posted March 13, 2008 at 15:57 in NCAA B Free Picks

BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds: GEORGIA TECH -1. 150.5

The Virginia Cavaliers (15-14 SU, 13-11 ATS) have designs on getting to the NIT. On Thursday night the Cavs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (14-16 SU, 14-14 ATS) square off in an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament game that will tip off at 7 PM ET at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

In the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds, Georgia Tech is listed as a one-point favorite, with a total of 150.5 points.

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

* VA has won four of its last six games SU

* VA has covered six of its last seven games

* VA has lost 12 of its last 17 games SU

* VA has played seven of its last ten games UNDER the total

* GT has covered four of its last five games

* GT has lost six of its last nine games SU

* GT has played 12 of its last 17 games OVER the total

* GT has covered 19 of the last 24 meetings

* GT has won 16 of the last 21 meetings SU

* Four of the last five meetings have gone UNDER the total

* GT has had the shooting edge in nine of the last ten meetings

* VA has had the rebounding edge in three of the last four meetings

I was asking a friend of mine to describe the play of Virginia's 6'8", 245-pound forward Laurynas Mikalauskas, and he paraphrased a line out of the movie "The Natural" by saying, "Well, you can't pronounce him, but he plays pretty good." Indeed, Mikalauskas, a Lithuanian import, has been a revelation since sitting out 13 games with a shoulder injury. Before his involuntary hiatus he was averaging five points a game coming off the bench. Since he's come back, he has scored 10 points a game, not an eye-popping figure until you consider that it is being done behind torrid 67% shooting.

He's a nice compliment for Sean Singletary (19.9 ppg), who would like to get untracked against Georgia Tech after scoring just 28 total points in the two meetings this season. If Singletary attacks the basket some more, he may get there, as he's made 33 of his last 35 free throws (hat's good, in case you didn't realize).

Virginia is probably going in a little better direction right now, having won four of its last six. And the Cavaliers have a chance for the post-season if they can get a win or two in this ACC tournament (by way of the NIT or CBI).

We will take a point with Virginia, the underdog in the BetUS NCAAB betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: VIRGINIA

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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)