Month: February 2012

The #8-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles (24-5, 13-3 Big East) head into a rematch tonight on the road against the Cincinnati Bearcats (20-9, 10-6 Big East) at Fifth Third Arena at 7:00 PM ET in Cincinnati, Ohio.

While Marquette has already locked in a double-bye for the upcoming Big East Tournament ahead, the Golden Eagles still have accomplishments to make in what has been an outstanding campaign, and they’ll no doubt be under an increasing spotlight as they wrap up their season with tonight’s game and a tough home battle against #11 Georgetown on Saturday. No doubt a sweep of the season series with Cincinnati, combined with earning a #2 seed in the competitive Big East conference would give Marquette a huge leg-up in the NCAA tournament bracket selection, and also plenty of confidence heading back home for what should be an even greater challenge against the Hoyas. Winning 12 of their last 13 games, and 5 of 6 against Cincinnati specifically, Marquette has to like it’s chances tonight especially if they’re talented offense can have similar success against the Bearcats like they did earlier in the month. Once again, keys to a Marquette win will hedge on their two talented leading scorers and veteran leaders, Darius Johnson-Odom (18.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and Jae Crowder (17.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg). With the two putting up 23 points apiece in the win over Cincy two and a half weeks ago, once again they’ll be called on to lead the scoring attack for the Eagles tonight. Helping the team to shoot an impressive %56.7 against a tough Bearcats defense that averages just 60.8 points to opposing offenses, in a game where you can expect Cincy to have a much better defensive plan, Marquette’s leading scorers must have another top shooting night on the road in order to avoid becoming the 2nd Top-25 team in a week to fall against the Bearcats.

After being thoroughly trounced in all aspects of the game in the last match-up with the Golden Eagles, a 95-78 loss, the Bearcats have a lot of mistakes to correct if they’re to pull down a key Big East win at home before the conference tournament. The correction starts with getting back to a solid level of defensive play, which they have done in the last three games, allowing less than 57 points per game. Looking at the statistical information from the last match-up between Cincinnati and Marquette though, a couple of key areas of necessary improvement stand out; first, the Bearcats surrendered twice as many turnovers (14:7), and secondly, they were out-shot in every possible aspect of the game (field goal, 3-pt and free throw %). To address the first issue, Cincinnati has to do a better job with ball handling, as both Cashmere Wright (11.1 ppg, 4.5 apg) and reserve Justin Jackson (5.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg) combined for 4 turnovers apiece, collectively more than the entire Marquette team had in the Feb. 11th meeting. Those 14 total turnovers created 25 points for the Eagles, and Marquette further was able to dominate in fast breaks, outscoring Cincy 31-10 in that category. The Bearcats can’t expect to win if Marquette is able to run with the ball and avoid Cincy’s set defensive schemes, so avoiding the costly turnovers as much as possible and keeping the ball away from opportunistic hands will be essential tonight at home for Cincinnati to maintain a good pace for the game.

Secondly, shooting has to get better for the ‘Cats, especially around the perimeter. While Marquette can’t be expected to produce the same school record-setting shooting night they had in this year’s first meeting with Cincinnati, with the form the Eagles are currently in heading into tournament play, the Bearcats have to step up their game to take higher percentage shots, and also limit the amount of high percentage shots they are giving up. Cincy shot just 34 percent from the floor in the loss against USF on Sunday that snapped a 3-game winning streak, and that performance is troubling especially as they already aren’t a great shooting team at 42 percent for the year (252nd in the nation). To stand a shot at keeping pace with a Marquette side that shoots at a solid %46.4 for the year, Cincinnati’s leading scorer Sean Kilpatrick (14.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg) has to set an example and personally improve upon his awful 7 point performance in the Feb 11th game (2-6 shooting), which saw him frustrated all night by a hounding Marquette defense. Along with Kilpatrick, who should see most of the defensive attention again, senior guard Dion Dixon (13.2 ppg) also has to set a better standard tonight; he’s shooting just 37 percent from the floor on the year, and his percentages in shooting from the floor and from 3-pt range have fallen by 45 and 72 points respectively year-on-year. With Dixon, Kilpatrick and Cashmere Wright combining for 77 percent of the Bearcat’s three-point efforts, Dixon has to be the one to step up big tonight, as he’s not shot above 35 percent in the last 4 games, and seeing him drop a few bombs in from deep should certainly boost the confidence of Cincinnati as a whole.

While Cincinnati was dominant in the paint during the last game pulling down 39 rebounds, 18 of those on offense (vs. 28 and 7 for Marquette), mainly due to their significant height advantage over the Eagles, Marquette’s smaller size and speed was shown to almost erase the advantages Cincy has in their inside game. Thus, Marquette will once again try to push the ball as much as possible, and utilize their efficient passing game (17.3 assists/game, 7th in the NCAA) to get the ball to players moving off screens and penetrating the base line. Jae Crowder has to be a go-to guy for Marquette tonight once again, as he’s averaging an astonishing 26.3 points over his last 4 games, but getting the ball to him will fall to the likes of Vander Blue (8.6 ppg, 3.0 apg) and Junior Cadougan (6.5 ppg, 5.5 apg), who have been the main distributors for the Eagles this season. Marquette has to keep pushing the ball into the interior and avoid being suppressed with defense around the outside, where their shooting hasn’t been as good (34.6 percent from 3-pt range). If they can keep the ball moving and keep Cincy guessing, they’ll be able to once again overcome their size deficiencies and frustrate the Bearcat’s defense. A frustrated Bearcats team on defense is usually one that struggles on offense, as we’ve seen over recent years.

Betting Lines for #8 Marquette vs. Cincinnati at Betonline Sportsbook

For this featured Big East match-up tonight, we head down to the betting lines at Betonline Sportsbook, one of the best online sportsbooks reviewed here.

Starting with the straight up wagers for the money line, this game is looking to be a tight one, with Cincinnati at a slight favorite to win with -115 odds, while Marquette trails only just with -105 odds.

Against the spread, it’s an almost-negligible difference of 1 point, with Marquette getting +1 at -110 odds, and the host Cincinnati Bearcats getting -1 points at -110 odds.

The over/under on total points stands at 139 points, however in what should be more of a defensive match-up on Cincinnati’s home court, I expect the Golden Eagles to not have the same success running the ball, and for the Bearcats to be much more effective on defense. Look for scoring in the high 60’s for both teams to push the over/under, but eventually fall just short.

Our Pick To Win:

As I continue to incorrectly back high-ranked teams in road games against opponents that play their best basketball at home, this game again has me second-guessing my judgment, especially after Michigan State’s awful performance in a road loss to an Indiana team that simply wanted the game more. However, in sportsbook betting, going with the initial, gut reaction is never something you want to question, and as such, I’m backing Marquette to win this game on the road in a close one. While Cincinnati is going to put on a much better defensive effort and should improve drastically off their poor performance against USF over the weekend, in the end, Marquette’s better shooting, better ball control, and better efforts at the free-throw line are going to carry them through the contest at Fifth Third this evening. While they were given a big test at West Virginia in light of a number of players getting benched for half the game, I expect those guys, including leading scorer Darius Johnson-Odom to come out swinging right away tonight, and put on a solid effort that earns them the second seed in the Big East. Marquette 67, Cincinnati 64.

The 5th-ranked Michigan State Spartans (24-5, 13-3 Big Ten) head into the first of two tough games to close out the 2011-12 NCAA Basketball season, matching up tonight with the #18 Indiana Hoosiers (22-7, 9-7 Big Ten) at 7:00 PM ET at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.

Though Michigan State has already secured a share of the Big Ten Title this season by virtue of their two game lead over Ohio State, knowing the MSU program and the competitiveness of head coach Tom Izzo, there’s plenty still left to play for in tonight’s game against a tough Hoosiers’ team that will be looking for another quality win at home against a highly-ranked opponent ahead of the NCAA Tournament bracket selection. The Spartans game plan this season has revolved whole-heartedly around suffocating defense, with MSU allowing just 57.8 points/game on the year, and down the home stretch where they’ve now won 9 of their last 10 games, Michigan State is playing even better defense allowing just 52.3 points per contest in those 10 outings. What’s even better for MSU fans is the fact that 3 wins during their stretch of 7 straight victories have come against ranked teams (Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan), all in their conference. With a second win on the season against Indiana, and their 7th straight overall, Michigan State will be in good position to grab a coveted #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, setting themselves up for another potentially historic run for the NCAA Championship.

For Indiana head coach and former Tom Izzo assistant Tom Crean, tonight’s match-up on home court is a golden opportunity for the apprentice to finally conquer his mentor, provided the fast-paced, high scoring Hoosiers can find a way to break through a stingy MSU defense. In order for that to happen the Hoosiers are going to have to find a way to be successful shooting the ball while getting contributions from their entire roster. Most notable from the last meeting between these two teams was the lack of presence from Indiana’s leading scorer Cody Zeller (15.4 points/game, 6.5 rebounds/game), who produced just 4 points and 3 rebounds due to persistent foul trouble, and Indiana found themselves unable to contend in an 80-65 rout on the road. This is again an area where the game can be won or lost for the Hoosiers, as without the big freshman’s contributions under the basket against a very physical Michigan State group, Indiana will be forced to fire away from 3-pt range, leaving the games’ outcome decided by their ability or inability to knock down clutch shots. While fellow IU forward Christian Watford (11.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg) certainly tried to pick up the slack for Zeller’s absence against MSU last time out (26 points, 10 rebounds), it’s evident that for tonight’s game to be close, both Watford and Zeller are going to have to stay clear of foul trouble, and have great efforts against the likes of the Spartans’ Draymond Green (15.6 ppg, 10.3 rpg), who is one of the nation’s most physical, talented and experienced big men, despite only occupying a 6’7″ frame. Michigan State is tops in the Big Ten on the offensive boards, excels at winning second chance opportunities, and dominates games with their points in the paint (34/game). Therefore, Indiana’s big men must step up tonight both on offense and on defense in order to give themselves a legitimate shot at winning at home tonight.

Michigan State’s offense may not blow the competition out of the water with their 72.5 points/game average, however their consistency of play across the board is what makes them a true contender this year heading into the NCAA tournament. The Spartans are big on the glass, ranking 19th in the NCAA in rebounds (39.1/game), 22nd in assists (15.7), and shoot the ball well at %47.6 from the floor (25th in the NCAA). While just two players on their roster shoot in double figures (the aforementioned Green, and Keith Appling, 11.7 ppg), and just 5 players are above 7.0 points/game, their ability to get big performances from their two biggest scorers night after night is what is driving MSU down the home stretch. For instance, in the last game against Indiana, the Spartans shot lights out at home with 54.7 percent from the floor, but it was the big effort by Keith Appling, who scored 25 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds, that truly put the game out of reach. Rather than hedge on getting a lot of scorers active in the game, Michigan State constantly pushes the ball to the most favorable match-ups on the court, which are frequently those facing Appling and Green. While there’s veteran support for the Spartans’ top players by way of junior center Derrick Nix (7.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and senior guard Brandon Wood (8.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg), the Spartans need to have both Green and Appling score big tonight against an Indiana team that will be trying to push the ball at home, and could be in for a much better shooting night which could give them an advantage.

Where Michigan State relies on their defense and their two biggest scorers to determine basketball games, Indiana lives and dies by its ability to score on every possession. Indiana shoots at a fantastic %49 from the floor (7th in the NCAA), and puts up 77.6 points/game, but when they struggle to consistently score each time down the court, they can be exposed especially against good defenses. A very interesting note picked out by ESPN for this game; In games in which Indiana is held below 1 point per possession, they are 0-5. That means that in games where they are better than a point per possession, they are 22-2. The first team to hold them under that 1 point/possession mark this year? Michigan State. That seems to point to the fact that Indiana needs to be selective with its shots around the perimeter even despite the fact that they shoot at an impressive %42.6 beyond the arc, and also work to push the ball inside to higher-percentage looks as much as they can. While Draymond Green will certainly be an imposing figure for Zeller, Watford and Victor Oladipo (11.2 pgg, 5.4 rpg) down low, Indiana has to push the ball into the paint, be physical and try to draw fouls, and draw the defense inside to free up shooters around the perimeters. Without forcing Michigan State to collapse into the paint, there’s going to be too much defensive pressure applied around the perimeter for Indiana, lowering their chances of getting off good looking shots from outside.

Betting Lines for #5 Michigan State at #18 Indiana at TopBet Sportsbook

With two very different styles of team play clashing tonight, it will be interesting to see if Indiana can get Michigan State to play their type of basketball, much like the Spartans did to the Hoosiers in the last battle between these two teams back on December 28th. For that to happen, Indiana has to push the ball down the court, and keep Michigan State from setting up on defense. The bookmakers at TopBet Sportsbook certainly have Indiana pegged to put down a much better effort tonight at home, with the Hoosiers getting +125 odds as a slight underdog on home court. Michigan State marches into Assembly Hall carrying strong recent form, thus it’s not a surprise that the Spartans get the favorite in this match-up even on the road, with -145 odds on the money line.

Against the spread, this game stays tight with a slight favorite going to Michigan State with -2.5 points at -110 odds. Indiana gets 2.5 points to play with, with the same -110 odds tonight.

Where the game gets interesting on the betting lines is the over/under, which sits at 138.5 points. With the last meeting accumulating 145 points at Michigan State, and with Indiana not able to break out their scoring attack in that game, a better showing for the Hoosiers at home could once again see the over bet be the best pick for the contest tonight. That said, if Michigan State repeats its repressive defensive performance against Indiana, and controls the tempo of the game on the road, a low-scoring game will unfold giving the under total points pickers the best option.

Our Pick to Win:

Indiana has been outstanding at home this season, especially against top-ranked teams. Looking to become one of only 4 teams in the past 10 years to defeat 3 top-5 teams in the same season, and also holding a 16-1 record on home court this year, this game should be Indiana’s to win or lose. That said, one thing outside of the actual on-court game still has me leaning towards Michigan State tonight; The mentor is still better than the student. Tom Izzo will draw up a game plan that works to keep Indiana shooters outside, frustrate the younger Hoosiers in the paint, and slow down the game to make each possession that much more important. If Indiana coach Tom Crean can find a way to keep his players working on fast breaks, avoid costly turnovers, and keep the shooting focused on high-percentage shots, Indiana could very well walk out with a win. However, with Michigan State’s defense playing at its best on the season down the home stretch, I don’t see Indiana being able to score like they want, and that in turn will be the difference in the game. Look for the older, more experienced team, with the more experienced head coach to complete the season sweep of the Hoosiers on the road, with Michigan State winning at Assembly Hall to secure the outright Big Ten title by a score of 70-66.

Though not much is at stake between two of the best teams in NCAA Basketball tonight, as both the #11 Georgetown Hoyas (21-6, 11-5 Big East) and the visiting #20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (20-9, 12-4 Big East) have secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament and can’t win the Big East title this year, the battle at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. set for 7:00 PM ET is nonetheless a perfect opportunity on a slow day of sports to watch two of the best basketball programs in the country face off in one of the last remaining Top 25 match-ups left in the College Basketball regular season. With a potential double-bye still available to one of the two teams ahead of the Big East tournament starting up in just over a weeks’ time, you can be sure that a scrappy battle is set to ensue, making for an even better reason to head on down to one of the best online sportsbooks reviewed here, for a look over the best betting lines on tonight’s featured clash.

While Notre Dame has struggled to find their form on the road this season, sitting on a record of 5-4 away from the Joyce Center in South Bend, tonight’s match-up should give the Fighting Irish something to prove, especially as they come off a tough road loss to St. John’s, their first defeat to another Big East team in the last 9 conference match-ups. The biggest challenge Notre Dame will face tonight, is how to recover from a tough shooting night (%37.3 vs. St. John’s on Saturday), against a Georgetown team that is the most defensively stingy in the Big East, allowing just 58.7 points/game. Though neither team is particularly impressive on the scoring lines, with both teams averaging under 70 points per contest (ND 68 ppg, GU 69.6 ppg), both sides have been good at limiting opposing shooters and holding the points total down especially at home, where the two teams play their best basketball. Georgetown is certainly tough on their home court where the two teams meet tonight, generating a 14-1 record there, so the Irish must immediately see a better shooting performance from their top scorers. While Jack Cooley (12.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg) continues to be a leader for Notre Dame on the court, and has accumulated an impressive %62.8 shooting average from the floor this year in place of Tim Abromaitis (out for the season with a knee injury after just two games), the rest of the Irish have struggled to have consistency shooting the basketball, with no one amongst the top 7 scorers (aside from Cooley) shooting better than %41.6 from the floor). With a team average of just %43.7, Notre Dame has to at least get to that mark tonight, if not better, in order to overcome the Hoyas on home court.

Georgetown on the other hand is looking to upend the Irish tonight, a team that has bested them three straight times dating back to 2008. As Georgetown’s program was arguably not at the same level it is now while losing against the Irish in those 3 games (with the 2 previous games resulting in 14 point losses to Notre Dame), tonight is a perfect opportunity for a second-straight victory and their 6th in a row at home. What’s promising for Georgetown fans tonight is the fact that the Hoyas have held 4 of their last 6 visitors to just 50 points or less, and in their last meeting they held the Villanova Wildcats to just %28.0 shooting from the floor. Adding to that, they’ve shot better than their opponents by at least 9 percent in their last 4 home games, something that would go a long way towards a victory should that trend be continued tonight. Even more reason for the Hoyas to play their best ball on defense tonight is the fact that Notre Dame has, in 3 of its last 4 losses, been held to under %37.3 shooting, and in all 4 losses, the Irish haven’t shot better than 35 percent from the 3-pt line. Notre Dame likes to run with a small offense that does it’s damage shooting from outside the paint more so than relying on inside play and put backs, so getting good containment around the outside against Irish ball movers Eric Atkins (12.7 ppg, 4.0 apg), Jerian Grant (12.7 ppg, 4.4 apg) is job #1 for the Georgetown defense. While keeping ND’s bigger players including Scott Martin (9.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and Pat Connaughton (7.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg) will also be key, the perimeter game should be the area of focus for the Hoyas, as they are bigger and more athletic than the Irish coming into tonight’s match-up.

Georgetown will also look to its bigger players on offense to make a difference at home tonight, and that puts the scoring onus on the shoulders of center Henry Sims (11.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Hollis Thompson (13.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and freshman Otto Porter (8.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg). While Jason Clark (14.5 ppg) leads the team around the perimeter, it’s been the combined efforts of Georgetown’s top shooters that has them prevailing in close games, getting good shooting across their top 6 highest scorers (averaging %45.5 or better from the floor). Again, this is a big difference between these two relatively low-scoring offenses; While Notre Dame has struggled to find shooting form against good teams and/or on the road as they lean on their outside game more often in the face of good defense, Georgetown has been able to hold their shooters at a higher standard by pressing the ball in low, and allowing their bigger guys to work towards the hoop. While the Hoyas don’t pass the ball incredibly well averaging just 13.8 assists, they do a good job getting the ball to the appropriate spot on the floor and letting the player with the rock make his move towards the basket. Georgetown, which will face a pretty stiff defensive challenge from the Irish tonight, will have to get good individual scoring efforts, which could be easier to come by in the face of a smaller Notre Dame squad in opposition.

Betting Lines for #11 Georgetown vs. #20 Notre Dame at Bookmaker Sportsbook

Bookmaker Sportsbook is our featured online sports betting website of the day, so naturally we’ll peruse their betting lines for tonight’s featured NCAA Basketball match-up to come.

Straight up wagers on the money line will find the Georgetown Hoyas securing the favorite for tonight’s Big East match-up, getting -260 odds to win. Notre Dame as underdog sits at +220 odds.

Against the spread, the Hoyas must win by 6 points (-110 odds), while Notre Dame will have a +6 cushion to work with as an underdog.
The over/under tonight sits at a low 122 1/2 points, banking on a slow-paced game between two good defensive sides.

Our Pick to Win:

While both teams are looking to improve off recent losses, the Hoyas find themselves in a good position at home to pick up a win, banking on the Fighting Irish’s less-than-stellar road form, and their ability to hold teams to lower shooting percentages on their home court. I like Notre Dame to make this a closer game than the spread suggests, as the Irish have shown that they will not give up in any game and have a good cast of dedicated players this season, but facing a bigger, better defense tonight on the road, the odds are stacked against them to pull out an upset road victory. Nonetheless, this match-up looks primed to come down to the wire, with the last few minutes deciding the games’ outcome. However, in the end I like the bigger inside presence of the Hoyas to help win the shooting percentage and rebounding battles, and consequently win the ball game. Georgetown 64, Notre Dame 60.

There are big games on the NCAA College Basketball schedule, and then there are big games that define an entire season of college hoops action. For Saturday, one of the longest-standing rivalries in all of college sports gets underway between two of the top teams in the country as the #4 Kansas Jayhawks (23-5, 13-2 Big 12) host the Missouri Tigers (25-3, 12-3 Big 12) at 4:00PM ET at Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas.

After playing each other each year since 1907, this match-up marks the finality of a 105 years of competition between these two basketball programs, as next year’s conference realignment will find the Missouri Tigers headed towards the SEC. There really couldn’t be a better way to send this historic rivalry off, than with a meeting between the two teams at their best combined form in recent memory for the Boarder War. What’s at stake tonight, despite just parting shots in the final conference match-up over a 100+ year span, is the Big 12 conference title, of which Kansas is shooting to win or share an 8th straight, and an NCAA-record 55th title season title overall. Also for the Jayhawks, it’s an opportunity for redemption on home court, after a stinging 74-71 loss suffered at the hands of Missouri last month. In order to do that tonight, they’ll need to focus in on their defensive play, and take some lessons from from their in-state foes Kansas State, who have handed the Tigers 2 of their 3 losses on the season, mainly by holding the Tigers well under their season scoring average of 79.5 points (9th in NCAA Basketball).

Where the Jayhawks have been their best is on the defensive side of the basketball, allowing just 60.4 points/game to opposing offenses, but as was evident in the February 4th loss at Missouri, Kansas will need to do a better job at dictating the pace of the basketball game, and not allowing solid rhythm to develop between the Tigers’ impressive cast of scoring characters. Key figures for the Jayhawks to play better against include Mizzou’s leading scorer Marcus Denmon (17.8 points, 5.1 rebounds/game), who went bonkers on the ‘Hawks putting up 29 points on 6-of-9 shooting from 3-pt range. While Kansas played solid lockdown defense against Ricardo Ratliffe (13.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg) inside the paint, holding him to just 6 points in 20 minutes of foul-troubled play, Kim English (14.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and leading bench contributor Michael Dixon (12.9 ppg) both were very successful in adding 18 and 15 points respectively to compliment Marcus Denmon’s efforts. The Tigers shot an outstanding %52.1 from the floor and %45.5 from beyond the arc; if Kansas expects its offense to keep pace tonight, those figures have to drop drastically to keep this game from becoming too fast, and too likely that a last minute effort with clutch shooting determines the outcome of the game. Remember, Missouri is ranked 3rd in the nation hitting almost 50 percent of their shots (%49.8). Their game is built around lots of scoring and scoring efficiency, so job #1 towards a KU win has to be around smothering defense and contested shots at every Tigers’ scoring opportunity.

Fortunately for the Jayhawks, they should be well prepared and blooming with confidence at home in the face of their Tiger foes today. Kansas has ripped off 5 wins in a row since that loss 3 weeks ago, tromping over then-#6 Baylor by 14 points (at Baylor no less), and beating the two teams that have bested Missouri this year, Oklahoma State and Kansas State. Holding their opponents to less than 58 points in the last 3 contests, Bill Self’s team will look to continue using its height advantage in the paint, helmed by the 7-foot Jeff Withey (9.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and the 6’10” leading scorer Thomas Robinson (17.4 ppg, 11.9 rpg), to hold down the less physically vertical Tigers, who have shown that they can be beat by good play under the basket. Kansas holds a more than 5 rebounds/game advantage over their rivals today, and using that to their advantage is a must. One very big difference in today’s match-up could be the added presence of Withey, who was completely shut down at Columbus, Mo last time out, scoring 0 points in 23 minutes of work. Since that game though, he’s averaged over 16 points, 10 rebounds and 5.5 blocked shots in 5 games, including two straight games where he was just shy of triple-double territory. With a big contribution from Withey under the rim tonight like he has been putting up over the last three weeks, the 8 point deficit that Missouri was able to shed in the closing minutes of the February 4th match-up seems a lot less likely to occur.

On the Missouri side of the ball, getting to 70 points once again against a tough Jayhawks defense is essential, especially with Kansas’ Tyshawn Taylor, (16.5 ppg, 5.0 assists/game) determined to lead his team into a better all-around performance in today’s match-up. Keep in mind, Kansas is best in conference allowing opposing teams to shoot just 38.1 percent from the field, and with no doubt a better showing coming tonight from the ‘Hawks on defense, the Tigers are going to have to have lots of clutch contributions from their smaller, speedier players. Marcus Denmon once again has to be the leader on the points line, especially in a game where we can expect Kansas’ floor leading Taylor to come up big as well. Denmon, like Taylor, is a defensive assignment difficulty, and for the Tigers they need to get him in the open around the perimeter and let him shoot away as much as possible, or use his speed to penetrate into the lanes against the bigger but slower Kansas big men. Alongside him, Kim English has to have another solid shooting day around the outside. While Missouri once again won’t likely be able to win the battle underneath the basket grabbing rebounds and getting putbacks, they have an advantage working from the perimeter in towards the hoop, and getting good ball rotation to English and Denmon could once again see Missouri hanging close enough to strike late against Kansas at home. Lastly, Ricardo Ratliffe has to avoid foul trouble and help to take some of the defensive weight off English, Denmon and Michael Dixon. While Ratliffe is an incredible shooter, Kansas certainly knows that too, and the added pressure on him with put even more pressure on Missouri’s other shooters to come up big.

Betting Lines for #4 Kansas vs. #3 Missouri at Betonline Sportsbook

Looking at the best betting lines across the best online sportsbooks reviewed here, we’re choosing Betonline Sportsbook as the sports bettig destination of choice on today’s key Big 12 match-up.

For Kansas at home, they walk in as solid favorites to win on the money line, getting -385 odds to emerge victorious on straight up money. The visiting Missouri Tigers are a +325 underdog on the money, as they walk into one of the toughest houses in all of NCAA Basketball.

Ironically, Kansas is favored to win by exactly the same amount of points that they blew in the 74-71 loss to Missouri three weeks ago. Kansas is a -8 against the spread at -115 odds, while Missouri is a +8 underdog with -105 odds.

On the over/under, this is where things could get tricky. On the one hand, we have two of the highest shooting percentage teams in the nation. On the other, we have a Kansas team hell-bent on retribution, looking for their defense to be the X factor in tonight’s game. With the over/under on total points set at 144 1/2 points, both sides have to essentially play to the same points total as they did in the first game of the season (175). With both sides shooting over 50 percent in that game, you would expect some sort of fall off in tonight’s game, but that might even be outweighed if a fast-paced game plays out tonight.

Our Pick to Win:

Kansas, bottom line, shouldn’t have lost in Columbus 3 weeks ago. Walking out of that building after dropping an 8 point lead essentially due to Marcus Denmon’s 9-0 run against Kansas in the closing minutes definitely has the Jayhawks anxious to prove they are the better team in this match-up. And I think they are just that. The dominant inside presence of Thomas Robinson is going to show up once again, and he’ll be a 20 and 10 figure in points and rebounds tonight. Kansas’s Jeff Withey we can also expect to be on his game as well. While the guard play of both teams stands just about equal in my book on both sides of the ball, Kansas’ presence down underneath the hoop will eventually be the difference in this game as they outrebound, get more points in the paint, and get to the line more easily than Missouri does. While I expect Missouri to be well prepared with a good game plan that plays to their speed and ability to penetrate towards the basket, it’s going to be a drop in their shooting percentage around the perimeter and a tougher time getting to the hoop on drives that keeps them from a road win at Phog Allen. Kansas prevails 78-72 over Missouri to hold on to the lead in the Big 12 conference, and part this historic rivalry with a big victory at home.