Tottenham Hotspur (4th) vs. Blackburn Rovers (12th)

The Hotspur currently sit in the fourth spot on the league table, level in points with Manchester City and having played an extra game. They will face a Blackburn side with a miserable record against the top clubs on the road. The Spurs have had significant problems at defense and midfield, with Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate both still sidelined and Aaron Lennon, Tom Huddlestone, David Bentley and Jermaine Jenas all unavailable for the upcoming match. Substitute goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini is also still out. Blackburn, have improved since mid-January and, other than a 3-0 defeat at Stoke City, has been much harder to beat in recent outings. Tottenham now look to be establishing some consistency while Blackburn has not won away since November. With the firepower at manager Harry Redknapp’s disposal, Spurs should clinch a comfortable win at home.

Birmingham City (8th) vs. Everton (9th)

Both of these clubs have improved and excelled in the second half of the season. The last time these two met the match concluded in a 1-1 draw. United States skipper Landon Donovan will play his last game for Everton before he is due to return to the US for the start of the Major League Soccer season after a highly successful two-month loan spell on Merseyside. However, there’s the possibility of Donovan staying longer if the MLS players go through with their strike, having voted in favor of action on Thursday. Meanwhile, Sebastian Larsson, James McFadden and captain Stephen Carr will be in contention for a return to City’s starting line-up a, as well as midfielder Lee Boywer, who has recovered from illness and should be available for Saturday’s match. With Everton’s injuries at midfield I would expect City to take this one at home.

Bolton Wanderers (14th) vs. Wigan Athletic (15th)

Bolton will go in search of their third win in four Barclays Premier League matches when they square off in a Reebok relegation showdown with Wigan. Wig beat a fading Liverpool 1-0 on Monday – a victory no one could have imagined. After beating the Reds first time in their history, the club has moved four points clear of the relegation zone and face a real six-pointer at the Reebok. After being massive underdogs against the Liverpool, the team is well aware the victory will have raised expectation levels ahead of the clash with the Trotters. Bolton will poised and ready and could benefit form the return of midfielder Tamir Cohen after serving a one-match ban following his dismissal at West Ham United the previous weekend. However, the Wanderers will be without fullback Sam Ricketts who is out with a ban after being red-carded in the 4-0 defeat at Sunderland on Tuesday. I expect the Wanderers’ momentum to carry them to a narrow victory on their way to picking up a much-needed three points.

Burnley (18th) vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers (17th)

Burnley will face off against Wolverhampton with just a one-goal difference separating the two and keeping the Wanderers out of the relegation zone. Burnley need to reclaim their patch at Turf Moore as home advantage as accounted for all but one of the 24 points they have amassed so far in their debut Barclays Premier League campaign. Currently 18th with nine fixtures remaining, Burnley needs to rediscover their touch at home quickly if they are to save themselves from the drop. The may have some help as top-scorer Steven Fletcher could make his return from injury for Saturday’s contest. Fletcher, who has 11 goals this season, has missed the Clarets’ last two matches after breaking his hand while on international duty with Scotland. The Wolves are coming off a huge 1-0 victory against champions Manchester United at Molineux last weekend and will look to carry that momentum into the game against the Clarets. Striker Stefan Maierhofer will available after recovering from an ankle injury suffered in training, but the best the squad can hope for is a place amongst the substitutes. I expect this one to end in a 1-1 draw with both teams taking a point.

Chelsea (2nd) vs. West Ham United (16th)

Chelsea were knocked off the top of the Barclays Premier League by Manchester United last weekend but can reclaim top spot, if only briefly. Goaltending woes have plunged the Blues into a crisis. After losing first-choice goalkeeper Petr Cech with a calf strain in the 2-1 opening leg defeat at the San Siro, backup keeper Hilario succumbed to an abductor injury during last Sunday’s 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Stoke. The injuries have left the Blues with rookie keeper Ross Turnbull available for the Barclays Premier League clash with West Ham. Other injuries to note are fullback Jose Bosingwa (knee), midfielder Michael Essien (knee), left-back Ashley Cole (ankle) and defender Ricardo Carvalho (hamstring). West Ham needs 10 more points to beat the drop and will be looking to pick three of them at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The Hammers’ disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Bolton last weekend leaves them on 27 points, three above the Barclays Premier League relegation zone with 10 matches remaining. Despite Chelsea’s questions in goal, they will be tough to beat at the Bridge. I expect a 2-0 win for Chelsea.

My other picks for the week are Aston Villa over Stoke, Manchester City drawing with Sunderland, Arsenal over Hull, and Manchester United over Fulham.

Virginia Cavaliers (15-15) vs. #4 Duke Blue Devils (26-5)

The Virginia Cavaliers will travel to the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina on Friday to tip off against the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.

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The Duke Blue Devils head into tonight’s game against the Virginia Cavaliers full of swagger after crushing the North Carolina Tar Heels in its last game, an 82-50 blowout. After that game, even the Tar Heels coach Roy Williams admitted in the press conference afterwards that it was the best team he had seen in seven years. That’s a tough label to live up to, since the Blue Devils lack a big, go to scorer who can carry the team on his shoulders. With a scoring tandem of Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler and senior Jon Scheyer, Duke will look to continue the rebounding prowess that it has shown all season. The senior captain Scheyer leads the Blue Devils in scoring, three-point field goals made, free throw percentage, free throws made, assists, steals, assist-to-turnover ratio, and minutes played. Fellow All American Singler is averaging over 17 points and nearly seven rebounds per game. He leads the team in defensive rebounds and blocked shots. Brian Zoubek has been hot late in the season, and should provide some insurance should one of the Devils big three go cold.
The Virginia Cavaliers meanwhile is riding a streak of six straight loses which has left first-year Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett scratching his head for scoring answers. The salt on the wound injury to scoring leader Sylven Landesberg, who sustained a bruised right thigh in the loss to Miami last week, hurts a team who has struggled to score all season. Bennett will most likely keep Landesberg benched rather than risk further injury and pray that Jerome Meyinsse can channel his inner Jordan and receive some assistance from Mike Scott, who went scoreless in his last game and was 0-7 from the field. Sammy Zeglinski has potential but everyone is waiting for it to show any real results. While those options are not exactly exciting, it’s the best the Cavs can muster right now.

The odds makers have Duke as 16-point favorites in this one.

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Duke is using this game to fine tune for March madness while Virginia looks to see what can be for next season. Both sides will empty the bench for different reasons. The Blue Devils will look to keep everyone fresh while the Cavs struggle to find a scoring solution.

I expect the Blue Devils to end the Cavs season tonight, winning by 12-points.

Virginia Cavaliers Basketball Betting Trends:

• Virginia is 1-8-1 ATS in its last 10 games
• Virginia is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Virginia’s last 12 games
• Virginia is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Duke

Duke Blue Devils Basketball Betting Trends:

• Duke is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
• Duke is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Duke’s last 5 games
• Duke is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Virginia

Oklahoma State Cowboys (22-9) vs. #9 Kansas State Wildcats (24-6)

The seventh- seeded Oklahoma State Cowboys face off against the ninth-ranked and second-seeded No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats in the Big 12 Conference Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday night at the Sprint Center in St. Louis.

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The Cowboys beat the Wildcats in Manhattan in a 73-69 final during the regular season, but the Wildcats still own a 69-46 advantage in the all-time series. The winner of tonight’s contest will play either sixth-seeded Texas or third-seeded Baylor in the semifinal Friday night.

Oklahoma State finished 21-9 overall during the regular season, including 9-7 record in league play, and is coming off an impressive 81-67 first round victory over Oklahoma last night. Keiton Page scored 24 points, and Obi Muonelo tallied 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Cowboy’s leading scorer (32 ppg) James Anderson, the Big 12 Player of the Year, was held to just 11 points in the win. The Pokes shot 53.6 percent from the floor in the game and earned a 31-26 rebounding advantage. But after leading by 22 at the break, turned in a poor defensive effort in the second half allowing the Sooners to shoot 60 percent from the floor to climb back into the contest.

The Wildcats enter this year’s tournament with a 24-6 overall record, including 11-5 in league action and are serious threat to capture the title. KSU dropped its final two regular-season contests to in-state powerhouse Kansas and a mediocre Iowa State squad at home on Mar 6. Much of the ‘Cats success hinges on the All-Big 12 Conference backcourt duo of junior guard Jacob Pullen and senior guard Denis Clemente. Pullen paces the team with 18.9 ppg, and has dished out 109 assists to go along with a club-best 49 steals. Clemente follows closely with 16.0 ppg and whopping 118 assists. KSU is generating 79.9 ppg on 45.3 percent field goal efficiency, and are limiting their opponents to 69.3 ppg on 41.8 percent shooting. They are also outrebounding foes by a differential of 5.2 rpg.

The odds makers have the Wildcats as –4 ½ -point favorites in this one.

OSU has captured the Big 12 title twice, while Kansas State has never won the Big 12 Tournament and is just 7-13 all-time in the event. The Pokes will need to shore up their defense, as they cannot afford another second half meltdown against a much better Wildcats offense.

The teams are pretty evenly matched, but with better shooting and rebounding; this one should go to the Wildcats as they win by a close 3-points.

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish (22-10) vs. #17 Pittsburgh Panthers (24-7)

The red-hot Fighting Irish will get their chance to solidify their chances for a NCAA tourney appearance by knocking off the No. 17 Pittsburgh Panthers in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals tonight at Madison Square Garden.

Notre Dame’s current winning streak started with a 68-53 upset of Pittsburgh back on February 24th. The victory tied the all-time series at 27-27 between the programs. The winner of tonight’s contest moves on to the semifinals to face Cincinnati or West Virginia on Friday.

The Irish extended their win streak to five with a 68-56 win over 10th-seeded Seton Hall in second-round play last night. Senior forward Luke Harangoday posted a double double of 20 points and 10 rebounds in the win. With the return of a healthy Harangody, who’s averaging 23.2 ppg and 9.7 rpg, and Notre Dame’s suffocating defense, the Irish have become a real threat for the title. Notre Dame held Seton Hall to 56 points and a meager 34.5 percent shooting performance from the field, and with that has now held five straight opponents to 64 points or fewer. Other players of note are Tim Abromaitis and Ben Hansbrough who are averaging averaged 17.2 and 12.0 ppg, respectively. This team is definitely poised to make a run.

Then there’s Pittsburgh, a team that has defied all odds this season. After loosing a majority of their more productive and experience players last season, they have surprised many, finishing 13-7 for second place in the Big East. Not to shabby for a squad they was expected to barley crack the top 10 in the preseason poll. The Panthers have been victorious in three straight and eight of their last nine games including an 83-54 pounding of Rutgers in the teams regular-season finale on Mar 6. Sophomore guard Ashotn Gibbs has been impressive and once again led the charge with 13 points. Gibbs earned the Big East’s Most Improved Player Award after averaging 16.2 ppg this season in comparison to just 4.3 ppg as a freshman. He also shoots 40.4 percent from three-point range. Junior guard Brad Wanamaker follows Gibbs adding 12.0 ppg and 5.7 rpg, to go along with a team-high 4.7 apg. Pitt’s defense has also been impressive holding opponents to 61.7 ppg and 39.8 percent shooting from the field.

The odds makers have the Panthers as –1-point favorites in this one.

Since 2000-01, Pitt has won a conference-high 19 games in the Big East Tournament on its way to seven of the last nine titles games. The team took home two titles during that stretch, with the most recent coming in 2008. They will be well rested coming into tonight’s contest, and looking to avenge their defeat to the Irish earlier this year. However, I expect Notre Dame to continue their hot-streak, upsetting the Panthers in a close one and advancing to the semifinals.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Basketball Betting Trends:

• Notre Dame is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
• Notre Dame is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Notre Dame’s last 5 games
• Notre Dame is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Panthers Basketball Betting Trends:

• Pittsburgh is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
• Pittsburgh is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 6 games
• Pittsburgh is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Notre Dame

Seton Hall Pirates (25-4) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (21-7)

The seventh-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish will tip off against the 10th seed Seton Hall Pirates in the second round of the Big East Tournament tonight at Madison Square Garden.

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The Irish hold a 15-8 advantage in the all-time series, despite losing 90-87 at Seton Hall back on Feb 11. The winner of this game will meet second- seeded Pittsburgh in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

The Pirates has won three straight and seven of its last nine games including a 109-106 victory over 15th-seeded Providence in the first round last night. SHU led 76-47 with just over 13 minutes to play, but poor defense allowed Providence to rally within three with 8.5 seconds left. After a pair of Friars’ missed free throws, and an errant three-pointer in the closing moments, the game concluded with the Pirates narrowly escaping elimination. Herb Pope led the way for SHU with a double double of 27 points and a league-best 11 rebounds, while Jordan Theodore racked up 21 points and six assists. Jeremy Hazell, the Pirates leading scorer (21.1ppg) tacked on 18 points in the win.

Meanwhile Notre Dame, a team that had been struggling down the stretch losing three straight along with standout forward Luke Harangody, rallied back to finish the regular season with four straight wins and a respectable 10-8 finish in the Big East. The Irish compensated for the loss of Harangody with tough defense, allowing an average of just 54.7 ppg over its final four contests. Harangody, who tops the roster with 23.3 ppg and 9.7 rpg, returned to the lineup after missing five games with a deep right knee bruise and played just 11 minutes in team’s regular season finale against Marquette back on March 6. The senior had five points and two rebounds in the 63-60 overtime win. Harangody is not the only weapon in the Notre Dame arsenal. Tim Abromaitis checks in with 17.2 ppg behind 44.9 percent shooting from three-point range, and is closely followed by Ben Hansbrough and Tory Jackson chipping in with 12.0 and 9.7 ppg respectively, while the duo is also combining for 9.9 apg.

The odd makers have the Irish as a slim –1 ½ -point favorite in this one.

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The Pirates seem to be peaking at the right time as they try to play their way into the NCAA Tournament. However, they may shows signs of fatigue after last night’s shootout with Providence. On the other hand, the Irish, who earned a first-round bye, are 5-14 all-time in this event and have never won more than one game.

Despite history, I expect Notre Dame to win this one by a margin of 4-points.

Seton Hall Pirates Basketball Betting Trends:

• Seton Hall is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
• Seton Hall is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seton Hall’s last 5 games
• Seton Hall is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Notre Dame

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Basketball Betting Trends:

• Notre Dame is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
• Notre Dame is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Notre Dame’s last 6 games
• Notre Dame is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Seton Hall

Oklahoma Sooners (13-17) vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (21-09)

The seventh-seeded Oklahoma State Cowboys will host cross-state rivals the 10th-seeded Oklahoma Sooners for the first round of the 2010 Big 12 Conference Tournament on Wednesday at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

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These teams split a pair of regular season meetings, with the Cowboys routing the Sooners 97-76 in the last meeting back Feb 13. Oklahoma holds a 125-91 all-time series advantage over OSU. The winner of this contest will move on to Thursday’s quarterfinal round to take on the second-seeded Kansas State Wildcats.

The Sooners are 13-17 overall, and have been beaten by double figures in six games during their current eight-game losing streak. Oklahoma closed out the regular season with a 15-point loss to Texas A&M, falling to 4-12 in Big 12 action. Freshman guard Tommy Mason-Griffin, who paces the team with 13.9 ppg, scored 16 points in the loss. The Sooners shot a poor 36.2 percent from the floor in that clash. Mason- Griffin, has become the team’s playmaker (145 assists), since Oklahoma lost sophomore guard Willie Warren to a season-ending ankle injury last month. Warren was leading Oklahoma with 16.3 ppg. The Sooners are netting 72.3 ppg while holding opponents to 73.4 ppg, and the differential is much greater in league play.

On the other hand, the Cowboys have captured the Big 12 Tournament title twice, but it has eluded them for five years since. The Cowboys are 21-9 overall this season, including 9-7 in the conference. OSU closed out the regular season winning five of its last seven regular-season t tilts including a 74-55 rout over Nebraska. Cowboys leading scorer James Anderson (22.9 ppg and 6.0 rpg), scored 25 points in in the win. Anderson was named the Big 12 Player of the Year, a well-deserved honor for the junior guard. However, the Cowboys are more than a one-man show, as Obi Muonelo (13.4 ppg) and Keiton Page (10.2 ppg) also contribute at the offensive end of the floor. Oklahoma State is scoring 74.4 ppg while allowing 67.6 ppg to opponents.

The odd makers have the Cowboys as 6 ½-point favorites in this one.

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The Sooners has won this tournament three times, most recently in 2003, and the squad owns a solid 19-10 record in the event. The Cowboys has played four neutral-site games this season, and three of those have resulted in victory.

I expect the Cowboys to jump out to a comfortable lead late in the second half, cruising to a double-digit victory.

Oklahoma Sooners Basketball Betting Trends:

• Oklahoma is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
• Oklahoma is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
• Oklahoma is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Oklahoma State
• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma’s last 9 games when playing Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State Cowboys Basketball Betting Trends:

• Oklahoma State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
• Oklahoma State is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
• Oklahoma State is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Oklahoma
• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma State’s last 9 games when playing Oklahoma

Wright State Raiders (20-11) vs. #12 Butler Bulldogs (27-4)

The No. 12 Butler Bulldogs will be seeking their fifth tournament title when they host the Wright State Raiders this evening in the Horizon League Tournament Championship Game at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

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The last time these two teams met in the championship game was back in 2007.The Raiders beat the Bulldogs by a narrow five-point margin to claim the title. The Bulldogs own a 22-15 edge in the all-time series that includes two victories during the regular season.

Wright State finished the regular season with a respectable 12-6 mark in league play, and defeated seventh-seeded Detroit in the conference tournament semifinals by a margin of 69-50 on Saturday. Junior forward Ronnie Thomas scored a team-best 18 points, while Troy Tabler posted 16 points and Vaughn Duggins, the raiders leading scorer (14.4ppg), posted 12 points in the win. The Raiders used their tenacious defensive to hold Detroit to a meager 39.1 percent shooting effort, the same defensive that has been limiting opponents to just 60.6 ppg all season. Todd Brown is the only other player netting double figures on the season, and comes into this game with 13.0 ppg.

As for the Bulldogs, they finished the regular season with a perfect 18-0 Horizon League record, while maintaining an unblemished 14-0 record at home. They are coming off a 68-59 conference semifinal win over Milwaukee on Saturday. All five starters for the Bulldogs scored in double figures as Matt Howard led the way with 18 points, followed by Ronald Nored with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Shelvin Mack and Willie Veasley tallied 12 and 11 points, respectively. Gordon Hayward, who paces the team with 15.6 ppg and 8.6 rpg, posted a double double of 10 points and 13 rebounds in the win. Butler shot 47.7 percent from the floor, and also connected on 22-of-32 shots from behind the arc.

The odd makers have the Bulldogs as –7 ½ -point favorites in this one.

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Despite a suffocating defense, the Raiders will have a tough time trying to shut down the offensive power of the Bulldogs.

You can expect the Bulldogs to continue their unbeaten streak in this one, beating the Raiders by 9-points.

Penn State Nittany Lions (11-17) v #11 Michigan State Spartans (22-7)

The Penn State Nittany Lions will travel to the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan on Thursday night as they try and spoil the No. 11 Michigan State Spartans hopes of earning a share of the Big Ten title with Ohio State.

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The Spartans will want to stay ahead of Boilermakers with a win, as the two teams are locked in a battle for the second seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.

MSU owns a commanding 27-5 advantage for the all-time series against Penn State, including a 65-54 victory in a meeting last month.

The Nittany Lions, after have shown some last minute life and after a 12-game slide, have won three of their last four games including a 79-60 win over Northwestern on Sunday. Talor Battle, PSU’s all around player (19.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.1 apg and 33 steals), led the way with 16 points, six boards and six assists, while Chris Babb had 14 points in the win. The Lions shot a smoking 57.1 percent from the floor and knocked down 7-of-13 three-point tries. The Nittany Lions have averaged 70.5 points the last four games, a massive improvement for a team that was scoring an anemic 59.4 per game during the losing streak.

In the meantime, Michigan State enters tonight’s contest with three wins in their last four outings, including a 53-44 win over No. 3 Purdue on Sunday. Raymar Morgan recorded a double double with 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the way, while Draymond Green finished with12 points and 11 boards in the win. Spartans leading scorer Kalin Lucas, who leads the team in scoring (15.1 ppg) as well as assists (4.0 apg), was held to just eight points on the night — the second straight contest he failed to reach double digits. MSU dominated a short-handed Purdue holding them to a season low 44 points on 30.0 percent shooting from the field while out rebounding them 46-20.

The odds makers have the Spartans as –13 -point favorites in this one.

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PSU will be gunning hard to derail their rival, but will have to do it against a Spartans team that is not likely to lose on their home court.

I expect the MSU to get a solid win in this one, winning by at least 11-points.

Penn State Nittany Lions Basketball Betting Trends:

• Penn State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
• Penn State is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games
• Penn State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
• Penn State is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games on the road

Michigan State Spartans Basketball Betting Trends:

• Michigan State is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
• Michigan State is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Michigan State’s last 15 games
• Michigan State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home

USC Trojans (16-12) vs. Arizona State Sun Devils (20-9)

The Arizona State Sun Devils are still in the hunt for a PAC 10 title as they host division rivals the USC Trojans on Thursday night at Wells-Fargo Arena in Tempe, Arizona.

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The Trojans lead the head-to-head series with ASU, 49-32, including a 47-37 decision in the first meeting of the season back on Jan 2 at the Galen Center.

USC’ self-imposed sanction will keep the team from participating in the postseason, but it probably wouldn’t have mattered much anyway as the Trojans are stumbling down the stretch, having dropped three straight games, including a 49-44 defeat to Oregon State on Saturday. Mike Gerrity scored 13 points, while Dwight Lewis, who leads the Trojans with 13.7 ppg, had 11 points on 3-of-6 long-range buckets in the loss. USC shot an anemic 29.4 percent from the floor, and had trouble hanging onto the ball, committing 20 turnovers. Sophomore forward, 6-foot-10 Nikola Vucevic leads with a team-high 9.8 rpg. The Trojans are averaging just 59 ppg, but are holding opponents to 56.1 points per contest.

The Devils meanwhile, ended a four-game win streak coming off a 62-46 loss at California on Saturday. The loss took away the chance ASU would be the No.1 seed in the upcoming PAC 10 tourney, but they could still earn a share of the league crown, with a win over Southern California and a loss from Cal. Jerren Shipp scored 14 points to pace the Sun Devils, while the team’s leading scorer Ty Abbott (12.3 ppg), chipped in with eight. Abbott tops the Devils roster for three-pointers at 42.2 percent. Junior guard Rihards Kuksiks follows shooting 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. ASU is scoring 67.6 ppg while holding foes to just 58.7.

The odds makers have the Sun Devils as –8-point favorites in this one.

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Although USC’s season is over, they will hope to play spoiler to ASU’s share of the PAC 10 title.

With better shooting, this one should go to the Sun Devils as they win by a close 3-points at home.

Oklahoma State Cowboys (20-8) vs. #23 Texas A&M Aggies (20-8)

The No. 23 Texas A&M Aggies will tip off against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in a Big 12 bash on Wednesday at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas.

The Cowboys beat the Aggies 79-69 in the first meeting of the season on January 27th, and holds a 30-13 all-time series advantage over A&M.

The Aggies recorded their 14th win in 15 home games with a 74-58 win over Texas on Saturday, knocking the struggling Longhorns from the rankings. Leading scorer Donald Sloan (18.1 ppg) netted 19 points and four assists, while David Loubeau posted 15 points and seven rebounds in the win. The Aggies held Texas to just 36.8 percent shooting, while going 7-of-12 from three-point range. They also controlled the boards, 40-29, and scored 23 points off 13 Texas turnovers. A&M will likely be without B.J. Holmes, who left Saturday’s game with a sprained right foot. The Aggies, have held three of their last four opponents to fewer than 60 points, but have scored just 63.5 themselves.

In the meantime, the Cowboys are fresh off their first win over a No. 1 opponent in 21 years with a shocker over then-No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks, 85-77 on Saturday. James Anderson, a candidate for Big 12 Player of the Year honors with a conference leading 22.6 ppg, scored a team-high 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds against the Jayhawks. Matt Pilgrim added 18 points and six boards while senior guard Obi Muonelo, a 44.1 percent three-point shooter, finished with 17 points in the win. The ‘Boys shot an incredible 60.4 percent while connecting on 10 of 19 3-pointers. OSU are averaging 81.6 points and shooting 52.0 percent in home conference games, but they’ve averaged 68.9 points while shooting 39.4 percent in Big 12 play on the road.

The odd makers have the Aggies as –6 -point favorites in this one.

OSU was able to pull off a major upset at home, but have won just three of seven-conference games on the road. I expect the Aggies to shut them down with solid defense and use the support of their home crowd to defeat the Cowboys by five points.

Oklahoma State Cowboys Basketball Betting Trends:

• Oklahoma State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
• Oklahoma State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma State’s last 6 games
• Oklahoma State is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road

Texas A&M Aggies Basketball Betting Trends:

• Texas A&M is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
• Texas A&M is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas A&M’s last 5 games
• Texas A&M is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home