that is ranked 35th in the nation in opposing field-goal percentage (41 percent) and 29th in the country in blocked shots per contest (4.8 per game) entering Sunday's action. Clemson overcame the season-ending injury to Donte Grantham as junior guard Marcquise Reed finished 10th in the ACC in scoring at 15.9 points per game and ranked fifth in steals at steals per contest (1.7). Led by first-year head coach Chris Jans, the Aggies won the West Coast Conference for the fifth consecutive season and tied the program record for most wins in a season. Following a two-game losing streak, New Mexico State won its final six games entering the NCAAs.

TV: 9:57 p.m. ET, truTV

LINE HISTORY: Clemson opened as 5-point favorites and as of Thursday night that number has yet to move. The total hit betting boards at 133.5 and has been bet down slightly to 133.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE: Senior forward Jemerrio Jones earned conference tournament MVP honors after averaging 12.3 points and 18.3 rebounds. Senior guard Zach Lofton scored 24.3 points per game in the tournament and is shooting 38.2 percent from 3-point range, hitting six from long range in the WAC semifinal victory over Seattle. The Aggies are one of the best defensive teams in the country, leading the WAC and ranking fifth nationally in opposing field-goal percentage (39.2 percent) and rebounding margin (9.1).

ABOUT CLEMSON: Reed struggled in the semifinal loss to Virginia but shot 19-for-34 from the field in averaging 18.3 points per game in his previous three contests. Senior guard Gabe DeVoe also elevated his game after the Grantham injury, posting two 25-point performances in his past five contests. The Tigers hit 75.7 percent of their free-throw attempts this season, second in the ACC and 40th in the country.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Aggies are 6-2-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
* Tigers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
* Under is 7-3 in Aggies' last 10 overall.
* Under is 4-0 in Tigers' last 4 non-conference games.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 51 percent of bettors taking the underdogs from New Mexico St., while 51 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.