Mountain West showdown pits Aztecs against Rebels
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
02/11/2012 - Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second half of the Mountain West Conference schedule kicks off today with a clash of the titans in the desert, as the 14th-ranked UNLV Runnin' Rebels play host to the 13th-ranked San Diego State Aztecs at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The Aztecs have lost just once since the end of November and because of that they are off to a 6-1 start in the MWC to pace the league. Since that lone setback to Colorado State on the road last month (77-60), SDSU has posted a pair of conference wins over the likes of Boise State and TCU in order to move to 20-3 overall. With the win over the Horned Frogs last weekend, the Aztecs secured their record-setting seventh straight season with at least 20 victories.
As for the Runnin' Rebels, they were finally knocked out of a tie for first place in the MWC with the Aztecs when Wyoming stepped up and stunned them in a 68-66 final in Laramie last weekend. The victory snapped a five-game win streak for UNLV, but a couple of those triumphs were rather shaky as the team went to overtime in back-to-back decisions against Boise State and Air Force, two of the weaker programs in the Mountain West.
With respect to the all-time series between these two schools on the hardwood, the Rebels are ahead by a 32-21 count, but in the first meeting of the season last month the Aztecs scored a thrilling 69-67 triumph in the final moments thanks to a three-pointer by Jamaal Franklin with 0.3 seconds remaining. With that victory, SDSU has not won six in a row in the series, the second-longest active streak against the Rebels behind only New Mexico which has posted nine straight wins.
The Horned Frogs gave it all they got in the meeting with San Diego State on the road at Viejas Arena last week, shooting close to 50 percent from the floor and 12-of-24 behind the three-point line, but still the Aztecs prevailed by double figures. Jamaal Franklin tallied a game-high 24 points for the hosts, adding career-high 11 rebounds, while James Rahon logged 16 points after combining for a mere 18 points in the four previous games combined. Chase Tapley added 14 points, while DeShawn Stephens chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds off the bench as the team shot just over 50 percent from the floor. Jamaal Franklin is scoring a team-best 16.0 ppg at the moment, only slightly better than Tapley who has delivered 15.9 ppg thanks to his 43.3 percent shooting behind the three-point line. Franklin is also the top rebounder for the squad with more than seven per game and with extra chances at the offensive end of the floor, it is easy to see how the team outscores the competition by more than 10 points per game.
It was bound to happen again, and it did against Wyoming on the road last weekend as the Rebels fell to another league foe, this time by two points at Arena Auditorium. UNLV had four players score in double figures, but so did the Cowboys, but in the case of the visitors they shot just 3-of-14 behind the three-point line, making just 1-of-10 in the second half of the tight contest. Quintrell Thomas came off the bench to tally 15 points, followed by Anthony Marshall and Oscar Bellfield who both posted 12 points and combined for 11 rebounds and just as many assists. Mike Moser logged another double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, but not a single board at the offensive end as he shot 4-of-12 on the day. Moser has been a tremendous addition to the UNLV roster, averaging 14.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, both of which pace the group. MArshall is responsible for 11.8 ppg and, with his 119 assists, gas combined with Bellfield (9.8 ppg, 133 assists) to become one of the most productive passing duos in the country. In fact, as a team the Rebels are ranked third in the nation with 18.3 apg and fourth in overall assists with 458, something that was bound to happen since they began to open up the offense and run like the old days.
Omaha, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top two teams in the Missouri Valley Conference square off in Omaha this evening, as the Wichita State Shockers have come calling on the 17th-ranked Creighton Bluejays. Both teams are 21-4 on the year, with W
<< Mavs host Blazers in Big D
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas will kick off a three-game homestand tonight by
welcoming the Portland Trail Blazers to American Airlines Center.
The reigning NBA champion Mavericks have won two straight after an
uncharacteristic three-game skid,
<< Howard, Magic visit Milwaukee
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dwight Howard and the Magic visit Brew City and the
Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday hoping to bounce back from their second overtime
loss this week.
Orlando, which also fell to the Clippers on Monday in OT, lost to the Hawks i
<< Kings and Suns square off in Sac-Town
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After unseating the Western Conference-best Oklahoma City
Thunder, the Sacramento Kings hope to keep the momentum going this evening
versus the Pacific Division-rival Phoenix Suns at Power Balance Pavilion.
The Kings recor
<< Blue Devils take on Terps in Durham
Durham, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off their biggest win of the season, the
10th-ranked Duke Blue Devils return to Cameron Indoor Stadium, as they play
host to the Maryland Terrapins in ACC action this afternoon.
Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Dev
Lawrence, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The seventh-ranked Kansas Jayhawks return to Lawrence following a two-game road trip, as they play host to the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Big 12 action from the Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas has been a model of cons
SEC action pits Gators against Vols >>
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eighth-ranked Florida Gators return to
Gainesville looking to regain their swagger, as they play host to the
Tennessee Volunteers in SEC action at the O'Connell Center.
Billy Donovan's Gators headed int
Second-ranked Orange host Huskies in Big East affair >>
Syracuse, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With their sights still set on a Big East
crown, the second-ranked Syracuse Orange welcome the defending national
champion Connecticut Huskies to the Carrier Dome this afternoon.
The Orange won their fourth st
ACC matchup pits top-25 foes in Chapel Hill >>
Chapel Hill, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off a deflating last second loss to
rival Duke, the fifth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels seek a quick turnaround,
as the welcome the 19th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers to Chapel Hill this
afternoon for a k
Gaels seek redemption in WCC clash with Broncos >>
Moraga, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams at opposite ends of the West Coast
Conference spectrum meet in Moraga, California tonight, as the Santa Clara
Broncos have come to challenge the 16th-ranked Saint Mary's-CA Gaels.
Santa Clara has had a
Teams that should be in: Stanford
Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.
Should be in:
Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.
| Southeastern Conference odds | |
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.
Work left to do: Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney. Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson. Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable. Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile. |
|
For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com
Additional sports lines can be found at: www.Sportsbooks.com
To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Big 12 Conference betting odds
Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State
Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.
Work left to do:
Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.
Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.
Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.