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Friday Daytime College Opinions
Michigan State (-7 1/2) over Minnesota
09:00 AM Pacific - Rotation 824
Michigan State is an amazing 76-19-2 ATS in their last 97 games as a favorite from 4 to 11 points, including 54-9-1 ATS if their opponents is coming off a win. Minnesota is only 9-18 ATS as an underdog or pick in two seasons under coach Tubby Smith (6-17 ATS at less than +9 points) and the Gophers were beaten by the Spartans twice this season by margins of 12 points and 29 points. My ratings favor MSU by 7 points and I'll lean with the Spartans at -7 1/2 or -8 and I’ll take Michigan State in a 2-Star Best Bet at -7 points or less.
Lsu (-1) over Kentucky
Rotation #840 – 10 am Pacific
Kentucky is perhaps the nation’s most inconsistent team, as they Wildcats are capable of losing to anyone (home to VMI, home to Georgia) while also playing well against good teams at times. LSU already beat the Wildcats in Kentucky and I expect the Tigers to play well today after losing their final two regular season games. LSU coach Trent Johnson has a career record of 16-1-2 ATS as a favorite of less than 15 points following consecutive losses and his teams are also 51-19-3 ATS when not favored by 10 points or more against teams with a win percentage of less than .640 (he beats the teams that he’s supposed to beat). My ratings favor LSU by 1 and I’ll lean with the Tigers at -2 or better.
South Carolina (-2) over Mississippi State
Rotation #842 – 12:20 pm Pacific
Miss State applies to a negative 46-112-5 ATS situation, but the best part of that situation doesn’t apply so I’ll pass on making the Gamecocks a Best Bet. I’ll lean with South Carolina at -2 or less.
Dr.Bob
2 Star Selection
Texas (-4) over Baylor
13-Mar-09 04:00 PM Pacific Time
Baylor has played well in their first two games in this tournament, but the Bears are not suddenly a great team after struggling through the Big 12 schedule in the regular season. Texas beat Baylor twice this season, by an average of 11 points, despite shooting the ball horribly from the outside in both games (4 for 21 3-point shooting), so I’m confident the Longhorns can beat the Bears again. Texas applies to a very good 64-19-2 ATS conference tournament situation and my ratings favor the Horns by 4 points – so the line is fair. I’ll take Texas in a 2-Star Best Bet at -4 points or less and for 3-Stars at -3 or less.
2-Stars at -4 or less, 3-Stars at -3 or less.
2 Star Selection
Tennessee (-7) over Alabama
13-Mar-09 04:30 PM Pacific Time
Tennessee ended the regular season with a 67-70 home loss as a 13 point favorite to Alabama, but the Volunteers should use that loss as extra motivation tonight. Tennessee applies to a 38-5-1 ATS conference tournament revenge situation and Alabama applies to a negative 46-112-5 ATS letdown situation. The Crimson Tide have improved since the injury to Ronald Steele (just 37% shooting), as Anthony Brock has really played well after not playing in the early part of the season. Bama is also better since firing coach Mark Gottfried, but that improvement may have more to do with the change in the lineup than with the coaching. My ratings favor Tennessee by 7 points even using only Alabama’s games with their current lineup and I’ll take Tennessee in a 2-Star Best Bet at -7 ½ or less and for 3-Stars at -6 points.
2-Stars at -7 1/2 or less, 3-Stars at -6.
3 Star Selection
Utah State (-7 ½) over New Mexico State
13-Mar-09 06:00 PM Pacific Time
New Mexico State has won a couple of games in a row against mediocre opposition, but the Aggies have had trouble with good teams and they are just 6-18 ATS as an underdog or pick in coach Marvin Menzies two seasons as head coach. That includes 2 double-digit losses to Utah State this season and New Mexico State applies to a negative 4-29 ATS conference tournament situation that is based on their those two bad outings against Utah State. Utah State has been a consistently good play under coach Stew Morrill when not favored by more than 13 points (123-91-4 ATS, including 12-5 ATS this season) and Utah State has a habit of ending winning streaks – they’re 10-1 ATS the last 4 seasons against teams that have won and covered their last 2 games. My ratings favor Utah State by 9 points and I’ll take Utah State in a 3-Star Best Bet at -8 points or less and for 2-Stars at -8 ½ or -9 points.
3-Stars at -8 or less, 2-Stars at -8 1/2 or -9.
3 Star Selection
Ucla (-6) over Usc
13-Mar-09 08:30 PM Pacific Time
USC needs to win this game to have any hope of an NCAA Tournament bid, but needing to win and being able to are two different things and the Trojans simply don’t match up well with their cross-town rival. USC lost both meetings to the Bruins by an average of 10 points and those losses set up the Trojans in a very negative 4-29 ATS double-revenge angle. UCLA, meanwhile, applies to a very good 111-37-4 ATS momentum situation. My ratings favor UCLA by 6 ½ points, so the line is fair, and I’ll take UCLA in a 3-Star Best Bet at -6 points or less and for 2-Stars at -6 ½ or -7 points.
3-Stars at -6 or less, 2-Stars at -6 1/2 or -7.
Friday Night College Opinion
Dayton (-2 ½) over Duquesne
Rotation #854 – 5:50 pm Pacific
Dayton usually doesn’t win by much, but the Flyers know how to win games. Evidence of that can be found in their 12-1 record in games decided by 6 points or less on their way to a 26-6 record. That record includes a couple of easy wins over Duquesne – by 9 points on the road and by 13 points at home. Tonight the Flyers apply to a 64-19-2 ATS situation but my ratings only favor Dayton by 2 points and I’m not comfortable giving up line value with a Dayton team that plays so many close games. I’ll lean with the Flyers at -2 ½ or -3 points and I’ll take Dayton in a 2-Star Best Bet at -2 or better.
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