Posted on 3/18/2008 7:22:53 PM

NCAA Invitational Basketball Betting UC-Santa Barbara at Ole Miss

By Charles Jay

BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds: Ole Miss -13, Total 146

The Mississippi Rebels (21-10 SU, 11-15 ATS), who at one time looked like a lock for an NCAA bid but blew it late in the year, have an opportunity to play on when they begin NIT action at home on Wednesday. Ole Miss will play host to the Gauchos of UC-Santa Barbara (23-8 SU, 12-16-1 ATS) in a first-round game set to tip off at 8 PM ET at the tad Smith Coliseum in Oxford.

At BetUS Sportsbook, Mississippi is listed as a 13-point favorite, with a total of 146 points.

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

* UCSB has won six of its last eight games SU

* UCSB has won seven of its last eight road games SU

* UCSB has covered four of its last nine games

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

* MISS has won 22 of its last 25 home games SU

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

* MISS has played four of its last five home games OVER the total

Santa Barbara posted a win over UNLV back on November 27, but by and large, when the Gauchos stepped out of conference to play better teams, they lost touch. North Carolina beat them by 35 points. Stanford won by 19. And there was a 13-point loss to hot-shooting Utah State in a "bracket-buster" game.

Ole Miss began the season with 13 straight wins, and looked like a sure contender in the SEC. But results were choppy in conference, and being swept by Auburn didn't help. At the end, the Rebels were beaten in the SEC tournament by Georgia, which was a disappointment at the time, though subsequent results have proven otherwise. Besides, there were brief signs of life before that, as they beat Alabama, Arkansas and the aforementioned Bulldogs in consecutive games to close the regular season.

Ole Miss doesn't have the same kind of marksmen as, for example, Utah State did in its game against UCSB, but the Rebs pound the offensive boards (13.1 per game) for second-shot opportunities, and hit enough three-pointers (7.7 per game) to create some distance between themselves and this level of opponent.

We will lay the points with Ole Miss, the 13-point favorite in the BetUS NCAAB betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: OLE MISS

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)