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Posts Tagged ‘Kentucky Wildcats’

March 30th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Kentucky Wildcats and the Connecticut Huskies have totally defied logic in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. They’re both on the verge of reaching the finale of the dance, and they both have absolutely captured the hearts of all of the fans of the little guys of college basketball across the country. Check out our March Madness picks for this national semifinal in Houston!

Matchup: #3 Connecticut Huskies vs. #4 Kentucky Wildcats
Date: Saturday, April 2nd, 8:50 ET
Location: Final Four, Houston, TX
NCAA Basketball Odds: Kentucky -2
Over/Under 140

The Kentucky Wildcats and the Connecticut Huskies followed completely opposite roads at the start of the season. Everyone was high on the Kentucky rotation to the point that it was one of the Top 10 teams in the land for quite some time until the SEC season started. Connecticut found itself in the dumps at the start of the year off of the NIT campaign last season. The two teams met at the Maui Invitational, and UConn’s triumph was a bit of a shock. Kentucky didn’t play so well at the beginning of the SEC season, but it came through at the end of the year, winning some big time games down the stretch and then taking the SEC crown. Connecticut started off well in the Big East and flipped the other direction just a bit. However, it came back and won the Big East title as well. Both teams have had great runs here to the Final Four, and now, one will survive to make it to the NCAA Tournament finale on Monday.

Connecticut Huskies Notes: We could sit here and just list off all of Kemba Walker’s stats this year and in this tournament, but we all know that this young man is a human highlight reel. Walker inevitably will score somewhere between 20 and 35 points in this one, and if he doesn’t, the Huskies are dead in the water regardless of what it is that they do. However, what is underappreciated about Head Coach Jim Calhoun’s team is how well the rest of the youngsters, the future of this franchise, are really playing. Jeremy Lamb is Exhibit A. This frosh has put up nine straight games with double digits in scoring, including posting 24 and 19 points in the two games played in Anaheim to wrap up the West Bracket. Lamb is becoming a bona fide sharpshooter, and he is really shooting the ball well from all over the court. Keep a close eye on another first year player, Shabazz Napier. Napier might only be scoring 8.0 points per game this year, but he came up with 10 big points for the Huskies against the San Diego State Aztecs in the Elite 8 to reach this point in the season. Don’t underestimate how strong this team is defensively as well. UConn has held five straight foes, dating back to the finale in the Big East Tournament, to 67 points or fewer, and it is conceding just 65.7 points per game on the season.

Kentucky Wildcats Notes: We’ve heard about this all season long. Head Coach John Calipari was convinced that his team in the form that it has been in for most of the year, was never going to be able to come together to do anything when all of the marbles were in the center of the table in the dance. Now, it very well could be true that this team probably isn’t as talented as last year’s team was that was bounced in the Elite 8. However, there is no doubt that this is a fantastic team as a whole, and most importantly, it is a group of six players that is really playing like a team at the best possible time. Sure, this is still a sloppy bunch that takes too many iffy shots and commits too many turnovers, but there isn’t a man in this six pack of stars that doesn’t bring everything he’s got every single night. Josh Harrellson and Terrence Jones have gone up against some of the best big men in the country en route to the Final Four, including John Henson, Tyler Zeller, Harrison Barnes, and Jared Sullinger… and that’s just talking about the regional semifinals and finals in Newark. Brandon Knight was the top freshman scorer in the land this year, but he has been wildly bipolar for the entire NCAA Tournament.

The Final Word: We’re just not all that sure that the Huskies can keep this up. We know that we keep saying that, but there is a point that it has to come true… right? Kentucky is significantly better than your average No. 4 seed, and it will prove it in this one by coming out and crushing UConn.

March Madness Free Pick: Kentucky Wildcats -2

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February 11th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Syracuse Orange @ Louisville Cardinals
Date: Saturday, February 11th, 12:00 ET
Location: KFC Yum! Arena, Louisville, KY

The Redbirds have a real chance here to make a statement at home against a Syracuse team that has underachieved in recent weeks. Head Coach Jim Boeheim knows that he is up against it in this one, especially on the road where his team has already lost to the Marquette Golden Eagles and the Pitt Panthers over the course of the last month. Louisville is coming off of that crushing loss at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but things are definitely looking up. This is a team that generally plays remarkable defense, and that 'D' should really shine on Saturday. The home team is 5-2-1 ATS in the last eight clashes in this series, while Syracuse is just 5-12 ATS in its last 17 games played on Saturday. The Cards have also won and six in a row in this series and are 5-0-1 ATS in those meetings. Back Louisville.

Free College Basketball Picks: Louisville Cardinals

Matchup: Kentucky Wildcats @ Vanderbilt Commodores
Date: Saturday, February 11th, 1:00 ET
Location: Memorial Arena, Nashville, TN

This is a mighty interesting clash for the Wildcats, who really haven't played all that well on the road this year. Perhaps a different program with less of a history wouldn't even have a ranking right now at 17-6, just like this Vanderbilt team is just barely hanging on to the Top 25. The Cats, believe it or not, only have one win on the road in the SEC this year, and if they lose this one, there is a good chance that they will only end up beating one SEC East team on the road. Head Coach John Calipari has a talented bunch, but these youngsters just haven't figured out how to consistently put it together on the road. The 'Dores, on the other hand, are 13-1 at home on the campaign, and they do have some wins against some very quality foes here. Don't be shocked if the big men for Vandy, while are far more experienced, end up outworking the Wildcats in the Music City.

Free NCAA Basketball Picks: Vanderbilt Commodores

Matchup: Ohio State Buckeyes @ Wisconsin Badgers
Date: Saturday, February 11th, 2:00 ET
Location: Kohl Center, Madison, WI

Seemingly everyone and their brother is going to be backing the Badgers in this one, and the college basketball odds might even have the hosts as short favorites over the undisputed No. 1 team in the country. The problem is perception. No one really believes that OSU is that good of a team this year. Sure, Jared Sullinger is amazing, but the rest of this cast really doesn't look like a Final Four team, does it? Then again, does Wisconsin look like a Final Four team either? If Head Coach Thad Motta can figure out how to take the ball out of the hands of Jon Leuer and Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin is in a ton of trouble in this one. The Buckeyes have some big time mojo on their side, and there is a reason that they have withstood the first 24 challenges this year. They'll survive and get win No. 25, which should start the talks about a perfect season in a hurry.

College Basketball Free Picks: Ohio State Buckeyes

Matchup: Baylor Bears @ Texas Longhorns
Date: Saturday, February 11th, 4:00 ET
Location: Frank Erwin Special Events Center, Austin, TX

Texas needs to be particularly careful in this one, as the Bears are a dangerous club. There is a point that the No. 3 team in the country is overrated. We know that Texas is good, and that there is a good chance that this will be at least an Elite 8 team, if not more. However, the point of desperation is going to be kicking in at some point for the Bears, and this is a bit of a bipolar bunch of Longhorns that we are dealing with. Remember, this is a beatable team here in Austin; UConn proved that, and it did so with a big time game from Kemba Walker. Though there is no one quite like Walker in the country, Baylor does have some legit stars like LaceDarius Dunn to rely on. He's capable of going off for 30 in any game that he plays, and he has enough help around him to be able to take down some of the best and brightest in the country. Still, Baylor has struggled and has limped to a marginal record in conference and a terrible record against the NCAA basketball odds. The Bears might be good enough to stick inside of what is sure to be a hefty number, though.

NCAA Basketball Free Picks: Baylor Bears

Matchup: Pitt Panthers @ Villanova Wildcats
Date: Saturday, February 11th, 9:00 ET
Location: The Palestra, Philadelphia, PA

The Wildcats are going to be inevitably be getting very little respect from the oddsmakers thanks to the fact that they were upset in horrifying fashion by the Rutgers Scarlet Knights earlier this week at home as tremendous chalks. Many will think that this is the start of another one of these patented Villanova swoons, just like the team went on a few weeks ago, and just like the one that the squad had just before the NCAA Tournament last year. However, that was clearly a look ahead game, and it was a game in which the Cats were just flat the whole way through because they knew that there were bigger and better on the horizon. U-Pitt is a great team, but even the best and brightest in the Big East end up getting picked off in roadies like this one eventually. If this is anywhere even close to a pick 'em like we are thinking, we have no choice but to go with the hosts.

College Basketball Expert Picks: Villanova Wildcats

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January 7th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The BBVA Compass Bowl might look like just another bowl betting bash featuring a pair of mediocre teams from power conferences, but there are a ton of storylines that go along with the duel on Saturday after that kicks off a triple header of football action including the NFL playoffs.

BBVA Compass Bowl Matchup: Kentucky Wildcats vs. Pittsburgh Panthers
Date: Saturday, January 8th, 12:00 ET
Location: Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
BBVA Compass Bowl Line: Pittsburgh -3.5
Over/Under 52

Wildcats Notes: This is the first bowl game for Head Coach Joker Phillips, who did a fantastic job taking care of this team this year in spite of the fact that many thought they would struggle to get into the second season. Kentucky survived the rugged SEC this year to finish at .500 and would love nothing more than to be able to pull off the upset here at Legion Field to finish up the campaign with a winning record. If he is going to do that though, it is going to have to happen with QB Morgan Newton calling the shots, not QB Mike Hartline. Hartline, who had a fantastic senior season, was suspended for this game and has not made the trip to Birmingham with the team. Newton, just a sophomore, is the future of the Kentucky program, and he brings a significantly tougher challenge to the table than Hartline does for the U-Pitt defense. No, Newton really isn't set to break all sorts of passing records, but he does have great legs, making this offense very, very fun to watch. Mr. Do It All, Randall Cobb is inevitably going to be taking some snaps as well as the Wildcat signal caller. Cobb threw the ball 10 times this year and accounted for 58 yards and three TDs. He was the second leading rusher on the squad as well with 401 yards and five scores. And of course, he was the top receiving option as well with 79 receptions, 955 yards, and seven TDs. Don't forget about the play of WR Chris Matthews either, though. This explosive star only caught 57 passes, but he averaged 15.7 yards per catch, giving him 897 yards and nine TDs on the year. RB Derrick Locke had 816 yards and 10 TDs on the ground as well. UK's defense had some bad games this year, like when it allowed 44 to the Georgia Bulldogs and 48 to the Florida Gators, but in totality, things weren't really that bad. The Wildcats held teams to just 344.9 yards and 28.5 points per game, numbers which probably would be good enough to beat the BBVA Compass Bowl odds on Saturday.

Panthers Notes: Trying to find a man that can take control of the Panthers right now is a hard enough task. Head Coach Dave Wannstedt was forced to resign at the end of the season, and the man that was hired to replace him, former Miami Redhawks Head Coach Mike Haywood, was fired on New Year's Day amidst allegations stemming from a domestic violence case. That alone, might be causing enough turmoil to cause the Panthers not to want to really show up here in Birmingham. On top of that, U-Pitt really didn't play well down the stretch, losing to both the Connecticut Huskies and West Virginia Mountaineers in games that really should have been won. Instead of playing in the BCS, something that seemed like a foregone conclusion going into the month of November, here it is in Birmingham, playing in a second tier game against a second tier team. Still, the Pittsburgh defense can make a real difference here at the BBVA Compass Bowl. This team allowed just 298.6 yards per game this year, ranking No. 9 in the land, though we must remember that this schedule wasn't nearly as tough as the one that the Wildcats faced. Do watch out for both RBs Dion Lewis and Ray Graham, who combined to account for almost 1,800 yards between them on the ground on the season. They also scored a combined 20 times. QB Tino Sunseri will be starting his first career bowl game as well after a 2010 season in which he threw for 2,476 yards and 15 TDs against eight picks.

The Final Word: We're not really so sure why the line in this game keeps going in Pitt's favor. We're not so certain that Kentucky isn't the better team in this game, and we really know that the Panthers probably don't have a lot of motivation to be here. Don't be surprised if Cobb, Newton, and company just continually find ways to puncture hole after hole in this Pittsburgh defense, and if that's the case, the Cats very well could run "Wild" in Birmingham.

BBVA Compass Bowl Free Pick: Kentucky +3.5
BBVA Compass Bowl Prediction: Kentucky 38 – Pittsburgh 20

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October 13th, 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 7 of college football betting action!

Underdog Pick #1: Army Black Knights (+230 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Saturday, 2:00 ET: The Black Knights know that they need at least one more victory to make it to a bowl game for the first time in seemingly forever, and this seems like a prototypical spot for that. Rutgers has already lost one game it had no business losing this year when it dropped to the Tulane Green Wave at home. The Scarlet Knights are going with QB Chas Dodd under center this week, which could be a hassle against one of the better pass defenses in the country. Rutgers' defense is getting worse and worse every week, and RB Jordan Todman rumbled for 123 yards on the ground last week in a win against the Connecticut Huskies. The Black Knights are averaging 32.3 points per game and are putting together 274.3 yards per game on the ground. No one really cares in this triple option offense whether anyone can throw the ball or not, as demonstrated by the dead last ranked passing game in the country at just 68.0 yards per game. Still, this is a favorable matchup for a team that has already won three road games this year, including one against that same Tulane squad that won in Piscataway the week before. Don't be shocked if Army takes care of this knightly battle in East Rutherford.

Underdog Pick #2: Kentucky Wildcats (+180 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ South Carolina Gamecocks, Saturday 6:00 ET: It's not that we really believe that the Wildcats have the better team, but we know that this is the worst potential scheduling spot in the world for the Gamecocks. South Carolina is coming off of the biggest win in the school's history, an upset of the No. 1 team in the country, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Now, it has to go on the road against a Kentucky team that it has beaten about a million straight times. The Wildcats played a whale of a game last week against the Auburn Tigers and nearly took down a Top 10 team in the process. HC Joker Phillips really has this team playing hard right now, and Kentucky has a bowl game in its sights this year. A win over South Carolina wouldn't just send the Cats one step closer to a bowl, but could keep it in the race in the SEC East to boot. Also, take notice of this line… Auburn beat South Carolina by the narrowest of margins at home, then turned around and nearly lost to the Wildcats last week… Yet the line is a tad shorter this week than it was last week… Does someone know something that we don't know? The Cats are going to scratch in this game.

Underdog Pick #3: Virginia Cavaliers (+200 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels, Saturday, 6:00 ET: The Tar Heels are starting to get their acts together, but unfortunately for them, so are the Cavvies. UVA had a great second half against the Florida State Seminoles two weeks ago at home and ended up playing reasonably well against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets last week. North Carolina hasn't allowed more than 17 points in a game in its L/3, but we think that changes on Saturday. QB Marc Verica might need to play the game of his life to get the job done, but it is a very distinct possibility, especially without a win against an FBS teams on the season, that the Cavs pull off a tremendous upset to shake the ACC.

Underdog Pick #4: Arkansas Razorbacks (+150 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Auburn Tigers, Saturday, 3:30 ET: We've saved the absolutely best for last. The Tigers have just narrowly survived defeats in the past, and we think that these cats are running out of lives. Auburn is a relatively two dimensional team. QB Cam Newton does most of his damage from outside the pocket, and when he does that, he has the ability to rocket the ball down the field. RB Michael Dyer and RB Onterio McCalebb makes up for the other dimension of this squad. Arkansas isn't going to just get run over, which was demonstrated by the fact that it hung tough with the Alabama Crimson Tide three weeks ago. The pass defense for Auburn has been iffy this year at best, ranking No. 91 in the nation at 239.2 yards per game. QB Ryan Mallett must be licking his chops. He has the ability to come on the road and redeem himself for throwing those three picks against Alabama. Don't be shocked if he makes it to the 350 yard barrier, and if he does that, the Hogs are going to be very capable of pulling off this upset.

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September 24th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Oklahoma Sooners (-13.5) @ Cincinnati Bearcats
Saturday, September 25th
6:00 ET, Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

The Sooners are simply the better team in this game, but that doesn't always mean a cover against the college football spreads. The Bearcats have been brutal this season and they have been incredibly unlucky as well. Losing WR Vidal Hazelton to injury is something that just won't be overcome easily. QB Zach Collaros can put points on the board in bunches when he has the help, but he just doesn't have that help anymore. Oklahoma has been playing at the level of its opponents all season long, as demonstrated by the close calls against Air Force and Utah State and the domination of Florida State. Will this defense be able to pick up the intensity in the team's first road game of the year? HC Bob Stoops had better hope so. We look for good things from QB Landry Jones, WR Ryan Broyles, and RB DeMarco Murray on Saturday night, which should lead to an NCAA football betting victory by a comfortable margin.

Prediction: Oklahoma 38 – Cincinnati 13
Nevada Wolfpack (-4.5) @ BYU Cougars
Saturday, September 25th
6:00 ET, Lavell Edwards Family Stadium, Provo, UT

If BYU is legitimately one of the best mid-major programs in the country, this game should be a snap at home against one of the other best mid-major programs in the country. However, we're not so sold on the Cougs yet. True freshman QB Jake Heaps might be phenomenal in the future, but he isn't now. He is only completing 50.0 percent of his passes and really has yet to have a truly good game. There's a reason that BYU is only averaging 15.7 points per game this year. As for Nevada, it is averaging somewhere around 15.7 points per QUARTER. There is no stopping this team right now, as the Pistol attack is putting together well over 500 yards per game of offense and has averaged over 50 points per game. QB Colin Kaepernick showed the whole world last week that he was a stud in a nationally televised duel against Cal at home. Now, he'll prove that he's that much better than the Cougs are in a romp in Provo.

Prediction: Nevada 48 – BYU 20
Kentucky Wildcats @ Florida Gators (-14)
Saturday, September 25th
7:00 ET, Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL

The Gators have never really had any trouble disposing of the Wildcats, so we're trying to figure out why the oddsmakers are wondering whether they're going to have some issues at home on Saturday night. Kentucky might be a 3-0 team, but playing teams like Western Kentucky and Akron aren't going to win over many votes in the polls. This is the big leagues now that the Wildcats are about to enter into. UF fought off a stingy Tennessee team last weekend in a win that was a lot better than we probably give it credit for. The Gators might not look their best yet, but they are only going to get better and have surprisingly covered back to back games. QB Jeff Brantley is familiar with this UK squad, as this was the team he ran up against last year when QB Tim Tebow was injured. That was on the road and he did just fine. At Florida Field, this won't be an issue.

Prediction: Florida 41 – Kentucky 14
South Carolina Gamecocks (+3) @ Auburn Tigers
Saturday, September 25th
7:45 ET, Jordan Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL

The Gamecocks badly need to prove that they are legitimate contenders in the SEC East, and this game could be the absolutely perfect way to do just that. They are going to be going on the road to try to take out an Auburn team that is red hot as well and looking to make a statement of its own. However, we tend to like the Ol' Ball Coach in this one, as HC Steve Spurrier knows exactly how the game of QB Cam Newton works; after all, he coached up his brother, Syvelle for four years in Columbia. This was the recruit that South Carolina missed out on, and the Gamecocks would love nothing more than to punish Newton and wreck his Heisman Trophy campaign in one swoop. The oddsmakers know that this game is going to be a close call, which is why SC is only a pup by three points. We don't think the Cocks need it. They'll take this one outright against a bunch of Tigers that are due to be tamed after playing a very weak schedule to start the year.

Prediction: South Carolina 24 – Auburn 21
Oregon State Beavers @ Boise State Broncos (-18)
Saturday, September 25th
8:00 ET, Bronco Stadium, Boise, ID

The Broncos have simply demolished opponents that dare step foot on the Smurf Turf. Oregon State has done in three times, and three times, it has left with its tails between its legs .This version of the Broncos is better than any other that that OSU team has ever seen, and at least so far this year, we aren't certain that this is the best bunch of Beavers we've ever laid eyes upon. The Rodgers brothers, Jacquizz and James, just haven't produced enough offense this year, and a lot of that is probably due to the fact that QB Andy Katz just hasn't really produced at the same level of QB Sean Canfield from years past. This isn't a good time to be asking questions, now is it? The Broncos know exactly what they are doing, and they're coming off of a big time beat down on the road of a Wyoming Cowboys team that is still probably going to be good enough to go bowling this year. It just means more to Boise to win this game and win it with a statement than it does for Oregon State, and the end result is going to be exactly what we expect. It's going to be any blue field beat down.

Prediction: Boise State 52 – Oregon State 27
West Virginia Mountaineers (+10) @ LSU Tigers
Saturday, September 25th
9:00 ET, Tigers Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA

We must be out of our minds to think that the Mountaineers can play their first major road game of the year in the Bayou at night and tame the Tigers, right? We just don't believe in LSU this year. QB Jordon Jefferson should be a backup at a middle of the road FBS conference school, not a starter here in big boy college football, and the rest of this offense, save RB Steven Ridley, is questionable at best. The defense is strong for HC Les Miles, but games against a depleted North Carolina Tar Heels squad and two of the worst teams in the SEC (Mississippi State Bulldogs and Vanderbilt Commodores) just doesn't say anything to us. What does speak to us is the fact that the 'Neers have shown some grit this year. The Maryland Terrapins were at the top of their game when they came to Morgantown last week, and WVU sent them packing. The Marshall Thundering Herd gave everything to the blue and gold they had, but that ultimately wasn't enough either. This is a team that just finds ways to win games. QB Geno Smith could surprise everyone in the nation, and maybe some of his teammates as well, by proving that he is good enough to go out and win this game outright. This is going to be the most unlikely upset of the day in the NCAA football betting world.

Prediction: West Virginia 26 – LSU Tigers 20
California Golden Bears (+6.5) @ Arizona Wildcats
Saturday, September 25th
10:00 ET, Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ

It's all about perception, my friends. If the Wildcats don't get that last touchdown against the Iowa Hawkeyes last week, they probably lose that game and are favored by just 3-4 points instead of 6.5 in this one. If the California Golden Bears go into Reno and take out a very underrated Nevada Wolfpack team last week, there is probably also a 2-3 point swing in the NCAA football lines. However, nothing has really changed with these squads. Arizona is still very good, while Cal is still a legitimate contender for the Pac-10 title as well. This is a winnable fixture for the Golden Bears. QB Kevin Riley has played well this year and has thrown for 732 yards. He's going to be able to bring over some magic to the desert on Saturday night and help lead Cal to what maybe should be a relatively predictable upset over an Arizona team that has to be full of itself after last week's triumph. The Cats get caught napping and get nipped for the first time on Saturday.

Prediction: California 34 – Arizona 28
Oregon Ducks (-11.5) @ Arizona State Sun Devils
Saturday, September 25th
10:30 ET, Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ

There is some more perception here that could be implied incorrectly. Arizona State is getting a lot of respect after nearly going into Camp Randall and upsetting the Wisconsin Badgers last week. Wisky hasn't looked that great this year though, and we still can't base what ASU has accomplished off of a pair of FCS wins and one close call against an opponent that very well could be overrated. What we do know in this game is that the Ducks are as good as it gets in the country. Sure, there are going to be games where the U of O could get challenged and perhaps even picked off. However, this isn't one of those games. This is the first time that HC Chip Kelly gets to bring the Quack Attack on the road this year, and with the running of RB LaMichael James, QB Steven Threet and company just won't be able to keep up. It might be interesting for a little while, but when push comes to shove, these two teams don't belong on the same field.

Prediction: Oregon 44 – Arizona State 20

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September 3rd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Miami (OH) Redhawks @ Florida Gators (-37.5)
Saturday, September 2nd
12:00 ET, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL

The Gators are probably going to end up dominating this game. They are out to make a real statement now that QB Tim Tebow is gone. QB John Brantley is going to be getting a good test to begin his career as a starter. Many feel as though he might be better than Tebow as a passer, though he clearly doesn't have the mobility or the inherent leadership abilities of the departed No. 15. Still, this is going to be one of the best rushing games in the country still with RBs Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey. As for the Redhawks, they are coming off of an absolutely terrible season in which they only won one game. It is fairly clear that they aren't going to win this game, but they did a decent job last year sticking inside of college football betting lines. Unfortunately for Miami, this probably won't be a day in which it does that. If the Gators have a desire to win by at least six scores, they will. Brantley might cover the Redhawks all by himself.

Prediction: Florida 59 – Miami 7
Western Michigan Broncos (+23.5) @ Michigan State Spartans
Saturday, September 2nd
12:00 ET, Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI

Michigan State seems to start every single season with unrealistic expectations. This year is probably no exception even though HC Mark Dantonio is clearly on the hot seat and is probably going to have to win at least seven or eight games to save his job. The good news is that QB Kirk Cousins is back after having a very respectable first season as a starter. He threw for 2,680 yards and 19 TDs against just nine picks, and there are high hopes for him this season. Unfortunately for the Broncos, they can't say the same thing. QB Tim Hiller was one of the best that this program has ever seen. With him gone, QB Alex Carder is going to take over. Carder only threw seven passes last year backing up Hiller, but he is going to be thrown into the fire right away in East Lansing as a sophomore. Still, this is a hefty point total for Sparty to be laying against a team that could reasonably still be one of the best in the MAC if Carder can keep his head on straight. Expect WMU to beat the college football odds in this one.

Prediction: Michigan State 34 – Western Michigan 21
Texas Longhorns (-31) vs. Rice Owls
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX

The QB Garrett Gilbert is going to get the first start of his career this week in Houston against the Owls, which should be a nice little warm up for the real big boys coming up in the weeks to come for the Longhorns. There are a number of returners for this team even though there were a number of players that were drafted in the first two days of the NFL Draft this year off of the squad in burnt orange. The Owls are playing this close to the vest, as they haven't even announced a starting quarterback yet. The good news for the Longhorns is that they are 8-2 ATS in their L/10 games against Conference USA opponents. The bad news for Rice is that they are just 1-7 ATS in their L/8 against the Big XII. The even better news for Texas and worse news for Rice is that the Horns have outscored the Owls by an average score of 49-10 since 2003. That sounds about right for Saturday afternoon.

Prediction: Texas 49 – Rice 10
Purdue Boilermakers (+10.5) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN

For HC Brian Kelly, this will be his debut in South Bend and could be the most important game of his coaching career. Coaches that get off to a bad start at Notre Dame generally don't end up lasting very long, and Kelly is going to want to make sure that he doesn't blow this in a year of high expectations, especially against a team that is probably not going bowling this year. The Boilers were destroyed by RB Ralph Bolden's knee injury that is going to keep him out for the season. Meanwhile, Notre Dame is going to be breaking in a new quarterback in the form of QB Dayne Crist. TE Kyle Rudolph is questionable with a hamstring injury, and if he doesn't end up playing, Crist is going to be relying heavily on WR Michael Floyd, who could be one of the best receivers in the nation. Still, Purdue hung last year with the Irish, losing 24-21 at home. With QB Robert Marve eager to make a good debut for the black and gold, the Boilers have the potential to hang in this game, though the Boilermakers probably won't win it.

Prediction: Notre Dame 31 – Purdue 28
Kentucky Wildcats (-3) @ Louisville Cardinals
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Papa John's Stadium, Louisville, KY

It's the battle to determine whether the Bluegrass State will be blue or red on Saturday, and the annual Kentucky/Louisville battle has even higher stakes this season. Both teams will be entering this game with new head coaches, as Joker Phillips (Kentucky) and Charlie Strong (Louisville) are both making their head coaching debuts. QB Mike Hartline is going to have a lot of experience under his belt in this one even though he is a much maligned signal caller. Louisville is changing its offense to a spread attack, which is a drastic change from the offense that Steve Kragthorpe tried running over the last few years. The winning mentality isn't quite there yet for the Cardinals, which have fallen a long way in a short period of time. Kentucky is hoping to head to another bowl game this year, and it is the significantly better team, at least this early in the year. Take the Blue State in this NCAA football betting affair.

Prediction: Kentucky 27 – Louisville 20
Connecticut Huskies (+3) @ Michigan Wolverines
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI

If the maize and blue don't win this game to start off the 2010 season, the Big House might be burning. HC Rich Rodriguez knows that this is his last chance to try to impress the Ann Arbor faithful before he ends up on the unemployment lines, and this game against Connecticut is a very important one to start the season. Unfortunately for Big Blue, this won't be their day. The Huskies are one of the best teams in a conference that is relatively strong this season, and RB Jordan Todman might have a field day against a defense which struggled against the rush last season. Rodriguez still hasn't settled on a quarterback either, though QB Tate Forcier sounds like he is getting the nod. We are puzzled as to why the Wolverines are favored in this one, as we aren't buying into their hype as a team that is that much improved from the one that went 5-7 last year. The Huskies are going to be dogs that are barking very, very loudly.

Prediction: Connecticut 28 – Michigan 24
UCLA Bruins @ Kansas State Wildcats (-2)
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Bill Snyder Family Field, Manhattan, KS

The biggest question that we have in this game is whether or not QB Kevin Prince is really going to be able to play for the full 60 minutes with his back injury or not. If he can't go, UCLA is in a heck of a lot of trouble in this one. Trying to stop RB Daniel Thomas is going to be virtually impossible for a defensive line that has been beat up all offseason long for the second straight year with injuries. HC Rick Neuheisel has his work cut out for him this year. The Bruins only made the Eagle Bank Bowl on the back of their non-conference slate, as a 3-6 record in conference left little to the imagination. This year is going to be a tough grind for the blue and gold, and it is going to start with K-State getting some big time payback for last season's 23-9 loss in LA.

Prediction: Kansas State 30 – UCLA 10
Oregon State Beavers (+13) vs. TCU Horned Frogs
Saturday, September 2nd
7:45 ET, Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX

Though this is technically a neutral site game, we know that Oregon State is going to clearly be the road team in this duel. The Horned Frogs are going to try to make a huge statement for the rest of college football, proving that they deserve to be considered for the BCS Championship, not just for a regular BCS bowl game like last year in the Fiesta Bowl. A slew of returning starters on both sides of the ball are going to help that cause out dramatically. QB Andy Dalton is going to have to lead the way against a very talented Oregon State defense. The offense for the Beavers is going to once again feature both the Rodgers brothers, as Jacquizz and James are virtually impossible to stop. Though the secondary is entirely intact from last year for TCU, the front seven has two major holes to fill in the form of DE Jerry Hughes and LB Daryl Washington. We give Oregon State a lot of credit for scheduling this game, and though the ultimate reward of an upset won't be the end result, we wouldn't be surprised to see HC Mike Riley's club hang around and make things quite uncomfortable for the de facto hosts.

Prediction: TCU 33 – Oregon State 28
LSU Tigers (-7.5) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Saturday, September 2nd
8:00 ET, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA

Suspensions have absolutely destroyed North Carolina's chances of accomplishing just about anything this year. Their offseason probe is going to end up seeing 13 players suspended for this opening game against the Bayou Bengals, including four of which were all projected NFL stars and were first team All-ACC members in the preseason. HC Les Miles now knows that this has gone from a game that would be a huge boost to win, to one that might ultimately decide whether he gets to stay in Baton Rouge or not next year. LSU needs to pick it up in a big way in order to make it back to the big time in the SEC, and winning a game like this against a quality ACC opponent would go a long way. Speaking of going a long way, if QB TJ Yates can find a way to pull this one off, he would suddenly go from being a zero in Chapel Hill to a hero. QB Jordon Jefferson hopes to just not see his name as a gigantic screw up in his '10 debut with the purple and gold. It's hard to see how North Carolina is doing enough damage on either side of the ball, and in spite of the fact that this is a hefty line that is only rising, we don't see how LSU can do anything but smash it.

Prediction: LSU 24 – North Carolina 13
Cincinnati Bearcats (+3) @ Fresno State Bulldogs
Saturday, September 2nd
10:00 ET, Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, CA

Is the wrong team really favored in this game? The Bearcats are getting absolutely no respect this year after going undefeated in the regular season in 2009. Yes, it's true that HC Brian Kelly has jumped to Notre Dame and both QB Tony Pike and WR Mardy Gilyard have moved on to the NFL, but there are a number of quality replacements set to step up. The oddsmakers were burned last year when QB Zach Collaros stepped into the starting lineup in place of Pike and looked like Joe Montana. Collaros is only a sophomore now, but he clearly has the tools to bring Cincinnati back to the BCS. Fresno State still has a lot of questions, none bigger than who is going to replace the departed RB Ryan Mathews, who at times last year, single handedly carried it to victory. Remember that Cincinnati traveled up to Reser Stadium last year and knocked off Oregon State in a very similar position. Expect the same on Saturday night.

Prediction: Cincinnati 41 – Fresno State 28
Wisconsin Badgers (-19.5) @ UNLV Runnin' Rebels
Saturday, September 2nd
11:00 ET, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV

New Rebs HC Bobby Hauck made the first huge decision of his head coaching career when he named QB Mike Clausen his starter for this crucial, potentially program changing duel with the Badgers. Unfortunately for Hauck and UNLV, this is still a team that doesn't have the horses defensively to stop Wisky. Most years, the Badgers have a subpar offense and a stellar defense, but QB Scott Tolzien might be the best signal caller this team has had in well over a decade. This is also the first game of the potential Heisman Trophy campaign for RB John Clay. With Alabama's Mark Ingram sidelined, Clay might be the best running back in the nation that no one is talking about. This is a bunch of Badgers that might be severely underrated. This game is going to be the first of a slew of huge wins for a team that we think could be a big time sleeper in the Big Ten. The Badgers will round out Saturday night's slate with a monstrous victory over a hapless and unsuspecting foe.

Prediction: Wisconsin 51 – UNLV 20

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March 27th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

In what could be the best remaining March Madness betting affair of the entire tournament, conference champs collide in the Elite 8 when the #1 Kentucky Wildcats and #2 West Virginia Mountaineers face off at the Carrier Dome on Saturday night.

What's At Stake: The winner of this clash will join the three other bracket champions next Saturday in Indianapolis for the Final Four and will face the winner of the Duke/Baylor matchup.

College Basketball Odds: Kentucky -4 at BetUS

West Virginia Notes: It doesn't seem like the loss of G Darryl Bryant really hurt the Mountaineers any in the Sweet 16 against Washington. They still have the ability to totally dominated on the boards, winning the rebounding battle by almost seven rebounds per night. West Virginia has a decent offense at 72.8 points per game, but its strength has really been on the defensive end of the court. The 'Neers have held six straight foes under 60 points, averaging allowing just 54.2 points per game in that run.

Kentucky Notes: The Wildcats haven't exactly had the toughest road to the Elite 8, as they have only played a #9, #12, and #16 seed, but they've clearly been the most dominant side in the field, winning those three by an average of more than 25 points per game. Big Blue has a stellar offense at 79.6 points per game, and its 48.3 percent shooting percentage is amongst the best teams left standing in the field. However, it was the defense, which held Cornell to just 33.3 percent shooting on Thursday that really made the difference in Kentucky's road to the Elite 8.

Players to Watch

F Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia Mountaineers: Even when West Virginia is at its worst offensively, Butler seems to always be able to step up and come up in a big way. He's clearly got a flare for the dramatics having hit game winning shots in two of the 'Neers three Big East Tournament games, including the one that sealed up the championship. At 17.4 points per game, no one for HC Bob Huggins is scoring more.

G John Wall, Kentucky Wildcats: This was supposed to be the three week event that solidified Wall as the #1 pick in next year's NBA Draft. However, relatively speaking, the freshman phenom has put up three total dud games, scoring a total of just 39 points in three tournament tussles. Wall can take a game over like no other point guard in the country can, and it's high time that he steps up and makes himself a hero in Kentucky lore forever with a major triple-double type of performance.

Trends of Note

-West Virginia is 4-0-1 ATS in its L/5 NCAA Tournament games as an underdog
-West Virginia is 11-2-1 ATS in its L/14 NCAA Tournament games
-West Virginia is 6-2 ATS in its L/8 games against teams with winning percentage of at least .600
-Kentucky is 6-0 ATS in its L/6 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite
-Kentucky is 13-3-1 ATS in its L/17 games against the Big East
-Kentucky is 6-2 ATS in its L/8 NCAA Tournament games
-Kentucky holds a 2-0 SU and ATS advantage in this series since 2005

Final Analysis: This is a bit of a hefty line for an Elite 8 betting contest, but the Wildcats are hard to ignore in this one. They've clearly got a team that is on a mission right now, and what's scary is that they clearly haven't played their best possible basketball. It's going to come at some point, and we think that West Virginia is going to be the poor sacrificial lamb subjected to the wrath of Big Blue.

Selection: Kentucky -4

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March 14th, 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), Lehigh Mountain Hawks (22-10, Patriot)

Teams that clinched automatic bids on Saturday…

Houston Cougars (19-15, Conference USA): And the bubble shrinks… The Cougars upset UTEP on Saturday afternoon to take the Conference USA automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It wasn't a particularly strong game for a lot of players on the #7 seed in the C-USA Tourney, but if guys like G Kelvin Lewis are scoring 28 points, this is going to be a tough team to bounce. One of the best scorers in America, G Aubrey Coleman, won't be held to 4/20 shooting every night. Look for the Cougs to be on the 14 line come Sunday.

Vermont Catamounts (25-9, America East): The Catamounts used a great offensive effort to take care of Boston U and advance to the NCAA Tournament. F Marqus Blakely had one heck of a championship game, scoring 24 points and bringing down 18 rebounds. He's going to probably be in for a heck of a test regardless of who he has to go up against in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. A #15 seed probably awaits Vermont.

Morgan State Bears (27-9, MEAC): The top team in the MEAC all season long earned its way into the dance on Saturday afternoon in the conference championship. Even though leading scorer G Reggie Holmes had his third straight subpar game, three other Bears scored in double digits. This could be a potentially dangerous team if all of the offensive weapons are clicking, but it's only going to leave Morgan State as a #14 at best.

Sam Houston State Bearkats (25-7, Southland): The Bearkats are dancing for the first time since 2003, and they did so by putting together a solid effort to dismiss of Stephen F. Austin. The defense has been hit or miss for this team of late, but it was certainly a hit on Saturday, winning 64-48. Now, SHSU is going to find itself as a #13 seed that is going to need a big effort to take out a #4 in the dance next week.

Kansas Jayhawks (32-2, Big XII): Kansas has certainly earned its way to the #1 seed in the Midwest Region after winning the Big XII over Kansas State on Saturday. Rock Chalk has one of the most talented teams in the country, and it has made a case to be the #1 overall seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. HC Bill Self is going to have one of the hefty favorites to win the whole enchilada.

Ohio Bobcats (21-14, MAC): In a conference where both Kent State and Akron dominated all season long, the Bobcats are the one team dancing from the bunch. No one can say that Ohio didn't deserve its spot in the field, as it took out both the Golden Flashes and the Zips en route to the MAC's automatic bid. The Bobcats may only be destined to be a #15 seed in the field of 65, but at least they're dancing, which is more than anyone else can say in this conference.

San Diego State Aztecs (25-8, Mountain West): San Diego State was a bubble team coming into the Mountain West Tournament, and it seemed like all that was going to be needed to get into the field of 65 was a win over New Mexico in the league semifinals. Instead, the Aztecs removed all doubt by taking the whole tournament, beating not only the Lobos, but also the Rebels on their home court in Sin City to get the job done. Now, a #10 seed awaits the fourth team out of the MWC.

Washington Huskies (24-9, Pac-10): Just like the Aztecs, the Huskies successfully went from a team just barely hanging on to the bubble to a team that was probably just on the right side of the bubble to a team with an automatic ticket to the tournament in a span of three days. Washington used a potent offense and a deep bench to knock off California for the second time this season, both of which are going to need to be out in full force for the Huskies to get out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a #11 seed.

Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions (17-15, SWAC): The defense for the Golden Lions came to play in what amounted to be an ugly SWAC Championship on Saturday night. Still, Pine Bluff's 12-point victory isn't going to take away from the fact that its body of work is still pretty miserable, even for a conference championship. That being said, this is certainly going to be a team that has to play its way into the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday.

West Virginia Mountaineers (27-6, Big East): The Mountaineers certainly made their case to grab a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament by knocking off the Hoyas right at the death thanks to F Da'Sean Butler. Now, WVU will play the waiting game. HC Bob Huggins doesn't think that his squad is deserving of a top seed, but if both Duke and Ohio State lose on Sunday, the 'Neers will probably be going West as the top seed up there.

Santa Barbara Gauchos (20-9, Big West): The Gauchos are going to have one of the youngest teams in the NCAA Tournament, but they took care of business in the Big West final on Saturday night against the 49ers. Santa Barbara has taken nine of its L/10 games going into the dance. It was smacked by 20+ points against the two Pac-10 teams that it played this year, so seeing it do any damage as a #15 or #16 seems highly unlikely.

New Mexico State Aggies (22-11, WAC): Was this the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of the bubble? Several bubble teams went to bed on Saturday night thinking that they were going to be okay for the dance that will wake up on Sunday only to find that another bid went down the drain. New Mexico State earned its way into the field by stopping the 17-game winning streak of Utah State on Saturday. The Aggies are going to be an interesting placement, but they'll probably end up as a #13 or so.

 

Teams vying for automatic bids on Sunday…

Kentucky Wildcats (31-2, SEC): If anyone thought that the Wildcats were going to take their foot off of the gas pedal en route to the SEC Championship Game, they were sorely mistaken. Kentucky absolutely obliterated the Volunteers, making amends for its most recent loss. It's hard to cross this team right now, and as has been proven all season long, if G John Wall, F DeMarcus Cousins, and F Patrick Patterson are on their game, this, at least to date, has been an impossible team to defeat.

Mississippi State Bulldogs (23-10, SEC): Most seasons, winning 23 games and reaching the SEC Final would be good enough to easily put any team in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs are still sweating though, and they'll need to beat Kentucky on Sunday to remove any sense of doubt. It was a huge defensive effort for MSU that put it in this position, as Vanderbilt only shot 34.6%, and F Jarvis Varnado blocked six shots in the 62-52 win.

Temple Owls (28-5, Atlantic 10): All season long, the Owls have been talked about as a team that can make a major difference in the NCAA Tournament. Now, one of the best defenses in the nation has made a case to move up into the Top 4 seeds in the NCAA Tournament after absolutely crushing two A-10 foes in this tournament. Temple has the fourth best defense in college basketball, allowing just 56.3 points per game.

Richmond Spiders (26-7, Atlantic 10): The Spiders weren't on the radar for potential March Madness teams at the outset of the season, but a win over Florida in November really helped set the stage for this team to have a rocket of a rise up the charts in the country. Richmond cracked the Top 25 for awhile this year and may ultimately finish the season there as well, especially if it can find a way to knock off the Owls and capture the A-10 title.

Ohio State Buckeyes (26-7, Big Ten): There are still a host of teams that believe that they can be a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the Buckeyes are amongst them. It took double overtime to finally get Illinois out of the Big Ten Tournament though, and there's a big question about how much fight OSU will have in it in Sunday's final after a pair of very, very tough games. F Evan Turner turned the ball over ten times on Saturday, but he did have a double-double with 31 points and ten boards.

Minnesota Golden Gophers (21-12, Big Ten): If the Selection Committee is determined to reward teams that do well in their conference tournaments,the Golden Gophers may already be in the NCAA Tournament. Regardless, this is a team that was left for dead just three days ago, and now, Minnesota is on the verge of ditching and bubble doubt. HC Tubby Smith's team absolutely destroyed Purdue on Saturday, which has set up a heck of a finale against OSU on Sunday.

Duke Blue Devils (28-5, ACC): It seems largely accepted that the Dookies, in spite of the fact that they have struggled in the NCAA Tournament, look to be the team that can play its way into the final #1 seed with a win over Georgia Tech on Sunday. Miami and Virginia both gave the Blue Devils a heck of a time, but in the end, Coach K's club did what it does best: It just keeps finding ways to win games.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (22-11, ACC): G-Tech has rumbled its way into the NCAA Tournament without a doubt after taking three games in the ACC Tournament. However, none of these games against UNC, Maryland, or NC State were anything like what the Blue Devils are going to bring on Sunday. HC Paul Hewitt will want to see a far less sloppy game than he saw on Saturday against the Wolfpack to continue to raise his team's confidence level going into the NCAA Tournament.

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