2010 Western Athletic Conference Tournament Preview

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/09/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Hawaii Warriors may have the most Western Athletic Conference Tournament titles with three, the last coming in 2002, but this year the islanders aren't even invited to the party as the 27th annual event kicks off this week at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno.

Bringing just eight of the nine member teams to the Silver State, the WAC left the league's least successful program at home and this year it was Hawaii. To further signify Hawaii's problems, the school fired head coach Bob Nash on Monday after just three year's at the helm.

On a more positive note, the top-seeded Utah State Aggies showed once again why they are a force to be reckoned with, sporting a wildly successful 14-2 conference mark as they prepare to take on eight-seeded Boise State in the quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon. As well as USU played this season though, putting up a 25-6 record by no means guarantees the team a place in the NCAA Tournament. In fact, the Aggies know all too well what it means to be snubbed by the selection committee because it was just a few years ago that Utah State, ranked in the AP's top-25, lost in the Big West Conference Tournament and failed to make it to the NCAA Tournament. It was the first time that a ranked program failed to get an at-large bid since the tournament went to 64 teams.

Utah State, the defending champ, is riding a lengthy 15-game win streak into this event and has players like Tai Wesley, Jared Quayle and Nate Bendall to thank for that. Wesley leads the program in both scoring (13.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg) and is also first with 40 blocked shots and second in assists with 101. Quayle (11.9 ppg) has the sort of inside-outside game that coaches dream about, able to not only clear 6.2 rpg but also shoot 43.2 percent behind the three-point line. He also led USU in assists (132) and steals (37). Bendall accounts for 10.5 ppg and gives the squad another set of hands on the glass with 5.7 rpg, helping the Aggies to have one of the best rebounding groups in the WAC.

As for the Broncos, they essentially slipped into the tourney because Hawaii completely fell apart. BSU, which won this event in 2008 against New Mexico State, did average a solid 74.2 ppg this season, but at the same time the group gave up 72.5 ppg. Ike Okoye led the way with 12.9 ppg and 8.0 rpg, shooting 53.6 percent from the field, while Robert Arnold showed signs of life in recent weeks and finished the regular season with 11.7 ppg and 4.2 rpg. One of the keys for the Broncos will be the play of Paul Noonan, a starter last season who is now coming off the bench to supply nine points per outing.

Set to take on the winner of the Boise State/Utah State matchup will be the survivor of the Fresno State/Louisiana Tech dog fight. The California Bulldogs were an enigmatic bunch to say the least as they lost Paul George (16.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg) to injury and kept winning and then regained his services and hit the skids. Toss in Sylvester Seay with his 14.3 ppg and 6.0 rpg and FSU had one of the top scoring tandems in the league, but still struggled to come up with 66.3 ppg. The team as a whole is just 32.1 percent successful, yet has allowed opponents to make goof on 37.2 percent beyond the arc. Greg Smith has been a solid interior performer for Fresno with his 11.8 ppg and 6.0 rpg, while Steven Shepp (5.6 ppg) sacrifices his own offense in order to direct the squad with his 145 assists.

LaTech, one of three teams in the league that has never won the tournament title, let alone make it to the championship round, had the talent to be one of the teams to beat this season, but the squad lost three of the last four games coming down the stretch and fell to the fourth seed as a result. Even though he missed the last several games because of an injury, it is expected that Kyle Gibson will be back and ready to go for the Bulldogs. If not, LaTech again has the problem of filling the void left by a player who is averaging 19.1 ppg and is one of the better passers with 92 assists. Magnum Rolle (14.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg) and Olu Ashaolu (10.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg) have been beasts in the paint for LaTech, seemingly always around the ball when it comes off the rim. In the case of Rolle, having logged 69 blocked shots means he gets his hands on the ball as much as anyone on the roster.

A perennial favorite in this event and the host team this season, second- seeded Nevada is tasked with taking on the seventh-seeded Idaho Vandals. The Wolf Pack started off the season a but shaky with two wins in six tries, but the squad picked it up in conference play thanks to the efforts of Luke Babbitt who is one of, if not the, top player in the conference this season. A double-double machine, Babbitt finished the regular season averaging 21.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per outing. Not only does he dominate in the paint, Babbitt is also a tough matchup because he has made 43 percent of his three- point tries this season and that has helped the program hit on 36.6 percent beyond the arc. As soon as defenses began to close up on Babbitt, teammates like Armon Johnson (16.0 ppg, 167 assists), Brandon Fields (14.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and Joey Shaw (10.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg) began to get better looks at the basket and take advantage of their opportunities. Toss in the under-appreciated Dario Hunt with his seven rebounds per game and his team-high 60 blocked shots and it is easy to see why Nevada should be sticking around until the end as all good hosts should.

The Vandals had their moments this season, but the fact that they lost to Nevada in both regular-season meetings doesn't bode well for the group at this stage. The big news coming out of Moscow is that Kashif Watson (10.7 ppg) has been suspended for disciplinary reasons and that means the squad will be missing one of its three double-digit scorers. As a result, even more pressure will now rest on the shoulders of Mac Hopson (14.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 149 assists) as if it wasn't there already. Steffan Johnson (10.2 ppg) might feel compelled to try his hand at even more three-pointers on Thursday, which might not be a bad thing seeing as how he's made good on 41.1 percent of his tries this season and the Vandals are a solid 38 percent as a group. Center Marvin Jefferson will certainly need to stay out of foul trouble in order to improve upon his 9.0 ppg and 6.1 rpg, especially now that Watson has gone and handicapped the squad.

The last pairing for the quarterfinals might just be the most interesting as sixth-seeded San Jose State clashes with third-seeded New Mexico State. The Aggies, who lost on the road at SJSU this season, has one of the most explosive offenses in the league and averages 78.5 ppg. However, this is also a group that is one of the weakest in the nation on defense with a hefty 78.6 ppg allowed. Jahmar Young leads a list of five double-digit scorers with his 20.9 ppg, followed by Jonathan Gibson with 17.8 ppg as the duo combines to deliver 176 assists along the way as well. Hamidu Rahman (14.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg) and Wendell McKines (10.6 ppg, 9.9 rpg) do all of the dirty work on the inside and yet this squad still losses the battle of the boards by an average of almost three per game. For NMSU, the good news in recent weeks has been the return of Troy Gillenwater who missed the first 21 games of the season. A great addition to the front line, Gillenwater has contributed 14.0 ppg and 6.3 rpg during his return and figures to be an important piece of the puzzle moving forward.

The Spartans may have known they were in trouble this season when they lost to Northern Colorado on the road in late December. Granted, the Bears are a solid team out of the Big Sky Conference, but SJSU lost by 24 points in that matchup and was one of the most lopsided setbacks of the season for the Spartans, who are a dismal 2-12 in this tournament over the years. The team's 14-16 record on the season overall was disappointing, especially since Adrian Oliver was one of the top offensive producers in the entire nation with his 22.5 ppg. Oliver does a bit of everything for San Jose State from shooting 41.7 percent from three-point range to clearing 5.3 rpg and also handing out 87 assists. Robert Owens and Chris Oakes chip in with 10.6 and 10.5 ppg, respectively, the latter among the league leaders with his 9.1 rpg. Like New Mexico State, the Spartans have a problem holding down opponents and have given up 75.1 ppg, which means this matchup could see plenty of action at both ends of the floor.

Blackjakc NCAA Basketball Betting News

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Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.

NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.

Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.

Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.

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NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&amp;M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6

For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com

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