Posted on
3/5/2008 6:56:24 PM
NCAA Basketball Spreads - Minnesota at Indiana
By Charles Jay
BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds: INDIANA -9, Total 144
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (18-10 SU, 13-10 ATS), who are seeking a landmark win to punctuate Tubby Smith's first season on the job, will travel with high hopes to Bloomington, IN on Wednesday night to face off against the Indiana Hoosiers (24-5 SU, 12-14 ATS) in Big Ten action that begins at 7 PM ET at Assembly Hall.
In the BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds, Indiana is listed as a nine-point favorite, with a total of 144 points.
Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* MINN has played four of its last five games UNDER the total
* MINN has covered five of its last seven road games
* MINN has lost 19 of its last 25 road games SU
* MINN has played four of its last six road games OVER the total
* IND has covered two of its last six games
* IND has won 20 of its last 24 games SU
* IND has played its last six games OVER the total
* IND has won seven of its last nine games SU
* MINN has covered three of the last four meetings
* MINN has had the rebounding edge in five of the last eight meetings
* IND has made more three-pointers in four of the last five meetings
We wouldn't go so far as to say Minnesota is finishing the season strong, but the Golden Gophers did pull off an unexpected 71-57 win over what was supposed to be a desperate Ohio State squad on Saturday. But Tubby Smith's team is playing hard until the end, and though the NCAA tournament is at best a very long shot, a 20-win season is very much a possibility.
One would like to think Indiana won't take its 103-74 humiliation at Michigan State easily, and might come out with fire in its eyes for this rematch of a previous 65-60 win. But the Hoosiers have played below expectations in all three games since coach Kelvin Sampson's ouster. And interim mentor Dan Dakich looks sort of like a deer in the headlights right now, even though he spent many years in Bloomington as an assistant and in the head job at Bowling Green.
The Gophers can play some defense (42.7 FG's allowed), and D.J. White is down a little bit in recent games (just 15 ppg in last four). Also, Eric Gordon, who was 7-for-14 against Michigan State, mostly in garbage time, was just 10-for-34 in his previous three.
Let's take the points with Minnesota, the seven-point underdog in the BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: MINNESOTA
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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)