Money in the Bank? Part 2

Can Bob have bettors “Hugg”-ing their bankrolls in ‘07-08?

Continued from Part 1…

6. Mississippi State Bulldogs (20-10 ATS)

Similar to USC, Mississippi State trucks on this year without three starters. In fact, the Bulldogs will dress eight players who have never suited up for the team.

This stat leads me to believe that Mississippi State may not be in this list next season. But, in researching this team I did discover one thing; the Bulldogs were 12-2 ATS at home last year. Books weren’t stupid, handing Mississippi State a dog tag at home only once last season.

The Bulldogs do have one of the nation’s top penetrators in Jamar Gordon. But, with inexperience comes tough losses, even at home.

7. Purdue Boilermakers (20-10 ATS)

Purdue beat the books as usual last season with great defense at home. The Boilermakers were 10-3 ATS at home in 2006-07, giving up just 53.4 ppg in 18 contests at Mackey Arena.

Like a lot of teams in college hoops, Purdue will be affected by the departures of key players. However, in Matt Painter’s all-out defensive system, it may not matter what name is on the jersey for the Boliermakers to play tough “D” and cash in at home.

8. Weber State Wildcats (17-8 ATS)

Last year’s Big Sky champ, Weber State took advantage of oddsmakers in 2006-07.

The Wildcats played some close games this past season, outscoring opponents by a mere one point (average). At home, books gave Weber State only two games where they were favored by more than four points and the team responded by losing only one home game against the spread.

Will the Wildcats be such a sure bet at home this year?

9. West Virginia Mountaineers (20-11-1 ATS)

Last season’s NIT champs start 2007-08 with a new coach, Bob Huggins! You know what that means. DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE. REBOUNDING, REBOUNDING, alright, you get the picture.

Yes, the Mountaineers are going to improve 100 percent in their defense and rebounding over last year. In ’06, WVU averaged 8.6 rebounds per game, good for 271st in the nation (if you call that good?).

While Huggins has no bench whatsoever with his new team, his starters are decent enough to squeak out some big covers against other not-so-deep teams.

When favored by 10 points or more, West Virginia went 6-2 ATS last year. I can’t see that trend happening with this year’s team but who knows; anything can happen?

10. Wyoming Cowboys (19-11 ATS)

One thing is for sure, Wyoming doesn’t fill the seats at Arena Auditorium. However, they do win there, against the spread and straight up.

The Cowboys lost only two games at home all of 2006-07 and lost only once against the number. With two of its top three scorers returning, and a slew of good recruits, including seven-footer Mikhail Linskens, Wyoming should be a chalkeater’s dream at home yet again.

Money in the Bank? Part 1

Can O.J. lead USC to more paydays?

J-Bru breaks down the Top 10 teams against the spread from last season and tells you what to expect from them in 2007-08.

Every year there are teams who surprise bettors with their knack for beating the books. Some teams, on the other hand, stay winning against the number every year.

Note, this is not a totals piece so records will only show ATS stats.

1. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (16-4-2 ATS)

Southern Miss brought their backers to the promise land last season. With nine spread wins as an underdog, the Golden Eagles showed oddsmakers they deserve a little more respect.

Their most notable victory was a three-point loss at Memphis as a 19-point pup.

Southern Miss ranked in the Top 40 last season in opponents points per game, giving up a mere 62.4 per. With only one starter gone from last year and the addition of speed demon freshman R.L. Horton, the Golden Eagles should have another stellar year beating the books.

2. Davidson Wildcats (21-9-1 ATS)

Davidson was the darling of the sports wagering world last year, much the way UNC-Wilmington was the season before.

The Wildcats finished the regular season on a tear, posting an 8-2 ATS record in their last ten games. Unlike Southern miss, Davidson just straight outscored its foes, ranking seventh in the nation in scoring (81.3 ppg).

With no significant losses, and coach Bob McKillop’s decision to go bigger this season, the Wildcats can only get better. Let’s just hope their ATS record stays the same.

3. Butler Bulldogs (22-10 ATS)

The Bulldogs had an amazing season last year, going to the Sweet 16 before losing to Florida. In betting language, they were one of only 10 teams to grab over 20 wins against the spread in 2006-07.

Another small conference team that wins with good “D”, Butler ranked fifth in the country in defense, giving up 57.1 ppg. Along the way, the Bulldogs had an amazing feat, going undefeated as an underdog. Yes, that’s right, Butler was 6-0 as a dog against the likes of Florida, Maryland, Gonzaga, Tennessee, Indiana and Notre Dame.

Look for much of the same this year, as Butler, who had the least turnovers of any team last year, brings back all five starters (senior starters at that), including stud guards A.J. Graves and Mike Green.

4. Georgetown Hoyas (21-10-2 ATS)

With Roy Hibbert returning, Georgetown is sure to continue to fill the bucket with ease, while keeping opponents away from it. Last year, the Hoyas ranked top five in both FG% and opponents FG% and this season should be no different.

Georgetown was 8-3-2 ATS last year as a big fave (eight points or better), a trend I don’t see continuing without go-to-guy Jeff Green. But, with Hibbert commanding attention in the middle, the Hoyas should squeak out a lot of covers at the end of close games.

5. USC Trojans (22-11 ATS)

I just may stay away from betting this team in 2007-08.

With one-and-done O.J. Mayo hitting the hardwood at the Galen Center this year, the Trojans are sure to see some inflated lines. Throw in a skinny big man’s nightmare in Taj Gibson, and you’ve got quite a one-two punch.

Here is my issue; while there’s no doubt this team is talented, a one-two punch is pretty much all USC is going to feed opponents. Over 60 percent of the Trojans’ scoring is gone with the departures of Lodrick Stewart, Gabe Pruitt and Nick Young along with over 80 percent of their threes.

 

Will small ball lead to big cash?

Duke backers keep your eye on early-season totals this year.

With a Blue Devils squad that is significantly smaller than it has been in years, Coach K is forced to play small ball, and I am banking on oddsmakers thinking a little too much about last year’s team.

See, last year Duke made me a lot of money, thanks to a tip I got from a fellow degenerate. “Pound Duke unders,” he said. “They can’t score for sh*t.”

I blindly took his advice, cashing in on five consecutive under plays and feeling great. I never understood why books had so much respect for the Blue Devil’s scoring when they filled the bucket for a mere 68.2 points per game in their first ten games, eight of those unders.

As time went on, books continued to give Duke totals like 141 ½ and 161, and I kept cashing in. Finally, after 18 games (and 13 unders), oddsmakers started releasing totals like 131 and 134 ½.

So will a low-scoring, boring Blue Devil squad be fresh in the minds of books everywhere? Or will they see that Josh McRoberts is gone, and besides Brian Zoubek, Duke has nobody over six-foot-eight?

Believe this, Duke will need to run to win this season, living and dying by the three-point bomb. I am pretty sure that you won’t see a 70.4 ppg stat this year, and if you see any totals like 126, or maybe even 132 in the first couple weeks, pound the over all the way to the bank!

Darco Darco Darco

This has nothing to do with college basketball, but Darco Millicic is a freaking idiot!

Watch what he says about the refs after a loss in Serbia!

See it here!

My Top 10 Teams

Not Gambling Related

Bru’s Top 10 Teams for the 2007-08 season

Kevin Love – UCLA Freshman

1. UCLA – There no denying that the addition of super-freshman Kevin Love gives the Bruins the inside presence they have lacked for some time. Some people already are touting him as the best big man in the nation. Time will tell.

2. UNC – What can I say about this team? How about Tyler Hansbrough. Maybe Ty Lawson. What about Deon Thompson? Yes, the Tar Heels are going to give smaller teams fits this year. It is hard to imagine this team making an early exit from this year’s tourney!

3. Kansas – The Jayhawks got a big boost from a bad situation this season. Brandon Rush, who was said to be entering the NBA Draft this past June, tore his ACL. Sooo, guess who is back at the Allen Fieldhouse to lead Kansas for another season? Yes, Brandon Rush. Can he get over his shyness on the offensive end?

4. Memphis – Can the Tigers have another undefeated Conference USA season? I think so. John Calipari’s youngsters are a little older, a little wiser, and look ready to contend for an NCAA title this year.

5. Georgetown – After a huge 30-win year, the Hoyas look to ride Roy Hibbert all the way to the bank. Losing only one starter bodes well for the G-Men, except for one thing; they lost Jeff Green, last season’s all-everything player.

6. Washington State – Wazzou has all one of the best teams in the country on paper. But, throw these guys on the court and you never know what you’re gonna get!

7. Michigan State – As a Wolverines fan, it hurts me to put this team in my
Top 10. But, if Raymar Morgan can match Drew Neitzel’s intensity on the court, the Spartans are good enough to compete with any team on any given night.

8. Marquette – Dominic James. Dominic James. Dominic James. Nuff said.

9. Texas A&M – Losing the best player in school history always hurts a team. But, with a new coach and some new star freshman, the new-look Aggies may be saying “Acie who?” in no time at all.

10. Tennessee – As a former point guard, I tend to draw my attention most to teams with strong guard play. The Vols have Chris Lofton, one of the best shooting guards in the nation last year. Lofton and his 20-plus ppg will be moving to the point and that only spells trouble for Vols’ opponents.

Youtube Top5

Here are my Top 5 videos so far this year.

1. Bo Ryan Cranking Dat?

This is Bo Ryan doing the Crank Dat dance. As much as I hate this song, this video made my day. I guess old white man can dance after all?

2. Here’s to Great Finishes

Here is one reason to look forward to the upcoming season. Possibly the best finish to a college game ever, (sorry Duke fans).

3. Funny Player Interviews

Watch as Louisville’s Otis George explains the “Pimp Boot”.

4. This is Why Duke Sucks!

Sent this to my boys at Covers a while back. I thought it was pretty funny!

This is a Duke reply, sooooo gay!

5. Last, and Certainly Not Least

This is for those other Dickey V haters out there!

Let Me Start By Saying…..

Hello everybody.

My name is Jay Bruce. I am a former college basketball player who bets heavily on college basketball and with this blog I hope to make you some money as well as broaden your knowledge of college hoops.

Every Saturday I will be posting my ‘Hardcourt Cash’, a look at my Top 5 games to bet on as well as my ‘Under Wonders’, a quick-hitting article on college hoops totals.

Don’t get me wrong here, this isn’t just a gambling blog, I will be covering a college hoops story daily and giving my opinions on several topics in the wonderful world of NCAA Basketball.

I am also an MC (www.j-bru.net, www.myspace.com/jbrumusic) who works almost 50 hours a week on my music so when i learn to manage my time better I will be posting some gambling picks during the week as well. But for now, we get Saturdays!

I hope you all enjoy this blog and find it informative!

Feel free to drop me a line at jbrumusic@yahoo.com