Tweet
NCAA Basketball Handicapping. News, notes and trends. 4/3
NIT Championship Betting Preview
By Covers.com
Southern Methodist Mustangs vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (+3, 132.5)
Southern Methodist looks for its first NIT title in program history when it faces Minnesota in New York on Thursday. The Mustangs erased a 13-point deficit in the second half to beat Clemson 65-59 for their fourth win in a row after being controversially left out of the NCAA tournament. "We haven't had a lot of nice things happen at SMU for a long, long time," coach Larry Brown admitted to reporters. "So if we are fortunate enough to win a championship like this and I am a part of it, it would be pretty neat."
Minnesota advanced to its second NIT championship game in the last three years after holding off Florida State 67-64 in overtime. The Golden Gophers were blown out 75-51 by Stanford in the 2012 final and hope to take care of business this time around after squandering a 15-point lead against the Seminoles before squeaking out a victory. "We really didn't want it to end," senior guard Austin Hollins told reporters. The guys really stuck together in overtime and played as hard as we could."
LINE HISTORY: The Gophers opened as 3-point dogs with the total holding at 132.5.
INJURY REPORT: SMU: C Yanick Moreira (Qut for season, knee). Minnesota: C Elliott Eliason (Questionable, ankle), F Oto Osenieks (Out indefinitely, knee)
WHAT THE SHARPS SAY: "SMU should have been in the NCAA tournament, and they are playing with a purpose in the NIT. The Mustangs have the better coach with veteran Larry Brown facing inexperienced Richard Pitino, and that’s a big edge in a championship game. Both teams used a lot of energy in their semifinal wins Tuesday night as SMU overcame a 12-point halftime deficit, while Minnesota blew a late lead and needed overtime for the eventual win." Covers Expert Steve Merril.
WHAT THE BOOKS SAY: "Larry Brown leads his 27 win SMU Mustangs into the NIT final against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. SMU comes in to this matchup as a 3 point favorite, however we are seeing the majority of our action back the underdog Gophers on both the money line and the spread." Michael Stewart, CarbonSports.ag
WHY BET MINNESOTA (24-13 SU, 16-16-1 ATS, 14-17-1 O/U: Austin Hollins and DeAndre Mathieu each scored 17 points and Maurice Walker made six free throws in overtime to lift the Golden Gophers over Florida State. Minnesota has won the NIT in 1993 and 1998, but the last title was vacated due to an academic scandal. Andre Hollins tops the team in scoring (13.6), but has averaged just 7.2 points in four tournament games.
WHY BET SOUTHERN METHODIST (27-9 SU, 20-12 ATS, 12-19 O/U): Markus Kennedy has played some of his best basketball of the season in the NIT and recorded 21 points, nine rebounds and three steals versus Clemson. Brown is the only coach to win an NBA and NCAA championship and can add an NIT title to his impressive collection with a win on Thursday. SMU can equal a program record set by the 1987-88 team for most victories in a season with 28 if it beats Minnesota.
TRENDS:
* Mustangs are 5-1 ATS in their last six non-conference games.
* Golden Gophers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven neutral site games.
* Under is 8-3 in Mustangs last 11 overall.
* Over is 13-6-1 in Golden Gophers last 20 neutral site games.
COVERS CONSENSUS: 70 percent of wagers are on SMU at -3.
By Covers.com
Southern Methodist Mustangs vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (+3, 132.5)
Southern Methodist looks for its first NIT title in program history when it faces Minnesota in New York on Thursday. The Mustangs erased a 13-point deficit in the second half to beat Clemson 65-59 for their fourth win in a row after being controversially left out of the NCAA tournament. "We haven't had a lot of nice things happen at SMU for a long, long time," coach Larry Brown admitted to reporters. "So if we are fortunate enough to win a championship like this and I am a part of it, it would be pretty neat."
Minnesota advanced to its second NIT championship game in the last three years after holding off Florida State 67-64 in overtime. The Golden Gophers were blown out 75-51 by Stanford in the 2012 final and hope to take care of business this time around after squandering a 15-point lead against the Seminoles before squeaking out a victory. "We really didn't want it to end," senior guard Austin Hollins told reporters. The guys really stuck together in overtime and played as hard as we could."
LINE HISTORY: The Gophers opened as 3-point dogs with the total holding at 132.5.
INJURY REPORT: SMU: C Yanick Moreira (Qut for season, knee). Minnesota: C Elliott Eliason (Questionable, ankle), F Oto Osenieks (Out indefinitely, knee)
WHAT THE SHARPS SAY: "SMU should have been in the NCAA tournament, and they are playing with a purpose in the NIT. The Mustangs have the better coach with veteran Larry Brown facing inexperienced Richard Pitino, and that’s a big edge in a championship game. Both teams used a lot of energy in their semifinal wins Tuesday night as SMU overcame a 12-point halftime deficit, while Minnesota blew a late lead and needed overtime for the eventual win." Covers Expert Steve Merril.
WHAT THE BOOKS SAY: "Larry Brown leads his 27 win SMU Mustangs into the NIT final against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. SMU comes in to this matchup as a 3 point favorite, however we are seeing the majority of our action back the underdog Gophers on both the money line and the spread." Michael Stewart, CarbonSports.ag
WHY BET MINNESOTA (24-13 SU, 16-16-1 ATS, 14-17-1 O/U: Austin Hollins and DeAndre Mathieu each scored 17 points and Maurice Walker made six free throws in overtime to lift the Golden Gophers over Florida State. Minnesota has won the NIT in 1993 and 1998, but the last title was vacated due to an academic scandal. Andre Hollins tops the team in scoring (13.6), but has averaged just 7.2 points in four tournament games.
WHY BET SOUTHERN METHODIST (27-9 SU, 20-12 ATS, 12-19 O/U): Markus Kennedy has played some of his best basketball of the season in the NIT and recorded 21 points, nine rebounds and three steals versus Clemson. Brown is the only coach to win an NBA and NCAA championship and can add an NIT title to his impressive collection with a win on Thursday. SMU can equal a program record set by the 1987-88 team for most victories in a season with 28 if it beats Minnesota.
TRENDS:
* Mustangs are 5-1 ATS in their last six non-conference games.
* Golden Gophers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven neutral site games.
* Under is 8-3 in Mustangs last 11 overall.
* Over is 13-6-1 in Golden Gophers last 20 neutral site games.
COVERS CONSENSUS: 70 percent of wagers are on SMU at -3.
Comment