March Madness: Purdue-Connecticut Odds Preview

The Purdue Boilermakers and the Connecticut Huskies will both be gunning for a victory on Thursday when they meet at Cardinal Stadium in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
Oddsmakers currently have the Huskies listed as 7-point favorites versus the Boilermakers, while the game's total is sitting at 134.
Purdue was outscored in the second half on Saturday, but managed to sneak out a 76-74 victory over Washington in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Purdue won the game as a 1.5-point underdog, and the game's 150 points made it OVER the posted total of 140.
JaJuan Johnson poured in a game-high 25 points to go with six rebounds in that win.
A.J. Price scored 27 points and Jeff Adrien added 23 to lead Connecticut to a 92-66 win over Texas A&M in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
The Huskies covered the 10-point spread, while the final score played OVER the day's posted total of 136.5.
Team records:
Purdue: 27-9 SU, 16-17 ATS
Connecticut: 29-4 SU, 15-14 ATS
Purdue most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
After a win are 7-3

Connecticut most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 8-2
After a win are 8-2
A few trends to consider:
Purdue is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Connecticut is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Connecticut's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Connecticut's last 23 games
Connecticut is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games

March Madness: James Madison-Old Dominion Lines Preview

The James Madison Dukes and the Old Dominion Monarchs will both be gunning for a victory on Thursday when they meet at Ted Constant Center in the semifinals of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
Odds aren't yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.
Kyle Swanston poured in 27 points, as James Madison slammed Liberty 88-65 in the quarterfinals on Monday night.
James Madison cashed as 3.5-point road underdogs as the game played over the 141.5-point total listed by sportsbooks.
Gerald Lee went for 14 points and seven rebounds to lead Old Dominion over Belmont 70-62 in the quarterfinals on Monday night.
Old Dominion covered as 5.5-point home favorites as the game played under the 139.5-point total posted by oddsmakers.
Team records:
James Madison: 21-14 SU, 19-12-1 ATS
Old Dominion: 23-10 SU, 12-16 ATS
James Madison most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-6
After playing Liberty are 1-3
After a win are 4-6

Old Dominion most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
After a win are 8-2
A few trends to consider:
James Madison is 3-4-2 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Old Dominion
James Madison is 4-7-1 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Old Dominion
James Madison is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
James Madison is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing Old Dominion
Old Dominion is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Old Dominion is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Old Dominion is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against James Madison
Old Dominion is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing James Madison

Duke-Villanova Exclusive Betting Preview

Let the echo chamber previews tell the sports fan the same repackaged information. Here is the official betting preview of Villanova-Duke from OffshoreInsiders.com.

Villanova is 28-7 straight up and 17-14 to the number while Duke is 30-6 and 16-17 respectively.

The Wildcats score 77 points per game to teams normally allowing 68.4. But defensively the numbers are more impressive in the more indicative category of shooting percentage. Villanova allows teams normally shooting 44 percent to just 40.6.

The Blue Devils get 78.1 points per game to teams normally allowing 68.5. They shoot 2.8 percent higher than their foes normally allow. Defensively they are above average, but not as dominant as the Wildcats. Duke holds teams to 1.0 percent below their normal average from the field.

Against common opponents, Duke is 4-0 straight up, but 0-3-1 to the Vegas odds. Villanova is 2-2 straight up and against the spread.

As far as against the spread records: Duke is 2-10 as a favorite in the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils have dropped 8-of-10 to the Big East.

At least in pure numbers, Duke has the coaching advantage. Mike Krzyzewski hold the record for wins in the NCAA Tournament at 69 and his Big Dance winning percentage of .767 is the highest among active coaches.

BetUs Sportsbook has Duke a two-point favorite, though some sportsbooks still have them at -2.5. The total ranges from 148-149.

American Idol Betting Line and March Madness Odds Updated

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Spurs meet the Hawks and the Celtics battle the Magic in the NBA, and the Sharks take on the Blackhawks in the NHL.

Tipping off on the hardwood  . . .

The NBA loads up with 11 games on the schedule for Wednesday night, including an East/West clash between the Spurs and Hawks in Atlanta. San Antonio and Atlanta last met on December 10 in Texas, with the Spurs pulling out a 95-89 home victory as a 6.5-point favorite. Manu Ginobili was still in action back then, and he led the Spurs’ attack with 27 points. Tim Duncan had 19 points.

Rounding out the league’s busy Wednesday slate: Charlotte at Washington, Minnesota at Philadelphia, Milwaukee at Toronto, Miami at Indiana, the Clippers at New York, New Jersey at Cleveland, Denver at New Orleans, Golden State at Dallas, and Utah at Phoenix, As well, a pair of Eastern powers will clash in Orlando, with the Celtics meeting the Magic. Those two teams last played back on March 8, with Orlando pulling out an 86-79 road victory as a 2-point underdog.

American Idol Betting Line…

The latest American Idol betting lines have Danny Gokey surpassing Adam Lambert as the favorite to win American Idol 2009. Complete entertainment and political betting odds have Gokey at +185 and Lambert at +200. They are followed by Matt Giraud, Lil Rounds, and Allison Iraheta. The oddsmakers give Michael Sarver almost no chance.

BetUs Sportsbook has been rated No. 1 based on customer satisfaction off all thoroughly vetted sportsbooks.

A break from the Madness . . .

The NIT, CBI, and CollegeInsider.com postseason tournaments all offer up games on Wednesday night as a prelude to Thursday’s Sweet 16 action. In the NIT on Wednesday it’ll be quarterfinal matchups between San Diego State and St. Mary’s, and Notre Dame and Kentucky, with the winners of those games heading to the semifinals on March 31. The championship game will be April 2.

Meanwhile, the CBI and CollegeInsider.com events will both stage their semifinal rounds on Wednesday night. In the CBI semifinals it’ll be Stanford vs. Oregon State and Richmond vs. UTEP, with the championship of the tournament a three-game series on March 30, April 1, and April 3 (if necessary). Over in the CollegeInsider.com semifinals on Wednesday night it’ll be Bradley vs. Pacific, while the other semifinal (James Madison/Old Dominion) will be held Thursday.

Grandmaster sports handicapper Joe Duffy of GodsTips has the NIT Game of the Year and that volcanic service out of Vegas is on a run of historical nature. A service out of Las Vegas is easily the No. 1 in the world in March. Their “Absolute Picks” are now 24-4 excluding pushes since Feb. 25. Sunday it was Siena and Oklahoma State. Monday, Oakland cashes in. New York/LA Clippers side makes it 25-4. Click now to purchase sports betting picks from the top sports services or you can get more information and a free sports pick  

Updated March Madness Odds

As the Sweet 16 approaches, North Carolina remains the favorite at +275 as Ty Lawson gets healthy, but is still not 100 percent according to Bob Warner of Lines-Maker.com. Big East teams are next. Louisville is +450, Pittsburgh +500, and UConn +550.  The complete NCAA Basketball odds are up.  

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The National Hockey League offers up a half-dozen games on Wednesday night, including the Sharks on the road in Chicago. Those Western Conference contenders last met on January 31, when the Blackhawks rolled to a 4-2 road win. Jonathan Toews scored twice for Chicago in that contest, while Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 32 shots. Joe Pavelski picked up two assists for the Sharks.

Also on the NHL’s schedule for Wednesday: Florida at Buffalo, Ottawa at Carolina, Minnesota at the Islanders, Calgary at Pittsburgh, and Anaheim at Colorado. The Ducks need a win over the lowly Avalanche to help themselves in the hunt for a Western playoff berth. Anaheim and Colorado last met on January 31, with the Ducks winning 4-3 on the road behind Jonas Hiller’s 34-save effort.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Opening lines for this week’s Sweet 16 matchups in the NCAA Tournament had Louisville as the biggest favorite – they were giving up 8.5 points to ‘Cinderella’ Arizona at the outset, and 9 points soon after. The other Sweet 16 matchup in Indy has Kansas taking on Michigan State, with the Spartans favored by 2 points.

The rest of the Sweet 16 lines: Villanova vs. Duke (-2) and Xavier vs. Pittsburgh (-7) in Boston, Missouri vs. Memphis (-4.5) and Purdue vs. Connecticut (-6.5) in Glendale, and Gonzaga vs. North Carolina (-8.5) and Syracuse vs. Oklahoma (-1) in Memphis. The Boston and Glendale contests will take place on Thursday, while Indianapolis and Memphis will host their Sweet 16 matchups Friday night.

UConn-Purdue Features Battle of Big Men

Every year in the March Madness odds, new big names place their giant footprints on the game of college basketball—not total no-names, per se, but under-appreciated stars from schools that aren’t among the nation’s so-called top contenders. Last year, Stephen Curry had that honor for Davidson. This year—though Purdue obviously has a better pedigree than Davidson—JaJuan Johnson has claimed that role.

Johnson, a 6’10” sophomore, has been a sight to behold for the Boilermakers so far in the March Madness odds. The big man has averaged 18 points over his last four games and, perhaps more importantly, has been a true force on defense for Purdue. He made two crucial blocks late in the Boilermakers’ clutch 76-74 win over Washington in the round of 32 and will be counted on to help suppress a Connecticut offense averaging 97.5 points per game in the March Madness odds. Ultimately, for Purdue to succeed, Johnson must conquer the behemoth known as Hasheem Thabeet.

Thabeet, who stands 7’3″, is considered by many to be the defensive juggernaut of the entire Sweet 16 field. He ranked second in the nation with 4.5 blocks per game and 10th with 7.2 defensive rebounds per game this season. He’s no slouch offensively either; he averages 13.6 points per game this NCAA basketball betting season and he dropped 20 (with 13 boards) on poor Chattanooga in the first round of the March Madness odds. For Purdue to have any chance against UConn, Johnson must hold Thabeet under, say, 15 points and he must find away to score 15 or more of his own.

As gritty as Purdue has looked so far, as promising as Johnson seems to be, it’s hard to justify betting against the No. 1-seeded UConn Huskies in the March Madness odds. They’re the deeper team and they seem to be peaking when it matters. Bet on UConn to reach the Elite Eight.

Best sports betting winners are at OffshoreInsiders.com   

Sweet 16 Betting Odds Previews

Here are some against the spread trends for the Sweet 16 games for the NCAA Tournament, compiled by the staff of OffshoreInsiders.com. Previews are written from the standpoint of beating the sportsbooks.

Purdue-Connecticut

The Huskies are 2-7 their last nine in the NCAA Tournament.

Xavier-Pittsburgh

The Musketeers are 7-1 their last eight NCAA Tournament games as an underdog. The Panthers have dropped 5-of-6 NCAA Tournament games. Xavier has gone under seven straight games on neutral courts.

Missouri-Memphis

Missouri is 8-2 their last 10 NCAA Tournament games. Memphis is 10-1 opponent winning percentage of .600 or greater. Memphis is 15-5 off an straight up win.

Villanova-Duke

Duke is 2-10 as a favorite in the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils have dropped 8-of-10 to the Big East.

Arizona-Louisville

The Wildcats are 9-2 opponent winning percentage of .600 or greater. The Cards are 16-7 overall their last 23.

Syracuse-Oklahoma

Syracuse is 9-1 their last 10 overall. The Sooners are 9-19 on neutral courts. Syracuse has gone over seven straight as an underdog on neutral courts.

Kansas-Michigan State

The Jayhawks are 37-14 against teams with a winning record. Michigan State is 15-3 as an NCAA Tournament favorite. Kansas has gone under 13-3 off a win.

Gonzaga-North Carolina

The Bulldogs are 1-7 their last eight outside the conference. The Tar Heels are 1-8 off a spread win.

OffshoreInsiders.com is proud to announce BetUs Sportsbook is our No. 1 sportsbook based on customer response!

March Madness: Stanford-Oregon State Odds Preview

The Stanford Cardinal and the Oregon State Beavers will both be gunning for a victory on Wednesday when they meet at Gill Coliseum in the semifinals of the CBI Tournament.
Odds aren't yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.
Lawrence Hill had 21 points and six rebounds, as Stanford downed Wichita State 70-56 in the quarterfinals on Monday night.
Stanford cashed as a road pick 'em, as the teams played under the 135-point total set by oddsmakers.
Calvin Haynes scored 19 points to lift Oregon State past Vermont 71-70 in overtime in the quarterfinals on Monday night.
Oregon State couldn't cover as 2-point home favorites as the teams played over the 127-point total set by sportsbooks.
Team records:
Stanford: 20-13 SU, 18-12-1 ATS
Oregon State: 15-17 SU, 12-15 ATS
Stanford most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 10-0
After a win are 3-7

Oregon State most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-6
After a win are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
Stanford is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Oregon State
Stanford is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games when playing Oregon State
Stanford is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Oregon State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Stanford's last 5 games when playing on the road against Oregon State
Oregon State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oregon State's last 5 games when playing at home against Stanford
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oregon State's last 7 games when playing Stanford
Oregon State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

March madness: Saint Mary’s-San Diego State Lines Preview

The Saint Mary's Gaels and the San Diego State Aztecs will both be gunning for a victory on Wednesday when they meet at Cox Arena in the third round of the National Invitational Tournament.
Odds aren't yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.
Patrick Mills dropped 23 points and dished out 10 assists to lead St. Mary's past Davidson 80-68 in the second round of the NIT on Monday night.
St. Mary's covered as 4.5-point home favorites as the game played over the 144-point total set by oddsmakers.
Billy White went 6-for-6 from the field with 15 points and four rebounds to lead San Diego State to a 70-52 second round win in the NIT over Kansas State on Friday. San Diego State covered the 5.5-point spread, while the 122 points went UNDER the posted total of 130.5.
Kyle Spain netted a game-high 16 points in that win.
Team records:
Saint Mary's: 28-6 SU, 16-13-1 ATS
San Diego State: 25-9 SU, 18-11-2 ATS
Saint Mary's most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-2
After a win are 7-3

San Diego State most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 3-4
After a win are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
Saint Mary's is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
Saint Mary's is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing San Diego State
Saint Mary's is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Diego State
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Saint Mary's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego State's last 5 games at home
San Diego State is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games at home
San Diego State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Diego State's last 7 games

March Madness: Pacific-Bradley Odds Preview

The fans at Carver Arena will be treated to a game between the Pacific Tigers and the Bradley Braves when they take their seats on Wednesday for the semifinals of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
Odds aren't yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.
Anthony Brown and Joe Ford had 13 points and six rebounds apiece to lead Pacific past Idaho 69-59 in the quarterfinals on Monday night.
Pacific covered as 9-point home favorites as the game played over the 124-point total posted by sportsbooks.
Sam Maniscalco drained 20 points to lift Bradley past Oakland 76-75 in the quarterfinals on Monday night.
Bradley failed to cash as 3-point home favorites as the teams played over the 138-point total posted by oddsmakers.
Team records:
Pacific: 21-12 SU, 16-14-1 ATS
Bradley: 20-14 SU, 15-15 ATS
Pacific most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 5-5
After playing Idaho are 8-2
After a win are 7-3

Bradley most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 5-5
After playing Oakland are 1-0
After a win are 5-5
A few trends to consider:
Pacific is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Pacific is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Pacific is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Bradley is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Bradley is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

March Madness: Texas El Paso-Richmond Lines Preview

The Texas El Paso Miners and the Richmond Spiders will both be trying to pick up a win on Wednesday when they battle at Robins Center in the semifinals of the CBI Tournament.
Odds aren't yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.
Stefon Jackson dropped 26 points to lead UTEP over Northeastern 75-66 in the quarterfinals on Monday night.
Texas-El Paso covered as 7-point home favorites as the game played over the 132.5-point total set by oddsmakers.
Kevin Anderson dropped 21 points to lead Richmond past Charleston 74-72 in the quarterfinals on Monday night.
Richmond couldn't cover as 4-point home favorites as the game played over the 144-point total set by oddsmakers.
Team records:
Texas El Paso: 21-12 SU, 18-11-1 ATS
Richmond: 20-15 SU, 17-11 ATS
Texas El Paso most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
After a win are 5-5

Richmond most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
After playing College of Charleston are 1-1
After a win are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
Texas El Paso is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Texas El Paso is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas El Paso's last 5 games on the road
Texas El Paso is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Richmond is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Richmond is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games