Big 12 battle pits top-25 foes in Manhattan
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
01/30/2010 - Manhattan, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - More than just state bragging rights are on the line in Manhattan this evening, as second-ranked Kansas and 11th-ranked Kansas State square off in a Big 12 showdown at the Bramlage Coliseum.
Bill Self's Jayhawks have lost just once this season, but since a January 10th setback at Tennessee, Kansas has run the table in league play, moving to 5-0 with Monday's 84-65 rout of Missouri. The victory also extended the nation's longest homecourt winning streak to 54 games.
Frank Martin has put a consistent product on the court in his three seasons at the helm of KSU and this year is no different. The Wildcats have a pair of league losses to Missouri and Oklahoma State, but the team has won four of its last five outings, including two wins over nationally-ranked programs in Texas (71-62) and most recently, Baylor (76-64).
Kansas holds a 177-90 advantage in this longstanding series and has won each of the last three meetings. In addition, the Jayhawks have really been impressive at Bramlage Coliseum, winning 20 of the 21 meetings on KSU's home floor.
Kansas is one of the favorites to win a national title, thanks to stellar play at both ends of the floor. As balanced a program as there is in the country, the Jayhawks boast of a +23.3 scoring margin, averaging a hefty 84.9 ppg, while allowing a mere 61.7. All-American candidate Sherron Collins is the straw that stirs the drink, leading the team in scoring (15.5 ppg) and assists (83), as well as the Big 12 in free-throw percentage (.873). Freshman Xavier Henry has definitely lived up to his billing and is another explosive scorer in the backcourt, averaging 14.1 ppg, thanks in large part to his team-high 42 three-pointers. Balance in the frontcourt comes in the form of forward Marcus Morris (12.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and center Cole Aldrich (11.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg). Despite committing a whopping 23 turnovers in the game, Kansas still went on to post a lopsided decision over Missouri. Morris led the way with 17 points, just missing a double-double with nine rebounds. Aldrich did complete the feat and recorded his second straight double-double and eighth of the season with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Tyrel Reed was instrumental off the bench with 14 points, making up for a poor performance by Collins, who converted just 2- of-11 shots, for a mere six points.
It was a back-and-fourth game that saw 14 ties, but in the end, a pair of free-throws by Jacob Pullen with eight seconds left proved to be the difference in a two-point road win for Kansas State. It was a fitting end for Pullen, who was magnificent in the game, hitting six three-pointers en route to a game-high 25 points. Backcourt mate Denis Clemente poured in 17 points in support, while Rodney McGruder chipped in 10 off the bench for Kansas State, which shot .491 from the floor, including .524 from behind the arc (11-of-21). KSU has a ton of offensive talent, with the team averaging 81.4 ppg behind four double-digit scorers. Pullen is the best of the bunch, averaging 19.2 ppg and shooting .423 from behind the arc (60-of-142). Clemente has the ability to create for himself (14.7 ppg) and others (team-high 82 assists). Jamar Samuels is a key reserve at 11.8 ppg, while Curtis Kelly checks in at 11.2 ppg.
Morgantown, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The ninth-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers welcome the Louisville Cardinals to Morgantown this afternoon for a Big East showdown. After taking a break from Big East play last week, the Mountaineers returned
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Hartford, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams with a lot of ground to cover to get back in the Big East race square off in Hartford, as the 19th-ranked Connecticut Huskies welcome the Marquette Golden Eagles to the XL Center this afternoon. Hea
Owls host Explorers in clash of local A-10 rivals >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Local rivals square off at the Liacouras
Center in Philadelphia today, as the La Salle Explorers and Temple Owls meet
in an Atlantic 10 Conference affair.
La Salle is coming off an 80-73 win over Fordham,
Zags and Dons square off in San Francisco >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 13th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs carry a
nine-game winning streak into tonight's West Coast Conference battle with the
San Francisco Dons.
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Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 22nd-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
take a break from ACC action to take on the seemingly overmatched Kentucky
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Bears and 'Horns meet in clash of ranked Big 12 adversaries >>
Austin, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-25 foes meet up in Austin this afternoon, as
the sixth-ranked Texas Longhorns welcome the 24th-ranked Baylor Bears to the
Erwin Center for a key Big 12 matchup.
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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined
Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.
"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)
According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.
As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).
Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.
Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at
17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.
*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007
New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers
By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.
"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."
While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."
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