Sweet Sixteen: Kansas Has Virtual Home Game Against Purdue

Purdue's Size & Inside Game Cause Problems

Sprint Center in Kansas City will be host to the Purdue Boilermakers and the Kansas Jayhawks Sweet Sixteen matchup on Thursday. Kansas City is only 35 miles from the Jayhawks campus. This will be a virtual home game and a rowdy crowd is expected.

Oddsmakers opened the Jayhawks as -4.5-point favorites versus the Boilermakers, while the game's total opened at 156. The Jayhawks are now 5-point favorites and the total has fell to 155.

Kansas was a 90-70 winner in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 against the Michigan State Spartans. They covered the -7.5-point spread as favorites. The Jayhawks start four guards.  Two are Josh Jackson and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk who stand at 6-foot-8. They get more than 60 of their 83 points per game from their four guards.

Purdue won a 80-76 thriller against the Iowa State Cyclones in their NCAA second round matchup. They covered as a -1-point favorite. The Boilermakers have 6-8 Vince Edwards, who scores 12.7 points per game. The 7-2 Isaac Haas scores 12.6 points per game will create matchup problems for Kansas. National Player of the Year candidate Caleb Swanigan is 6-9 and 250 pounds. He averages 18.5 points and 12.6 rebounds. He's also a quality passer, averaging 3.0 assists.

Sweet Sixteen Betting Trends

Purdue:
Team record: 27-7 SU,19-10-2 ATS
Purdue is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Purdue's last 6 games

Kansas:
Team record: 30-4 SU,13-18-1 ATS
Kansas is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Kansas is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas's last 5 games

Get all of your College Basketball Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.

Sweet Sixteen: Gonzaga and West Virginia Play Out West

Can Zags Handle WVA Gritty Defense

The West Virginia Mountaineers and the Gonzaga Bulldogs battle on Thursday at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.

Gonzaga is bracing itself for the challenge West Virginia's defense presents.  West Virginia caused Notre Dame to commit 14 turnovers in their 2nd round matchup. Notre Dame was second nationally turning the ball over 9.5 times a game. Gonzaga has to play heads up as they had 13 turnovers against the Northwestern in the last round of the NCAA Tournament.

Oddsmakers opened the Bulldogs as -3-point favorites versus the Mountaineers, while the game's total opened at 146.5. Gonzaga is still a 3-point favorite, but the total has climbed to 150.

In their last action, Gonzaga was a 79-73 winner in the NCAA Tournament 2nd round against the Northwestern Wildcats. They failed to cover the -10-point spread as favorites. Nigel Williams-Goss has a better than 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio This season. He has 161 assists and 72 turnovers. Josh Perkins has less favorable numbers with 113 assists and 68 turnovers. Perkins handles the ball a good portion of the time, so look for the Mountaineers to pressure him.

West Virginia won its NCAA 2nd round matchup, a 83-71 result, against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on March 18. They covered in that game as a -3-point favorite. West Virginia leads the nation in turnovers forced per game at 20.1. They force their opponents to turn the ball over on 28 percent of their possessions, which leads the nation.

Sweet Sixteen Betting Trends

West Virginia:
Team record: 28-8 SU,16-16-1 ATS
West Virginia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
West Virginia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of West Virginia's last 6 games

Gonzaga:
Team record: 34-1 SU,23-10-1 ATS
Current Streak: won 5 straight games.
Gonzaga is 17-7-1 ATS in its last 25 games
Gonzaga is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Gonzaga is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

Get all of your College Basketball Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.

Sweet 16: Oregon Slight Underdog to Michigan

 

The fans at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri will see the Michigan Wolverines and the Oregon Ducks when tangle on Thursday.

Michigan's run through the Big Ten tournament has been well-chronicled. It started with the teams plane sliding off the runway on the way to the event. The No. 7 seed Wolverines are not a fairy-tale story like some would have you believe. They earned their way to the Sweet 16 with gutsy victories over Oklahoma State and the Louisville Cardinals in the NCAA Tournament.

Oddsmakers opened the Wolverines as 0-point favorites versus the Ducks, while the game's total opened at 146.5. Michigan has inched ahead as a 1-point favorite while the total is at 147.5.

Oregon was a 75-72 winner in their most recent outing at home against Rams. They failed to cover the -4.5-point spread as favorites. Forward Dillon Brooks is the Ducks' leading scorer at 16.4 points per game. He shot only 7 of 20 against Rhode Island but still scored 19 points. Oregon lost center Chris Boucher to a season-ending injury in the Pac-12 Conference tournament. The injury has forced Oregon to play small. Brooks (6-foot-7) and Jordan Bell (6-9) make up the frontcourt. Guard Tyler Dorsey has recorded four straight games over 20 points, including 27 against the Rams.

Michigan was a 73-69 winner in its last match on the road against Cardinals. They covered the +3-point spread as underdogs. Michigan is a well-balanced team, and has been all year.  The Wolverines have four players averaging between 11.0 and 15.4 points. Those same four players are leading the team in rebounding as well.

Sweet 16 Betting Odds and Trends

Michigan:
Team record: 26-11 SU,17-17 ATS
Current Streak: won 7 straight games.
Michigan is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Michigan is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Michigan's last 11 games

Oregon:
Team record: 31-5 SU,20-14-1 ATS
Oregon is 16-6-1 ATS in its last 23 games
Oregon is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Oregon's last 9 games

Get all of your College Basketball Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.

Hawks Visit Wizards in Meeting of Eastern Playoff Contenders

Wizards May Have Way With Depleted Hawks

The Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks both seem to have a grip on a playoff spot. The two will meet on Wednesday at 8PM ET in the nation’s capital.

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The Hawks aren’t a flashy team by any means. They’re one of the most balanced offensively in the league. They have six players, including Paul Millsap, averaging double digits for points. The Hawks must find a positive result without their leading man, as Paul Millsap will miss his third straight game with a left knee injury. Atlanta lost its past four games and is 3-7 in its last 10 games.

The Hawks may have to rely a little more on their tough defense. Atlanta's defense is sixth in opponent field goal percentage.

Atlanta's chances of home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs are in trouble. Sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, the Hawks are closer to ninth-place Detroit than fourth-place Toronto. The top eight teams reach the playoffs.

The Hawks will have their hands full with the Wizards. The Wiz are fifth in points scored. John Wall (23 points, almost 11 assists per game) and Bradley Beal (23 points) are finally fulfilling their promise in the backcourt. The Wizards’ defense still has some work to do though. They’re 22^nd in points allowed and could be a liability in the run into the playoffs.

Atlanta is 6-4 straight up and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 meetings with the Wizards. Wahsington has won two of three games against the Hawks this season. Atlanta won the first meeting 114-99 at home in October. The Wizards won 95-92 in Washington in November, and then 112-86 in Atlanta in January.

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Sweet 16 Bracket Contest Open Now at BetPhoenix

Place Your Entries

Sweet 16 Prize Pool

1^{st --} $2500

2^{nd --} $1500

3^{rd --} $1000

4^{th --} $800

5^{th -}  $600

6^th - 15^{th --} $300

16^th - 40^{th --} $170

41^st - 50^{th --} $125

Dead Last Place -- $100

*Prizes will be granted as free play money.

Bracket contest will close on March 23^th at 7:00PM ET.

 

Sweet 16 Bracket Contest

All accounts that have a deposit since November 11, 2016 will receive 1 courtesy free entry.

• Players can gain additional entries. One additional entry will be awarded for every $200 deposited to your account.


• The deposits have to have been made between February 1st, 2017 and March 23^rd, 2017. Tip-off of the tournament's first Sweet 16 game will be the deadline used to determine free entries.


• Each playersbracket entries must be received by March 23^rd, 2017 by tip-off of the first game.


• Once the Sweet 16 game times are posted, BetPhoenix will put the exact time the contest closes for new entries.


• Entries submitted after the cut off time will not be accepted.

Prizes will be awarded based on performance as follows:

• 1st Place - $2500


• 2nd Place - $1500


• 3rd Place - $1000


• 4th Place - $800


• 5th Place - $600


• 6th Place to 15th place - $300


• 16th Place to 40th Place - $170


• 41st Place to 50th Place - $125


• Dead Last Place  will win $100

BRACKET CONTEST CLOSING TIME: TIP-OFF OF THE TOURNAMENT’S FIRST SWEET 16 GAME.

• Entries earned by deposits to Bet Phoenix are eligible to win a Maximum Prize of: $2500.


• The top 50 performers in the contest are eligible for prize money.


• The absolute worst performer is also eligible for prize money.


• The finishing place will be decided by both selection accuracy and the time the entry was submitted.


• Clients may have multiple entries. Only under the same account number. Will be based on 1 free entry plus any entries resulting from deposits of $200 or more.


• Accounts with more than 1 winning entry will only get the higher prize awarded.


• The Entry submission time is the tie-breaking factor where accuracy of selections is equal.


• All prizes will be credited in free play money.  The free plays will have an 8x rollover before any withdrawal can be made from account.


• The free play prizes can only be used in the Sportsbook.


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• If the only entry the customer has is the courtesy free entry and wins any of the prize money,  the customer will only be entitled to receive 25% of the full prize.


• All of the prizes will have a maximum cash out of 2x the amount of the prize awarded.


• Prizes will be credited in the CB accounts. In order to access your account just log in by adding the CB prefix to your account number and use your regular password.


• The Prizes will be awarded on Monday, April 10^th, 2017.


• Bracket contest will be open on Monday, March 20^th at 2:00PM ET

 

NBA Tuesday Preview & Free Pick- Chicago at Toronto

Bulls on Outside Looking in for Playoffs

The Chicago Bulls kick off Tuesday night’s NBA double header of action on ESPN with a trip north of the boarder to face the Toronto Raptors. BetAnySports opened Toronto as a 6.5-point home favorite for this 7 p.m. (ET) tip with the total set at 203. The line now has the Raptors as 7-point favorites and the total is all the way down to 198.

Chicago (33-37) is on the outside looking in as far as earning a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. With just two straight-up wins in its last nine games, the Bulls need to turn things around. It did manage to get past Utah 95-86 on Saturday. They were a 6.5-point home underdog on BetAnySports’ closing line. It was just the third time the Bulls covered against the spread during this nine-game slide. The total stayed UNDER 192.5 points in that game. The total has stayed UNDER in eight of their last 10 contests.

The Bulls got a big effort from Bobby Portis off the bench in Saturday’s game. The come-from-behind upset had Portis scoring 22 points. Jimmy Butler once again led the way with a team-high 23 points to match his scoring average of the year. Chicago has failed to score more than 100 points in eight of its last 10 games and on the year it is ranked 25^th in the league in points per game (101.8).

Toronto May be Peaking at Right Time

Toronto is building some momentum for the post season with a 3-1 record in its last four games (SU and ATS) while winning all three contests by double digits. It hammered Indiana on Sunday 116-91 as a 2.5-point home favorite after beating Detroit 87-75 last Friday as a 3.5-point road underdog with BetAnySports. The Raptors are 41-29 SU on the year with a 23-12 record at home. They have covered in four of their last six home games with the total going OVER in three of their last five games at home.

DeMar DeRozan led the way against the Pacers with 22 points and all five of Toronto’s starters ended that game in double figures. In the recent victory in Detroit, Serge Ibaka posted 17 points and nine rebounds to help lead the way. Overall, the Raptors are the 10^th-highest scoring team in the NBA this season with 106.9 PPG. They have also been solid on defense with a points-allowed average of 103.1 points.

Toronto has already lost to Chicago twice on the road this season; however given the current form of both teams I would lay the 7 points at BetAnySports and take the Raptors both SU and ATS on Tuesday night.

 

UCLA and Cincinnati Battle in South Regional of NCAA's

UCLA and Cincinnati Vie for Sweet 16 Spot

The Cincinnati Bearcats and the UCLA Bruins will on Sunday at the Golden 1 Center. A spot in the South Regional Sweet Sixteen will be on the line. Both teams had relatively easy wins in their opening round matchups in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The Bruins are vying for their third Sweet 16 bid in the past four years, while the Bearcats haven't been to the Sweet 16 since 2012.

Oddsmakers opened the Bruins as -3-point favorites versus the Bearcats, while the game's total opened at 153. The line has inched up to UCLA -3.5 and the total is at 153.5 at most sportsbooks.

UCLA was a 97-80 winner in its first round matchup against the Kent State Golden Flashes. They failed to cover the -19-point spread as favorites. TJ Leaf had 23 points and six rebounds for UCLA. Thomas Welsh had 16 points and eight rebounds. Lonzo Ball had 15 points with four rebounds and three assists. Aaron Holiday had 15 points and 11 rebounds coming off the bench.

Cincinnati won its first round matchup with a 75-61 route against the Kansas State Wildcats on March 17. They covered in that game as a -3-point favorite. Troy Caupain had 23 points and seven rebounds for the Bearcats. Kyle Washington scored 16 points. Gary Clark had 15 points and seven rebounds.

Betting Trends and Stats

Cincinnati:
Team record: 30-5 SU,18-14-1 ATS
Cincinnati is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Cincinnati is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games

UCLA:
Team record: 30-4 SU,16-18 ATS
The Bruins are 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The Bruins are 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of UCLA's last 11 games

Get all of your College Basketball Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.

UCLA and Cincinnati Battle in South Regional of NCAA's

UCLA and Cincinnati Vie for Sweet 16 Spot

The Cincinnati Bearcats and the UCLA Bruins will on Sunday at the Golden 1 Center. A spot in the South Regional Sweet Sixteen will be on the line. Both teams had relatively easy wins in their opening round matchups in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The Bruins are vying for their third Sweet 16 bid in the past four years, while the Bearcats haven't been to the Sweet 16 since 2012.

Oddsmakers opened the Bruins as -3-point favorites versus the Bearcats, while the game's total opened at 153. The line has inched up to UCLA -3.5 and the total is at 153.5 at most sportsbooks.

UCLA was a 97-80 winner in its first round matchup against the Kent State Golden Flashes. They failed to cover the -19-point spread as favorites. TJ Leaf had 23 points and six rebounds for UCLA. Thomas Welsh had 16 points and eight rebounds. Lonzo Ball had 15 points with four rebounds and three assists. Aaron Holiday had 15 points and 11 rebounds coming off the bench.

Cincinnati won its first round matchup with a 75-61 route against the Kansas State Wildcats on March 17. They covered in that game as a -3-point favorite. Troy Caupain had 23 points and seven rebounds for the Bearcats. Kyle Washington scored 16 points. Gary Clark had 15 points and seven rebounds.

Betting Trends and Stats

Cincinnati:
Team record: 30-5 SU,18-14-1 ATS
Cincinnati is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Cincinnati is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games

UCLA:
Team record: 30-4 SU,16-18 ATS
The Bruins are 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The Bruins are 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of UCLA's last 11 games

Get all of your College Basketball Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.

Kansas Faces a Gritty Michican State Team in NCAA's

Can Freshman Laden Spartans Shock Kansas?

The fans at BOK Center will see the young and gritty Michigan State Spartans battle the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 on Sunday. The freshman-laden Spartans are the No. 9 seed in the Midwest so college basketball fans get a battle between college basketball royalty in the second round.

Oddsmakers opened the Jayhawks as -8.5-point favorites versus the Spartans, while the game's total opened at 147.5. The line has fell to Kansas being a 7.5-point favorite and the total has climbed to 148.5 at most sportsbooks.

In their last action, Kansas was a 100-62 winner in the first round against the UC-Davis Aggies. They covered the -22.5-point spread as favorites. Kansas is led by Frank Mason III. He had 22 points and eight assists in the Jayhawks first-round win. Mason is joined in the starting lineup by

Michigan State was a 78-58 winner in their opening round matchup against the Miami Hurricanes. They covered the +1.5-point spread as underdogs. The Spartans overcame an early 12-point deficit and stormed ahead of the Hurricanes by 11 points at halftime. Michigan State then kept their foot on the gas pedeal in the second half and refused to let Miami back in the contest.

Betting Odds Trends

Michigan State Spartans (20-14 SU,18-15 ATS)
Michigan State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Michigan State is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Kansas
Michigan State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Kansas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Michigan State's last 5 games when playing Kansas

Kansas Jayhawks (29-4 SU,12-18-1 ATS)
Kansas is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Kansas is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas's last 6 games
Kansas is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Michigan State
Kansas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Michigan State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas's last 5 games when playing Michigan State

 

Get all of your College Basketball Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.

Kansas Faces a Gritty Michican State Team in NCAA's

Can Freshman Laden Spartans Shock Kansas?

The fans at BOK Center will see the young and gritty Michigan State Spartans battle the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 on Sunday. The freshman-laden Spartans are the No. 9 seed in the Midwest so college basketball fans get a battle between college basketball royalty in the second round.

Oddsmakers opened the Jayhawks as -8.5-point favorites versus the Spartans, while the game's total opened at 147.5. The line has fell to Kansas being a 7.5-point favorite and the total has climbed to 148.5 at most sportsbooks.

In their last action, Kansas was a 100-62 winner in the first round against the UC-Davis Aggies. They covered the -22.5-point spread as favorites. Kansas is led by Frank Mason III. He had 22 points and eight assists in the Jayhawks first-round win. Mason is joined in the starting lineup by

Michigan State was a 78-58 winner in their opening round matchup against the Miami Hurricanes. They covered the +1.5-point spread as underdogs. The Spartans overcame an early 12-point deficit and stormed ahead of the Hurricanes by 11 points at halftime. Michigan State then kept their foot on the gas pedeal in the second half and refused to let Miami back in the contest.

Betting Odds Trends

Michigan State Spartans (20-14 SU,18-15 ATS)
Michigan State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Michigan State is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Kansas
Michigan State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Kansas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Michigan State's last 5 games when playing Kansas

Kansas Jayhawks (29-4 SU,12-18-1 ATS)
Kansas is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Kansas is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas's last 6 games
Kansas is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Michigan State
Kansas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Michigan State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas's last 5 games when playing Michigan State

 

Get all of your College Basketball Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.