Butler Takes On Duke In NCAA Championship Game Version of "David vs. Goliath"When Duke and Butler collide Monday night in the NCAA Tournament Championship, it will truly be a David vs. Goliath matchup.
Butler, a small school located in Indianapolis, Indiana, has a student body of around 4,500 students with an endowment of around $113 million. Butler's home state, Indiana, is s state with a rich tradition in college basketball, but not necessarily with the Butler Bulldogs. Previously, the Indiana Hoosiers have been the team having success in the NCAA Tournament, but Monday night may change all of that. Before now, the most notable thing Butler has been known for is their home arena, Hinkle Fieldhouse. Named after former coach Tony Hinkle, the fieldhouse was primary setting for the hit basketball movie "Hoosiers." A Men's NCAA Basketball National Championship would put Butler in the record books forever.
On the other side of the tracks, Duke has a student body numbering over 13,000 with an endowment of $4.4 billion, yes, that is billion. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is a private school, and is very well funded because of their well known medical school. Duke is a charter member of the ACC, and has a large following known as the "Cameron Crazies" which is a play on Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke's home court. North Carolina's basketball history is as rich as Indiana's, but not necessarily with Duke. Before breaking through in 1991 for their first national title, Duke had been runner up four times. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, Duke had always played second fiddle to their rival, the University of North Carolina Tarheels.
Despite having a smaller student body, the Bulldogs are sure to have many more cheering for them when they face the Duke Blue Devils. Despite being located just miles from the site of the NCAA Tournament Championship game, everything about Butler screams underdog in this matchup, which may be the reason why they will gain so many fans for this game. In addition, people love to hate Duke, just as they do the Yankees, the Lakers, or any other successful franchise/university.
The Duke Blue Devils have been the model for consistency. Year in and year out they're among the nation's elite, and are always included in the national title picture at the beginning of the season. Duke is without a doubt a traditional powerhouse, and their leader, head coach Mike Krzyzewski is a big reason for that. Coach K is regarded as one of the best, if not the best coach in the nation. His reputation alone is enough to lure the best high school recruits from around the country to come to Duke, the complete antithesis of Butler's program.
The Butler program is lead by head coach Brad Stevens. At only 33 years of age, Stevens is one of the youngest head coaches in Division I collegiate basketball. Despite only being on the job for three years, Stevens has already earned the right to play for the National Championship. In fact, Stevens has won more games than any other coach in history over the course of the first 3 seasons of his career, 91-14. While Stevens doesn't have the reputation Krzyzewski possesses, something must be said about his knowledge of the game, and evaluating talent.
So for one, this will be their first chance at a NCAA National Championship, and the other will be looking to collect it's fourth championship. This will be the biggest stage the Bulldogs have ever seen, while Duke has been there 9 times before, but never with this class.
Even though Butler may appear to be in over their heads, their path to the championship game would indicate otherwise. En route, Butler took down UTEP (12), Murray State (13), Syracuse (1), Kansas State (2), and Michigan State (5). Since the Sweet 16 on, the Bulldogs have only beaten three teams with legitimate hopes of winning a national title, they belong.
As for Duke, the Blue Devils had a fairly easy route to the title game. Situated as the #1 seed in the South region, the Blue Devils had to go through Arkansas-Pine Bluff (16), Cal (8), Purdue (4), Baylor (3), and West Virginia (2). Duke did what good teams do, beat the teams they're supposed to.
So, how do these two match up? From all appearances, they appear to be somewhat similar. Their lineup and build are alike, and both feature good defense. Good defense is going to be something Butler must have to slow down the three headed offensive attack of Duke's Scheyer, Singler, and Smith.
Leading the Blue Devils is G Jon Scheyer. With 18.2 ppg, and shooting 38% from outside the arc, Butler must key on Scheyer. If Butler does shut down Scheyer, G Nolan Smith will look to pick up the slack on the outside. Smith is nearly 40% outside the arc, and averages almost one point less per game than Scheyer with 17.4 ppg. In addition, Duke will have F Kyle Singler in the post. Singler is second on the team with 17.6 ppg while averaging just under 7 rebounds per game. Most of Duke's offense goes through these three, and the Butler defense will have it's hands full.
Looking at the Bulldogs, they're no slouch either. With four players averaging double digits in points, Duke will not be able to contain just one player and win the game. G/F Gordon Hayward and G Shelvin Mack lead the Bulldog offense with 15.5 and 14.2 ppg respectively. In addition, Hayward works the glass well, cleaning up 8.2 rebounds per game. F Matt Howard plays solid minutes for the Bulldogs averaging 11.8 ppg and 5.3 rebounds per game. Along side of Howard is F Willie Veasley who averages 10.1 ppg, and 4.3 rpg. G Ronald Nored runs the offense and averages 3.7 assists per game. As shown, there is no "one" key to the Butler offense, and there are plenty of scoring options provided that Butler can stay out of foul trouble.
Looking at Las Vegas, the oddsmakers have placed the Bulldogs as underdogs in this matchup. This news comes as no surprise to anyone. Duke was expected to be favored, especially with their pedigree and Coach K's tournament resume. Some online sportsbooks have officially listed the odds for this contest with Butler getting 6.5 points from Duke. As listed at BetUS, other NCAA Tournament Championship Betting Lines have the over/under for this game listed at 129 points.
How does the line translate into odds? Also at BetUS, money-lines have been seen for both teams. For Butler, a straight up win over Duke pays out +260, or 13 to 10 odds. On the other side, the odds for a straight up Duke victory has been determined to be 5 to 16, or -360. Typically, lines change as the game approaches, so exact odds may change in either direction. Other College Basketball Prop Bets will be released shortly.
usaplayers.com
Purdue vs Duke 2010 Sweet 16 Odds Alert
The opening NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds had the Duke Blue Devils -8 points (-110 odds) against the Purdue Boilermakers. Currently, the best Sweet 16 odds to bet the Blue Devils you can get are Duke -8 1/2 points (-105 odds). The best Sweet 16 odds to bet the Boilermakers you can get are Purdue +9 points (-110 odds).
"For our class, it means a lot," stated Duke Blue Devils senior guard Jon Scheyer. "Since we've been here, we've lost in the first round of the tournament, first round of the ACC tournament. At this point we have won a couple of ACC championships. We've been in this position before in the Sweet 16. I think last year we were...I won't say satisfied but I would say a little happy to be there. So for us, we just want to try to reestablish the program. Just get it back to where it's been."
The opening NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds on the Purdue vs Duke TOTAL was set at 129 1/2 points.
"Ever since Rob (Hummel) went down I've been trying to be more aggressive on the offensive end," stated Purdue Boilermakers senior guard Chris Kramer. "I'm looking for my shot a little bit more because one of our biggest threats is gone."
The opening NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds on the money line had the Duke Blue Devils -400 odds and the Purdue Boilermakers +320 odds.
Purdue vs Duke NCAA Basketball Tournament Betting Trends to Consider:
* Boilermakers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 Friday games.
* Boilermakers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog.
* Blue Devils are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 Friday games.
* Blue Devils are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. Big Ten.
* Blue Devils are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 NCAA Tournament games.
* Blue Devils are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite.
* Blue Devils are 1-4-2 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 8-0 in Boilermakers last 8 Friday games.
* Under is 6-0 in Boilermakers last 6 vs. Atlantic Coast.
* Under is 5-1 in Boilermakers last 6 games following a S.U. win.
* Under is 5-1 in Blue Devils last 6 overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Blue Devils last 6 games as a favorite.
* Under is 4-1 in Blue Devils last 5 Friday games.
* Under is 4-1 in Blue Devils last 5 games following a S.U. win.
Stop betting like a square and find out what the sharp bettors already know, compare NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds before making your bets and your bank roll will grow! The Purdue Boilermakers are playing the Duke Blue Devils in the South Regional Semifinals on Friday March 26th, 2010 and tip off is at 10:00 PM EST in Houston, Texas.
Copyright 1997-2009 Sports Odds
Washington vs New Mexico Predictions and Odds
We'll make some 2010 NCAA tournament predictions against the betting odds in the game between the New Mexico Lobos and Washington Huskies.
2010 NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds:
The #3 seed New Mexico Lobos (30-4) will take on the #11 seed Washington Huskies (25-9) in today's 2010 tournament action and it's the lower seed who comes into this game as the 2.5-point favorite according to the college basketball betting odds.
Washington's Offense against New Mexico's Defense:
The Huskies have a good pace to their offense and do well in transition despite the fact that their 3-point shooting leaves something to be desired. Washington shoots well from the free-throw line and does pretty well on the offensive boards. New Mexico is a solid all-around defense that doesn't excel at anything but doesn't have a weakness either.
New Mexico's Offense against Washington's Defense:
The Lobos are better than the Huskies at the long ball but don't always get penetration into the lane. New Mexico also doesn't have a good post game and they might have some problems against the Huskies' solid perimeter defense if they can't get into the lane.
2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket and Betting Predictions:
The Huskies are the team to bet on and I feel pretty confident that my underdog Sweet 16 predictions for Washington are going to come true after today's tournament game with New Mexico.
TheOnlinewire.com (c) 2004-2010
Iowa State vs. Texas
Tonight we open the Big 12 Tournament with Iowa State Cyclones against the Texas Longhorns. Iowa state finished the regular season with a monster upset win over #5 Kansas State which was the highlight of their season and will make for very interesting NCAA betting and basketball betting lines and odd for tonight's matchup.
Iowa State finished 15-16 with 4 Big 12 Wins and a three way tie for ninth place in the Big 12. Iowa State averages 72.5points per game, shooting 44.4 percent from the field and are 43rd in the nation in offensive rebounding. When one looks at the Basketball betting lines and odds, one needs to take into consideration that defensively the Cyclones allow 70.1 points per game which is 219th in the country and they are 238th in defensive rebounding. This can present problems for them in this all important matchup with Texas who can really hit the boards offensively.
Texas is 9 -point favorite with a total of 145.5.
The Texas Longhorns with a 23-8 record and 6th in the Big 12 of the NCAA beat Iowa on the road in mid-January and that was a team at the top of the ranking in the nation and now they are a team who is unranked and forced into playing a first round game in their conference. This Texas team became only the fifth team in the history of the Associated Press ranking to fall completely out of the poll after soaring to the No. 1 position.
The Longhorns have been hurt by shoddy execution of their offense and occasional lapses on defense. when viewing the NCAA Basketball betting and the basketball betting lines and odds one needs to review that as a team the Longhorns average fifth in the nation with 81.7 points per game and shoot 47.2 percent from the floor and are second in the nation in offensive rebounding. Defensively that allows visiting teams to shoot just 39.8 percent against them. Texas can be a dangerous opponent if they find their footing as they have already proved they can play with the nations' best.
It would be a huge upset if Iowa State Cyclones win this game over Texas in the opening game of the Big 12 Tournament. At the moment take a look at the NCAA Basketball betting and basketball betting lines and odds and the opening line has Texas favored at -9 and the over/under for the game is 145 1/2 in a game that is played tonight at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo at 9:35 PM EST.
2009 Sportsmedianetwork.com
Centre Basketball: Centre falls in NCAA
The Centre College men slowed down one of Division III's most potent offense, but could not generate enough offense itself.
The Colonels held host Eastern Mennonite to 27 points below its average, but the Royals had enough to down Centre 63-53 in the first round of the Division III NCAA Tournament at Harrisonburg, Va.
"We played very hard and very well. We just could not quite score enough," Centre coach Greg Mason said.
A lot of that had to do with the Royals' athleticism, Mason said.
"Eastern Mennonite was easily the most athletic team we've faced since I've been associated with Centre College," he said. "Their pregame layup line was like an NBA dunk contest. I've never seen anything like it before in my life. It was just very impressive. So, few people outside of our team gave us a chance."
But the Colonels hung with the No. 10 Royals, trailing by just seven points at the half 33-26.
Jeff Mullaney hit a layup and jumper to cut the lead to 33-30 early in the second half. His jumper with 16:01 to play, cut the Centre deficit to 37-36, Danny Noll's 3-pointer tied the game at 41-all, the Centre took the lead at 44-43 on Bryon Ellis' 3-pointer with 13:10 to play.
But that was the last lead for Centre Eastern Mennonite's Todd Phillips scored on a jumper to make it 45-44 with 11:42 to play, and the Royals eventually stretched the lead to 60-51 with 1:44 to play before finishing with a 10-point victory.
Noll, who was named one of 10 finalist for the Jostens Trophy for Division III Player of the Year, finished with 17 points on 7-for-15 shooting, Mullaney finished with 13 points, two assists and two steals and Alex Lloyd had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds to go with three blocked shots.
"Our guys competed as well as I've seen them compete this year," Mason said. "We controlled the tempo, and the guys executed the game plan perfectly. But Eastern Mennonite is so good, it can win in the half court, too. We just started to wear down."
Centre shot 36 percent (21 of 58), got outrebounded 38-33 and had 18 turnovers to the Royals' 14.
Eastern Mennonite, which was led by Phillips with 19 points and D.J. Hinson With 17, was 26 of 58 shooting (44.8 percent).
Centre led 6-2 early, and Ellis' 3-pointer made it 11-7 Centre with 16;15 left in the first half.
But George Johnson put Eastern Mennonite up 14-11 with his 3-pointer, and the Royals eventually built a 12-point lead before Centre cut it to seven.
amnews.com
March Madness Betting Is Underway
NCAA basketball betting has been a near daily occurrence since November but the two most exciting and potentially rewarding wagering days of the year, the opening rounds of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, March 18 ands 19, still are ahead for every March Madness betting fan.
While those 32 opening round match-ups won't be revealed to college basketball betting enthusiasts until the Selection Committee unveils the 65-team field (there's a play-in game in Dayton, Mar. 16), on Sunday, March 14, gamblers can get an early full-court run for their money by investing in March Madness futures.
Most online sportsbooks have future book lists that include far more than the 65 teams that eventually will have an opportunity to snip down the nets in Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, April 5 but while there's a moderate risk that your selection won't make the final cut, there's also the opportunity to secure a team at a much better price than you'll get a few weeks from now.
Also consider the sites for the four regionals: the Carrier Dome in Syracuse for the East; the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis for the Midwest; Reliant Stadium in Houston for the South; and Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City for the West. For example, should Syracuse secure the top seed in the East and make it to the Sweet 16, the Orangemen (10/1 in futures) would be playing at home. Other teams may have regional - if not home court - advantages at geographically friendly first and second round sites such as Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, et al.
As is the case with any wager, a Big Dance future book exists on its own as a valid betting tool. However, shrewd sports bettors also understand that having a handful of teams to win it all also allows them the option of making a money line hedge bet on the other team if one of their future book selections makes it all the way to the championship game. What's more, holding a few live future book ducats can provide flexibility for the bettor who wants to broaden his wagering net to include propositions such as betting on a regional winner.
Future book odds on highly regarded teams such as Kansas, Kentucky, Purdue, Syracuse, Duke, Kansas State, Villanova, West Virginia, Ohio State, New Mexico, Georgetown, Pittsburgh and Michigan State aren't likely to change much over the next few weeks since these teams already have assured themselves a spot in the Big Dance.
The wagering value will be in trying to find overlooked hardcourt quintets that have yet to play themselves into the tournament but, if they do, will be a much shorter price than they are now.
History tells us that outside seeds haven't much of a chance to win it all but teams in the middle of the pack cannot be discounted.
Middle of the pack teams such as Missouri in the power-packed Big 12 or Louisville in the deep and highly contentious Big East could be difficult outs. As of Feb. 22, the Tigers were 45/1 in futures while the Cardinals were 40/1.
Butler already has wrapped up the Horizon League title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament but the Bulldogs, at odds of 60/1, could have loftier aspirations than just a one-and-done post-season appearance. Butler owns a victory over Ohio State and is a legitimate sleeper team.
Another team of interest is Cornell, the Ivy League champion and a massive 500/1 longshot. The Big Red lost by just five points at top ranked Kansas and has size and, of course, smarts, to take to the Big Dance.
Most college basketball betting fans would be hard-pressed to identify the nickname for Northern Iowa but the Panthers certainly have made an impact in their own state, beating big-time programs from Iowa and Iowa State, as well as defeating Metro Atlantic regular season champion Siena. At odds of 150/1 (down from an opening price of 300/1) Northern Iowa, the Missouri Valley regular season champion, is another dark horse worthy of wagering consideration.
The Mountain West Conference often goes overlooked but both New Mexico and BYU have crept into the Top 20. The Lobos and the Cougars each are offered at odds of 50/1.
Other intriguing outsiders include Pac-10 leader California at 40/1; Big 12 troublemaker Baylor at 50/1; Atlantic 10 stalwart Temple at 60/1; and ACC competitor Virginia Tech at odds of 100/1.
A March Madness future book wager or two should span the college basketball betting bridge between now and March Madness.
(c) 2000 - 2009 Cappersmall.com
Maryland vs. Duke
Oddsmakers have made Duke -9.5 point spread favorites for Saturday’s game against Maryland. Current College Basketball Public Betting Information shows that 54% of more than 80 bets for this game have been placed on Duke -9.5.
With an estimated 100 former players and coaches invited to Cameron Indoor Stadium, the eighth-ranked Blue Devils will try to remain atop the ACC with a home victory over Maryland.
Krzyzewski, 780-219 in 30 seasons at Duke and 853-278 overall, will become the eighth Division I coach to lead one school for 1,000 games when the teams tip off.
After that, he'll try to help the Blue Devils (20-4, 8-2) maintain their conference lead. A victory would move them two games ahead of the Terrapins (16-6, 6-2), but a Wake Forest win over Georgia Tech later that night would keep the Demon Deacons within one game.
A loss on its ceremonious day would push Maryland ahead of Duke, winners of three straight and 15 in a row at home, by percentage points.
"I don't think it's really pressure," center Brian Zoubek said. "It's added incentive, added motivation - not that we needed any more, but it's there just the same. ... You could pick any number of reasons why we're motivated."
In the past two games, the Blue Devils handled the pressure of fending off a pesky Boston College squad on the road and a trip to archrival North Carolina.
After earning a 66-63 victory last weekend, they prevailed 64-54 over the Tar Heels on Wednesday night despite shooting 31.9 percent - their second-worst effort of the season.
Duke, though, closed the game on a 25-11 burst, grabbed 23 offensive rebounds to amass a 51-42 edge and limited North Carolina to 34.5 percent shooting.
Jon Scheyer had 11 of his 24 points during that finishing run, and he has averaged 21.0 points over the past five games while shooting 50 percent from 3-point range. He's also paced the ACC's top-scoring team (80.7 points per game) with a 19.1-point average, second-best in the conference.
For the first time this season, Duke will face the league's second-best offense (80.2 ppg), led by Greivis Vasquez.
The Terps' guard, tied for third in the ACC with 18.1 points per game, earned the conference's player of the week honors by averaging 24.5 points in his team's consecutive wins, including Sunday's 92-71 blowout of visiting North Carolina.
Vasquez matched a career high with six 3-pointers en route to 26 points. He also had 11 assists to surpass 700 in his career and needs six rebounds Saturday to reach 600.
Vasquez, 78 points shy of 2,000, has also helped Maryland hold seven straight opponents below 40 percent shooting during a 6-1 stretch.
"We've got smart players (who) know how to play defense and know how to stop people," coach Gary Williams said.
Williams' team, which has split its four ACC road games, could have one fewer player to stop Saturday. Duke starting forward Lance Thomas is doubtful after bruising a bone in his right knee versus North Carolina.
Maryland is hoping that absence could give them the edge to snap a five-game losing streak to the Blue Devils and avoid a third consecutive defeat at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Terps will have had six days off because Wednesday night's home game against Virginia was postponed due to snow.
Maryland has beaten at least one Top 10 team in 13 straight seasons, but lost its only such matchup this season to then-No. 3 Villanova on Dec. 6.
Duke leads the series 106-60.
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