Thursday 12/3/20 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Steve Janus

Dec 03 '20, 7:00 PM in 4h
NCAA-B | Connecticut vs USC
Play on: USC +1½ -109 at Draft Kings

1* Free NCAAB Play on USC +1½ -109
The Trojans (+1.5) are worth a look in Thursday's college hoops action. USC will take on Connecticut in the Mohegan Sun bubble in Uncasville. Lot to like with this USC team. Trojans come in 3-0 and fresh off a 79-53 thrashing of a good BYU team. It's only a matter of time before USC is ranked in the Top 25. They got one of the best freshmen in the country in 7ft big man Evan Mobley. He's been every bit as good as advertised. Uconn is a quality team and off to a 2-0 start of their own, but have played two bad teams in Central Connecticut and Hartford. I do not think they should be favored in this one. Play USC +1.5!

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Jeff Alexander

Dec 03 '20, 7:00 PM in 4h
NCAA-B | Marshall vs Wright State
Play on: Wright State +1½ -109 at Draft Kings

1* CBB - Marshall/Wright State *FREE PICK* on Wright State +1.5
Give me Wright State as a home dog against the Thundering Herd. The Raiders are the consensus pick to win the Horizon League this year. A big reason for that is they bring back the reigning Horizon Player of the Year in center Loudon Love. I look for Love to have his way against a Marshall team that isn't all that strong in the frontcourt. I just don't trust the Thundering Herd on the road. Marshall won their only game by 14 over Arkansas State, but they were up just 3 points with roughly 10 mins to play in the 2nd half. Marshall can score a lot of points, but they don't play a lot of defense. I trust Wright State a lot more to get stops in this game. Bet is on the Raiders +1.5!

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John Martin

Dec 03 '20, 8:00 PM in 5h
NCAA-B | Texas-San Antonio vs Oklahoma
Play on: Oklahoma -15 -110 at BMaker

1 Unit FREE PLAY on Oklahoma -15
The Oklahoma Sooners went 19-12 last season and return 70% of their scoring from a year ago. They are led by seniors Brady Manek and Austin Reaves, who averaged 14.4 and 14.7 points per game respectively last season. These teams have met each of the last three seasons with the Sooners winning every time by 12, 20 and 18 points. The Roadrunners were just blasted 64-81 as 5.5-point favorites to UTRGV, failing to cover the spread by 22.5 points. They stand little chance of keeping this game competitive against a veteran Oklahoma team that is ready to play its first game of the season. UTSA is 0-10 ATS in its last 10 games after going under the total in its previous game. The Roadrunners are 6-18 ATS in their last 24 road games. Give me Oklahoma.

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Bryan Leonard

Dec 03 '20, 8:00 PM in 5h
NCAA-B | Niagara vs Syracuse
Play on: Niagara +19 -109 at Draft Kings

753 Niagara at Syracuse
The way to beat the Syracuse zone is outside shooting, and the Purple Eagles have that in droves. This team brought back all five starters from a year ago and has excellent guard play. It's the first game of the season and Niagara doesn't play again for eight more days. So this contest gets the full attention from Greg Paulus and company.
Syracuse is missing a key big man here. The Orange barely survived its opener over a very similar Bryant team 85-84. In that game Syracuse didn't show the tight defense this team in known for. Plenty of value with the dog here who has already been popular in the early betting markets.
PLAY NIAGARA

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Mike Williams

Dec 03 '20, 8:05 PM in 5h
NCAA-B | Idaho vs CS Sacramento
Play on: Idaho +9½ -110 at Draft Kings

1* on Idaho +9½ -110

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Cole Faxon

Dec 03 '20, 8:05 PM in 5h
NCAA-B | Idaho vs CS Sacramento
Play on: Idaho +9½ -110 at sportsbook

FREE PLAY on Idaho +9½ -110

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Dustin Hawkins

Dec 03 '20, 8:05 PM in 5h
NCAA-B | Idaho vs CS Sacramento
Play on: Idaho +9 -110 at Draft Kings

1 Dimer on Idaho +9 -110

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Sean Murphy

Dec 03 '20, 9:00 PM in 6h
NCAA-B | Montana vs Southern Utah
Play on: Montana +1 -115 at Draft Kings

Thursday CBB Free play. My selection is on Montana over Southern Utah at 9 pm et on Thursday.
Montana is coming off a tough season-opening loss to USC but should bounce back in this more favorable matchup against Southern Utah. The Grizzlies got off to a miserable start in that game, falling behind 19 points before halftime. They managed to make things respectable in the second half but there's obviously plenty of room for improvement heading into their second game. Note that Montana shot 4-of-17 from the three-point line and 16-of-26 from the charity stripe. Here, the Grizzlies will face a Southern Utah squad that opened the season with an 85-83 loss to Loyola Marymount before defeating little known St. Katherine College in a rout. Due to the latter 95-47 win, the Thunderbirds numbers are a little skewed entering this one. Take Montana (8*).

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Dave Price

Dec 03 '20, 9:30 PM in 6h
NCAA-B | Florida vs Boston College
Play on: Boston College +6 -110 at betonline

Dave’s Thursday Free Play:
1* on Boston College +6
The Key: The Boston College Eagles have been impressive this season in spite of a 1-2 start. They covered in a 9-point loss to Villanova as 15-point dogs. They upset Rhode Island 69-64, and they only lost to St. John’s 93-97. Winston Tabbs has been one of the great comeback stories in all of college basketball. He suffered a season-ending knee injury back in January of 2019 that kept him out all of last season. And now Tabbs is averaging 16.7 PPG through three games for the Eagles. Florida played its first game of the season yesterday and needed a 9-0 run to finish to beat a terrible Army team 76-69 as 23.5-point favorites. That’s a real bad look for the Gators, and now they’ll have to play for a 2nd consecutive day here. Boston College has had the last 2 days off and will be the fresher, more prepared team in this one. The Eagles are live underdogs tonight. Take Boston College.

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Brandon Lee

Dec 03 '20, 9:30 PM in 6h
NCAA-B | Florida vs Boston College
Play on: Boston College +6½ -110 at William Hill

PICK - Boston College +6.5
RATING: 30*
ROT#: 772
I will gladly take the points here with the Eagles, as they get ready to take on Florida in the Romans Legends Classic. Big edge here for BC in this matchup. Eagles haven't played since Monday. Gators on the other hand are playing on no rest, as they took on Army yesterday.
Definitely feel like Florida's legs could be a little heavy in this one. They got off to a really slow start against the Black Knights, as they trailed by 9 at the half. Gators had to use up a lot of energy to rally for the win.
Another thing I like with BC is they are going to come out extremely motivated after not playing up to their potential in a 93-97 loss to St. John's. Eagles are definitely battle tested, as they opened with Villanova (gave them all they could handle) and then played and beat a good Rhode Island team.
Note that Eagles were favored in that loss to the Red Storm. That sets up BC in a very favorable spot, as they are a dominant 23-6 ATS away from home after an upset loss as a favorite. Give me the Eagles +6.5!

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Ben Burns

Dec 03 '20, 9:30 PM in 6h
NCAA-B | Florida vs Boston College
Play on: Florida -5½ -110 at Mirage

Florida should be among the stronger teams in the SEC while Boston College will be among the weaker ones in the ACC. BC is just 3-8 ATS (0-11 SU!) the past 11 times it was listed as a neutral court underdog in the 6.5 to 9 range. Florida, meanwhile, is 12-6 ATS the past 18 times it was listed as a neutral court favorite in that range. While the Gators weren't at their best against Army yesterday, they still pulled away for a 7-point win. I expect that game to serve as a bit of a wake-up call and I like the fact that they're right back in action again this evening. While the Eagles have played reasonably well, that last loss (97-93 against St. Johns) figures to be deflating. I look for the Gators to pull away for a double-digit win. Consider laying the points.

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Larry Ness

Dec 03 '20, 9:30 PM in 6h
NCAA-B | Florida vs Boston College
Play on: Florida -5½ -110 at Draft Kings

My free play is on Florida at 9:30 ET.

Florida didn't open its 2020-21 season until last night (season got underway a week ago Wednesday) and had to come from behind to beat Army, 76-69. A narrow win over a Patriot League opponent is hardly impressive but note that Army was playing its FOURTH game. Florida's Mike White began his head coaching career at La Tech and despite winning 27, 29 and 27 games in his final three seasons at the school, the Bulldogs were NIT-bound each time. However, White was named head coach at Florida when Billy Donovan (after 19 years) left to become head coach of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. White won 20-plus games in each of his first four seasons at Florida, before going 19-12 when last year's season was cut short.

Jim Christian had an excellent six-year run at Kent St, winning 20-plus games each year and averaging 22.8 wins per season. He took on the challenge at TCU and failed miserably, going 56-73 in four seasons. He returned to the MAC with Ohio U but 24-10 and 25-12 seasons brought only NIT and CIT postseason appearances. It was then on to BC and in six seasons, he's had just ONE winning campaign, going 75-119 overall. BC has opened the current season at 1-2.

The Gators lost Blackshear (12.8 & 7.6) to graduation and Nemhard (11.2 & 5.6), who transferred to Gonzaga. However, he used a six-man rotation in the team's first game and it looked pretty good. Sophomore Tre Mann scored 19 points to lead the Gators, nailing 7 of 8 free throws in the last minute. Fellow guard Tyree Appleby (a Cleveland St transfer) came off the bench to score 15 points, while 6-11 Colin Castleton, a Michigan transfer, contributed nine points and eight rebounds. SF Johnson was last year's leading scorer at 14.0 PPG while adding 7.1 RPG, and he scored 16 points. Guards Lewis (eight) and Locke (seven) also contributed.

Boston College is playing its fourth consecutive game in "Bubbleville." After a close loss to then-No. 3 Villanova and a solid win over Rhode Island, the Eagles were outgunned 97-93 against St. John's on Monday. Wynston Tabbs scored 23 vs St John's and has averaged 16.7 PPG and 5.0 RPG. It was just his third game since Jan 20, 2019, when he sustained a season-ending knee injury that also kept him out of the lineup last season. Jay Heath missed the Rhode Island game (ankle) but returned vs St John's and last season's leading scorer at 13.1 PPG is averaging 14.5 PPG after two games. Up front it's the 6-8 Steffon Mitchell (7.7 & 9.0) and the 6-7 Felder (10.7).

I like the fact that Florida comes right back for a game tonight, after its unimpressive win over Army. BC gave up 97 points to St John's, allowing the Red Storm to shoot 52.9% for the game. Florida is a better team than St John's and expect the Gators to win "with room to spare!"

Good luck...Larry

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Totals Guru

Dec 03 '20, 9:30 PM in 6h
NCAA-B | Florida vs Boston College
Play on: OVER 142½ -110

Free Total Annihilator On Florida vs Boston College over 142½ -110

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741CHICAGO ST -742 E ILLINOIS
CHICAGO ST is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in road games after 1 or more consecutive unders in the last 3 seasons.

743WASHINGTON -744 UTAH
WASHINGTON is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) in road games after 1 or more consecutive unders in the last 3 seasons.

745TENNESSEE TECH -746 N KENTUCKY
Darrin Horn is 11-3 ATS (7.7 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 (Coach of N KENTUCKY)

745TENNESSEE TECH -746 N KENTUCKY
N KENTUCKY is 11-3 ATS (7.7 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 2 seasons.

747MARSHALL -748 WRIGHT ST
WRIGHT ST is 18-8 ATS (9.2 Units) in home games in the last 3 seasons.

751CONNECTICUT -752 USC
USC is 12-3 ATS (8.7 Units) in road games vs. winning teams over the last 2 seasons.

753NIAGARA -754 SYRACUSE
SYRACUSE is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games when the total is 140 to 149.5 in the last 3 seasons.

755LA-MONROE -756 LOUISIANA TECH
LOUISIANA TECH is 17-7 ATS (9.3 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 in the last 3 seasons.

757VMI -758 VIRGINIA TECH
Mike Young is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting <=18 free throws/game (Coach of VIRGINIA TECH)

757VMI -758 VIRGINIA TECH
VIRGINIA TECH is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting <=18 free throws/game over the last 2 seasons.

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NCAAB

Thursday, December 3

Washington vs Utah
Washington (0-2)
— 3 starters back from LY’s 15-17 team
— picked 10th in Pac-12 by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #99 by KenPom
— Huskies scored only 47 ppg in losing first two games.
— Washington made 8 of its first 44 shots on the arc.
— Losing by 15 at home to Cal-Riverside is a major red flag.

Utah
— 4 starters back from LY’s 16-15 team
— picked 5th in Pac-12 by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #56 by KenPom
— This is Utah’s season opener.
— Utes have 8 of their top 9 guys back from last year.

— Utah won seven of its last nine games with Washington.
— Huskies lost six of last seven visits to Salt Lake City.

Marshall vs Wright State
Marshall (1-0)
— 5 starters back from LY’s 17-15 team
— picked 4th in C-USA by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #94 by KenPom
— Marshall won its opener 70-56 over Arkansas State.
— Thundering Herd shot 58.5% inside arc, 5-25 on arc.
— Marshall’s opener was 77 possessions, a very fast pace.

Wright State
— 3 starters back from LY’s 25-7 team
— picked 1st in Horizon by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #113 by KenPom
— This is Wright State’s season opener.
— Raiders won 111 games the last five years.

UConn vs USC
UConn (2-0)
— 4 starters back from LY’s 19-12 team
— picked 4th in Big East by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #53 by KenPom
— UConn beat a couple stiffs, by 27-12 points.
— Huskies rebounded 48.6% of their own missed shots so far.
— UConn is moving up in class with this opponent.

USC (3-0)
— 1 starter back from LY’s 22-9 team
— picked 8th in Pac-12 by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #45 by KenPom
— USC won its first three games, beating BYU by 26.
— Opponents are shooting only 36% inside arc against the Trojans
— USC starts a freshman, two sophs.

Niagara @ Syracuse
Niagara
— 5 starters back from LY’s 12-20 team
— picked 4th in MAAC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #248 by KenPom
— This is Niagara’s season opener.
— Purple Eagles lost 71-57 here last year.
— Niagara coach Paulus played hoop at Duke, but played QB at Syracuse after that.

Syracuse (1-0)
— 4 starters back from LY’s 18-14 team
— picked 9th in ACC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #47 by KenPom
— beat Bryant 85-84 in their opener; they were down 7 at half.
— Syracuse played five guys 33:00+; not a lot of depth.
— Last six years, Syracuse is 56-56 in ACC games.

UL-Monroe @ Louisiana Tech
UL-Monroe
— 1 starter back from LY’s 9-20 team
— picked 11th in Sun Belt by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #262 by KenPom
— This is ULM’s season opener.
— Had 3 guys transfer out, have several good JC players now.

Louisiana Tech (2-0)
— 1 starter back from LY’s 22-8 team
— picked 9th in C-USA by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #109 by KenPom
— Tech scored 83.5 ppg in wins over Tex-Arlington, Northwestern State.
— Bulldogs made 20 of their first 46 3-point shots.
— Tech was 22-8, tied for 2nd in C-USA last year.

Western Illinois @ Iowa
Western Illinois
— 0 starters back from LY’s 5-21 team
— picked last in Summit by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #345 by KenPom
— This is Western Illinois’ season opener.
— Leathernecks’ new coach is Rob Jeter, who used to coach Milwaukee.
— WIU brought in five JC kids, three freshmen.

Iowa (2-0)
— 5 starters back from LY’s 20-11 team
— picked and in Big 14 by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #12 by KenPom
— Scored 100 ppg in beating couple stiffs, by 30-27 points.
— Hawkeyes made 40.7% of their 3’s so far.
— Iowa’s next game is against North Carolina Tuesday.

Omaha @ Drake
Omaha (1-3)
— 2 starters back from LY’s 16-16 team
— picked 5th in Summit by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #204 by KenPom
— Mavericks turned ball over 23.1% of time so far.
— Mavericks are shooting only 45.6% inside arc, 24.1% on arc.
— Omaha played nine guys 10:00+ in Tuesday’s 94-67 loss at Creighton.

Drake (2-0)
— 3 starters back from LY’s 20-14 team
— picked 7th in MVC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #134 by KenPom
— Upset K-State in Manhattan, beat South Dakota by 16.
— Bulldogs start two seniors, three juniors.
— Drake is 46-24 SU the last 2+ seasons.

Tex-San Antonio @ Oklahoma
Tex-San Antonio (1-1)
— 4 starters back from LY’s 13-19 team
— picked 7th in C-USA by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #164 by KenPom
— UTSA beat up on a stiff, then lost to Rio Grande Valley by 17.
— Roadrunners lost 84-67 at Oklahoma last year.
— 8 of their 13 scholarship players are in their 4th year of college.

Oklahoma
— 3 starters back from LY’s 19-12 team
— picked 6th in Big X by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #32 by KenPom
— This is Oklahoma’s season opener.
— Shot 31.8% on arc LY, still went 19-12.
— Sooners are expected to be better this year.

Idaho @ Sacramento State
Idaho
— 3 starters back from LY’s 8-24 team
— picked last in Big Sky by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #338 by KenPom
— This is Idaho’s season opener.
— Idaho has three seniors, who all started 15+ games last year.
— Vandals brought in three recruits, but they never saw any of them play in person before they were signed.

Sacramento State (1-0)
— 2 starters back from LY’s 16-14 team
— picked 8th in Big East by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #235 by KenPom
— Hornets beat an NAIA stiff by 44 in their opener.
— Sacramento was 5th in country in scoring defense (59.7 ppg) LY.
— May trap/press more than in past.

— Teams split last four series games.
— Teams split last four series games played here.
— Teams will meet again here on Saturday.

Montana @ Southern Utah
Montana (0-1)
— 2 starters back from LY’s 18-13 team
— picked 3rd in Big Sky by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #162 by KenPom.
— Fell behind 32-8, lost their opener 76-62 at USC.
— Grizzlies have lot of sophomores, several transfers.
— Last three years, Montana is 46-16 in Big Sky games.

Southern Utah (1-1)
— 2 starters back from LY’s 17-15 team
— picked 7th in Big Sky by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #187 by KenPom.
— Thunderbirds lost at buzzer at LMU, then beat a stiff by 48.
— SUU starts three seniors, two juniors.
— Thunderbirds were 11-25 on arc, led by 12 in the 85-83 loss at LMU.

— Montana is 13-1 vs Southern Utah in Big Sky play, but Thunderbirds beat the Griz in Missoula last year.
— Montana won its last seven visits here, five by 10+ points.
— Teams will meet again here on Saturday.

Florida vs Boston College (@ Mohegan Sun)
Florida (1-0)
— 3 starters back from LY’s 19-12 team
— picked 5th in SEC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #110 by KenPom
— Florida beat Army 76-69 in their opener yesterday; they were down 8 at half.
— Gators outscored Army 24-11 on foul line; no one played 30:00.
— Florida started three juniors, two sophs.

Boston College (1-2)
— 3 starters back from LY’s 13-19 team
— picked 14th in ACC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #80 by KenPom
— BC lost by 9 to Villanova, 4 to St John’s; beat URI by 5.
— Eagles shot 59.6% inside arc so far; their last game was Monday.
— BC shot 65.6% inside arc vs St John’s, but had 19 turnovers.

Arizona State @ California
Arizona State (2-1)
— 2 starters back from LY’s 20-11 team
— picked 3rd in Pac-12 by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #28 by KenPom
— Arizona St beat URI by 6, lost to Villanova by 9 at Mohegan Sun LW.
— ASU scored 89.3 ppg in its first three games.
— Sun Devils have played a very fast pace (#12) so far this season.

California (2-1)
— 3 starters back from LY’s 14-18 team
— picked 9th in Pac-12 by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #123 by KenPom
— Cal lost by 8 at Oregon State, then beat Nicholls State by 11.
— Golden Bears have turned ball over 23.3% of time so far, while playing pace #313.
— Cal starts three seniors and a junior.

— Arizona State won last five series games.
— Sun Devils won last two visits to Berkeley, by 8-14 points.