Posted on
3/17/2008 6:15:35 PM
NCAA NIT Betting - North Carolina-Asheville at Ohio State
By Charles Jay
BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds: Ohio State -15
The North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs (23-9 SU, 0-1 ATS) make a well-deserved NIT appearance on Tuesday night when they visit the Ohio State Buckeyes (19-13 SU, 13-14-1 ATS) in a first-round game that is set to tip off at 7 PM ET at the Value City Arena in Columbus.
In the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds, Ohio State is listed as a 15-point favorite.
Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* NCA has won five of its last six games SU
* NCA has lost three of its last four road games SU
* OSU has covered three of its last 11 games
* OSU has lost five of its last seven games SU
* OSU has played 11 of its last 16 games UNDER the total
* OSU is 1-3-1 ATS in its last five home games
* OSU has won 22 of its last 25 home games SU
* OSU has played four of its last five home games UNDER the total
NC-Asheville, which this year broke a streak of six straight losing seasons, has generally come up short against high-quality opposition, losing by 13 to Tennessee, 14 to Virginia Tech and 12 to North Carolina. But the Bulldogs hardly come up short in the pivot. That's because of the presence of center Kenny George - all 7'7" of him. George, who is listed at 360 pounds, does not get up and down the court all that well, but in less than 20 minutes a game this season he averaged 3.4 blocked shots and shot 69% from the field. However long he plays, he is a challenge to Ohio State's freshman center, Kosta Koufos.
Asheville was dispatched in the Big South tournament by Winthrop, but the highlight of their season may have been a regular season sweep against the Eagles, which brought these Bulldogs a share of the conference title. So this is not necessarily a team that comes in untested.
Ohio State, which made it to the national title game last year, is another one of those "bubble" teams that missed the cut this season. But OSU didn't have a big gripe, not after losing five of its last seven, which included defeats to Michigan and Minnesota. The Buckeyes are not usually considered an up-tempo team, but may find it in their best interests to run, so as to mitigate the effect of George on the floor.
But the fact is, when the giant is playing, he makes a difference, blocking four shots against both Tennessee and North Carolina. Most teams just don't even bother driving the lane against him. With five players averaging in double figures, and George giving them instant defense off the bench, the Bulldogs aren't a pushover. They've kept things competitive with the big boys, and they can do it again here.
We'll grab the points with UNC-Asheville, the 15-point underdog in the BetUS March Madness betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: UNC-ASHEVILLE
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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)