The South Florida Bulls have a 4-2 spread record in their last six games, with the ‘total’ splitting at 3-3. Stan Heath’s squad returns home after two straight road games in Friday’s matchup against the Seton Hall Pirates, who head south with a four-game winning streak and a 10-3 ATS mark.
Sportsbooks opened Seton Hall as a 1.5 point road favorite, while
first setting the ‘total’ at 118.5. NCAA basketball odds makers initially offered the
Pirates as minus 125 choices for the money line, while pricing South Florida as
a 105 dog.
Lets take a deeper look at these numbers to determine which sports betting options have the greatest chance of cashing for us tonight.
Pirates roll as big home ‘chalk’
Seton Hall put their latest win away early, notching Tuesday’s
94-73 victory as an 11.5 point home favorite against the DePaul Blue
Demons. The Pirates pulled out to a 51-34 halftime lead, hitting a
scorching 58.7 percent from the field.
Pirates mates Herb Pope and Jordan Theodore both logged a
double-double, uniting for 37 points. Pope hauled in 13 rebounds, while
Theodore equaled his season-high of 11 assists for a third time.
The lopsided battle’s combined 167 points soared above the NCAA basketball betting ‘total’
of 150, bringing the ‘over’ to 2-1 in the Pirates’ last three games. Seton Hall drained 11-of-21 buckets from three-point land, while holding DePaul
to 34.3 percent field shooting.
Bulls roughed up at Notre Dame
South Florida saw a two-game winning streak end with Tuesday’s
60-49 setback as a 5.5 point road dog against the Notre Dame Fighting
Irish. The Bulls were held to connect at 38.2 percent from the field,
including a meager 1-for-13 from beyond the arc.
Bulls forward Augustus Gilchrist notched a team-high 13 points,
while adding five boards. Gilchrist’s mate Anthony Collins logged three
of his squad’s four assists en route to finishing with six points.
The contest’s combined 109 points dipped below the ‘total’ of 120.5. South Florida hit 6-of-7 free throws, while edging out Notre Dame in
rebounds, 32-26.
Back the Bulls as home dogs
Tonight's matchup is scheduled for 7 p.m. (ET), with ESPN3. com
providing televised coverage.
I am placing my NCAA basketball pick in favor of South Florida at home, looking for
Seton Hall’s winning streak to end in this spot. The Bulls are 4-1 ATS in
their last five home ‘board’ dates, holding that stretch of foes to a stingy 57
PPG.
Bulls forward Ron Anderson ranks among the Big East Conference’s
top five shooters, connecting at 58.5 percent. The senior hit 7-of-8
buckets in South Florida’s last home game on Jan. 1 against Rutgers, notching
15 points en route to the Bulls’ 67-65 win.
Seton Hall’s win streak has them coming to Tampa overvalued, with
the Pirates’ high-octane win on Tuesday deflating the value further here. The Pirates are 1-5 ATS in their last six games that followed a spot of scoring
more than 90 points.
South Florida has been undervalued, with Tuesday’s loss in South
Bend setting Anderson and Co. up for a bounce back here. The Bulls are
8-3 ATS in their last 11 contests that trailed a defeat.
The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings between these
rivals, dating back to 2009. South Florida has not been known for its
octane, but has put up 69.4 PPG on its home floor compared to its overall
average of 60.6 PPG.
Look for the Bulls to edge out Seton Hall here, with just enough shots falling
to cash tickets for the home-dog backers.
My Pick: South Florida & the Points