Saturday's NCAAB Top 25 betting cheat sheet
Duke plays their first true road game of the season when they visit UNLV as 23.5-pt favorites Saturday.
No. 1 Villanova vs No. 22 Notre Dame (6.5, 146.5)
* The Wildcats' top five scorers all shoot at least 40 percent from 3-point range, led by Kris Jenkins (26 3-pointers) and Hart (18). In Tuesday's 10-point win against La Salle, Jalen Brunson scored 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting while Hart chipped in 21 points and eight boards. The team committed only six turnovers versus La Salle and will need to take care of the ball again Saturday in order to keep pace with the high-scoring Fighting Irish.
* The Irish have to be thrilled with the play of junior forward Bonzie Colson (17.1 points, 11.1 rebounds), who has posted six consecutive double-doublers and also is now a 3-point threat. He drained three 3-pointers against Fort Wayne and already has eight 3s this season after draining a total of five in 19 attempts during his freshman and sophomore seasons. V.J. Beachem (16.8 points), Steve Vasturia (16.4) and Matt Farrell (12.4) provide additional support for the 10th-ranked offense in the nation (88.9 points).
TRENDS:
* Wildcats are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Fighting Irish are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 4-0 in Wildcats last 4 vs. Atlantic Coast.
* Over is 5-1 in Fighting Irish last 6 vs. Big East.
Cleveland State at No. 19 Purdue (-26, 137)
* Bobby Word shot 9-of-12 from the floor, including five 3-pointers, en route to a career-high 25 points in the win over Western Michigan. Demonte Flannigan added 20 points and six rebounds for the sixth 20-point game of his career while Rob Edwards scored 15 points and pulled down five rebounds as the Vikings shot a season-high 58.6 percent from the field. "We were finally able to put 40 minutes together," Cleveland State coach Gary Waters told reporters. "Our focus at halftime was to shut them down defensively and we did that holding them to 36 percent in the second half."
* Haas led the way with 16 points and seven rebounds while Vince Edwards provided a spark off the bench by adding four 3-pointers to also finish with 16 points in the win over Arizona State in the Jimmy V Classic in New York City. Ryan Cline scored 15 points, Basil Smotherman had 13 and Carsen Edwards and Dakota Mathias each tallied 12 as the Boilermakers finished with six players in double digits against the Sun Devils. "We were just being simple and making plays," Edwards told reporters. "We were just playing team ball."
TRENDS:
* Vikings are 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Boilermakers are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 4-1 in Vikings last 5 overall.
* Over is 4-1 in Boilermakers last 5 home games.
No. 20 Arizona at No. 11 Missouri (7, 134.5)
* The Wildcats have had to adjust their rotation with point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright sidelined with a high-ankle sprain, leaving them with a limited bench. The backbone of that rotation is a trio of freshmen in Rawle Alkins (11.8 points), Kobi Simmons (11.3) and Markkanen (17.8, 7.2 rebounds). Ristic (9.7 points, 6.3 rebounds) combines with Markkanen to give the Wildcats two 7-footers, and the latter can stretch the defense as he shoots a team-best 46.3 percent from 3-point range.
* The Tigers have won four of five, with an embarrassing loss to North Carolina Central marring an otherwise solid stretch for one of the nation’s youngest teams. Missouri’s improvement over coach Kim Anderson’s first two years is evident despite the fact nine of the team’s top 10 scorers are freshmen or sophomores. Freshman Frankie Hughes (14 points) leads the way, but sophomore Kevin Puryear (12.5, 6.4 rebounds) topped the team with 19 points against Miami (Ohio) and senior forward Russell Woods (7.5, 5.6) is coming off his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 boards.
TRENDS:
* Wildcats are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.
* Tigers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-1 in Tigers last 6 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 8-2 in Tigers last 10 games following a straight up win.
No. 17 Wisconsin at No. 10 Marquette (4.5, 147.5)
* Bronson Koenig drilled four 3-pointers en route to 21 points in the win over Idaho State, and is 14-of-26 from beyond the arc in his last three games. Ethan Happ added 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor and pulled down 12 rebounds to notch his fourth double-double in the last six games while Nigel Hayes, who is the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, finished with 11 points against the Bengals. The Badgers, who won the battle of the boards 47-21, are ranked fourth nationally in rebound margin (+14.5), and they hope to take advantage of Marquette's four-guard system.
* Freshman guard Sam Hauser matched a career high with 19 points and senior center Luke Fischer added 18 on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor to lift the Golden Eagles over Fresno State. "It's really exciting to play them (Wisconsin) and it's a big game for all of us," Hauser told reporters. "We're 2-0 so far this week and looking to make it 3-0." Jajuan Johnson flirted with a double-double as he produced 14 points and eight rebounds while Traci Carter, who is averaging 3.6 assists this season, missed Tuesday's game with a sore left knee but could recover in time to face the Badgers.
TRENDS:
* Badgers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Golden Eagles are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 9-2 in Badgers last 11 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings in Marquette.
* Badgers are 0-5 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
Texas Southern at No. 13 Louisville (OFF)
* Well-traveled junior guard Zach Lofton (21 points per game), who is on his fourth college team and playing Division I basketball for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign, is a two-time SWAC Player of the Week winner and has already scored at least 24 points four times. Sophomore forward and reigning conference player of the year Derrick Griffin (12.1 points, 9.4 boards) ranks second in Division I in offensive rebounding (5.1) and is tied for 11th in double-doubles (five) after setting a league record with 19 last season. Demontrae Jefferson - a 5-7 freshman guard who was rated as high as a four-star recruit by Rivals 150 in 2015 - is expected to make his Tigers' debut Saturday.
* The frontcourt took center stage Wednesday, as senior center Mangok Mathiang (7.2 points, 6.4 rebounds) needed only 22 minutes to collect 15 points - two off his career high - and six boards, while athletic junior forward Jaylen Johnson (9.2, 8.2) contributed nine points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six blocks after seeing his minutes reduced recently. Sophomore Deng Adel (9.9, 4.7) posted his first double-double against Southern Illinois with 12 points and a career-high 12 boards, nearly doubling his previous personal best of seven last season. Leading scorer Donovan Mitchell (11.3 points) has failed to score in double figures in three straight outings, but the sophomore guard paces the ACC with 2.4 steals per game.
TRENDS:
* Tigers are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Cardinals are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games.
* Over is 5-0 in Tigers last 5 overall.
* Under is 10-2-1 in Cardinals last 13 games following a straight up win.
La Salle vs No. 17 Georgetown (-3.5, 156.5)
* The Explorers, who have never defeated a top-ranked team, found itself within four points on a Pookie Powell layup with just over a minute remaining, but the Wildcats used free throws over the final 65 seconds to hold on for the victory. Things might have been different had Syracuse transfer and team scoring leader B.J. Johnson (17.9 points per game) not found himself in foul trouble for most of the game, finishing with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting in just 26 minutes of action. Jordan Price (17.1) was also largely ineffective, scoring nine points while adding six rebounds and six assists in 36 minutes.
* While Pryor and his team-best 20.8 points per game garner most of the attention, junior guard L.J. Peak has been just as important to the Hoyas' home winning streak. The junior guard recorded 10 assists in a one-sided victory over Coppin State, and followed that up by pouring in 22 points and hauling in eight rebounds in the victory over Elon. Forward Jessie Govan chipped in with 13 points against the Phoenix and is shooting a red-hot 9-of-11 from the floor over his last two games; he's at 61.7 percent for the season, well ahead of his freshman rate of 48 percent.
TRENDS:
* Explorers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games.
* Hoyas are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Hoyas are 1-11 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games.
* Over is 4-0 in Hoyas last 4 Saturday games.
No. 25 Ohio at Iona (1, 150)
* The Iona Gaels are ranked 174 for offensive field goal percentage shooting 43.7% while attempting 60.9 shots per game. The Gaels shooting percentages include 75.6% for free throw percentage and 36.2% for three point percentage so far this season.
* The Ohio Bobcats are ranked 229 for offensive field goal percentage shooting 42.5% while attempting 63.2 shots per game. The Bobcats shooting percentages include 68.2% for free throw percentage and 41.9% for three point percentage so far this season.
TRENDS:
* Bobcats are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Gaels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Bobcats last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 4-0 in Gaels last 4 home games.
VMI at No. 16 West Virginia (-36, 152.5)
* Senior guard QJ Peterson averages team bests of 20.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals, and needs 13 points to move into seventh on the school's all-time scoring list. Peterson scored a season-high 29 points in the Keydets' 88-72 loss at Virginia Tech on Nov. 19 in its only other game against a Power 5 Conference team. Senior guard Julian Eleby (13.0 points per game) and senior forward Trey Chapman (10.9 points, 6.4 rebounds) are VMI's other double-digit scorers with Chapman shooting 50 percent from the field - well above the team number of 40.5.
* The Mountaineers boast a deep roster as 13 players average at least nine minutes and 12 score at least four points. Sophomore forward Esa Ahmad leads the team at a modest 12.8 points per game while senior forward Nathan Adrian (11.6 points, club highs of 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists) is the only other player averaging double-figure points. Carter (9.8 points, 3.9 assists) is also the top free-throw shooter at 84.6 percent.
TRENDS:
* Keydets are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Keydets are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Mountaineers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 4-0-1 in Keydets last 5 games following a double-digit loss at home.
* Under is 5-1 in Mountaineers last 6 Saturday games.
Nebraska at No. 3 Kansas (-20, 142)
* While the Cornhuskers have held each of their last five opponents to at least 14 points below their season scoring average, they have been unable to take advantage on the other end and are shooting 35.6 percent from the field during their 1-4 stretch, failing to surpass 40 percent shooting in any of their losses. Leading scorer Tai Webster (17.2 points) scored 20 against Creighton and continues to be a bright spot offensively, producing four 20-point performances this season and 10 straight double-digit scoring efforts dating back to last season. Sophomore Ed Morrow (10.1 points, team-high 8.1 rebounds) grabbed a career-high 13 boards Wednesday and is averaging 10.3 over his last three contests.
* The Jayhawks' guard-heavy lineup has been lighting it up from long-range over the last four games, shooting 56.3 percent beyond the arc over that time while averaging 13.5 3-pointers after draining an Allen Fieldhouse-record 15 3-pointers against UMKC. Senior Frank Mason (20.8 points, 5.3 assists), who ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring and third in assists, is coming off a career-high tying 30-point effort and also paces Kansas in field-goal percentage (58.9) - the best mark by a Division I guard averaging at least 20 points. Freshman guard Josh Jackson (14.6 points, team-best 6.1 rebounds) posted his second double-double in the last five games with 19 points and 12 boards versus the Kangaroos.
TRENDS:
* Cornhuskers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Jayhawks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game.
* Under is 8-1 in Cornhuskers last 9 games following a ATS loss.
* Road team is 3-0-1 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
Houston Baptist at No. 9 Indiana (26.5, 153.5)
* The Huskies took on Texas Tech, New Mexico and Marquette early in the season and lost by an average of 21.3 points, but they do have depth with 10 players averaging at least 11 minutes and four points. Josh Ibarra, a 6-11 junior center, had 16 points and 12 rebounds in the victory over Saint Peter’s to push his averages to 10.7 and 6.4, respectively, while shooting 56.1 percent from the field overall. Senior forward Colter Lasher leads the team in scoring (13.1), but must rebound from a 2-for-10 shooting effort last time out.
* Sophomore forward Juwan Morgan has filled in for Anunoby quite well, averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in the last two contests while draining all 12 of his shot attempts. Junior guard James Blackmon Jr. continues his solid play, after missing more than half of last season with a knee injury, averaging 16.7 points to go along with 7.1 rebounds and 40.4 percent shooting from 3-point range. Blackmon’s backcourt partner Robert Johnson has also been efficient, connecting on 55.7 percent of his shots from the field and averaging 12.8 points – second on the team.
TRENDS:
* Huskies are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Hoosiers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 4-0 in Huskies last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 4-0 in Hoosiers last 4 games following a straight up win.
No. 16 Murray State at Evansville (-2, 143)
* The Evansville Purple Aces are ranked 100 for offensive field goal percentage shooting 45.7% while attempting 51.4 shots per game. The Purple Aces shooting percentages include 69.2% for free throw percentage and 35.3% for three point percentage so far this season.
* The Murray St. Racers are ranked 115 for offensive field goal percentage shooting 45.5% while attempting 64.9 shots per game. The Racers shooting percentages include 70.7% for free throw percentage and 38.4% for three point percentage so far this season.
TRENDS:
* Racers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Purple Aces are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Saturday games.
* Over is 6-1 in Racers last 7 games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 4-0 in Purple Aces last 4 games following a ATS loss.
* Racers are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
Tennessee State at No. 20 N.C. State (-8.5, 148.5)
* Martin (13.1 points, team-high 10.0 rebounds per game) shares the club scoring lead with senior guard Tahjere McCall, who also paces the Tigers in assists (4.5 per game) and steals (2.6). McCall recorded 10 points, 11 rebounds and five assists and sank the winning bucket with 8.4 seconds remaining against Lipscomb, while Martin posting his fourth double-double of the season (16 points, 12 rebounds). Senior guard Jordan Reed averages 11.1 points and 8.1 rebounds, and junior forward Ken'Darrius Hamilton (9.8 points), junior guard Darreon Reddick (8.8) and junior guard Delano Spencer (8.1) also contribute.
* Freshman point guard Dennis Smith Jr. averages team bests of 18.3 points and 4.9 assists but shoots 40.9 percent from the floor and 26.5 percent from 3-point range - well below the team numbers of 49.5 and 35.9. Sophomore guard Torin Dorn scored 22 points and matched a career high with 11 rebounds against Boston, raising his season averages to 17.9 and 7.0; he's shooting 60.7 percent from the field and 53.8 from beyond the arc. Senior guard Terry Henderson contributes 16.8 points while Abdul-Malik Abu (13.0 points, 7.6 rebounds) has recorded four personal fouls in five of eight games this season.
TRENDS:
* Tigers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Wolfpack are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 4-1 in Tigers last 5 overall.
* Over is 6-0 in Wolfpack last 6 games following a straight up win.
No. 23 Cincinnati at No. 15 Butler (-3.5, 129)
* Washington averages 17.3 points, nine rebounds, 1.9 blocks and is shooting 59.2 percent from the field to lead the way for the Bearcats, who have held six of eight opponents under 60 points. Sophomore guard Jacob Evans has been almost as efficient as Washington while scoring 15.6 per game on 55.1 percent shooting from the field and 82.8 at the free-throw line. There is plenty of room for improvement as senior guard Troy Caupain is off to a relatively slow start, averaging 9.5 points on 37.7 percent from the field after scoring 13 per game a season ago.
* Leading scorer Kelan Martin (17.4), a junior forward, will need to recover from a 4-for-15 shooting performance against Indiana State while senior forward Andrew Chrabascz (10.9 points overall) scored a season-high 18 in the loss. Senior guard Tyler Lewis, who leads the team in assists (5.4) and shoots 64.4 percent from the field, is averaging 10.7 points over the last three games. Senior guard Avery Woodson has 29 field goals – 23 from 3-point range – and junior forward Tyler Wideman connected on 14-of-16 field-goal attempts over last three contests.
TRENDS:
* Bearcats are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Saturday games.
* Bulldogs are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up loss.
* Under is 9-1 in Bearcats last 10 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
* Under is 5-1 in Bulldogs last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
No. 4 Duke at UNLV (22.5, 153.5)
* The Blue Devils are beginning to look like the juggernaut they were on paper to begin the season, as Luke Kennard (20.4 points) continues to put up huge numbers to lead an impressive mix of veterans and freshmen. Grayson Allen (15.9 points, 4.1 assists) continues to play through nagging injuries and pairs with Amile Jefferson (15.6 points, 10.3 rebounds) to give Duke a battle-tested nucleus. The freshman class is special, though, as Frank Jackson (14 points) has proven all season and Tatum, in particular, has shown by averaging 16 points in two games since returning from injury.
* The Runnin’ Rebels returned only three players from last campaign’s team, so they have faced some early growing pains. Sophomore guard Jalen Poyser has made huge strides from a season ago, leading the squad with 17.5 points and 3.9 assists while coming off his third 20-point effort of 2016-17. Big men Tyrell Green (12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds) and Dwayne Morgan (10, 7.6) are the other two returnees, while a number of transfers have stepped into key roles.
TRENDS:
* Blue Devils are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. Mountain West.
* Runnin' Rebels are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 9-2 in Blue Devils last 11 non-conference games.
* Under is 4-1 in Runnin' Rebels last 5 home games.
Utah at No. 14 Xavier (-11.5, 146)
* Kuzma recorded 16 points and 12 rebounds last time out and leads five players averaging in double figures scoring, including 6-10 junior Tyler Rawson (11.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 51.9 percent shooting). Senior guard Lorenzo Bonam, who is one of two starters returning from an NCAA Tournament team, averages 15 points and makes 58.8 of his shots from the field. Junior guard JoJo Zamora scored 17 points against Utah Valley to raise his season average to 11.4 and sophomore backcourt mate Parker Van Dyke has made 13-of-30 from 3-point range.
* While Bluiett was topping his career high in scoring by two and raising his average to a team-high 19.3, fellow junior guard J.P. Macura (14.7) struggled for the second straight game. Macura missed 20 of his 25 shots – 10-of-11 from behind the 3-point arc -- against Baylor and Colorado combined while sophomore guard Edmond Sumner (14.6) went 3-for-11 on Wednesday. Senior forward RaShid Gaston was in the starting lineup for the first time against Colorado and responded with his second double-double – posting 14 points and 11 rebounds.
TRENDS:
* Utes are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Musketeers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games.
* Over is 7-1 in Utes last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 8-2 in Utes last 10 overall.
Akron at No. 8 Gonzaga (-16.5, 145.5)
* The Zips are averaging 79.8 points per game and topped that on Wednesday when they rolled to an 87-63 victory over Coppin State. Senior center Isaiah Johnson averages a team-best 15.2 points while shooting a torrid 70.3 percent from the field while junior guard Antino Jackson (12-point average) is also playing solid basketball. Junior guard Jimond Ivey (9.1 average) tallied a career-best 20 points against Coppin State.
* Balance has been a key for the Bulldogs as six players average at least 9.7 points and four players are collecting more than five rebounds per contest. Sophomore guard Josh Perkins (12.5 points) and senior center Przemek Karnowski (12.2 points, team-best six rebounds) were expected to be good but freshman power forward Zach Collins has been better than forecasted by averaging 10.6 points off the bench and shooting 69.6 percent from the field. Junior forward Johnathan Williams is shooting 58.6 percent from the field while averaging 9.9 points and senior shooting guard Jordan Mathews is averaging 9.7 points despite a porous 35.1 percent mark from the field.
TRENDS:
* Zips are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Saturday games.
* Bulldogs are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 8-2 in Zips last 10 road games.
* Over is 5-0 in Bulldogs last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.
* Over is 10-1 in Bulldogs last 11 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
No. 20 Michigan at No. 2 UCLA (-9.5, 150.5)
* Irvin leads Michigan in scoring at 13.6 points a game, an average that's below the four leading scorers for UCLA, and the other two Wolverines who are averaging double figures are Derrick Walton Jr. (12.1) and Moritz Wagner (10.4). Walton and Wagner can do some damage from long distance, as they're a combined 32-for-75 from 3-point range, so UCLA's perimeter defense needs to be on their toes. D.J. Wilson has been Michigan's most active player inside and comes into this game averaging 7.7 points and 7.7 rebounds, but the 6-10 forward can also step back and hit a 3-pointer when needed.
* If they Bruins hope to establish their longest winning streak since the 2012-13 season, they'll just need to keep playing like they've been, starting with their impressive scoring balance among their starting five. In the win against Kentucky, the starters each scored from 14 to 19 points, with Aaron Holiday adding another 13 off the bench. Ball, Holiday, Isaac Hamilton, T.J. Leaf, Bryce Alford and Thomas Welsh each average from 11.1 to 18.1 points and only Alford is shooting below 51 percent from the floor (44.9).
TRENDS:
* Wolverines are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Saturday games.
* Bruins are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 7-0 in Wolverines last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Over is 4-1 in Bruins last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
No. 23 New Mexico at New Mexico State (-2.5, 142.5)
* The New Mexico St. Aggies are ranked 106 for offensive field goal percentage shooting 45.6% while attempting 52.9 shots per game. The Aggies shooting percentages include 71.8% for free throw percentage and 32.7% for three point percentage so far this season.
* The New Mexico Lobos are ranked 12 for offensive field goal percentage shooting 50.1% while attempting 52.3 shots per game. The Lobos shooting percentages include 73.9% for free throw percentage and 31.3% for three point percentage so far this season.
TRENDS:
* Lobos are 16-4-2 ATS in their last 22 vs. Western Athletic.
* Aggies are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. Mountain West.
* Over is 4-1 in Lobos last 5 overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Aggies last 5 home games.
* Lobos are 5-0-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings in New Mexico St.
