Posted on
2/15/2008 11:53:01 PM
NCAA Basketball Betting - Missouri at Kansas State
By Charles Jay
Some BetUS college basketball bettors have been mystified by the uneven performances of the Missouri Tigers (14-11 SU, 8-10-1 ATS) lately. On Saturday Mizzou travels to "little" Manhattan - the one in Kansas - to take on the Kansas State Wildcats (17-6 SU, 10-7 ATS) in Big 12 action that is slated to tip off at 6 PM ET at Bramlage Coliseum.
Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends that relate to this matchup:
* MIZZ is 2-4-1 ATS in its last seven games
* MIZZ has lost six of its last nine games SU
* MIZZ has played four of its last five games OVER the total
* MIZZ has covered one of its last eight road games
* MIZZ has lost 10 of its last 12 road games SU
* MIZZ has played nine of its last 12 road games OVER the total
* KSU has covered seven of its last nine games
* KSU has won eight of its last ten games SU
* KSU has played five of its last six games OVER the total
* KSU has won and covered its last five home games
* KSU has won and covered five of the last seven meetings
* The last five meetings have gone OVER the total
* MIZZ has had the shooting edge in each of the last four meetings
* KSU has had the rebounding edge in each of the last five meetings
At the outset of the season, many experts wondered how quickly Kansas State's team would come together; after all, the Wildcats were entrusting several freshmen with key roles, and the growing pains were anticipated to be severe. Indeed, early losses to teams like Oregon, Notre Dame and Xavier (particularly painful, at 103-77) seemed to confirm this.
But Kansas State has come on like gangbusters since the Big 12 season started, scoring wins over Texas A&M and Kansas, two teams that figure to highly seeded in the NCAA tournament.
Of course, the team's relative inexperience will come back to bite it from time to time. After the win over Kansas, the Wildcats had a letdown, and were caught napping by Mizzou, which registered a 77-74 win in Columbia. We're going to excuse KSU for that loss, chalking it up to their youth, and certainly it's no big shame to have lost to Texas Tech, as they did in their last outing.
But this K-State team will not lack focus in the rematch with the Tigers. Missouri is caught in a tough place because they have been missing their best point guard, Stefhon Hannah (broken jaw) and really have no one who can contend with Michael Beasley (25.1 ppg, 12.4 rpg), who has pulled down 41 boards over the last three games. We will lay the points with K-State, the home favorite in the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds.
JAY'S PREDICTION: KANSAS STATE BY 20
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(Charles Jay of www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)