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Posts Tagged ‘Kansas Jayhawks’

March 4th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Missouri Tigers @ Kansas Jayhawks
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 12:00 ET
Location: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, MO
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

If the Jayhawks think that they are going to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they badly need to collect this win on the road. That would take a lot of pressure off for winning the Big XII Tournament, as there are a ton of teams that are going to be gunning for that crown that need wins in big time ways over teams like these. Mizzou really hasn’t played spectacular ball of late, and it really could use a boost just to get some momentum going and to avoid falling into that seemingly inevitably dreaded 8/9 matchup in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Kansas is a far superior team in terms of talent, and it really showed the first time around when these two met at Allen Fieldhouse. Sure, the intensity really kicks up a notch when you’re playing on the road, especially in a game that is this big, but the Jayhawks should be able to handle themselves. The oddsmakers will give too much respect to the Tigers, and KU will get the job done and lock up the regular season conference crown and the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament.

Free College Basketball Picks: Kansas Jayhawks

Matchup: Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Connecticut Huskies
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 2:00 ET
Location: XL Center, Storrs, CT
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

The Fighting Irish have to feel like they have a legitimate chance of being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they are going to need to win the Big East and probably beat the Pitt Panthers to do it. There’s a chance to draw level for the Big East regular season crown as well, and that’s a coveted thing for any team to have on its resume for a top seed in the dance. Connecticut really just needs to feel like it has to ability to win it all in what will be the last home game for Kemba Walker before he heads to the NBA. Walker can take this game over like none other, and though the Irish will inevitably throw everything they can at him including the kitchen sink, it isn’t going to be enough. Notre Dame will get rocked on the that day is designed for Walker to shine.

Free NCAA Basketball Picks: Connecticut Huskies

Matchup: Villanova Wildcats @ Pittsburgh Panthers
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 4:00 ET
Location: Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

Villanova is in a world of hurt right now, as it is really playing poor ball at a poor time of year to be doing so. The Cats have dropped three in a row going into this, the final, and arguably most difficult game of the entire season. They’ve also lost seven out of 11 and don’t look anything like a team that even belongs in March Madness, let alone belongs there as a respectable seed. Pittsburgh’s defense is just downright nasty, as it hasn’t allowed more than 66 points in a game in almost two full months, including a 57-54 win over Nova in the City of Brotherly Love four weeks ago. Ashton Gibbs, Brad Wanamaker, Gilbert Brown… it’s all just too much for the Wildcats to handle right now. They just don’t stand a chance of going into the Steel City and doing any damage, and it’ll show in another lopsided defeat.

College Basketball Free Picks: Pittsburgh Panthers

Matchup: Florida Gators @ Vanderbilt Commodores
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 6:00 ET
Location: Memorial Gym, Nashville, TN
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

This is a tough one, because both the Gators and the Dores are fantastic at what they do. Believe it or not, Florida already has eight wins on the road this season, which is a ton for a team that really didn’t do much in the way of scheduling out of conference on the road this year (though there are wins against Xavier and Florida State to speak of). Vandy has those 14 wins at home though, and they’re going to be hard to overlook. Chandler Parsons and the crew are very thin, yet they are very talented as well. UF is really hoping to get up onto the No. 3 line or so for the NCAA Tournament, and a win like this would go a long way to ensuring that. We just don’t buy into Vandy though, as there are a lot of fluff wins that just don’t look all that great when push comes to shove. The 21 wins for the regular season is nice, but knowing that the oddsmakers are going to treat this home court advantage worth a whole slew of points, we have to back the blue and orange.

NCAA Basketball Free Picks: Florida Gators

Matchup: Duke Blue Devils @ North Carolina Tar Heels
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 8:00 ET
Location: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB


First place in the ACC and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament are on the line in Chapel Hill on Saturday, and the oddsmakers are really going to have to take a close look at just how good they think that UNC really is. The Tar Heels are certainly flying through everyone in the ACC right now, and they were able to do something this past week that Duke wasn’t able to do: Beat Florida State on the road. Granted, the Noles didn’t have Chris Singleton, but it was UNC’s second win against the garnet and gold this year, and the first time around, Singleton was playing, and the game was a blowout from the get go. This challenge against the Dookies the first time around was a solid one, as North Carolina challenged the whole way and blew a huge lead. This time, it will make amends and make things right. The Carolina Blue clad nation will be out and in full force in a game that is going to feel like the Super Bowl on Tobacco Road. Coach K knows that there are bigger and more important battles to fight than this one, and though the Blue Devils will end up losing this battle, their goal is to win the war and to defend their NCAA Championship.

College Basketball Expert Picks: Duke Blue Devils

Matchup: Texas Longhorns @ Baylor Bears
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 9:00 ET
Location: Ferrell Center, Waco, TX
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

We know that this isn’t a Top 25 battle, but this is arguably the most meaningful game of the entire day. For the Longhorns, they’re hoping to snap out of this two game funk and to get back on track for a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Winning this one and winning the Big XII would still inevitably get the job done. However, a loss and an early exit from the Big XII Tourney could result in a disastrous No. 4 seed, which could make the first round of the dance very, very interesting. Jordan Hamilton, Tristan Thompson and company have the talent to beat anyone in America, but thanks to how inexperienced this club really is, nothing is a guarantee. For Baylor, it really needs this signature win to pad its resume for the NCAA Tournament. A loss will likely leave it with a lot of work to do to get into March Madness. A win will almost certainly get the job done with just one win in the Big XII Tournament (and even that might not be necessary). There’s too much on the line here for Baylor to get beaten, and we tend to believe that it will get the job done once and for all and make its case to go dancing.

NCAA Basketball Free Picks: Baylor Bears

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November 5th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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Here at Cappers Info, we are taking a weekly look at the teams that could be ones ripe to pull off some major upsets! Check out the potentially ugly dogs that could come up and bite you in the butt in you aren't careful for the Week 10 of college football betting action!

Underdog Pick #1: Fresno State Bulldogs (+120 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Saturday, 4:00 ET: This isn't really the biggest upset in the world, but it's really high time for Fresno State to prove that it is better than your average WAC team in this Bulldog battle. La Tech's version of the Dawgs has played well this year at home of late, but we tend to think that this is too much respect for a team that really didn't kick it into gear until a few weeks ago. Fresno State hasn't covered a college football spread since September 18th, but this is its day. Head Coach Pat Hill never has a fear about going on the road and doing battle, and his Bulldogs have already done this type of a road trip once this year at the Mississippi Rebels. Fresno State is already 2-0 SU in WAC play on the road this year, and it knows that it needs to get to that coveted six win mark in a hurry with all of the big boys in this conference yet to go on the schedule. Expect QB Ryan Colburn to find a way to do just enough to get the Bulldogs out of Ruston with a 'W'.

Underdog Pick #2: Washington State Cougars (+450 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Cal Golden Bears, Saturday 4:00 ET: The Golden Bears are in a lot of trouble right now. They're not playing all that well, having gotten smacked in two of their last three games against the Oregon State Beavers and USC Trojans. The offense has struggled in those two games, and things aren't about to get any easier with QB Kevin Riley now stuck on the sidelines. Junior QB Brock Mansion saw his first playing time of the season last week, and now he's being asked to go on the road and win a conference game by more than two touchdowns? The Cougs haven't won a game in this series since 2002 and haven't had any sort of success in the Pac-10 of late. A 42-0 setback last week against the Arizona State Sun Devils was disappointing, but Wazzou really put forth solid efforts this year against the Arizona Wildcats and Oregon Ducks. Upset, anyone? If it's happening this year, this is probably the best chance for the Cougars.

Underdog Pick #3: Kansas Jayhawks (+270 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Colorado Buffaloes, Saturday, 2:00 ET: The Jayhawks have just been getting rolled over week in and week out, but we really didn't like the look that the Buffs had last week when they got throttled by the Oklahoma Sooners. Now, we know we're comparing apples to oranges in this one, as Rock Chalk is nowhere near like saying "Boomer Sooner," but the Jayhawks are bound to get back in the win column at some point, one would think. These two teams are surely going nowhere fast, and with the season essentially coming to a close, there seems to be a lot more optimism floating around in Lawrence than there is in Boulder. It's time for someone to finally put HC Dan Hawkins out of his misery. HC Turner Gill and his men just might be the best guys for the job this weekend. These are great odds to get on KU at home.

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October 21st, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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Here at Cappers Info, we are taking a weekly look at the teams that could be ones ripe to pull off some major upsets! Check out the potentially ugly dogs that could come up and bite you in the butt in you aren't careful for the Week 8 of college football betting action!

Underdog Pick #1: North Carolina Tar Heels (+210 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Miami Hurricanes, Saturday, 7:30 ET: Miami needs to be very, very careful in this game, or it will get picked off and be finished in the ACC Coastal Division this year. The Canes have never really had much success against North Carolina, going just 2-4 SU and 0-5-1 ATS in six tries since joining the ACC. The Tar Heels are very quietly one of the best ATS teams in the nation this year, and all of a sudden, four straight foes, some of which have relatively potent offensive units, have been kept in the teens in scoring. In those games, North Carolina is 4-0 SU and ATS. Miami really slacked off last week against the Duke Blue Devils, which is the only game that we have to work with after the debilitating loss against the Florida State Seminoles two weeks ago. This is a bad, bad spot for "The U," even at home, and with HC Randy Shannon not really having much in the way of a reputation for getting his team up after it has been eliminated from National Championship contention, we think that this is an absolutely fantastic price on the men from Tobacco Road.

Underdog Pick #2: Kansas Jayhawks (+400 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Texas A&M Aggies, Saturday 7:00 ET: We tend to think that the Aggies are a train wreck waiting to happen right now. QB Jerrod Johnson has had some iffy game over the last few weeks, and we tend to believe that he might be in for a disastrous outing in this one. This looks way too much like the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, when the Jayhawks came out of nowhere to pull off an outright upset. This is historically a relatively close series, and HC Turner Gill has a crew that badly needs to get back in the saddle after losing 59-7 and 55-7 in their last two games. A&M hasn't won in four tries, and this could potentially be a disaster waiting to happen. Go big or go home, right? We'll take Rock Chalk to make matters worse for HC Mike Sherman and company on Saturday.

Underdog Pick #3: Washington Huskies (+210 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Arizona Wildcats, Saturday, 10:15 ET: Arizona is going to be debuting a new QB this week in either Matt Scott or Bryson Beirne, and both are likely to take snaps against the Huskies. U-Dub knows who its quarterback is, and QB Jake Locker is still on the rebound from that awful game he had against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Don't kid yourself: The Huskies are legit. This is a team that can be the Oregon Ducks and win the Pac-10 this year if given the opportunity and the chips fall properly. We aren't so sure that this line is right even if QB Nick Foles didn't injure he knee. With Foles not in the fold, we tend to believe that the Huskies should be favored. You betcha we're backing them to win this game at least one out of three times!

Underdog Pick #4: Tennessee Volunteers (+500 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide, Saturday, 7:00 ET: Remember when we backed Tennessee playing in the Bayou against the LSU Tigers and came up that one play short of a very similar upset? The Tide need to be very careful once again, as we think they are absolute in the danger zone to get knocked out of the BCS National Championship picture. This is the third straight week in which Alabama is taking on a foe coming off of a bye week, and the last time that it played a game like that on the road, the South Carolina Gamecocks picked it off. This isn't quite the same team, but it isn't quite the same setting either. Rocky Top at night is a horror to go play at for the opposition. Yes, the Vols were blown out at night by the Oregon Ducks, but this is a totally different scenario in a conference battle. Tennessee fell just short last year, winning 12-10 in Tuscaloosa, and we absolutely think that it is taking this tussle at least one out of five times, especially knowing how horrendously tired the Crimson Tide must be of playing tough teams.

Underdog Pick #5: LSU Tigers (+180 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Auburn Tigers, Saturday, 3:30 ET: The marquee game of the day is going to be one of the big upsets of the weekend as well. The Bayou Bengals just have a fantastic setup in this one. Their defense is speedy enough to take care of the X-Factor with QB Cam Newton, something that the defense of the Arkansas Razorbacks didn't have. Their offense has the right tools with the short passing game and hardnosed running game to really frustrate the Auburn defense. The scheduling spot is just perfect as well. LSU had its letdown game from when it beat the Florida Gators already, as it struggled with McNeese State at times. Auburn is just coming off the biggest win of the year, and it came in a game that was significantly closer and significantly tougher than the final score suggests. These Tigers have had a ton of lives this year already, squeaking out wins against the Clemson Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks, Kentucky Wildcats, and now the Hogs as well. At some point, luck is going to run out at Jordan Hare Stadium. That luck runs out on Saturday.

Underdog Pick #6: Utah State Aggies (+140 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Hawaii Warriors, Saturday, 5:00 ET: We were just going to leave it at five underdog plays this week, but this one might be the best spot of the bunch. The Aggies are in a perfect spot, just like LSU is in this weekend. They are coming off of a bye week and are welcoming in Hawaii, which just came off of its biggest win of the season against the Nevada Wolf Pack. Yes, this offense can sling the ball all over the field, and yes, it will get its scores, but if you remember properly, this was also an offense that was really screwed up by the Colorado Buffaloes' defense on the road earlier this season. We've said it time and time again. Hawaii just isn't cut out to play games away from the Big Island. Utah State knows that this is the last gasp if a bowl game is in its future, and we thoroughly expect, just like we saw against the BYU Cougars in primetime football a few weeks ago, that the Aggies are going to come out firing on all cylinders and take down a very unsuspecting bunch of Warriors.

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October 13th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Kansas State Wildcats @ Kansas Jayhawks
Date: Thursday, October 14th, 7:30 ET
Location: University of Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS
Game Line: Kansas St -2.5
Over/Under 50.5

The Sunflower State Showdown lacks a little of the luster seen in previous years, but that doesn’t mean the in-state rivalry between the 2-3 Kansas Jayhawks and the 4-1 Kansas St Wildcats will mean any less to the teams involved Thursday night. To say that first year head coach Turner Gill has gotten off to a rocky start with the Jayhawks is a bit of an understatement. Kansas opened their season with a humiliating 6-3 loss against FCS North Dakota State and was blown out by the Baylor Bears two weeks ago in Waco. The 55-7 win that the Bears recorded was the biggest conference win in Baylor history, and it completely dominated the Jayhawks from start to finish. The Jayhawks allowed an eye-popping 678 total yards while their offense could only muster 270 total yards and turned the ball over four times against the Bears. Needless to say, the Jayhawks will need a much better performance in order to beat the Wildcats. Kansas State is coming off an embarrassing outing itself, falling 48-13 to Nebraska in Manhattan last Thursday night on HC Bill Snyder’s birthday nonetheless. The Wildcats defense allowed the Nebraska offense to rush for 451 yards and gave up over 10 yards per play to the Cornhuskers. In particular, Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez was allowed to run wild, carrying the ball 15 times for 241 yards and four touchdowns. For the Wildcats, RB Darren Thomas was completely shut down by the Huskers’ defense despite coming into the game as one of the leading rushers in the country. Thomas carried the ball 22 times for 63 yards and will need to have a better game against the Jayhawks as the Wildcat offense runs through him.

Free College Football Picks: Kansas +2.5
Prediction: Kansas 24 Kansas St 21
Matchup: South Florida Bulls @ #25 West Virginia Mountaineers
Date: Thursday, October 14th, 7:45 ET
Location: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV
Game Line: West Virginia -10.5
Over/Under 43

West Virginia kicks off Big East play Thursday night when they host the South Florida Bulls at Mountaineer Field. The Mountaineers are 4-1 with their only loss being at the hands of undefeated LSU in Death Valley and look to be the class of the Big East this season. Last Saturday against the UNLV Rebels, the Mountaineers put together their most dominant performance of the season, scoring a huge 49-10 victory to get back into the Top 25. RB Noel Devine was battling a toe injury and only carried the ball three times, but racked up 84 yards and two touchdowns in limited action in the victory. QB Geno Smith also had a fantastic day for West Virginia, throwing for 220 yards and three touchdowns in the win. HC Bill Stewart’s defense has also been stellar this year, allowing just 255 yards per game and seven touchdowns in five games in 2010. As for South Florida, HC Skip Holtz has gotten off to a less than stellar start in his first year on the job, losing both games against BCS conference opponents while only mustering wins against two Sun Belt conference teams and an FCS team. Last week against Syracuse, the Bulls put together a pitiful performance at home in a 13-9 loss. QB BJ Daniels was downright dreadful, completing just 9 of 23 passes for 124 yards and two interceptions while being sacked four times. The South Florida offense as a whole was only able to muster 219 yards against the typically porous Orange defense and the USF defense allowed over 300 yards of offense to a Cuse offense which is typically pitiful in conference play. If the Bulls hope to come out of Morgantown with a win on Thursday, Daniels will need to outperform Smith and limit his turnovers.

Free College Football Picks: West Virginia -10.5
Prediction: West Virginia 29 South Florida 10

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September 16th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Kansas Jayhawks @ Southern Mississippi (-5)
Friday, September 17th
8:00 ET, MM Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, MS

Last week, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles bounced back from a crushing opening night loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks and handed FCS Prairie View A&M a 34-7 defeat. Superstar WR DeAndre Brown showed that he was getting back on track in the game by hauling in five catches for 100 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers defense. QB Austin Davis also put up improved numbers in the victory, completing 11 of 18 passes for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Golden Eagles rushing attack also put up much better stats, carrying the ball 47 times for 253 yards (5.4 YPC). Southern Miss will face a big step up in competition this week though when they take on the Kansas Jayhawks. The Jayhawks shocked much of the college football betting world last week with an eyebrow raising 28-25 win against the then #15 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Many NCAA football expert handicappers wrote off the Jayhawks after their embarrassing 6-3 opening loss to North Dakota State, but HC Turner Gill’s team showed that their worries were premature. QB Jordan Webb was effective for Kansas, completing 62% of his passes for 179 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, while RB James Sims had a solid game in rushing for 101 yards and a TD on 17 carries. This is a ripe spot for a letdown for Kansas though, and if the Jayhawks don’t bring their ‘A’ game they will leave Hattiesburg with a big 'L'.

Prediction: Southern Miss 24 – Kansas 14
#24 California Golden Bears @ Nevada Wolfpack (+3)
Friday, September 17th
10:00 ET, Mackay Stadium, Reno, NV

In the first two weeks of the season, the California Golden Bears have shown why they are legitimate contenders for the Pac-10 title in 2010. The Golden Bears outscored their opponents 104-10 and have been absolutely dominant on both sides of the ball. Last Saturday, QB Kevin Riley filled the stat sheet by completing 15 of 24 passes for 197 yards with four touchdowns to four different receivers. RB Shane Vereen also complemented the offensive attack by carrying the ball 16 times for 59 yards and a score while catching three passes for 18 yards and a TD. The defense was particularly impressive, holding the Buffaloes to 239 total yards and forcing five turnovers. The Golden Bears defense will face their toughest test so far this season when they take on the Nevada Wolfpack this Friday night. Nevada broke all sorts of WAC and NCAA records last season and was the first team in NCAA history to have three 1,000 yard rushers in the same season. QB Colin Kaepernick is off to a great start again this season and put up video game type numbers in last week’s 51-6 win against Colorado State. Kaepernick carried the ball 11 times for 161 yards and two touchdowns while also completing 72% of his passes for 241 yards and two scores against the Rams. RB Vai Taua was impressive as well for the Wolfpack carrying the ball 15 times for 118 yards and a touchdown. Expect a high scoring affair in this one and the last team with the ball may very well come out on top.

Prediction: Nevada 38 – California 34

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March 13th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Teams that are already in the NCAA Tournament…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League), Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South), Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley), East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun), Northern Iowa Panthers (28-4, Missouri Valley), St. Mary's Gaels (26-5, West Coast), Siena Saints (27-6, Metro Atlantic), Old Dominion Monarchs (26-8, Colonial), Wofford Terriers (26-8, Southern), Oakland Golden Grizzlies (26-8, Summit), Butler Bulldogs (28-4, Horizon), North Texas Mean Green (24-8, Sun Belt), Robert Morris Colonials (23-11, Northeast), Montana Grizzlies (22-9, Big Sky)

Teams that clinched automatic bids on Friday…

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (22-10, Patriot): The Mountain Hawks reached March Madness for the fourth time in school history when they took out Lafayette without any real consequence on Friday afternoon. This is a team that can rain down three pointers like it's no one's business (40.2% on the season), but unless there is an upset of absolutely epic proportions, this team won't make it to see the weekend. Expect to see Lehigh either as a #16 seed or in the play-in game.

Teams vying for automatic bids on Saturday…

Boston Terriers (19-12, America East): The Terriers were slight favorites against the top team in this conference, Stony Brook, in the America East League semifinals, and they didn't disappoint. Now, leading scorer, F John Holland (19.3 PPG) will look to lead the way for BU to make it to its first NCAA Tournament since 2001. This will be the Terriers' first appearance in the America East finale since 2003.

Vermont Catamounts (24-9, America East): Vermont has one of the most well-rounded players in the entire nation in F Marqus Blakely. Not only is Blakely leading the team in scoring (17.2 points per game), but he is also one of the best defensive players in the conference, as he is averaging 9.1 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game, all team highs. The Catamounts haven't been dancing since HC Tom Brennan was on the sidelines, but they're the clear choices to go to March Madness this year.

UTEP Miners (26-5, Conference USA): UTEP already knows that it's got its spot to the NCAA Tournament on lock down, as it is probably going to be a middle seed in the dance thanks to a great season in C-USA play. G Randy Culpepper is one of the elite scorers in the entire nation, and he has the ability to take over an entire game very, very quickly. He put up 21 points as his team bounced Tulsa from the conference tournament on Friday, and his scoring average over the L/8 games is a solid 22.4 points per game.

Houston Cougars (18-15, Conference USA): G Aubrey Coleman put on a heck of a show in the Conference USA semifinal against Southern Miss on Friday, scoring 27 points. He's the conference's leading scorer at 25.9 points per game. No one expected the Cougs to reach this point in the season, but after pulling off the upset of Memphis and taking down Southern Miss, they'll have an improbable chance of making the NCAA Tournament.

Sam Houston State Bearkats (24-7, Southland): The Bearkats are going to have their hands full in the Southland final. SHSU has limped to a pair of victories in the conference tournament, which is uncharacteristic for a team that is now 16-2 against divisional foes. F Gilbert Clavell will have to do a better job staying out of foul trouble than he did in the Southland semis. Even though he only played 24 minutes though, the team's leading scorer (17.6 points per game) still managed 16 points.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (23-8, Southland): Playing second fiddle to a crosstown rival never sits well, but that's where Stephen F. Austin found itself all season in relation to the Bearkats. The Lumberjacks will get their chance to use their fantastic defense to make their way to the NCAA Tournament out of the Southland Conference. Four of the team's L/5 foes have been held under 55 points. With another effort like that, SFA will be dancing next week.

Akron Zips (24-9, MAC): There aren't any real prolific scorers on this team, but what the Zips do well is spread the scoring options around. Eight scorers are putting up at least five points per game. Now that Kent State is out of the MAC Tournament, there's no reason for Akron, who was clearly one of the top two teams in this conference all season long, to not grab the automatic bid from this conference.

Ohio Bobcats (20-14, MAC): At the beginning of the MAC Tournament, you probably didn't have the Bobcats in the finals. Alas, after going just 7-9 in conference play this year, Ohio is here, just one step away from dancing. The Bobcats picked a great time to have their best defensive half of the season, as they held the Redhawks to just 12 points in the first frame in Friday's semifinal. It's going to take another Herculean effort to take care of the Zips to go to March Madness.

Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions (16-15, SWAC): This hasn't been a great year for SWAC basketball, but the Golden Lions did go 14-2 in conference and are deservedly playing for a right to play in the play-in game in the NCAA Tournament. Senior F Terrance Calvin put up a double-double with a dozen points and a dozen rebounds in the semifinals. The team's leading scorer is averaging 10.6 points per game this season.

Texas Southern Tigers (17-15, SWAC): If the Tigers are going to find a way to make it to March Madness, they're going to need a great game out of their big three. G Deandre Hall, G Whitworth Treasure, and F Travele Jones combine to average a whopping 44.5 of the team's 69.1 points per game. Texas Southern caught a major break when Jackson State was bounced out of this tournament, as eliminating Grambling was significantly easier than beating a team that went 17-1 in conference would've been.

Morgan State Bears (26-9, MEAC): The Bears have been the best team in the MEAC all season long, and anything less than a conference crown and a ticket to the NCAA Tournament would be brutally disappointing. G Reggie Holmes has been off of his game in this tournament, scoring just 28 points in two conference tournament contests, which would be great if not for the fact that he averaged 22.1 points per game during the regular season. He'll need to pick it up to the get the conference's automatic ticket.

South Carolina State Bulldogs (18-13, MEAC): Whatever has gotten into the Bulldogs' defense had better keep up for one more game to get SCSU into the NCAA Tournament. The Dogs would've kept five straight foes under 65 points, if not for the fact that they had to play overtime against Delaware State to reach this point of the MEAC Tournament. This is a miserable three-point shooting team though, as 30.4% just isn't going to cut it for a team that is hoping to make it to the dance.

Georgetown Hoyas (23-9, Big East): Many were down on the Hoyas coming into the Big East Tournament, but if there were any doubts about how good this team is, those were erased over the past few days. Blowing out South Florida and Marquette and sandwiching a win over Syracuse between them took this team from a potential #5 seed up to possibly a #2 with a win at MSG in the finale of this tournament on Saturday night.

West Virginia Mountaineers (26-6, Big East): Could West Virginia earn a #1 seed to the NCAA Tournament with a win on Saturday night? It's not likely, but it's certainly a possibility. The Mountaineers have stormed through the Big East tourney at Madison Square Garden thanks in large part to the play of leading scorer F Da'Sean Butler. WVU's star scored 24 in the semifinal against the Fighting Irish, and he'll look to carry that momentum into Saturday's finale.

Kansas Jayhawks (31-2, Big XII): The #1 team in the country continues to get up off the mat when it is down. On both Thursday and Friday, Rock Chalk not only stormed back from a deficit, but they ultimately put away their foes by double digits. Now, HC Bill Self's team has its sights set on another conference title, but the top seed in the Midwest Region has virtually already been wrapped up.

Kansas State Wildcats (26-6, Big XII): Kansas State is one of at least seven or eight teams that believes that it can be a #1 seed when Sunday rolls around. The Wildcats have looked awfully impressive on the offensive side of the court in this tournament, rolling up 80+ points against both Baylor and Oklahoma State. It's going to take a very similar performance to be able to stick with the Jayhawks on Saturday night in Kansas City.

San Diego State Aztecs (24-8, Mountain West): The Aztecs were one of the teams that was sitting firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble before conference tournaments started, but when other teams fell flat, they excelled. The win against New Mexico absolutely sealed the deal. There's going to be a question about motivation for this team, but it's hard to go against a team that just stopped the squad with the longest winning streak in the MWC.

UNLV Rebels (25-7, Mountain West): UNLV has seemingly been the forgotten team in the MWC all season long, but it has a chance to take down the conference crown after both New Mexico and BYU bit the dust in the league semifinals. No one has crossed 70 points on this team since February 10th. Considering the fact that this is the host team for this tournament, the Rebels are going to be hard to take out, no matter how hot the Aztecs are.

Utah State Aggies (27-6, WAC): All of the carnage around the bubble has probably made the Aggies a tournament team for certain, but don't tell that to them! Utah State came out and absolutely annihilated Louisiana Tech on Friday night, which sets the stage for it to take the league's automatic bid to the tournament and save a slot on the bubble for someone else. The Aggies ride into Saturday night on a 17-game winning streak and don't look to be stopped.

New Mexico State Aggies (21-11, WAC): The odds were stacked up against the Aggies in the WAC semifinals on Friday night, as they had to play in Reno against the host school, Nevada. However, a gritty performance down the stretch led New Mexico State to the conference final with an 80-78 victory. The question is going to be whether or not a team that largely relies on just six players can find a way to win the battle of the Aggies in the WAC Championship.

California Golden Bears (23-9, Pac-10): For the duration of the season, the Golden Bears have looked like the only team that really could make the NCAA Tournament without the league's automatic bid. However, the Pac-10 crown is up for grabs at this point, and Cal is the favorite for the title. After a pair of double digit victories in the conference tourney, is anyone going to pick against this team? Leading scorer G Jerome Randle has had a great tourney, scoring 20+ points in both games.

Washington Huskies (23-9, Pac-10): The Huskies did what the Sun Devils couldn't do: Get rid of Stanford. There's still a big question whether or not U-Dub really needs to win the Pac-10 to make the NCAA Tournament. If the bubble shrinks any more, it's plausible to think that the Huskies could get left home if they get blown out by Cal. Still, this team has too good of a resume to ignore right now. Washington has won six straight games and takes one of the highest scoring marks in the land into the Pac-10 finale (79.8 points per game).

Santa Barbara Gauchos (19-9, Big West): The Gauchos took advantage of a first round bye in the Big West Tournament and bounced UC-Davis with ease on Friday night to get within one step of the NCAA Tournament. This can be a lethal three-point shooting team, as it is shooting 37.9% from downtown this year. Leading scorer G Orlando Johnson is the main candidate for long balls, as he shot a shade under 40% from beyond the arc. That's why he's averaging 18.0 points per game.

Long Beach State 49ers (17-15, Big West): No one really saw the 49ers making it to the finals of the Big West Tournament, but they stepped on the gas pedal right from the get go and dismissed the top seeded Tigers on Friday night. Now, after going just 8-8 in conference play this year, leading scorer and rebounder F TJ Robinson (15.7 points, 10.2 rebounds per game) will lead Long Beach State into battle in the Big West Championship.

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March 2nd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

For just the second time this season, two teams in the college basketball betting world lock horns that are ranked in the Top-5 in the nation when the Kansas State Wildcats (24-4, 16-6-1 ATS) meet the Kansas Jayhawks (27-2, 10-15-1 ATS) in Allen Fieldhouse.

What's At Stake: It's possible to believe that the Wildcats could run down the Jayhawks for a tie for first place in the Big XII in the regular season. KSU would have to win this game and beat Iowa State over the weekend and hope that Kansas gets beaten by Missouri for that to happen though. The more important theme for this game is fact that both of these teams could still grab #1 seeds to the NCAA Tournament. It doesn't feel like the Jayhawks need to do too much more to get the job done, while the Wildcats will need a victory in this game and a deep run into the Big XII Tournament or the tourney championship to steal a slot on the top line a week from Sunday.

College Basketball Odds: Kansas -9 at 5Dimes Sportsbook

Kansas State Notes: KSU has the third highest scoring team in the Big XII at 80.4 points per game, while playing suitable defense at 68.3 points per game. The team has rolled off SU victories in all seven games since suffering that loss at home to Kansas, while it is also 7-2 ATS in its L/9 games overall. Four of those wins came away from Manhattan, but victories against Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Nebraska wouldn't even nearly compare to pulling off the upset in Lawrence.

Kansas Notes: For weeks, it appeared as though Kansas was just itching for an upset. The team continued playing with fire game after game, and it finally caught up in the defeat last Saturday in Stillwater. In this stretch of nine games in which the Jayhawks are just 1-8 ATS, they've played two overtime games and one game right down to the wire against Texas A&M to go with the 'L' to Okie State. Their L/4 home wins have all come by double digits, but none of those were good enough for covers. KU is tops in the Big XII and fourth in the nation in scoring at 82.4 points per game on the season, which is making it hard for opposing teams to keep up considering that they are only shooting 37.6% for the season against the Jayhawks.

Players to Watch

Jacob Pullen, Kansas State Wildcats: Not only does Pullen lead the team in scoring at 18.5 points per game, but he also has already proven that he can play with these Jayhawks. In the overtime defeat at home, Pullen put up 22 points, a game-high. For the season, the junior has 11 games in which he has scored at least 20 points.

Cole Aldrich, Kansas Jayhawks: Aldrich is perhaps HC Bill Self's best all-around player. The offense probably doesn't rotate through the big man often enough, as he is third on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game. However, he's the squad's leading rebounder at 10.0 per game, making him one of the few players in the nation to average a double-double. One of those double-doubles came against these Wildcats, as Aldrich scored 18 points and yanked down 11 boards in the 'W'.

Trends of Note

-Kansas State is 12-3-1 ATS in its L/16 games against teams with winning percentage above .600
-Kansas State is 15-5-1 ATS in its L/21 games overall
-Kansas is 5-0-1 ATS in its L/6 games following an SU defeat
-Kansas is 22-9-1 ATS in its L/32 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600
-Kansas is 9-19 ATS in its L/28 home games against teams with a winning road record
-Kansas is 17-6 ATS in its L/23 clashes with the Wildcats

Final Analysis: Kansas has a great history of playing at Allen Fieldhouse, which makes it scary to bet against, but when push really comes to shove, this is a ton of points to be issuing a Top-5 team in the nation. The Wildcats have already proven that they have the ability to beat this team outright, and this is the equivalent of their Super Bowl. Kansas will probably find a way to eke out a victory based on talent alone, but taking those nine points is far too inviting to leave on the table.

Selection: Kansas State +9

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February 28th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Cappers Info takes a look at the ten most significant upsets in the week that was in the sports betting world…

10: Monday – Connecticut Huskies 73 – West Virginia Mountaineers 62: At the outset of the week, the Huskies had to feel like they were left for dead and headed to the NIT. But a huge win at home against West Virginia helped set the stage for their dramatic return to the bubble. It wasn't that it was an upset of epic proportions, as the hosts were only 2.5-point pups, but without that win, we're still leaving UConn outside of the NCAA Tournament.

9: Wednesday – Notre Dame Fighting Irish 68 – Pittsburgh Panthers 53: Ditto here as well. Notre Dame's win over Pittsburgh was just a tad more significantly because it came without F Luke Harangody in the lineup. The slight 1.5-point upset won't be the only time that you see the Irish on this list…

8: Saturday - New Mexico Lobos 83 – BYU Cougars 81: The Mountain West regular season title was likely decided on Saturday afternoon when the Lobos marched into Provo and secured the season sweep of the Cougars. Though it probably won't ultimately end this way, New Mexico has earned the right to be in the discussion for a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if it can run the table and win the MWC Tournament as well. The oddsmakers were off base quite a bit in this one, as the visitors were hefty eight-point underdogs.

7: Tuesday – Phoenix Suns 104 – Oklahoma City Thunder 102: This was a significant road win for the guests, as it snapped Oklahoma City's long winning streak and moved the Suns into a lot sturdier ground for the playoff chase in the Western Conference. It was also a significant game for the psyche of F Amare Stoudemire, who went off for 30 points just a week after not being traded at the NBA trade deadline as requested.

6: Saturday - Oklahoma State Cowboys 85 – Kansas Jayhawks 77: Any time the #1 team in the land takes a tumble, it's noteworthy. But the fact that that 'W' secured up a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the Pokes, it became that much more relevant. The Cowboys really took it to the Jayhawks from wire to wire and won their biggest game of the season as 5.5-point underdogs in Stillwater.

5: Sunday - Ohio State Buckeyes 74 – Michigan State Spartans 67: It's hard to tell if this was a bigger win for Ohio State or a bigger loss for Michigan State. The Spartans have totally fallen down the brackets in recent weeks, and a home loss to the Buckeyes as short favorites didn't help matters any. It was loss #4 in their L/6 games. For the Buckeyes, they moved one step closer towards the regular season Big Ten title, and considering the fact that Purdue is now without F Robbie Hummel for the rest of the year, they could be on track for a #1 seed in the tourney as well. All it's going to take is a Big Ten Tournament title and it'll probably happen, but none of it would've been possible without the upset in East Lansing.

4: Saturday - New Jersey Nets 104 – Boston Celtics 96: Without a doubt, this is the lowest point in the season for the Celtics. Yes, the C's were playing without G Paul Pierce in the lineup, but there just isn't any excuse to lose at home to one of the worst teams in NBA history when you're as good as Boston is. The hosts have had a miserable time playing at Boston Garden all season, but not even the fans in Beantown saw this one coming. HC Doc Rivers has his work cut out for him to get the Celtics in playoff shape.

3: Saturday - Notre Dame Fighting Irish 78 – Georgetown Hoyas 64: As promised, the Irish are back for their efforts on Saturday in our nation's capitol. The Hoyas laid a total egg for the second time this year at home, and though it won't cost them a spot in the NCAA Tournament, it's going to leave them with a sour taste in their mouths and a significantly more difficult matchup. The Irish are almost certainly on the inside of the field right now, and they proved once again that they have the ability to win without Harangody. When the big man comes back, Notre Dame could be a real force to be reckoned with.

2: Friday - Dallas Mavericks 113 – Atlanta Hawks 103: For the second time in the L/2 weeks, the Mavericks traveled half way across the country and took out one of the big boys in the Eastern Conference. This was a show of grit and character for the Mavericks, who have been sending a big notice to the Lakers and Nuggets in the Western Conference of late. They're here, and they're ready to take over as the new bosses of the West with F Caron Butler, C Brendan Haywood, and G DeShawn Stevenson now in tote.

1: Sunday – United States of America 5 – Canada 3: For the Americans' sake, this will hopefully only be the second biggest upset of the Olympics. The USA dominated the Canadians from the get go, and save a few hairy moments when Team Canada staged a huge comeback in the third period, the Americans really looked to have the better side. All will be settled today in the gold medal game, where the stars and stripes will go in search of their first gold medals in hockey since the 1980 Miracle on Ice.

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