Posted on 3/18/2008 5:33:58 PM

NCAA Basketball NIT Betting - Alabama State at Arizona State

By Charles Jay

BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds: Arizona State -18.5

The Alabama State Hornets (20-10 SU), the regular season champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, go into strange territory on Tuesday night when they visit the Arizona State Sun Devils (19-12 SU, 15-12 ATS) in a first-round NIT game that is slated to begin at 11 PM ET at the Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe.

At BetUS Sportsbook, Arizona State is listed as an 18.5-point favorite.

Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* ALA ST has won six of its last seven games SU

* ALA ST has won six of its last seven road games SU

* ARIZ ST has covered four of its last six games

* ARIZ ST has lost 10 of its last 15 games SU

* ARIZ ST has covered six of its last nine home games

* ARIZ ST has won 14 of its last 18 home games SU

Alabama State was the regular season champ of the SWAC, but failed against Jackson State in the conference tournament, while Mississippi Valley State, which split two games with the Hornets, goes to the NCAA tourney. Even still, it was a great season for Alabama State, which was 10-20 last year and reversed that this season, despite being picked by many to finish eighth or lower in the conference.

The key guy for the Hornets is Andrew Hayles, the only double digit scorer at 14.7 points per game, but Alabama State has the player with the most colorful name in this, or any tournament in recent years, in 7'1" center Chief Kickingstallionsims, who actually averaged eight points a game while shooting nearly 62%.

Arizona State is probably the team that carried with it the most gripes from the media about their exclusion from the NCAA field. The Sun Devils swept Arizona, which made it to the tourney, and also scored wins over Top Ten teams Stanford and Xavier. Herb Sendek's team was not expected to do much behind its freshman newcomers, but James Harden (17.6 ppg, 53% shooting and a first-team all-Pac-10 performer) and junior forward Jeff Pendergraph (12.5 ppg, 60%) went way beyond the call of duty.

Arizona State lost nine of its last 14 games in the ultra-tough Pacific 10, but before that slide there was a 22-point win over Xavier in December, which admittedly came after Xavier traveled cross-country following its crosstown game with Cincinnati. But Alabama State has not seen a Princeton-style offense as efficient as this, and unless you consider SMU to be a formidable team, there aren't any notable non-conference wins for them to hang their hat on.

It might come down to whether Sendek and his team is still bellyaching about being left out of the NCAA's. In terms of fundamentals, though, they have more than enough to extend the margin here. We'll lay the points with Arizona State, the 18.5-point favorite in the BetUS March Madness betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: ARIZONA STATE

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 http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)