All six major conferences wrap-up their regular season this weekend in preparation for next week’s conference tournaments. There are a number of teams that have already punched a ticket for the NCAA Tournament by compiling an impressive regular season resume while there are a number of teams still on the outside looking in.

Here is a look at which teams in each major conference should be an automatic lock to make it into the field of 68 and which teams are still on the bubble with some work left to do to get their invitation.

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ACC
The only two locks in the ACC are No.4 Duke (26-2) and No.13 North Carolina (22-6). Florida State is 20-8 overall and should get a bid unless it loses its last two regular season games and makes any early exit in conference tournament. Virginia Tech (19-9) certainly enhanced its position with a 64-60 win over the Blue Devils, but it still needs a decent showing next week to nail down a spot. Boston College, Maryland, and Clemson still have an outside shot but would most likely need make it to the finals of the ACC’s to get in.

Big East
Right now it looks like there are nine teams from the Big East that should be a lock starting with No.5 Pitt, No.7 Notre Dame, No.11 Louisville, No. 12 Syracuse, No.15 St. John’s, No.16 Connecticut, No.17 Georgetown, No.19 Villanova, and West Virginia. Despite not being ranked, the Mountaineers (18-10) overall body of work remains strong enough to get in. Cincinnati (22-7) will most likely be the 10th team from the conference to get a bid unless they bow out of the conference tournament early. Marquette (18-11) can still make a strong case for a bid but it will need to go deep next week to seal a spot.

Big Ten
No. 1 Ohio State (28-2), No.6 Purdue (25-5), and No.10 Wisconsin (22-6) are obvious locks but after that the pickings get slim. Michigan State (16-12), Illinois (18-12), and Michigan (18-12) all still have a chance to make it in but each of their records are littered with bad losses. At this point, they would all need to close out the regular season with wins and probably have to knock-off one of the big three in the Big Ten Tournament to get in.

Big 12
Five teams from the Big 12 should be headed to the dance starting with No.2 Kansas, No.8 Texas, No.22 Texas A&M, No.24 Missouri, and Kansas State. Colorado 18-11 kept its chances alive with a 91-89 win over the Longhorns but will still need a strong showing in the conference tournament get in. Baylor (18-11) beat the Aggies 58-51 to help its cause, but Wednesday’s 71-60 loss to Oklahoma State may mean that winning the Big 12 Tournament is its only way in.

PAC-10
No.18 Arizona (23-6) is the only ranked team in the PAC-10 and a lock, but UCLA (21-8) has done enough to get in as well. After that things drop off dramatically with Washington (19-9) being the only other team that could get an at-large bid based on its regular season resume. The Huskies would still need an impressive run in the PAC-10 Tournament to guarantee themselves a spot.

SEC
The SEC has three teams that have already locked up a spot; No. 14 Florida (22-6), No. 20 Vanderbilt (21-7), and No.22 Kentucky (20-8). The other three teams that still have a chance to make it in are Alabama (19-10), who is 11-4 in the conference but has very few quality wins to go along with that record, Tennessee (17-12), who is hanging its hat on some early season wins, and Georgia (19-9), who has enough wins but has struggled down the stretch. Each of these schools will still have to bank on a strong showing in next week’s tournament to punch their ticket.

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NCAA men’s basketball action is at a fever pace with the best teams in the country using the month of February to try and put themselves in the best position possible come tournament-time in March. The following is a brief review of the top few teams in each of the major conferences along with a few teams to watch from the Mid-Majors. All rankings quoted are from the latest Coaches Poll.

ACC
Duke is not only on top of the ACC, but it is back to No.1 in the country in the latest polls. The Blue Devils ran their record to 25-2 with a 79-57 win over Georgia Tech this past Sunday. They lead No.19 North Carolina by a game and a half in the conference standings with a record of 12-1. The Tar Heels (20-6, 10-2) are coming off a 48-46 win over Boston College.

Big East
No.6 Pittsburgh remains on top in the Big East at 12-2, but fell to 24-3 on the year with a last-second 60-59 loss to No.25 St. John’s this past Saturday. The rest of the conference remains a jumbled mess with seven ranked teams all within two games of one another. No.9 Notre Dame (21-5, 10-4) is in second-place by a half game over No.11 Georgetown (21-6, 10-5) and No.16 Louisville (21-7, 10-5), while the Red Storm (17-9, 9-5) and No.20 Syracuse (23-6, 10-6) are three games in back of Pitt.

Big Ten
No.3 Ohio State blew a chance to get back to top of the polls with a 76-63 loss to No.8 Purdue last Sunday. The Buckeyes are 26-2 overall and still have a game and half lead over the Boilermakers (22-5, 11-3) in the Big Ten at 13-2. No.12 Wisconsin is the only other team in the conference that remains in the top 25. The Badgers have an overall record of 20-6 and are 10-4 in conference play.

Big 12
It is a two-team race in the Big 12 with No.5 Texas leading No.2 Kansas by one game in the conference standings. The Longhorns (24-4, 12-1) bounced back from a stunning 70-67 loss to Nebraska with a 76-53 win over Iowa State this past Monday. The Jayhawks moved to 26-2 overall and 11-2 in the Big 12 with a 92-65 win over Oklahoma State. No.17 Texas A&M (21-5, 8-4) and No.21 Missouri (21-6, 7-5) are the other two nationally ranked schools in the conference.

PAC-10
No.10 Arizona continues to climb in the polls with eight straight wins including a thrilling 87-86 victory over Washington last Saturday. The Wildcats are currently 23-4 overall and have a two-game lead over UCLA in the PAC-10 at 12-2. The Bruins (19-8, 10-4) six-game winning streak came to an end with a 76-72 loss to Cal in overtime this past Sunday.

SEC
The SEC has three teams in the top 25 led by No.13 Florida. The Gators’ 68-61 win over LSU raised their record to 21-5 overall and 10-2 in the SEC-East. No. 18 Vanderbilt fell to 20-7 and 8-5 in the conference with a 60-51 loss to Tennessee on Tuesday night. No.22 Kentucky (19-7) is three games behind Florida in the East at 7-5. Alabama (18-8) is unranked but leads the SEC-West by four games with a conference record of 10-2.

Mid-Majors
San Diego State is back in the top five at No.4 after reeling off seven straight victories to raise its record to 27-1 overall and 12-1 in the Mountain West. The Aztecs take on No.7 BYU in huge MWC showdown this upcoming Saturday. The Cougars are currently 25-2 overall and 11-1 in conference play. They can also sweep the season series between the two teams after beating the Aztecs 71-58 on Jan.26.
No.23 Utah State (25-3, 12-1) out of the WAC and No.24 Temple (21-5, 11-2) from the Atlantic-10 are the only other Mid-Major schools currently ranked in the top 25.

vs.

Michigan State (14-10, 6-6 Big Ten) at #3 Ohio State (24-1, 11-1 Big Ten)

Date/Time: Tuesday, February 15, 9:00 pm EST
Venue: Value City Arena in Columbus OH.
Broadcast: ESPN

Money Line: OFF
Spread: Ohio State -12 ½
Over/Under: 137 ½

The No.1 team in the county will take on Tom Izzo’s struggling Spartans as Ohio State does battle with Michigan State at the Value City Arena on Tuesday in a Big 10 showdown.

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The Buckeyes look to bounce back from their first loss of the season after falling from glory in a 71-67 heartbreaker at Wisconsin on Saturday. Ohio State let a 15-point lead slip away as the Badgers came in strong, having won four of their last five and dictated the game by crushing the Buckeyes in three pointers and by grabbing more offensive rebounds.

William Buford did his best to keep the Ohio State in it with 21 points while Jared Sullinger topped both teams with 12 rebounds.

Now the Buckeyes will look to get back on the rails at home, a place where they are a perfect 16-0 this season. Offensively the Buckeyes are averaging 77.4 points per game while shooting an impressive 49.7 percent from the floor while grabbing 34.9 offensive rebounds per game.

Sullinger is averaging 18 points and 10.3 rebounds, Buford is averaging 13.9 points, and David Lighty is averaging 12.3 points. Defensively Ohio State allows their opponents to score just 58.3 points per game and shoot 41.8 percent from the floor while the Buckeyes are 11^th in the country in defensive rebounding.

As for MSU, lost five of their last seven games though they sit in fourth place in the Big Ten.

Meanwhile, the Spartans have gone just 2-6 on the road this season, 6-6 in conference play, and 3-6 against teams ranked in the top 25. Offensively the Spartans are averaging 71 points per game while shooting 44 percent and grabbing 37 rebounds per game.

If Michigan State is going to get on track, consistency is going to be key, and they will need to carry some momentum into this one after coming off a 75-57 rout of Penn State last Thursday. The Spartans dominated the Nittany Lions, leading by 20 at the half. They won the contest by outworking Penn State in both shooting and rebounding. Kalin Lucas led all Spartans with 24 points on 50 percent shooting, 12 of that in threes. Draymond Green also put up a game-high 14 rebounds.

Lucas is averaging 16.2 points, while Green is averaging 13.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Durrell Summers rounds out the trio of double-digit scorers with 13.2 points and 4.3 assists per outing. Defensively Michigan State is allowing their opponents to score 67.8 points as their opponents shoot 42.9 percent from the floor and they are 116^th in defensive rebounding.

The odds makers have the Ohio State Buckeyes as a -12.5 point favorite with an over/under of 137.5.

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Matt’s Free Pick: Ohio State– This should be a physical low scoring game as both of these teams can defend, and at 136.5 this looks like a solid play on the under with the Buckeyes coming out on top.

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Michigan State Spartans Betting Trends:

• Michigan State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
• Michigan State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Michigan State’s last 6 games on the road
• Michigan State is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Trends:

• Ohio State is 24-1 SU in its last 25 games
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ohio State’s last 6 games
• Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ohio State’s last 6 games at home

vs.

Kentucky (17-6) vs Vanderbilt (17-6)
Saturday, February 12, 2011 at 1:00 PM EST on CBS

Last meeting: Kentucky won both regular season meetings last season.

Kentucky’s current freshman class may not have the star power of last year but the production is not far off with names like Jones, Knight and Lamb replacing Wall, Cousins and Bledsoe.  What is missing this year is Patrick Patterson, a steady upperclassmen who helps fit the pieces all together.  Still they have amassed a very good record to this point and seem to be getting better as the season progresses.  Like most young teams the Cats struggle on the road where five of their six losses have occurred.  It hasn’t been much better on the ATS side with a road record of 3-5 as well.  Kentucky is definitely the more talented squad in this one with Vanderbilt sort of like the Wisconsin of the SEC.  Well prepared and ready to test the new version of Calipari’s young guns.

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The Commodores are always sneaky good.  Never the most talented squad in the SEC their players always improve form one year to the next.  Chief among them is sophomore shooting guard John Jenkins who is one of the best shooters in the country.  Despite his skill he doesn’t force it like some other shooters so he very quietly averages 19ppg.  Vandy has good balance this year with 4 players averaging double figures and always plays well at home.  They may struggle a little bit to match up with Kentucky’s size inside but as long as they stay within themselves and don’t force the action they will keep it close against the Wildcats. Vanderbilt is always dangerous in close games because they shoot foul shots so well (21st in the nation).

The current line on this one is Vanderbilt -1.  Vandy can certainly win but I like the way the Wildcats are improving every game…even in losses.

Prediction:  Wildcats will get down early as they adjust to the environment but once they get their bearings they will roar back to win late.  Brandin Knight will be too much for Vandy to contain at winning time.

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Score:  Kentucky 71 – Vanderbilt 68

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Kentucky Wildcats Betting Trends:

• Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog.
• Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog of 0.5-6.5.
• Wildcats are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 vs. Southeastern.
• Wildcats are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win.

Vanderbilt Commodores Betting Trends:

• Commodores are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
• Commodores are 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite.
• Commodores are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 vs. Southeastern.

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Charlotte Bobcats @ Atlanta Hawks
Saturday, February 12, 2011 at 7:00 pm EST on NBA TV

The Charlotte Bobcats pay a visit to the Philips Arena this Saturday night to take on the Atlanta Hawks in this Southeast Division matchup .Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV.

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Charlotte’s record in the month of February dropped to 2-3 straight-up with a 104-103 loss to Indiana as a 4 ½-point road underdog on Wednesday night. Heading into Friday night’s game against New Jersey, the Bobcats are 5-5 SU in their last 10 games and 22-30 SU overall. They have fared better against the spread with a record of 26-24-2. Charlotte is in ninth-place in the Eastern Conference and still in good position to make it into the postseason.

The Bobcats have five players scoring in double-figures led by Stephen Jackson’s 18.9 points a game. Gerald Wallace is averaging 15.5 points and a team-high 8.1 rebounds a game and D.J. Augustin is the third-leading scorer with 14.8 points while leading the team in assists with an average of 6.2 a game.

Charlotte ranks near the bottom of the league in scoring with an average of 93.7 points a game and is giving up an average of 96.8 points. It is shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from three-point range. The Bobcats have been solid under the boards this season with an average of 42 rebounds a game, which rank them 12th in the NBA.

Atlanta continues to chase Miami in the Southeast and is currently five games behind the Heat with an overall record of 33-19 SU (24-28 ATS). The Hawks have gone 6-4 SU in their last 10 games and are coming off a 117-83 blowout loss to Philadelphia as a 3 ½-point home favorite this past Tuesday night. They are currently in fourth-place in the East with the best record of any non-division leading team.

Joe Johnson leads Atlanta with 20.1 points and 5.4 assists a game. Josh Smith is averaging 16.3 points and 8.9 rebounds a game and Al Horford is third in scoring with 16.2 points and has a team-high 9.9 rebounds a game to round out a solid trio of players. The Hawks will most likely be without Horford for this game as he remains doubtful with a back injury so look for Marvin Williams to step and fill the void.

Atlanta is averaging 97.2 points a game and shooting 46.4 percent from the field. The Hawks are hitting 35.4 percent of their three-point shots and are ranked seventh in the league from the foul-line; converting 78.4 percent of their attempts. They are ranked 23rd in the NBA in rebounds with an average of 40.4 a game.

Charlotte is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games on the road and 3-2 ATS in its last five games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in its last four games.

Atlanta is 2-3 ATS in its last five home games and 3-3 ATS in its last six games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in six of its last eight games.

Head-to-head, the Hawks have won four of the last five games SU including a 90-85 win in December as a 6 ½-point home favorite and a 103-87 victory as a three-point road underdog on Jan.22. The Bobcats are 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings and the total has gone ‘over’ in six of the last eight.

Atlanta should open as a four or five point favorite in this game. The loss of Horford gives the Bobcats a huge advantage under the boards and excellent chance to not only cover the spread, but win the game outright.

The odds makers have the Atlanta Hawks as a -6.5 point favorite with an over/under of 187.5.

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Charlotte Bobcats Betting Trends:

• Charlotte is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
• Charlotte is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games ,
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte’s last 5 games
• Charlotte is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home

Atlanta Hawks Betting Trends:

• The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 8 games
• Atlanta is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games
• Atlanta is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
• Atlanta is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games at home

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Baylor (16-7, 6-4 Big 12) at #3 Texas (21-3, 9-0 Big 12)
Date/Time: Saturday, February 12 4:00 pm EST
Venue: Frank Erwin Special Events Center in Austin, TX.
Broadcast: ESPN

Money Line: OFF
Spread: Texas -11.5
Over/Under: OFF

No. 3 Texas continues to roll and will attempt to push its current win streak to nine when they face off against Big 12 cross state rivals the Baylor Bears, winners of four of their last six, in Austin on Saturday evening.

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The Longhorns have dominated their Big 12 opponents improving to 9-0 conference play, and following its 68-52 win at Oklahoma on Wednesday, is now 21-3 mark on the season, marking the third time in program history the Horns have started the year with at least 21 wins in their first 24 contests. It also marks the first time the Horns have started league play with nine straight wins by 10 or more points since the 1921-22 season.

Texas held an insurmountable 44-28 halftime lead and never let Oklahoma back in, beating the Sooners big in shooting and defensive rebounding. Jordan Hamilton was the leading scorer for the Longhorns with 20 points in 38 minutes and also posted a game-high nine rebounds.

The Horns shot 53 percent from the floor and easily outpaced the Sooners, who struggled with 32 percent against an all out defensive effort from Texas, who benefited from their defensive rebounding with a big 30 to 18 edge.

Meanwhile, Baylor is now cautiously optimistic after knocking off Nebraska 74-70 in Waco on Wednesday.  The Bears outlasted the Huskers grabbing the victory by winning the personal foul management and defensive rebounding battles.

LaceDarius Dunn put up a team-best 24 points while Perry Jones III chipped in with seven huge rebounds, as Baylor used a big advantage on the boards to win the possession battle with 22 defensive rebounds to 19 for Nebraska.

Dunn leads the Baylor backcourt and  averages about 30 minutes per game, and takes almost 32 percent of the Bears shots when he’s out there, virtually identical to Texas’ Hamilton.

Although similar in the stats columns, their games are a good bit different. Whereas Texas is running a systematic offense — most often through Jordan Hamilton – Baylor basically just runs a lot of one-on-one, dribble-drive offense, most often through Dunn.

Baylor who after losing 23 straight games to the Horns, have won the last four meetings dating back to the 2009 Big XII Tournament. The Bears swept the Longhorns last season, including a pair of double-digit wins in Waco and Kansas City.

The Bears stymied Texas in large part because the Longhorns had no answer for the Bears’ zone defense. Now, the Bears don’t even play a great zone, but will try. If the Longhorns struggle to stretch the zone because they can’t hit outside shots, it could spell disaster early on.

Baylor is also long inside and that could also add to Texas’ woes, as it will be tough to get inside buckets if they can crowd the lane.

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Finally, the biggest danger posed by Baylor’s frontline size advantage, is their potential to drag down a lot of boards getting second chance points.

Matt’s Free Pick:  Texas – The Longhorns are the better team here especially at home.  However, if the Bears play as they played against Nebraska their last time out, they can hang with the Texas no problem. On the other hand, if Texas takes everything they did right from its last outing, they should come away with a big win.

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Baylor Bears Betting Trends:

• Baylor is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
• Baylor is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
• The total has gone OVER in 11 of Baylor’s last 16 games on the road
• Baylor is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Texas

Texas Longhorns Betting Trends:

• Texas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas’s last 5 games
• Texas is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games at home
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas’s last 6 games at home

vs.

Phoenix Suns vs Utah Jazz (31-23)
Friday, February 11, 2011 at 10:30 pm EST on ESPN

Last meeting: Phoenix stormed into Salt Lake City and beat the Jazz 110-94 at the end of October.

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Phoenix dominated Golden State last night reaching the .500 mark and continuing a recent run of good play (they have won 5 of 6 heading into tonight).  Last night was a total performance as they combined efficient shooting with good defense.  They even outrebounded the Warriors by +15 which is rare for Phoenix.  The Suns have had success at Utah winning their past two games, both as underdogs.  That is the situation again tonight which I think is good for this team which is flying below the radar right now, especially given the shock of Utah’s coaching change.  Phoenix certainly has a steady leader in Steve Nash and I expect the team to play well against what might be a shaky Jazz squad with the change.  They might not dominate on the boards like they did last night but another upset is a real possibility.

The Utah Jazz are still not playing with much consistency, trading wins and losses without being able to get on a run.  Most recently they lost at home to Chicago in a game where Derrick Rose really outshone Deron Williams.  When these two teams last met it was a similar case but with Steve Nash getting the better of Williams.  I admit I don’t watch a ton of Jazz games (who does?) but maybe Williams struggles when he faces other elite points…I am sure someone out there can run the numbers on that.  No matter how you look at it, this team while still good is not as solid as it was when the Mailman and Stockton were running it.  That especially applies to their homecourt where they are just 17-11 SU (12 -16 ATS) this season.  I like this team and can’t put my finger on why they don’t play better, maybe the recent coaching change will give them the jolt they need.

The current line on this one is Utah -6.  You can never be sure how a team responds to a new coach so I think this one is a play on Phoenix or a pass.

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Prediction:  Phoenix has been playing better of late and Utah doesn’t dominate at home the way they used to.  This one should be close but I think that Utah wins it late.

Score: Utah 101 – Phoenix 97

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Phoenix Suns Betting Trends:

• Phoenix is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix’s last 5 games on the road
• Phoenix is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix’s last 6 games when playing Utah

Utah Jazz Betting Trends:

• The total has gone OVER in 15 of Utah’s last 23 games
• Utah is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games
• Utah is 6-16 ATS in its last 22 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah’s last 5 games at home

vs.

Los Angeles Lakers vs New York Knicks (26-25)
Friday, February 11, 2011 at 8:00 pm EST on ESPN

Last meeting: The Lakers disposed of the Knicks last month 109-87

The Lakers should be feeling good about an impressive win in Boston last night. It is never great for a team to play on back to back nights but the way the Lakers have been playing lately this win over the Celtics was more important for their psyche than their playoff seeding. Even better than the win was that it was very much a team effort with 5 players scoring in double figures led by 23 from Kobe Bryant, who was more efficient than usual. The win also makes the Lakers a perfect 3 for 3 on their current road trip heading into tonight. As you can see above the Lakers steamrolled the Knicks out in LA, I expect that tonight will be a much tighter game but the Lakers should be able to continue their winning ways. FYI – LA is a much better ATS team on the road then at home (14-11 ATS) including all three on their current trip.

It is always exciting when the Lakers come to MSG. The Knicks seemed to have leveled off after an unexpectedly good start and host the Lakers after losing to L.A.’s other team, the Clippers earlier in the week. I don’t know if it is because teams like the spotlight or what but MSG doesn’t offer much a of a homecourt advantage as the Knicks are just 14-11SU (13-11-1 ATS) at home. One of the reasons for their success this year is that they have really sped up their pace and with Amare Stoudemire leading the way they are the second best scoring team in the NBA. Unfortunately they are also the second worst in the league in terms of giving up points too. It appears that rookie guard Landry Fields might be hitting the wall. He may have scored 25 a couple of games ago but in 5 of his last 10 games he has scored 5 or less points. This doesn’t inspire confidence as they need him to make Kobe work on the defensive end, especially if they want to try and take advantage of some tired legs.

The current line on this one is Laker -3.5. While I like the Lakers to win there is not a lot of value in this line right now. You won’t earn as much but I might make an ML play instead.

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Prediction: Assuming that there are no Melo additions affecting either side (you never know) I expect the Lakers to be focused and win on the big MSG stage. They might be a little exhausted after playing Boston but the pace and style of the game will enable them to come through with a victory.

Score: Los Angeles 99 – New York 96

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Los Angeles Lakers Betting Trends:

• LA Lakers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
• LA Lakers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
• The total has gone OVER in 9 of the LA Lakers last 13 games when playing New York
• LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing New York

New York Knicks Betting Trends:

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York’s last 6 games
• New York is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games
• New York is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games ,
• The total has gone OVER in 6 of New York’s last 7 games at home

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Siena (10-13, 7-6 MAAC) at Iona (14-10, 8-5 MAAC)
Date/Time: Friday, February 11, 7:00 pm EST
Venue: Arena: Hynes Athletics Center, New Rochelle, NY.
Broadcast: ESPNU

Money Line: Siena +500 / Iona -700
Spread: Iona – 11
Over/Under: 146 ½

Whoever said Friday night college basketball wasn’t the showcase the rest of the week was, certainly didn’t count on this week’s MAAC clash between the Siena Saints and the Iona Gaels.

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The Hynes Athletic Center will be buzzing when the whistle blows at 7:00 EST and you can catch all the action on ESPNU.

Siena and Iona are packed together in the MAAC, holding down 6th and 4th place respectively. The Gaels check in at 14-10 overall and are 8-5 in the MAAC. The Saints maintain a record of 10-13 and are 7-6 in the conference.

Iona has already played Siena this season, back on January 3, losing 73-67. The Gaels went 0-2 against the Saints last year, losing by an average margin of 16. Over four years, Iona has gone 0-9 against Siena, including 0-1 at home.

However, this year’s Gaels are no cupcake and is an overwhelming favorite here and will try to use their home court advantage and look to improve their 9-4 home record.

After a rough loss to Fairfield, Iona returned to their home hardwood taking out the Manhattan Jaspers on Monday 85-67 in conference play. The Gaels dominated in offensive rebounding and three pointers using their advantage on the boards to squeeze the trigger on some additional shots, with an advantage of 18 to 10. Mike Glover scored a game-high 20 points as Iona drained 30 points from three-point range. Glover has three straight double-digit point games.

Meanwhile, after their win over Manhattan, Siena’s three-game winning streak ended in Albany as the Saints lost to the Greyhounds in MAAC action, 76-69. This was an upset, a game the Saints were expected to win. The Saints beat the Greyhounds earlier this season 76-59. Ryan Rossiter led the futile effort scoring 23 points while hauling in 20 rebounds to become Siena’s all-time rebounding leader as the Saints committed 14 turnovers, which led to 22 points and a Greyhound rally.

Siena is 4-7 on the road and the Gaels are a much better team at home, making this a difficult win for the Saints. Iona comes into the contest scoring 78 points to 67 points a game for Siena.

The Gaels’ Glover (19.1 ppg, 10.5 rpg) and junior guard Scott Machado (13.8 ppg, 7.6 apg) should be a solid matchup for Rossiter, (19.0 ppg, 13.1 rpg), and senior guard Clarence Jackson, who is netting 14.6 points and 3.1 rebounds a night for the Saints.

With numbers like that and neither team playing very good defense, expect a scoring fest in this one.

The odds makers have the Iona Gaels as a -11 point favorite with an over/under of 146.5.

Matt’s Free Pick: Iona 79, Siena 71

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Bet the Siena/Iona basketball game at an online sportsbook that gives you a 50% sign up bonus up to $500 from the website “Where the Line Originates” – Bookmaker.

Siena Saints Betting Trends:

• Siena is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
• Siena is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Siena’s last 6 games on the road
• Siena is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Iona

Iona Gaels Betting Trends:

• Iona is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
• Iona is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games
• Iona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Iona’s last 5 games

Syracuse Louisville Betting – Saturday, 12:00 PM ET

After two straight wins on the road, the No.12 Orangemen (20-5, 7-5) failed to execute in the second half of a 64-56 loss to Georgetown at home, as they were outscored by 10 points after the halftime break. Kris Joseph had 14 points to lead the way, while C.J. Fair came off the bench with 12 points for the Orangemen, who shot 39.6% from the field (missing 12 of their 16 long-range attempts) and they were outrebounded 28-21. You would probably receive a nice sports betting bonus if you picked Syracuse to be this inconsistent during the season, and it’s at both ends of the floor, so it’s tough to figure out how they can fix it.

The No.16 Cardinals (18-6, 7-4) fell apart in overtime of an 89-79 loss at Notre Dame as they were outclassed in the extra period, and really, in the second half as well. Kyle Kuric poured in a game-high 28 points, while Terrence Jennings had 14 points and seven boards for the Cardinals, who were soundly trounced at the free-throw line (8-of-11 as opposed to 20-of-28 for the Fighting Irish), and on the boards (38-29 for Notre Dame). In their defense, the Cardinals have been battling injuries this season, and soon they’ll have a full squad back.

In a game that will be well worth the price per head for ticket buyers, the Cardinals should be the home favorites in Syracuse’s first trip to the KFC Yum! Center. The Orangemen will hope for better luck after four straight losses at Freedom Hall, Louisville’ old stomping ground, and Syracuse was actually the last team to play the Cardinals at Freedom Hall. We’re betting on the Orangemen to continue their strange season and snag an all-important win on the road on Saturday night, as the Cardinals still aren’t fully healthy. Preston Knowles still isn’t back at full strength, and he’s the Cardinals’ best offensive weapon, which means they could struggle against the zone. The Orangemen will look to slow this game down, and we think they have the edge in the interior, which is enough to wager on Syracuse in your online sportsbook.