Posted on 1/28/2008 3:11:12 PM

NCAA Basketball Betting – Louisville at Connecticut

By Charles Jay

The Louisville Cardinals (15-5 SU, 8-9 ATS) have been coming on pretty strong. And on Monday night they'll get a chance to move ahead in Big East play when they visit Storrs, CT to play the Huskies of U-Conn (14-5 SU, 7-7-1 ATS), who themselves are coming off a very big win, in a game tipping off at 7 PM ET.

In the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds, the Huskies are listed as a 1.5-point home favorite, with the total posted at 139 points.

Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends relative to this matchup:

* LOU has won 11 of its last 13 games SU

* LOU has covered five of its last seven games

* LOU has played seven of its last ten games UNDER the total

* LOU has won and covered three of its last four road games

* LOU has played three of its last four road games OVER the total

* CONN has won its last three games SU

* CONN has covered six of its last eight games

* CONN has won five of its last six home games SU

* CONN has played six of its last nine games OVER the total

* LOU has covered three of the last four meetings

* CONN has had the shooting edge in three of the last four meetings

Louisville got off to a relatively slow start, and it was even slower against the number. The Cardinals went through a stretch where they dropped five straight decisions against the spread. They suffered tough, close defeats to very capable foes like BYU, Dayton and Cincinnati - all of whom could find themselves in the Big Dance.

Of course, one of the problems was that Rick Pitino's squad had injury problems. But David Padgett and Juan Diego Palacios returned to the rotation, and fortunes took an upturn. Louisville, in the process of winning five of its last seven, have led by 20 points or more in the second half four times, so they have been cruising. Highlights were wins over Marquette (71-51), West Virginia (63-54) and hated rival Kentucky (89-75).

Small forward Terrence Williams has been a do-everything guy lately for Pitino, registering a triple-double against Seton Hall and picking up some of the slack for the point guards, whose play has been a bit scattered. But it is clear that when healthy, Louisville can play with most anybody in the Big East.

Meanwhile, it would not be altogether surprising if U-Conn was experiencing a hangover after scoring a road win at #7 Indiana on Saturday. That's because aside from a victory at home over fading Marquette, the Huskies didn't really have a marquee triumph on their resume.

We're going to go ahead and grab points with the Cardinals, on a bit of a surge and the 1.5-point dog in the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds.

BetUS NCAAB betting odds: CONNECTICUT -1.5, Total 139

JAY'S PLAY: LOUISVILLE

Go to the BetUS.com online sportsbook today to bet on NCAA basketball. We have the most current NCAA basketball odds and lines, as well as player and game props. Join BetUS.com to experience the best in online sports betting action!

(Charles Jay of TotalActionExtra.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)