Posted on
3/20/2008 11:58:28 AM
College Basketball Betting - Kent State vs. UNLV
By Charles Jay
BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds: Kent State -2. Total 125
The Kent State Golden Flashes (28-6 SU, 17-11-1 ATS) take their great record into America's heartland on Thursday afternoon when they take on the UNLV Rebels (26-7 SU, 17-12-1 ATS) in first-round action of the NCAA tournament's Midwest Regional, scheduled to tip off at 2:55 PM ET at the Qwest Center in Omaha.
At BetUS Sportsbook, Kent State is listed as a two-point favorite, with a total of 125 points.
Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* KENT has covered four of its last five games
* KENT has lost its last five games SU
* KENT has played eight of its last 12 games OVER the total
* UNLV has won seven of its last eight games SU
* UNLV is 5-2-1 ATS in its last eight games
* UNLV has played three of its last four games OVER the total
Despite UNLV's strong record, it was generally thought that the Rebels had to win out in the Mountain West tournament to get a bid to the NCAA's. They did just that, though it must be noted that the win was achieved on a home court where it has now won 24 straight conference games.
Kent State, which won the Mid-American Conference title, allowing just 54 ppg in the process, is a little more pace-conscious than UNLV, or most of its opponents, for that matter. There is not a lot of size, but Kent State does what it can to make up for it. In the middle, the Flashes have one of the top defensive players in the country in Haminn Quaintance, who averaged two steals and two blocks per game, and also found time to pull down 7.4 rebounds per contest.
UNLV's tallest starter is 6'7" Joe Darger, who likes to hang out on the perimeter, so neither team is necessarily disadvantaged by not having a lot of bulk. Perhaps small, incremental edges go to the Rebels, who take very good care of the basketball (just 10.8 turnovers a game behind crafty point guard Wink Adams), have some KO power from the arc (7.7 threes a game), and are consistent from the foul line (74.4%).
This is the kind of game where you feel compelled to take any points available, and we'll do that with UNLV, the two-point underdog in the BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: UNLV
(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)
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