Jason Green is back with Cappers Picks again to give out his free sports plays. As always he's hoping the Braves and Redskins can win a championship since their last one in the 90’s was long ago. He’s starting to know the pain of Cubs fans.
The Super Bowl is not only the biggest American sporting event, but it is also the biggest betting event. This season the Giants face the Patriots in a rematch of a few seasons back when the G-Men ruined the Pats and their perfect record upsetting them in the Big Game.
Indiana (16-4) has lost 10 straight to Wisconsin (16-5) in Madison and to snap that losing streak they will need to find a way to score on a Badgers’ team that leads the nation in defense. NCAAB lines have Wisconsin as 7-point home favorites with a total of 126.
UNC (16-3) has beaten North Carolina State (15-5) 10 straight times and to get to 11 they will have to do so without starting G Dexter Strickland, who tore his ACL and is out for the season.
We are down to the conference title games and it is no surprise, especially with the defending champion Packers out of the picture, that the Patriots have the best odds out of the 4 teams to win the Super Bowl. The Ravens, who the Pats face in the early game Sunday, have the worst odds and they have a tall order trying to beat New England in their house.
Syracuse (20-0) is not on the top-ranked team in the nation, but they are off to their best start in school history and will be taking on a Notre Dame (11-8) squad that has lost 2 straight games and is only 3-3 in the Big East.
Michigan State (15-4) has lost 2 straight Big 10 games and now they head home to play a solid Purdue (14-5) team that is coming off a win and has won 2 straight against the Spartans on their home floor.
The Clip Joint (7-4) is coming off a blowout loss where they had their worst shooting night of the young season and they will be facing a Mavs (8-6) team that only scored 73 points in their Monday night loss to the Lakers.
Pitt (11-7) has beaten Syracuse (19-0) in 8 of their last 9 match ups including the last 5 at the Carrier Dome, but the Orange are undefeated and the top-ranked team in the nation while the Panthers are reeling and have lost their first 5 Big East games.
Baylor (17-0) is one of only 3 undefeated teams in the nation, but can they beat Kansas (14-3) in their house where they have never won (0-9)?
Virginia (14-1) has not lost since their 3rd game of the season and this game is a HUGE test against a Duke (13-2) team that they have lost to 7 straight times and 14 straight times at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Texans looked great on both sides of the ball last week in their playoff win over Cincinnati, but now they have a tall task taking on a Ravens’ team that went undefeated at home this season and has a great defense.
Unlike the last few seasons not many are talking about the Lakers (6-4) as being legit title contenders and, yes, they were swept by Dallas in the playoffs last season and 6th Man if the Year Lamar Odom is now in the Big D, but Kobe and Pau are playing well and Andrew Bynum has been putting up sick numbers since coming off his suspension.
Marquette (12-3) is coming off a loss where they blew a 17-point lead and lost to 9th ranked Georgetown and things get tougher in this game facing the top ranked Syracuse team (16-0) that is the 12th highest scoring teams in the nation and is at home.
Kansas State (11-2) has already beaten a ranked team this season, but in their Big 12 opener they were throttled losing to Kansas 67-49 and things do not get any easier against an undefeated Missouri (14-0) squad that is the 2nd highest scoring team in the nation and leads the nation in FG%.
Time/Date: 1:30 PM EST Saturday, January 7, 2012
NCAA Odds From: Bovada
Moneyline: OFF
Spread (ATS): Missouri -1
Over/Under: O/U 146.5
No 6 Missouri Tigers vs. No. 22 Kansas State Wildcats Preview
In their last games Missouri crushed Oklahoma 87-49 in their Big 12 opener while Kansas State lost to Kansas 67-49.
So far this season Mizzou is 6-3 ATS with an O/U record of 6-3 and KSU is 5-4 with an O/U record of 5-4.
There is no way the Wildcats can get into a high-scoring game with the Tigers’ as they must slow down the game and win the battle of the boards. KSU ranks 12th in the nation in rebounding while Mizzou only ranks 177th.
The Tigers are led by the great backcourt duo of Marcus Denmon (18.8 ppg) and Kim English (15.9 ppg), who are both shooting over 50% from the floor and combined to score 43 points in the easy win over Oklahoma. KSU has their work cut out for them in this game against these 2 and they must not allow them to get in the lane and take easy shots. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
G Rodney McGruder (12.7 ppg) is the leading scorer for the Wildcats and must get over the Kansas game were he was only 5/14 from the floor.
One key player in this game is KSU F Jamar Samuels, who is the 2nd leading scorer for the Wildcats and leading rebounder (7 rpg). He has to help out in the scoring department, but rebounding may be more important.
In the Kansas game KSU was killed on the glass getting out-rebounded 48-24 and they only shot 31.6% from the field. To say they cannot let that happen again is a tad of an understatement.
KSU has not beaten Mizzou since the 2008-2009 season.
Betting Trends
Mizzou is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games, 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record, and they have an Over record of 4-0 in their last 4 road games.
Kansas State is e 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a S.U. loss, 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 home games vs. a team with a winning road record, and they have an Over record of 9-3 in their last 12 home games.
Jason’s Pick: Mizzou has not covered the spread in their last 7 games facing Kansas State in their house, but that trend will not continue. The Tigers are simply too athletic and even though Fred Bramlage Coliseum is a tough place for opponents’ to play Mizzou will win this game and cover the spread.
The Lions reached the 10-win plateau this season to make the playoffs, but they have a tall task to advance facing a red-hot Saints team.
The Bulls (5-1) have won 4 straight games and they have beaten the Pistons 11 straight times and are the betting favorite in this away game.
