Most of the rest of the conference tournaments begin on Wednesday or Thursday, where the majority of the power leagues will name their 2010 championships. Most of the teams that win these tournaments may have already been in good positions to get a bid to the Big Dance on Sunday. A chance still remains that some of the underdogs could steal a bid from top teams by winning their matches. Here’s a rundown on some of the action with a few bold predications. Be sure to check out the LIVE ODDS page at YouWager.com for all of the latest lines on each game.
A Preview of Conference for March 10-13
As C-USA gets ready for their 15th postseason tournament, it’s a bold, brave new world. Regular season champion UTEP is looking to overthrow Memphis, the team that has won the last four tournaments. If any team other than the Tigers win, it would likely be second team to win, with all other previous champions in other leagues. Currently, UTEP is the favorite, as they have had only one conference loss all year and have their first Top 25 ranking since 1992. The Miners are also 9-3 and 8-4 against the spread away from home.
UAB and Memphis are considerable threats to the crown here. The Blazers are 11-4 straight up when away from home and the Tigers have the history and the experience, and tradition, according to coach Josh Pastner. Marshall has the size factor going on the court with 6’11 Lee Whiteside, and enough of a three-point shooting ability to be considered a serious threat, after winning eight of their last nine and they are 9-3 against the spread as a road team. The location change could help Tulsa, as the team will be playing at home now. Jerome Jordan and Ben Uzoh are truly a dynamic duo. Out of all the teams below the top five, only Southern Miss looks to be competent. The Golden Eagles are 12-3 against the spread on the road and they are 10-3 against the spread as underdogs, but they only have three wins.
Factors to consider from YouWager.com: Quarterfinals underdogs are 9-3 against the spread for the last three years.
Prediction: UTEP vs. Memphis final
Championship -11:30 Eastern, CBS
Pac 10 Preview for March 10-13
For many in the sports betting public, this conference didn’t meet the expectations. Generally, California has the best overall talent on the boards, and they are the top seed and they have never won this event. They finished second in 2006. This year, USC will be on the sidelines with a suspension. This means the number 8 vs. 9 winner will draw the Bears. Expected to compete for title, Washington turned out to be too young a team. Senior Quincy Pondexter did not enjoy stellar senior season and The Huskies were underdogs on the road with 4-7 straight up and against the spread record.
Arizona State finished out at second in the league, with some great coaching by Herb Sendek, in spite of a limited team. They could possibly make the title match playing with intelligence and cunning, lacking qualities in this conference. It may be difficult to get excited about some of the other teams. Even the fans are often lackluster at the Staples Center when the Pac-10 has four or five good teams, like a New Jersey Nets home game. The best advice here from YouWager.com, is to play the underdogs, as many of the teams are evenly matched, meaning yes, they stink.
The stats: Favorites of three to six points are on a run for 12-0 straight up and 9-2-1 against the spread in the Pac 10 Tournament.
Prediction: California and Washington final
Championship, 6PM Eastern, CBS
Preview of the Big 12 on March 10-13
For 2010, the tournament returns to its original location this year, at Kansas City. It’s a stacked field. Coach Bill Self’s team is the clear choice for sports bettors and they have been consistently winning all season long. This is not as great as the Kansas team that won the title two years ago. It had more mature players. But this one might just be good enough for 2010. The most frightening aspect of betting on the Jayhawks is that they have not destroyed their opponents. Their 9-2 straight up record on the road may sound great, but this is undermined by the fact that they’ve only won by 9.9 points per game.
Can any other team take Kansas down? Baylor has speed and a very strong front court. Missouri can run up a score, has a good defensive press, and Texas A&M has players like G. Donald Sloan and some good players in the paint. Ok State has beaten the Jayhawks and they have G. James Anderson and the Cowboys have some other dangerous sharpshooters. Texas has had a lot of injuries and they seem to lack the kind of guards that really matter. It comes down to Kansas State. They have the ability to beat the Jayhawks, with great guard play. This, could be a fantastic tournament with several close games and give meaning to the underdogs, who could provide better than average wagers.
Underdogs of six points or more are 37-21 against the spread since 2000.
Prediction: Kansas vs. Baylor in final
Championship 6PM Eastern, ESPN
MAC Preview – Mar. 7, 10-13
Four times since 2001, Kent State has won this tournament and they will be among the favorites again this year. The Golden Flashes seem to have the mental strength to win the tight matches and have blown a number of top MAC clubs away. They are 5-1 straight up and against the spread as favorites on the road. Their biggest competition could be their division partner, Akron, the defending champion. The Zips do indeed have plenty of zip. They are 10-2 and 6-4 against the spread coming off a spread loss. The West Division looks kind of generic in comparison, but Central Michigan has drawn the higher seed as champion.
Sunday, the first four games were played at higher seeded home sites. The winners should have the benefit of the momentum they’ve built, along with some rest and time to prepare against taking on the other teams at Cleveland, a neutral site. Ohio U. and Buffalo can boast all they want about being the top two scoring teams, and Ball State is probably the best defensive team, keeping their opponents to 40 percent shooting rates. But Kent State and Akron have dominated the picture this season, so it’s hard t to consider any other teams for the championship match.
The title favorite is 9-3 straight up and against the spread and the SU winner is 12-0 against the spread.
Prediction: Kent State vs. Akron in final
Championship 6PM Eastern, ESPN2
Mountain West Tournament Preview – March 10-13
Recently, the few Mountain West tournaments have not been exactly action-packed. But this year could be very competitive. New Mexico and BYU are heads and shoulders above the rest. Both are have been rated nationally in the last seven weeks of the season. The Lobos are 11-2 and 7-4-1 against the spread away from home, and the Cougars are 13-3 and 11-5 against the spread, under the same conditions, with wins by over 12 points per game. YouWager.com cautions bettors to be careful with wagers on these two teams in the quarter-finals. Mountain West Conference favorites of nine or more an ordinary 8-7 against the spread since 2002.
UNLV is playing host again this year and this seems to have given them a great advantage. they have won three times and finished second two other times at home in seven years. San Diego State could also be a big threat here with their formidable defense. they have allowed the lowest points in the conference. It’s hard to see the Aztecs succeeding if the competition is close, because they are the last in the league for free throw shooting at just over 60 percent.
Favorites have done well in recent Mountain West Conference tournaments. They’ve gone 7-1 straight up and against the spread during the last three years in the semi-finals and title games.
Prediction: New Mexico and Las Vegas in final
Championship 7PM Eastern, Versus
The Big East Preview – March 9-13
For the second year in a row, all 16 members of the Big East are participating. The first day will feature the eight teams at the bottom, from the perspective of team talent. Connecticut and Seton Hall are the best among these, but both teams will have to play at high speed to win. The four winners from the first day will progress to encounter seeds 5 thru 8 and this section holds some superior clubs. They may not be the most talented teams, but Marquette and Notre Dame have been playing very well. The Golden Eagles are 9-2 and 8-3 against the spread and the Fighting Irish are 7-2 against the spread.
The heavyweights arrive in the quarterfinals, and while it seems unlikely that any team in this group could lose, at least one underdog has won outright on average over the twelve years. YouWager.com expects Syracuse and Pittsburgh to move up to the semi-finals, based on their abilities, and Pitt’s incredible mark in March in New York. Hoping for a major upset? Watch Villanova. they are 2-3 in last five outings and 3-7 against the spread since February.
Historically, this tournament frequently seen one team make an unlikely sweep in the last several years. Only one time has a team won back-to- back since the year 2000, and this stat could eliminate Louisville. Favorites of seven or less are 9-2 straight up and against the spread the first two days.
Prediction: Syracuse and Pittsburgh in final
Championship 9PM Eastern, ESPN
The Big West Preview – March 10-13
The Big West has held this annual tournament every year since 1976. One dependable aspect of the conference is that for 11 of the last 13 years, the champion or co-champion of the regular season has also been in the in the championship game. This could mean that UC-Santa Barbara, or Pacific, or both, will probably have a very good shot at playing for an NCAA automatic bid. Cal-State Fullerton is this league’s top scoring team. They are 8-3 against the spread on the road, but they were defeated in all four games against the top two teams.
UC-Davis has been up and down and their best statistic is the fact that they are 11-5 against the spread against Big West opponents. This year, the contest will be in Anaheim once again. For the past five years, this match has been as amusing as nearby Disneyland for total players. Those on the UNDER are 23-9, 73.5 percent, with all the games coming in a full four points below the oddsmakers average total in games played.
Known for being competitive, in the Big West contest only 10 matchups have registered above 7.5-point spread in recent years and although the underdog is 1-9, they are a potent 8-2 against the spread.
Prediction: UCSB and Pacific in final
Championship 8PM Eastern, ESPN2
The WAC Preview – March 11-13
Eight teams are going to in Reno, Nevada for the WAC conference tournament. The University of Nevada has finished tied for second in the league and they will have the advantage of playing at home. Utah State is the favorite choice as the league champion. They are 11-5 against the spread in conference action here. Nearly all the other teams going head-to-head in Nevada are around or above .500 against the spread, with the exception of the Wolf Pack, at 6-10 against the spread. This could make underdogs a play with some history to back it all up.
In earlier tournaments, underdogs have a 20-9 ATS record and the OVER has also been a strong play at 21-10. Looking past the top four seeds, Fresno State seems to have the best team talent, but it is difficult to overlook their record as 3-12 straight up as a visiting team. At number four, Louisiana Tech will have the opportunity to beat Utah State in the semi-finals, if they make it that far, after they earned a split and covered both previous matches. Nevada will have a home court advantage over rival New Mexico State, and last week, they won and covered a game against the Aggies. In last year’s event, Nevada finished second to Utah State at the Lawler Events Center, and this would be the third match in five years between these two teams.
Prediction: Nevada and Utah State in final
Championship 10PM Eastern, ESPN2
The SEC Preview – March 11-14
This year, the SEC Tournament looks several in past years. Kentucky is a clear favorite as the top seed. Mississippi State can also claim co-Number one slot after winning the SEC West. While there will be plenty of Wildcat fans in the stands, there should be plenty from Tennessee, too, at the Sommet Center in Nashville, and Vanderbilt and the Tennessee Vols will be well represented.
Some of the lower-ranked teams have their obvious flaws, but aside from LSU, all of them seem to have at least one major positive factor that could make them a dangerous underdog. South Carolina has Devan Downey, Georgia looks very athletic, however, they are 1-12 on the road, and Auburn and Arkansas have proven themselves to able to score in bursts, and Alabama is currently second in the conference with the fewest points allowed by opponents. Should any of these teams make it to the quarterfinals, bettors should consider them because underdogs are 8-3 against the spread this round.
This conference still looks like the Kentucky Invitational and teams in the title match is 8-1 UNDER with underdogs 5-3-1 against the spread.
Prediction: Kentucky and Vanderbilt in final
Championship 1PM Eastern, ABC
The Atlantic 10 Preview – March 9, 12-14
The Atlantic 10 tournament is known for quick runs. Only three teams, in 1997 St. Joseph’s, 1999 Rhode Island, and 2003 Dayton, have not won consecutive championships, or two of three since 1991. This year’s tournament could be one of the biggest sports bettors have ever seen. Several powerful teams at the top and at the second level clubs look to be capable of putting together an impressive number of victories. Two-time defending A-10 postseason champ Temple, Xavier and Richmond have risen to the top of the conference. St. Louis, Charlotte and Rhode Island have all also proven that they can win a string of matches. The Rams have the capacity to score. They are second in the A-10 and their winning record on the road is 9-6, second to St. Louis in points allowed in the league. The best teams will be favored and it could be money-making to wager on them in the right situations. As double-digit favorites, they are 9-0 and 7-2 against the spread. The first round match is always at the home of the higher seed, and the home-standing favorite of seven or less points is 18-4 and 17-5 against the spread. A Temple and Richmond rematch from Feb. 6 seems likely in Atlantic City. The Spiders won that one 71-54.
Prediction: Temple and Richmond in final
Championship 1PM Eastern, CBS
The ACC Preview – March 11-14
Created in 1953, the Atlantic Coast Conference men’s postseason tournament has both prestige and history. Duke and Maryland have been burning brightly, but no team in the 12 has had a winning record on the road in this conference. The Maryland Terps are 8-5 and 8-4 against the spread away from home overall and the Blue Devils are 9-5 and 7-6-1 against the spread on the road.
A team with the most to gain here is North Carolina. NC has been playing a lot better lately, if you overlook their loss to Duke. They’ll have to win to defend their NCAA title. The other teams at the bottom don’t seem to have much of a chance. One exception is Boston College who has won primarily at home. Virginia Tech put together enough victories to be considered for semi-finals, and Florida State can still mount a threat with their defense, if they can make enough shots.
YouWager.com notes that ACC underdogs have an overall mark of 44-23-3 against the spread since 2003.
Prediction: Duke and Virginia Tech in final
Championship 1PM Eastern, ESPN
The Big Ten Preview – March 11-14
It’s been a crazy year for the Big Ten. Teams that had every reason to win lost at home, and underdogs bounced back to win. There was a lot of head scratching for sports bettors. At the end of the day, only team stands above the rest of the pack, with their best basketball of the season. Ohio State. The Buckeyes have won 10 of 11, and they are 6-5 against the spread. Their versatile starting lineup, led by Evan Turner, can steamroll opponents in several ways. Despite a good record, Michigan State has disappointed many sports bettors and they haven’t looked as powerful as many originally thought they were. Purdue might have won the Big Ten outright, but without Robbie Hummel, they dropped from top five in the country to the Top 20 or 30.
There are two teams under the radar in this part of the world- Wisconsin and Illinois. The Badgers have a big man back with Jon Leuer and they could possibly put together a wild weekend streak and steal the big prize. Illinois is known to very physical with Demetri McCamey to lead them. The question is about the rest of the team. Are they mentally strong enough to win day after day? Depending on the seeds, many bettors will want to watch Penn State. They are 3-15 in league play, but 9-2 against the spread away from home, losing by less than four points a game.
Some of these games will be wrestling matches. the UNDER has hit 60 percent the last three years.
Prediction: Ohio State vs. Michigan State in final
Championship 3:30PM Eastern, CBS