Pacers and Thunder in Key NBA Matchup

Thunder the Pacers Lurking in Middle of Pack for NBA Playoff Spots

With the playoffs rapidly approaching, both the Indiana Pacers (45-29 SU, 37-37 ATS) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (43-31 SU, 37-37 ATS) could use a win when they meet this Wednesday at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

TV: ESPN, 8 PM ET. LINE: Thunder -6.5; O/U: 217.5.

The Pacers are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. They are fighting off the Boston Celtics for home-court advantage in the opening round. They’ve been remarkably successful despite the loss of All-Star guard Victor Oladipo with a ruptured quad. Indiana is also 5-9 SU and ATS over the past month. They did beat the Thunder 108-106 on March 14 as a pick’em at home.

Oklahoma City is one of the four teams currently holding down the bottom seeds in the Western Conference playoff hunt. They’re likely to finish anywhere between third and eighth. The Thunder are also in a prolonged slump at 6-11 SU and 4-13 ATS since Valentine’s Day. Paul George’s shooting has been affected by ongoing shoulder issues. Markieff Morris has struggled since he was jettisoned by the Washington Wizards and plucked from the waiver wire on February 20th.

This, That, and a Dart Throw

The Pacers' Bogdanovic poured in a team-high 35 points on 13-of-16 shooting in Sunday's win. He was 5-of-6 from beyond the arc despite sitting out the fourth quarter. The Pacers head into play tonight with a three-game cushion over the fifth-place Boston Celtics. Indiana's last win in Oklahoma City was a 115-111 overtime triumph on Nov. 20, 2016.

The Thunders' Russell Westbrook managed 16 points on 6-of-20 shooting in Monday's loss and blamed himself for the team's struggles. Backup point guard Dennis Schroder was one of the bright spots Monday with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting. C Steven Adams, who is shooting 59.4 percent on the season, is 7-of-23 from the floor over the last three games.

Prediction: Thunder 108, Pacers 101

NBA Betting Odds & Trends

Indiana Pacers
Indiana is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Indiana's last 10 games
Indiana is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games on the road
Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Indiana is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Indiana is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Indiana's last 15 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Oklahoma City is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 7 games at home
Oklahoma City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing Indiana
Oklahoma City is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Indiana
Oklahoma City is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Oklahoma City's last 15 games when playing at home against Indiana

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LeBron James Retweets Sportsbook

Nothing is going right for LeBron James in recent weeks. His team, LA Lakers, didn’t make it to the playoffs. Just over the weekend, the NBA superstar probably got in trouble with the league for retweeting something from an offshore sportsbook.

James retweeted a video posted by MyBookie, an offshore sportsbook based in Curacao. The video showed LA Angels baseball player Mike Trout walking to the home plate. Trout made sports news when he signed a huge 12-year contract with the Angels worth $426.5 million. In fact, it is the largest contract in all of sports.

It is uncertain whether the offshore sportsbook paid LeBron for the Twitter post. However, the damage was already done. The post got 56,000 likes and 7,800 retweets. Also, it is not clear what the NBA will do about James’ social media post. The best pay per head can only dream of getting a free shout out from the NBA superstar.

LeBron James, Offshore Sportsbook, and the NBA

In January, the NBA said it will reinforce its gambling policy. In fact, it is the league’s attempt to ensure the integrity of the games in the age of sports betting. Also, the league wants to educate players and fans However, the NBA hasn’t made any actions against the basketball superstar as of press time.

The NBA wants to emulate the English Premier League when it comes to their sports betting policies. In addition, they want to promote responsible gambling as sports betting become more popular these days.

LeBron James has more than 42 million followers on Twitter. The single Twitter post has a wide reach across the globe. Also, it can help increase the profile of any brand featured in his social media post. It is like a seal of approval for the sportsbook, which has a better endorsement than sportsbooks pay per head reviews.

According to sportsbook pay per head experts, James should make sure he is dealing with legal entities. Whether it is a paid post or not, James must check if the company is a legit one or not. Random retweets can legitimize the brand in the eyes of his fans.

NBA Monday Free Betting Pick- 76ers at Magic

76ers Have Won 6 of Last 7, Peaking for Playoffs

The Philadelphia 76ers head to Orlando this Monday night to face the Magic in the front end of NBA TV’s doubleheader of betting action at BetAnySports. Philadelphia comes in as a 1.5-point favorite with the total set at 219 points. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

The 76ers’
recent straight-up six-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday with a
tight 129-127 loss to Atlanta as 7.5-point road favorites. The total went OVER
the 236-point closing line and it has gone OVER in their last five contests.
Philadelphia (47-26 SU) remains on the road with a SU 18-17 record while going
15-20 against the spread. The total has gone OVER in its last three road games.

Despite the two-point loss on a last second bucket, the Sixers showed excellent scoring balance against Atlanta with all five starters scoring in double figures. Joel Embiid led the way with 27 points to match his team-high 27.5-point scoring average. Philadelphia is ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring with an average of 115.3 points per game and it has been able to score at least 118 points in each of its last five outings.

Magic Still Fighting for Playoff Spot

Orlando remains a game in back of the Miami Heat for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It is 35-38 SU overall with a 38-34-1 record ATS. The Magic started their current five-game homestand with a 29-point victory against Cleveland ahead of two more double-digit wins against Atlanta and New Orleans. They needed overtime to get past Memphis 123-119 on Friday night to extend this SU winning streak to four. Orlando failed to cover in that last win as a 10.5-point favorite to slip to 3-1 ATS in those four wins.

While the Magic are well down the list in scoring this season with an average of 106.1 PPG, they have topped the 119-point mark in three of their last four games. Center Nikola Vucevic is the team’s leading scorer with 20.7 points and he led the way against Memphis with 25 points in Friday’s win. The roster is five deep with players averaging at least 12 PPG.

Philadelphia has the SU 2-1 edge in the season series with Orlando covering BetAnySports’ spread in two of the three games. My lean is towards Philly again SU, but I am betting the OVER on the 219-point line.

NBA Betting Odds & Trends

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Philadelphia's last 23 games
Philadelphia is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Orlando
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 8 games when playing Orlando
Philadelphia is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Philadelphia is 6-18 SU in its last 24 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing on the road against Orlando

Orlando Magic
Orlando is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Orlando is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games
Orlando is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games at home
Orlando is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 6 games at home
Orlando is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Philadelphia
Orlando is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Orlando's last 8 games when playing Philadelphia
Orlando is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Orlando is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

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March Madness: Iowa Hawkeyes vs Cincinnati Bearcats

Red-Hot Bearcats Look to Stave off Hawkeyes

The fans at Nationwide Arena will the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Cincinnati Bearcats when they take their seats on Friday. They square off in the opening round of March Madness. The 2019 edition of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has already shown it is going to be a wild one. This game should be no different.

TV: CBS 12:15 pm EST LINE: Cincinnati -4.5; O/U: 136.5.

Seventh-seeded Cincinnati looks to ride the momentum from an American Athletic Conference Tournament title. The team makes the short drive to Columbus, Ohio to take on 10th seed Iowa in the first round of the South Regional on Friday. The Bearcats knocked off Houston 69-57 in Sunday's AAC championship game. they received 33 points from conference player of the year Jarron Cumberland. Defense may end up being the key to its NCAA Tournament hopes.

The Bearcats are making their ninth straight appearance in the Big Dance. They will have to be just as sharp defensively if they are to advance past the first round for the third straight year. Iowa averages 78.3 points and had wins versus Michigan, Oregon and Iowa State during the regular season. The Hawkeyes return to the field after missing out the last two seasons. They struggled down the stretch while losing five of their last six games. They got shellacked, 74-53, Friday against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

This, That, and a Dart Throw

Iowa was 22-11 on the season. They were sitting pretty for a high seed until the late season slumber. Forward Tyler Cook leads the way for the Hawkeyes in scoring at 14.9 ppg. He has a 52.8% shooting from the field. He leads in rebounding for the second straight season, averaging 7.9 rpg. Forward Luka Garza averaged 15.3 points the last three games to push his season mark to 12.9 ppg on 52.4% from the floor. Guard Joe Wieskamp drains 42.2% from 3-point land. Guard Jordan Bohannon scores at 11.3 points a clip and averages a team-high 3.4 assists per game. He must rebound from a rough Big Ten Tournament when he went 2-of-8 from the field in two games after being shut out by Michigan. The Hawkeyes won their first game in the NCAA Tournament their last two appearances in 2015 and 2016.

Cincinnati was 28-6 on the regular season and look to be prime form coming into the Tournament. Cumberland looked a little tired near the end of the regular season,. He was only shooting 32.9 percent in the last six games. He did average 23.3 points along with six rebounds and 4.3 assists in the conference tournament. Guard Keith Williams is the only other player averaging in double figures at 10/1 ppg., He is scoring just 5.4 per game over the past five contests. Guard Justin Jenifer has a nice 4.0 assist/turnover ratio and gives the Bearcats a steady hand. Forward Tre Scott tops the team in rebounding with 6.9 a clip. He averaged 13.7 points along with 9.3 boards in the conference tournament. G Cane Broome scored 15 on Sunday and was 6-of-11 from 3-point range in the conference tournament.

Prediction: Cincinnati 74, Iowa 67

March Madness Betting Odds & Trends

Iowa Hawkeyes

Team record: 22-11 SU,13-20 ATS
Iowa is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games
Iowa is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

Cincinnati Bearcats

Team record: 28-6 SU,14-20 ATS
Current Streak: won 3 straight games.
Cincinnati is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games
Cincinnati is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games

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March Madness: Old Dominion Monarchs vs Purdue Boilermakers

Can Purdue Shake Off Mediocre Shooting Against Old Dominion?

The Old Dominion Monarchs and the Purdue Boilermakers meet on Thursday at XL Center. They will be playing in the first round of the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament, which is nothing but March Madness.

TV: 9:50 p.m. ET LINE: Purdue -12.5; O/U: 127.

Carsen Edwards is stuck in a prolonged shooting slump for the Boilermakers. He'll likely make or break the NCAA Tournament for third-seeded Purdue. We will find out tonight against No. 14 seed Old Dominion in the first round of the South Region at Hartford, Conn. Edwards is the leading scorer in the Big Ten. He Has struggled since the first of February but will look to turn it on against the Monarchs. He is the No. 9 scorer in Purdue history,

Also figure in that Edwards is dealing with a back injury. The Boilermakers could be ripe for the picking after getting bounced in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament by Minnesota. Edwards is the nation's 12th-leading scorer at 23 points per game. He has shot 32.9% from the field and 22.5% from 3-point land over the last 11 games. Purdue still managed to win eight of those games. Senior guards B.J. Stith and Ahmad Caver have led the Monarchs, of Norfolk, Va., to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2011. They captured the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles.

This, That, and a Dart Throw

Old Dominion went 26-8 during the regular season and look to be back where the program was around a decade ago. The Monarchs defeated Western Kentucky in the C-USA Tournament final to earn the automatic bid. They win with defense, and are led by their two All-C-USA first-team players Stith and Caver. The team ranks in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense, giving up only 60.9 per game. They also are 10th in field goal percentage defense at 39.1%, and have held its last 10 opponents to fewer than 65 points. Stith, the son of Bryant Stith who is the all-time leading scorer in Virginia history, leads the team in scoring at 16.9 points per game. He also lead in rebounding at 7.4 rpg. Caver is tops in assists at 5.6 apg for a team that averages 66.2 points per contest. The Monarchs are led by Jeff Jones, the former Virginia coach. He has 497 career wins. They are 3-11 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and have never made it past the second round.

Purdue was 23-9 during the regular season. The Boilermakers do not have anybody that can match Edwards' scoring on a nightly basis. Ryan Cline and Matt Haarms have can occasionally. Cline had a combined 33 points and 10 assists and made 10 3-pointers in a pair of late-season matchups with Minnesota. Purdue lost both games. Haarms, a 7-3 center, has scored in double figures in six of the last eight games and has averaged 2.9 blocks in the last 11 contests. The Boilermakers will be making their fifth straight appearance in the tournament and have reached the Sweet 16 in each of the last two seasons.

Prediction: Old Dominion 67, Purdue 6

March Madness Betting Odds & Trends

Old Dominion Monarchs

Team record: 26-8 SU,13-20-1 ATS
Current Streak: won 3 straight games.
Old Dominion is 1-7-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Old Dominion is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Old Dominion's last 5 games

Purdue Boilermakers

Team record: 23-9 SU,17-15 ATS
Purdue is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Purdue is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Purdue's last 6 games

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March Madness: Florida Gators vs Nevada Wolf Pack

Can Nevada Keep Record Setting Season Going Against Gators?

The fans at Wells Fargo Arena-IA will see the Florida Gators and the Nevada Wolf Pack when they take their seats on Thursday. The First round if the NCAA Tournament gets underway across the Nation. I don't count the First Four games as part of the tournament. They are usually garbage teams that need to be in the Not Invited Tournament.

TV: 6:50 p.m. ET, TNT LINE: Nevada -2.5; O/U: 134.5.

Nevada's record-setting season has run over some speed bumps down the stretch. They have three losses in its last eight games. The Wolf Pack drew a seventh seed for the NCAA Tournament and tip off play, mainly because of their mediocre play.

Coach Eric Musselman's, Mountain West Conference-co-champion, Nevada squad started 24-1 while matching the single-season program record for wins with 29. They are back in the Big Dance for the third straight season. Last season the seventh-seeded Wolf Pack rallied from double-digit deficits to beat Texas, 87-83. They then upended second-seeded Cincinnati, 75-73. They lost a 69-68 thriller to eventual regional champ Loyola Chicago in the South semifinals. It equaled Nevada's 2003-04 squad for the program's farthest advancement in their eight NCAA Tournament appearances. Florida also is making its third straight March Madness appearance after earning an at-large bid out of the SEC. The teams' No. 10 seed matches its lowest in 22 appearances since the NCAA tourney expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Florida has forced 503 turnovers this season, Nevada has only committed 338, the 17th fewest nationally.

This, That, and a Dart Throw

Florida is 19-15 on the season, and frankly I can't see how they sneaked into the tournament with teams with better resume's on the outside looking in. Coach Mike White's Gators have advanced to the Big Dance in three of his four seasons since taking over for Billy Donovan. Last week they beat Arkansas, 66-50, and top-seeded LSU, 76-73, in the SEC Tournament. They fell 65-62 to eventual-champion Auburn in the semis. Guards KeVaughn Allen (12 points per game), Noah Locke (9.6) and Jalen Hudson (9.0) are the leading scorers for the perimeter-oriented Gators. The squad averages 68.3 points per outing. Florida only allows 63.6 points per game, which is 21st nationally, and forces an average of 14.8 turnovers per contest. Florida has won at least one NCAA tourney game in its last six appearances.

Nevada was 29-4 during the regular season and frankly would have been seeded higher if not for the falter down the stretch. The Wolf Pack shared the Mountain West regular-season title with Utah State. Following a 77-69 quarterfinal win over Boise State, Nevada fell to fourth-seeded San Diego State 65-56 in the conference tourney semifinals. Forward Jordan Caroline averages 17.3 points and a team-best 9.6 rebounds. Fellow Senior Caleb Martin, who averages 19.2 ppg, was an All-Mountain West first-team selection. He missed the game against the Aztecs with Achilles tendinitis. It has been a continuing issue for the 6'-7" senior. The issue finally caused him to miss his first game of the season. Martin's twin brother, Cody averages 11.7 points and a team-most 5.1 assists). Guard Jazz Johnson, at 11.2 ppg, also average double figures for the Wolf Pack. Nevada led the Mountain West in scoring at 81.6 points per game, scoring defense at 66.6, and turnover margin at 3.65 per game, during the regular season.

Prediction: Nevada Wolf Pack 76, Florida Gators 67

March Madness Betting Odds & Trends

Florida Gators:

Team record: 19-15 SU,16-18 ATS
Florida is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Florida's last 14 games

Nevada Wolf Pack:

Team record: 29-4 SU,18-14-1 ATS
Nevada is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games
Nevada is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nevada's last 6 games

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Duke Blue Devils vs. Gonzaga vs. North Carolina - Where the Cards Lie

Duke, UNC and Gonzaga are March Madness Favorites

Long before the 2019 March Madness
tournament kicked off bookies, analysts, and fans had already settled on a
favorite team to not only make it to the final four but also take the trophy
home: the Duke Blue Devils. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering
the team’s performance during the regular season. However, that doesn’t mean
that it doesn’t have challengers.

In line to take Duke’s position are Gonzaga and North Carolina. Here is a review of each team’s strengths and weaknesses.

The Duke Blue Devils

Duke is banking on its best player, Zion Williamson, to bring the
trophy home now that he is well and back in the game. It seems ridiculous that
a whole team can peg its hopes on a single player but this is the case.

Duke has been playing the regular
season without Williamson, and it has not performed as well as it does with him
onboard. The team went 3-3 in the last six games on the regular season and scored
more than 80 points only once against the little-known Miami Hurricanes – this
is a stark comparison to when the Blue Devils scored more than 80 points six
times with Williamson onboard. This all changed when Williamson rejoined the
team. He took charge on all three games and averaged 27 points on 76.7% percent
shooting. 

Considering these statistics it is understandable why Duke is banking on Williamson. His presence has ruffled some feathers, including in North Carolina’s Tar Heels. If he performs as expected he will be well on his way to being named the tournament’s MVP.

Gonzaga

Gonzaga stands a pretty high
chance of making it to the final four: 62% to be exact, according to BPI. The
team has been ranked among the top 25 by the Associated Press for three weeks
running now. They have also proven formidable against the Blue Devils having
beaten them back in December during the regular season.

Gonzaga has several things going
for it. For starters, it is considered the most balanced team for the 2019 season.
It has four players that have scored in double figures in 22 of 23 games. It
has also outshot 83 opponents out of 96 for the 2016-2017 season alone. It also
ranks well when it comes to consistency, efficiency, and power. Most notably,
however, it leads the nation in several fronts including shooting,
assist-turnover ratio, scoring, and scoring margin.

Gonzaga, however, hasn’t been spotless as it lost two of three of its biggest games this season, one of them against another top contender: North Carolina.  

North Carolina

North Carolina has been making headlines for all the right seasons,
leading some to speculate that it will definitely make it to the final four and
perhaps even beat the Blue Devils.

North Carolina has accomplished
seven spotless wins for the 2019 regular season with an average of 72.9 points.
It went head-to-head against Duke in the ACC semifinals and came out on top. It
also has impressive statistics: it has an efficiency rating of 95.5 points per
100 possessions. It also doesn’t rely on one single player to bring the trophy
home as is the case with Duke. However, it is lacking in defense as it ranks 42^nd
nationwide.

North Carolina seems pretty
confident in its capabilities against the Duke Blue Devils so much so that head
coach Roy Williams likened the Duke’s top player, Zion, to his 6-year-old son.
This game will be definitely one to look out for.

Conclusion

If everything goes as expected the
Duke Blue Devils will likely be taking home their sixth national title with
Zion Williamson at the helm. However, Gonzaga and North Carolina will not be
sitting by idly watching this happen, and North Carolina has already made moves
against the Blue Devils. It is too early to tell and, besides, the best way to
find out which team comes out on top is to stream March Madness 2019 live from anywhere in the world.

March Madness 2019 Championship – The Case for North Carolina

The 2019 NCAA Tournament is finally here and the brackets are out. A majority of bookies, analysts, and fans are in favor of the Duke Blue Devils to win the tournament. However, sentiments change with each passing game, and North Carolina has been making headlines of late. Some analysts honestly believe that North Carolina has what it takes to run the Blue Devils out of town.

So, which cards does North Carolina have up its sleeves that may potentially upset an otherwise decided outcome?

Coby White is Back

Coby White is at the helm of UNC. He is the point guard this season, and he seems to have settled into his position fairly well. He has taken a break from the Berry, the previous point guard – whereas Berry focused more on the floor White is going all out and is at his best when he is looking to score.

Coby White seems to be upping his game at the most opportune moment for North Carolina. The regular season has seen him drop 28, 21, and 34 points on Clemson, Duke, and Syracuse respectively – and this is in just three of his last four games for the ACC tournament. He has also finished with 40 more assists than turnovers. Finally, White seems to be leading the entire team’s offense as it seems to follow his directions – he is not only a good player but also a unifying factor.

If Coby White goes on with the performance he has put up during the regular season, North Carolina will be looking at one more advantage over the Blue Devils.

Three Seniors

North Carolina is one of the few teams in its region that take on the risk of cultivating players in their senior years. This time it has three senior leaders that make up the team’s backbone: shooting guard Kenny Williams and forwards Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson.

Maye has been putting up quite a show during the regular season and is already considered an NCAA tournament hero. Johnson is also rising up fast with such a good performance that the NBA has taken notice. He has average 47% on his three-pointers on an average of six attempts for each game he has played. Besides, his height (6’9) is already daunting enough as few other players can match up to him. Kenny Williams, unfortunately, has seen a dip in his performance but there are high expectations that he will come around when it matters the most.

Combined with Coby White, these three senior players will certainly put up a fight against the Blue Devils. In contrast, Duke is banking all its hopes on one player: Zion. Unfortunately, UNC’s coach doesn’t seem to have such high regard for Zion, who he compared with his 6-year-old son in a recent jab against the team.

Duke Blue Devils May not Keep Up

North Carolina ranks top when it comes to speed as they play faster than any other team on the tournament. Their coach, Williams, seems to have cultivated a culture of speed and perfected in this past regular season when the team played at its fastest yet. In fact, UNC was so fast that it finished in 4^th position having lost only to low-major schools.

North Carolina attributes its speed to its teamwork – as mentioned, the team unifies behind Coby White. This is well illustrated in its 5^th national ranking when it comes to assists – it assisted on 62% of its made goals for this regular season. This is more than can be said for the Duke Blue Devils which may have a difficult time keeping up with the Tar Heels.

Conclusion

The match between the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina will certainly be explosive, but no one can really be sure of who will take the trophy home. You cannot afford to miss it, so be sure to stream March Madness live and watch history in the making.

2019 NIT: Dayton Flyers vs Colorado Buffaloes

The Buffaloes and Flyers Come Into Tourney Playing Well

The Dayton Flyers and the Colorado Buffaloes will on Tuesday when they at Coors Events Center. They will be playing in the 2019 Postseason NIT. Colorado and Dayton have had near-identical seasons with both finishing strong.

TV: 11 p.m. ET, ESPN2 LINE: Colorado 4.5; O/U: 139.5.

Colorado is one of the four No. 4 seeds in the 32-team field. Dayton, out of the Atlantic 10 Conference, is seeded fifth. The Buffs feature five freshmen and sophomores among the top seven players in their rotation. They have won 10 of their last 13 games. That includes two wins in the Pac-12 Tournament before losing to top-seeded Washington in the semifinals. Now they get a chance to play more basketball after earning their eighth postseason berth in head coach Tad Boyle's nine seasons.

The Dayton Flyers were 21-11 overall this season. This is their second season under coach Anthony Grant. The team has gotten better, and the Flyers have won nine of their last 13 games. They finished third in the Atlantic 10 and were ousted by eventual champion Saint Louis in the conference tournament quarterfinals. Forward Obadiah Toppin averages 14.2 points per game to lead the team. Forward Josh Cunningham (13.6), guard Jalen Crutcher (13.1) and forward Ryan Mikesell (10.0) also average double digits. Dayton ranks third in the nation with a 50.3 field-goal percentage. They leads the Atlantic 10 with 16.5 assists and ranks second in rebounding margin at 2.9 per game. The Flyers have won seven of their 10 true road games.

The Colorado Buffaloes were 21-12 during the regular season. The Buffs' strong finish has mirrored the late-season emergence of swingman Tyler Bey. He leads the team with 13.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Bey had 22 points and 16 boards in the 66-61 tourney loss to Washington. He has posted six double-doubles in his last eight games. Guards McKinley Wright IV (13.1 points) and Shane Gatling (10.3) also average double figures.The Buffaloes average 73.9 points a game and leads the Pac-12 with a 6.6 rebound margin. The Buffaloes are 13-2 at home this season. That includes a current six-game win streak.

PREDICTION: Colorado 73, Dayton 64

2019 NIT Betting Odds & Trends

Dayton Flyers
Dayton is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Dayton is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games
Dayton is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Dayton is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Dayton is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Dayton's last 12 games on the road

Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games
Colorado is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado's last 7 games
Colorado is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games at home

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March Madness Play in: Temple vs Belmont

Temple and Belmont Fight to Get in the Dance

The Temple Owls and the Belmont Bruins will meet on Tuesday at UD Arena. The Owls are back in the tournament and the Bruins have never won a NCAA Tournament game. These two teams battle tonight in a play in game to see who makes the real field of 64.

TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, truTV LINE: Belmont -2.5; O/U: 155.

In his final season as a college basketball coach, Fran Dunphy has taken Temple back to the NCAA Tournament. The Owls earned a No. 11 seed in the East Region. They will open as part of the First Four. They will take on No. 11 seed Belmont in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday.

Dunphy is a Philadelphia sports icon. He coached Penn for 17 years, and now 13 years at Temple. He announced prior to this season that 2018-19 would be his last one on the sidelines. The Owls won six of their final seven games before falling to Wichita State in the American Athletic Conference Tournament. They needed every one of those wins to sneak into the Field of 68. Belmont has never won an NCAA Tournament game. They are 0-7), losing its recent appearances in 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2015. The Bruins were the top seed in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. They got upset by the Murray State Racers in the conference title game. The selection committee gave them a reprieve with one of the final spots in the Big Dance.

Temple is 23-9 overall on the season. The Owls have three primary scorers. They are Shizz Alston Jr. (19.7 points), Quinton Rose (16.5) and Nate Pierre-Louis (13.3). They all average at least 1.5 steals per game, as well. Alston enters with an eight-game streak of 20-point performances. He has made multiple 3-pointers in 12 of his last 13 games. Pierre-Louis has failed to surpass his scoring average in any of the last four games. Rose has struggled from the arc over the last month. Temple will need all of them tonight against a solid Belmont team. In his last nine games, Rose is 12-of-42 (28.6 percent) from long distance.

Belmont is 26-5 on the season. Dylan Windler is the Bruins leading scorer at 21.4 points. He is the top player for Belmont and shoots 43 percent from 3-point land. He averages a staggering 10.7 rebounds per game as a big guard. Kevin McClain scores 16.3 ppg and has 66 3-pointers. That is second on the team to Windler, who has 92. Nick Muszynski averages 14.9 ppg and is a solid contributor. He missed the conference title game with an ankle injury, but is expected to play in the NCAA Tournament. Muszynski has 65 blocks. Temple, as a team, has only 72.

PREDICTION: Belmont 79, Temple 69

NCAA Tournament Trends & Odds

Temple Owls:
Team record: 23-9 SU,15-15-2 ATS
Temple is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Temple's last 6 games

Belmont Bruins:
Team record: 26-5 SU,18-10-2 ATS
Belmont is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Belmont is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games

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