Scott Delaney
40♦ TEXAS - I know Oklahoma has won three straight, but in the basketball version of the Red River Shootout, we will once again take Texas. Back on Feb. 6 I gave you the road underdog Longhorns as a free winner, telling you we?d be better served with the team most likely to actually win the basketball game.
After that outright win in Norman 2-1/2 weeks ago, Texas is on a 4-0 run in this rivalry (3-0 ATS). True, Oklahoma was without second-leading scorer Longar Longar, but that has nothing to do with the fact Oklahoma is 3-9 ATS the last 12 meetings and 2-5 ATS in their last seven trips to Austin.
Also going against the Okies in this one, the Sooners are mired in a 4-14 point-spread freefall in conference play and are trudge into this rivalry clash sporting several other negative trends, including a 3-8 ATS skid overall and a 17-37-2 highway funk.
On the other hand, we?re siding with the 22-4 Longhorns, who are on ATS runs of 23-9 after a hardwood win, 4-0 on Saturdays, 4-0 in Austin and 8-3 against teams with a winning record on the floor. Let?s lay the points and count on a 14-point win here.
10♦ CONNECTICUT - U Conn has won 10 straight and rolls into Philly with plenty of momentum to be catching points from the 16-9 Wildcats, especially with the Huskies in revenge from last season?s 78-74 home loss. They come into this Big East road contest on positive ATS streaks of 5-2-1 overall, 4-1 on Saturday and 4-1 coming off a non-cover. Meanwhile, ?Nova is on negative ATS runs of 4-12 overall, 1-8 at home, 4-10 in the Big East and 2-5 at home against teams with a winning road mark. Take the slim points here and bank on the outright win.
10♦ GEORGETOWN - Don?t get caught up by the Bearcats? three-game win streak ? it means nothing to me, as Big East-leader Georgetown will denounce Cincinnati today in Washington D.C. The Bearcats? three wins have come against Rutgers (in overtime), St. Johns and this past Wednesday, when it eked out a one-point win over South Florida. Certainly nothing to brag about and nothing to be confident with when talking about a Georgetown team that is on a 3-0 run in this series, winning both meetings last season by a combined 25 points ? including a 15-point win here. Lay the points.
10♦ MARQUETTE - Rutgers is in store for yet another ass whooping, and the Golden Eagles are just the team to serve one up. Marquette is 13-1 at home and rolls into this Big East battle having won three straight on the wood and four in a row at the bank ? including a 3-0 ATS spurt on the road. Back in Milwaukee, the Eagles are outscoring teams at home by an average of 20 points, with the only SU loss coming earlier this month against Louisville. Of course, the Knights and Cardinals are hardly a comparison, and we?re talking about the same Rutgers team (2-9 SU and 2-7 ATS on the road) that lost here by 20 last season. Play the home chalk in this one
