We resume the NCAA Hoops Betting Action here at Get More Sports, as five more days remain in 2016.
I hope your holiday was a good one, and I must, of course, apologize for my own Christmas offerings the other day. None of the teams felt like going out and producing a damn bit of offense in their final games on the island and that I hope didn’t hurt anyone too bad. One thing I do is relish is the opportunity to rebound, pardon the pun, because now I need to make up for that. Not just for myself, but for anyone who takes the time to actually come to Get More Sports to follow my NCAA Hoops Betting Action.
With the past behind us, the best thing about good handicappers is the ability to let it go, move on, and just do what you do!
So, we get it back, and make it rain to finish out the 2016 portion of the season on a high note. Hopefully, however, if you did also play my NFL and Bowl Game plays, you did at least scratch out a break-even day. If you have any interest in where I am tracking the plays I post here on the site, leave a comment and I will respond directly to you.
As you can recognize if you follow the game, conference play is now upon us and, of course, things will change now. Most of these games are the first of two meetings within conference play, and there is at least a semblance of familiarity for these games. Throw in the Conference Championship in March, and these could be the first of three meetings these teams could be facing between now and then.
Four Big Ten games are part of the limited slate we will have to discuss today, so let’s break down what we have available for our NCAA Hoops Betting Action on December 27.
The first game of the day is expected to be a good one, as Penn State hosts a hot Northwestern at the Bryce Jordan Center. A 3:30 tip-off will put an 11- 2 Wildcat squad against the 8 – 5 Penn State Nittany Lions.
Some people may turn to the questions of “Well who did they play?” when they see an 11 – 2 Northwestern. Everyone in the majors sees a cupcake or two in the mid-majors to get their seasons started, but Northwestern actually has impressed me at least. They have the eye of the line setters as well, as we see Northwestern -3 on the road. The road has been a nice place to be in the history of this series, as seven of the last nine games have been won by the visitors. Northwestern came here last here and put up a 10-point win, and has taken the last three meetings in Happy Valley as well.
The Cats certainly didn’t need to lose Dererk Pardon as conference play begins, even though he went down in the Wake game back on November 28. They have not even set a time table for his return in the middle of the paint, and his presence inside will certainly be missed in Big Ten action. Losing Aaron Falzon through only three games also hurt the Wildcats a little off the bench, as he did play in all 32 games for the team last year.
So far, adjustments have been made nicely for Northwestern, and their only two losses are by a combined six points. A four-point loss to Notre Dame and a two-point loss to Butler account for the two defeats. The loss to Butler was a tough pill to swallow early in the year, as Irish freshman Kamar Baldwin made his first big splash of the year. With :04 seconds left in a tie game, Baldwin was given his first opportunity to take a game-winning shot, and he made no mistake in giving the Cats their first loss of the 2016-17 campaign in game three of the year.
Currently the Cats are riding an eight-game win streak in to conference play, and defense has been the call to the wild over the recent run of results. Northwestern has not allowed more than 66 points to any of their last eight opponents, while scoring at least 80 in four of those wins.
The Lions come in at 8 – 5, and boy, when they lose, they really make sure they just go out and get ripped apart!
Four of their five losses outside of the one to Duke are just ugly, and the win over Georgia Tech is pretty much the only one that would be worth talking about.
With the road success in mind, and Penn State still needing to prove to me that they are going to be intimidating in conference play, I will make a play on the Cats.
I see -2 on Northwestern, although the line was three when I saw it open early. Why it would even move is beyond me, but if you want to gift me an extra point, go ahead.
Play:
Northwestern -2 vs Penn State
The 5 p.m. game is arguably the game of the day, as Maryland and Illinois go at it in College Park. The Terps are favored by 4 at home, and have yet to break in to the rankings at 12 – 1. Maryland is on the cusp of breaking the top-25 however, and a big win over Illinois would certainly boost their expectations to get in there.
The Illini are certainly playing well at 10 – 3, and a six-game win streak as conference play begins doesn’t hurt either. Illinois’ non-conference schedule has been impressive since the three cupcakes to start the season. Since their little three-game losing skid to Winthrop, West Virginia and Florida State, Illinois has used that offense of theirs to carry some momentum to conference play.
I see this total as more than playable!
139?
I see 138.5 at most sites that offer the total early, and it should be 139 or 140 when tip-off arrives IMO.
This is a game in the 70’s, and I believe both will topple that number. That obviously makes it easier to suggest a play on the total.
Play:
Illinois vs Maryland Over 138.5
I am from New York, as you know from reading my articles recently, and I have been a Cuse fan for most of my life. I love the MAAC because of all the local teams that I grew up around that are in that conference too, but Cuse has always been my team as a fan.
I see this +19.5 and cannot even envision how this Cuse team is going to cover this line. Cornell sucks right? They have us thinking that they are 3 – 8, and not worth a damn, right? Listen I get the 3 – 8, and I get that some may not think that Cornell can hang with Syracuse for 40 minutes.
Can I use Lee Corso’s ‘Not So Fast My Friend?” I do believe that Cornell’s offense can crack all that zone crap, because they can shoot the rock. They may not slow down the Cuse worth a lick either, and that total at 144 has my attention too.
Dare I say I expect a 88 – 83 type of game here? I guess I just said it, and if that Under comes in, I am going to look rather stupid, but i still feel like these two will score, run, and enjoy a night of NCAA Hoops Betting Action with two plays in mind.
2 Plays:
Cornell +19.5 vs Syracuse
& The Over 144
Remember Larry Brown? Yeah not so much anymore, and Tim Jankovich may have inherited Brown’s roster, but this is not even close to the same team in my opinion.
This total with SMU and Memphis almost made me spit up my coffee when I saw it come out.
Some idiot showed up to work all drunk, and set that line at 139.5. Dude, put down the vodka and lemonade before you show up to work!! Vegas needs you man!!
This is yet another game in the 70’s at worst to be played out, so I have not one issue suggesting this Over.
Play:
SMU vs Memphis Over 139.5
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Let’s hope we finish out the year on a nice run, and drive it in to 2017! It Rains!
