posted February 28, 2008 at 11:56 EST in NCAA B Free Picks

BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds: SOUTH FLORIDA -4, Total 147

The Seton Hall Pirates (16-11 SU, 10-12-1 ATS) and the South Florida Bulls (11-16 SU, 13-11-1 ATS), two Big East squads that have struggled on an overall basis this season, will hook up in Tampa on Tuesday night, in a conference tilt that is set to begin at 7 PM ET at the Sun Dome on the USF campus.

In the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds, South Florida is listed as a four-point favorite, with a total of 147 points.

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

* SH has lost four of its last five games SU

* SH has covered one of its last five games

* SH has covered four of its last five road games

* SH has lost 17 of its last 21 road games SU

* SH has played four of its last six road games OVER the total

* SF has covered four of its last five games

* SF has lost 12 of its last 13 games SU

* SF has played five of its last seven games UNDER the total

* SF has covered two of its last six home games

* SF has lost five of its last six home games SU

* SF has played four of its last six home games OVER the total

* SH has won the last four meetings SU

* SH has covered the last three meetings

* SF has had the shooting edge in each of the last four meetings

* SF has had the rebounding edge in each of the last four meetings

* SH has made more three-pointers in each of the last three meetings

Even though Seton Hall is the team that is over the .500 mark and harboring at least some post-season hopes (NIT? CBI?), the Pirates are limping right now. Yes, leadership has come in the form of top scorer Brian Laing, but the Pirates have never really been at full throttle since losing defensive wizard Paul Gause, the true acknowledged team leader, to a knee injury.

The shooting touch simply has not been there for Seton Hall, as they threw up bricks at a rate of 35% against Notre Dame, 38% against Marquette and 42% against West Virginia, essentially losing touch with all of those schools. We have noticed South Florida's relative inability to make free throws (64% on the season; lower than that in last two contests), but the Bulls have found inspiration from somewhere, as they survived a second half scare to pull away from Syracuse, then went right down to the wire with Connecticut and Cincinnati, coming to within a couple of points of a three-game upset winning streak.

Seton Hall does rely on forcing turnovers (9.7 steals a game), but South Florida is not overly generous (13.6 TO's per contest isn't awful). Plus, USF has a great equalizer in center Kentrell Gransberry, the best rebounder in the Big East, who can help them get some easy baskets.

We've been disappointed in Seton Hall's play lately, the recent win over DePaul notwithstanding. We're going to lay the points with South Florida, the four-point favorite in the BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: SOUTH FLORIDA

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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)