Marist (first half) an easy winner yesterday.
Play of the Day record: 6-3-2
CBB record: 192-167
Going back out West today with:
San Francisco -0.5 (-120) or ML -115
My book doesn't offer moneylines until closer to gametime so I took the Dons at -1 and bought a half a point. I've been buying the half points this season, with Ohio last night my most recent success.
USF plays St. Mary's two times in the next four days: tonight in Moraga and Saturday night home at Memorial Gym.
St. Mary's was a great fade last year, this year they've got a better team, but it seems that it took the linesmakers a little while to figure that out. I profited nicely from St. Mary's 9-2 ATS run which ended last week when I saw that they were only getting 5.5 in their match-up vs. Pepperdine. Seems like the linesmakers may have caught up with St. Mary's and now may be overcompensating. St. Mary's is better than last year but that doesn't mean that they are good! Sure enough, Pepperdine beat them by 16 but then the next day St. Mary's was favored by 3 over Loyola-Marymount which they lost su by 11.
San Francisco was picked in a recent WCC coaches poll to finish #2 in the league behind Gonzaga. They've been up and down this year, beating Michigan 55-47 on a neutral court but having some terrible shooting nights (especially from three point) on several other occasions to lose games they should have won. They played at BYU and at Fresno so a trip to their travel partner's home court shouldn't phase them.
Both teams play a low-scoring defensive-oriented game. The Dons are second to Gonzaga in FG% defense at 41.3%. This doesn't bode well for St. Mary's who is the worst shooting team in the WCC, hitting just 34% from the field and 21% from the arc in their last five games.
The Dons are better than their 4-7 overall record indicates and should do better now that league play has started. 6-9 junior forward Darrell Tucker (from McClymonds HS where Bill Russell went) is averaging a double-double: 18.2 ppg and 10.0 rpg: third in the WCC in scoring and second in rebounding. Last year Tucker led the league in scoring, rebounding, FG% and FT%. Sophomore John Cox (Kobe Bryant's cousin) is also playing well at forward after being redshirted last season, averaging 11.5 ppg including 40% from the arc. 7-0 260 senior center Hondre Brewer is the all-time WCC blocks leader.
On paper, SF doesn't look like a very good shooting team, hitting just 43% from the field and 22% from the arc in their last five but those numbers are skewed by some terrible performances from three points in their BYU (3 for 21) and Pepperdine (2 for 17) games. The Dons should have less trouble vs St. Mary's.
SF comes into this game having won six of their last nine, with last minute losses in the other three. They would like to sweep both of these games to keep pace with Gonzaga in the WCC. Gonzaga is 3-0 in the WCC while SF is 1-1. The two teams play next Thursday in Spokane, ideally SF would like to enter that game at 3-1 in league play.
When I originally posted this play the line was -1 at GCS, now it's -2.5
Play of the Day record: 6-3-2
CBB record: 192-167
Going back out West today with:
San Francisco -0.5 (-120) or ML -115
My book doesn't offer moneylines until closer to gametime so I took the Dons at -1 and bought a half a point. I've been buying the half points this season, with Ohio last night my most recent success.
USF plays St. Mary's two times in the next four days: tonight in Moraga and Saturday night home at Memorial Gym.
St. Mary's was a great fade last year, this year they've got a better team, but it seems that it took the linesmakers a little while to figure that out. I profited nicely from St. Mary's 9-2 ATS run which ended last week when I saw that they were only getting 5.5 in their match-up vs. Pepperdine. Seems like the linesmakers may have caught up with St. Mary's and now may be overcompensating. St. Mary's is better than last year but that doesn't mean that they are good! Sure enough, Pepperdine beat them by 16 but then the next day St. Mary's was favored by 3 over Loyola-Marymount which they lost su by 11.
San Francisco was picked in a recent WCC coaches poll to finish #2 in the league behind Gonzaga. They've been up and down this year, beating Michigan 55-47 on a neutral court but having some terrible shooting nights (especially from three point) on several other occasions to lose games they should have won. They played at BYU and at Fresno so a trip to their travel partner's home court shouldn't phase them.
Both teams play a low-scoring defensive-oriented game. The Dons are second to Gonzaga in FG% defense at 41.3%. This doesn't bode well for St. Mary's who is the worst shooting team in the WCC, hitting just 34% from the field and 21% from the arc in their last five games.
The Dons are better than their 4-7 overall record indicates and should do better now that league play has started. 6-9 junior forward Darrell Tucker (from McClymonds HS where Bill Russell went) is averaging a double-double: 18.2 ppg and 10.0 rpg: third in the WCC in scoring and second in rebounding. Last year Tucker led the league in scoring, rebounding, FG% and FT%. Sophomore John Cox (Kobe Bryant's cousin) is also playing well at forward after being redshirted last season, averaging 11.5 ppg including 40% from the arc. 7-0 260 senior center Hondre Brewer is the all-time WCC blocks leader.
On paper, SF doesn't look like a very good shooting team, hitting just 43% from the field and 22% from the arc in their last five but those numbers are skewed by some terrible performances from three points in their BYU (3 for 21) and Pepperdine (2 for 17) games. The Dons should have less trouble vs St. Mary's.
SF comes into this game having won six of their last nine, with last minute losses in the other three. They would like to sweep both of these games to keep pace with Gonzaga in the WCC. Gonzaga is 3-0 in the WCC while SF is 1-1. The two teams play next Thursday in Spokane, ideally SF would like to enter that game at 3-1 in league play.
When I originally posted this play the line was -1 at GCS, now it's -2.5
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