Butler and Davidson square off in pivotal non-conference clash

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/21/2009 - Davidson, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The most anticipated Bracketbuster game on the docket takes place in the Tar Heel State this weekend, as the 21st-ranked Butler Bulldogs invade Belk Arena and attempt to get past the always dangerous Davidson Wildcats.

The Bulldogs had been cruising along through their Horizon League schedule, but things have gotten much tighter of late, as Butler has dropped two straight games, with upset losses to Loyola-Chicago (71-67) and most recently, Wisconsin-Milwaukee (63-60). With the setbacks, the team has fallen to 13-3 in league play and 22-4 overall.

The Wildcats are one of the top teams in the Southern Conference, holding a two-game lead in the South Division standings. However, it could have been a four-game lead were it not for a surprising home loss to the Citadel this week, 64-46. With the loss to the Bulldogs, Davidson is now 22-5 overall and 15-2 in-conference.

This game is the first-ever meeting between these two mid-major powers.

The Bulldogs are known for their defensive prowess, as evidenced by the fact that the team is limiting foes to a mere 57.3 ppg this year and well under 40 percent shooting overall (.377). Unfortunately, the team's lack of offensive punch has proved to be problematic of late and could be a real concern going up against Davidson. Matt Howard is the team's best option and comes into the contest leading the Bulldogs in both scoring (14.1 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg). Gordon Hayward is a close second in both categories (13.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and is the team's top sharpshooter (.453 from behind the arc, 58 treys). Shelvin Mack (12.2 ppg) adds to the perimeter assault with 50 three-pointers to his credit. Wisconin-Milwaukee seemed to catch a break with the clock towards the end of the game and escaped with a three-point win over Butler. The setback ruined a solid performance by Howard, who finished just shy of a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds. Mack and Ronald Nored chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively, but the team shot a mere .412 from the floor overall, including a dreadful .296 in the first half. UWM's bench played an important role in the decision, as the Panthers' reserves outscored Butler's bench 21-6.

The Citadel put on a defensive clinic and held the hometown Wildcats to an ugly .254 shooting, including just .130 from behind the arc (3-of-23) and taking a lopsided decision at Belk Arena as a result. Davidson's lack of offensive punch was certainly caused by the fact that All-American Stephen Curry was not on the floor. The veteran sharpshooter missed his first career game after suffering a sprained ankle last weekend. Andrew Lovedale and Brenan McKillop tried to fill the void with 16 and 15 points, respectively, but without Curry on the floor, the Bulldogs were able to keep the pressure on all game long. When the Wildcats are at full strength, there are few in the SoCon that can stay with them. The team is averaging a robust 78.8 ppg this year, with a good portion of that coming from Curry, who leads the nation in scoring at 29.0 ppg. Curry, who already has 102 three-pointers to his credit this season, is also the team's primary distributor, doling out 152 assists thus far. Lovedale feeds off Curry's perimeter success and is a perfect complement in the low post, averaging 12.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per outing.

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Elite 8 NCAA Tournament Betting at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com

In what should be an outstanding Saturday of March Madness betting action, the top four teams in the South and West Regions square off in what should be extremely close match-ups. Three of the four teams are coming off extremely close games on Thursday evening, only UCLA won semi comfortably over Pitt 64-55.

Ohio State is coming off their second game in a row where in all reality they should have lost. Of course that doesn’t matter now since the name of the game is “survive and advance” but as the tournament continues, they can’t afford to keep getting down to their opponents early. Kansas also avoided a scare by holding off a scrappy Southern Illinois squad. In the third thrilling game of the evening Memphis pulled off the minor upset (+3.5) despite being the higher seed to Texas A&M.

Although the spreads are fairly small for Saturday’s games, MySportsbook.com continue to bet against the underdogs. Despite OSU’s two scares, 86% of the “betting public” feels the Buckeyes (-1.5) have what it takes to make the Final Four. In fact, so much of the early money is on OSU that the line has already moved from -1 to -1.5. In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas and their high-powered offense are 2 point favorites as they take on UCLA and their effective defense. About 63% of the early money thus far is once again backing the favorites. If those percentages stay that high, don’t be surprised if this line moves as well. If you like Kansas (-2) you might want to jump on it early.

Memphis vs. Ohio State

Both squads were involved in thrillers on Thursday evening and should come out fired up. OSU can ill afford to get behind early like they did versus their previous two opponents (Xavier, Tennessee). Greg Oden needs to stay out of foul trouble; the Buckeyes are a completely different team when he is on the court. Memphis definitely has the athleticism and length to match-up with OSU. Of Memphis’ five leading minute earners, the shortest of the bunch is 6’5”. Each team has a very effective defense; Memphis surrenders 62.3 PPG whereas the Buckeyes give up only 61 PPG. With those type of numbers, it isn’t surprising that Memphis covered the UNDER almost 69% of the time this season. As a favorite, OSU has covered the UNDER almost 66% of the time over the last three seasons. The major concern for Memphis which is magnifies this time of the year is their brutal foul shooting (62%). This season, OSU is 17-11 ATS versus teams with a winning record and 7-2 ATS in all tournament games. Memphis has been an extremely reliable cover in tournament play in recent years with a 23-8 ATS record over the last three seasons.

UCLA vs. Kansas

In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, UCLA will play in a role which they are very unfamiliar with that of the underdog. Only twice this season have they been getting points from the handicappers and both times they covered. Over the last three seasons UCLA is a reliable 23-7 ATS in this unfamiliar role. UCLA has not fared well against Big 12 opponents recently going 1-7 ATS since 1997. Giving up only 59.6 PPG, UCLA will definitely look to do what they do best: keep this game as low scoring as possible. Their defense has been especially tough during the tournament. UCLA opponents have been able to muster up only 48.7 PPG while shooting a combined 34.5% from the field. UCLA definitely has a challenge at hand with a Kansas team that is capable of putting points on the board in bunches. As a team, they average 79 PPG and shoot an impressive 49.6% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. During the tournament Kansas has been “lights out” from the field having shot 56.2%.

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