Nebraska entertains No. 22 Michigan

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/08/2012 - Lincoln, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Meeting for the first time in nearly 20 years, the 22nd-ranked Michigan Wolverines and Nebraska Cornhuskers square off in Lincoln tonight for a Big Ten Conference tussle at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Michigan has won six of the previous seven meetings in the all-time series, but this is its first visit to Lincoln since 1964 when the then top-ranked Wolverines dropped a 74-73 decision to the hometown Huskers. The teams last meeting overall was on December 28, 1992.

The Maize and Blue got off to a sensational start to the 2011-12 season, logging a 12-2 record before a 73-71 loss at Indiana on January 5 started the team on a run of mediocrity that has seen it go 5-5 in its last 10 games. Michigan is coming off Sunday's 64-54 loss at rival Michigan State, and while the Wolverines are a perfect 13-0 at home this season, they are a disappointing 2-6 in true road games. They have lost two straight in enemy territory, and five of their last six road bouts overall.

Nebraska's first foray into Big Ten play has proven to be even more challenging than coach Doc Sadler had anticipated, as the team is just 3-8 in conference, and an even 11-11 overall. The Cornhuskers dropped a 69-61 decision at home to Minnesota on Sunday, giving the squad an 8-6 record in Lincoln this year. Nebraska has lost two in a row and three of its last four games overall.

Michigan simply couldn't match Michigan State's shooting prowess in Sunday's key conference clash, as the Wolverines hit just 39.6 percent of their field goal attempts while the Spartans made good on 52.2 percent of their's. The visitors failed to compete on the glass as well, grabbing a mere 16 rebounds compared to 40 for the home team. Zack Novak hit three of UM's seven three- pointers en route to 14 points, while Jordan Morgan and Trey Burke chipped in with 11 points apiece. Tim Hardaway, Jr., who leads the team in scoring this season with 14.7 ppg, went a woeful 1-of-10 from the floor to finish with just four points. Burke is the only other double-digit scorer for the Wolverines at the moment, and in addition to his 14.1 ppg, he also serves as the unit's primary playmaker with 4.9 apg. As a team, Michigan is averaging 67.0 ppg while allowing 61.0 ppg. The team shoots a decent 45.7 percent from the field, but is virtually even in rebounding margin (+0.4), and is on the plus side in turnover differential (+1.8).

Bo Spencer scored 18 points to lead three Cornhuskers in double figures, but those efforts went for naught as the home team dropped an eight-point decision to Minnesota over the weekend. Toney McCray (15 points, six rebounds) and Brandon Richardson (10 points) made solid contributions, but Nebraska lost the rebounding battle (31-24) and allowed the Golden Gophers to connect on 54.0 percent of their field goal attempts, which included a 41.2 percent showing from three-point range (7-of-17). Minnesota controlled all aspects of the scoring line -- 40-24 in the paint, 23-16 off turnovers, 14-6 in second-chance points, 12-4 on the break, and a whopping 40-7 in bench points. Spencer and McCray continue to rank one-two on the team's scoring chart this season, netting 15.5 and 10.5 ppg, respectively. Spencer's figure would be even higher if he shot better than the 39.9 percent he is at the moment, although he is one of the top free-throw shooters in the country, checking in at 87.9 percent (80-of-91). Overall, the Cornhuskers are putting up just 62.2 ppg while permitting 64.4 ppg. The team is dead even in rebounding, and commits an average of 14 turnovers per outing.

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Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

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