Posted on
3/19/2008 9:43:46 PM
NCAA Invitational Basketball SportsBook Betting Valparaiso at Washington
By Charles Jay
BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds: Washington -10, Total 144.5
The Crusaders of Valparaiso (21-13 SU, 14-15-1 ATS) have taken quite a journey to find success in the maiden voyage of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). They're in Seattle, where they will square off with the Washington Huskies (16-16 SU, 14-17 ATS) in first-round tournament action that tips off at 9 PM ET at the Edmundson Pavilion.
At BetUS Sportsbook, Washington is listed as a ten-point favorite, with a total of 144.5 points.
Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* VALPO has won six of its last seven games SU
* VALPO has covered five of its last 17 games
* VALPO has played seven of its last nine games OVER the total
* WASH has covered five of its last seven games
* WASH has lost four of its last five games SU
* WASH has played its last five games OVER the total
* WASH has lost four of its last six home games SU
* WASH has played four of its last six home games UNDER the total
Kudos to Valparaiso for playing well enough in its initial season in the Horizon League to get an invite to play in the post-season. And Homer Drew's Crusaders beat Wright State in the conference tournament before shooting less than 40% against Cleveland State in the season-ending loss. That also ended a six-game winning streak.
The Horizon rep is not very big or very deep. Nonetheless, Valpo, with three senior starters, will not go quietly. Drew's team shoots a lot of threes, more than all but seven teams in the nation, and Shawn Huff hits 48% from beyond the arc, which ranks him behind only Jaycee Caroll of Utah State. You can't fault Washington much for its .500 record; after all, the Huskies compete in the murderous Pac 10 conference. And they have a win over UCLA, as well as victories over NCAA participants Oregon and Arizona.
But they are likely going to be without their top offensive gun. Jon Brockman, who had to sit out the team's Pac 10 tournament loss to California after suffering a sprained ankle. He gave this team a lot of its forcefulness on the inside, and his 17.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 53% shooting will be hard to replace.
We're going to take the points with Valparaiso, the ten-point underdog in the BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: VALPARAISO
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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)