The biggest difference in sports gambling between college basketball and the pro basketball volume. The 2009-10 season regular season has tipped, and 218 of the 347 teams in Division I college hoops have already drawn action. The sharpest experts can’t help but fall in love with all these mid-major schools since they’re the ones bringing in the cash every year.
As we go to press, Loyola Marymount of the West Coast Conference and Samford from the Southern Conference are on top of the betting charts with a 3-0 record Against the Spread. Another two dozen teams are tied at 2-0 ATS. There are a few big programs in the mix, like Ohio State and the Texas, but it’s almost all minnows in the pond. The Ivy League is especially well represented here with Cornell, Princeton and Yale cashing in twice. See, they might be going to Yale, but they’re still working for you.
Because they’re doing so well, our first hoops preview of the season will check in on those Loyola-Marymount Lions as they take on what’s left of the USC Trojans this Saturday. All times are Eastern; make sure to visit Bodog Sports for the Basketball Odds as they become available.
Saturday: Radford at No. 8 Duke (3:00 p.m.) - ODDS
No doubt you’re familiar with the Blue Devils (3-0 SU, 2-1 ATS). They’ve bulldozed three straight non-conference opponents so far, barely missing the 3-0 ATS mark in a 74-49 victory over Coastal Carolina (+26.5) earlier this week. The Highlanders (2-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) represent the Big South, ranked No. 28 out of the 32 conferences (including the independents as a group) last year using Ken Pomeroy’s influential efficiency stats.
Saturday: Loyola Marymount at USC (8:00 p.m.) - ODDS
The Lions were just 1-2 SU at press time, but they came very close to pulling off upsets over the Boise State Broncos (-7.5) and the Montana Grizzlies (-8) at the Grizzly Tournament. The WCC (which includes Gonzaga) was one of the better mid-majors in college last year at No. 13 in efficiency. The Trojans (1-0 SU, 0-0-1 ATS) started the season with a push in a 77-67 win over the Big West’s UC-Riverside Highlanders. The USC program has been gutted by the loss of several key players and head coach Tim Floyd.
Saturday: Washington at San Antonio (8:30 p.m., NBA-TV)
The Wizards have started the season at 3-7 SU and ATS, but Wednesday was their first game with star power forward Antawn Jamison, who dropped 31 points and 10 rebounds in a 108-91 victory over the Cavaliers. Take them seriously. The Spurs (4-5 SU and ATS) are 4-1 ATS at home and 0-4 ATS away.
Sunday: Boston at N.Y. Knicks (1:00 p.m., MSG)
Speaking of old teams, the Celtics (9-3 SU, 5-7 ATS) have dropped the cash in six of their last seven games, in part because of their reputation and their six-game winning streak to start the season. Otherwise, this is in fact one of the very best teams in the NBA. The Knicks (2-9 SU, 3-8 ATS) might be the worst, but don’t dismiss the value of center Eddy Curry’s return. New York (+6) beat Indiana 110-103 on Wednesday as Curry provided 10 points and four rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench making his season debut.
Sunday: Detroit at Phoenix (8:00 p.m., NBA-TV)
The Suns continue to be the story of the early season at 10-2 (7-5 ATS). As long as they stay healthy, coach Alvin Gentry’s return to the team’s old “Seven Seconds or Less” offense should continue to produce results. Good health has not been on the side of the Pistons (5-7 SU, 7-5 ATS) this year. They’ve lost familiar veterans Rip Hamilton (ankle) and Tayshaun Prince (ruptured disc) from the lineup, but the younger subs aren’t doing as badly as expected at 3-4 SU and 5-2 ATS in their last seven.
