Posted on
3/13/2008 12:15:33 PM
NCAA March Madness Betting - WEST VIRGINIA vs. CONNECTICUT
By Charles jay
BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds: CONNECTICUT -4, Total 140
The West Virginia Mountaineers (23-9 SU, 13-12-1 ATS) had to work hard in their first-round win at the Big East tournament, and on Thursday afternoon they will have an even more formidable opponent to tackle - the Connecticut Huskies (24-7 SU, 14-11-2 ATS) at Madison Square Garden in New York. Tipoff time is 2 PM ET.
In the BetUS NCAAB betting odds, U-Conn is listed as a four-point favorite, with a total of 140 points.
Here are some of the NCAA basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* WV has won five of its last six games SU
* WV has played four of its last five games OVER the total
* WV has covered one of its last four games
* WV has played four of its last five games OVER the total
* CONN has won 13 of its last 15 games SU
* CONN has played four of its last five games OVER the total
* CONN has covered five of the last six meetings
* CONN has won seven of the last eight meetings SU
* Five of the last six meetings have gone OVER the total
* CONN has had the shooting edge in five of the last six meetings
* CONN has had the rebounding edge in each of the last six meetings
* WV has made more three-pointers in three of the last five meetings
Joe Alexander continues to be on fire for the West Virginia Mountaineers. The 6'8" forward scored 22 points last night against Providence to propel his team to a 58-53 victory. That gives him 29 ppg over his last four, and he is probably the hottest player in the conference.
Alexander does his best work when close to the basket, and scored 32, then a career high which has since been matched, in the previous meeting between these two. But you can bet Jim Calhoun will have a plan for Alexander, which means some improvisation is going to have to be in order against the Huskies and their 7'3" center, Hasheem Thabeet. Not an imposing scorer, Thabeet nonetheless has the ability to control a game because he can block so many shots; in fact, he has blocked six or more shots a dozen times en route to averaging 4.5 per game. He has 42 in his last seven contests.
When it comes to offense on the inside, Jeff Adrien can get it done for the Huskies, and A.J. Price will be hard to handle after scoring 24, including five three-pointers, in the previous 79-71 U-Conn win.
It was perhaps unexpected that West Virginia had to struggle for its win last night, and turned on the defense toward the end, holding Providence without a field goal for a seven-minute period. At least Connecticut does not normally go into "slowdown" mode like the Friars, but they do have three extra days of rest, which is key.
We're going to lay the points with the Huskies, the four-point favorite in the BetUS NCAAB betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: CONNECTICUT
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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)