Bluejays go in search of 12th straight win

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/04/2012 - Cedar Rapids, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 13th-ranked Creighton Bluejays take aim at their 12th straight victory, as they fly into Cedar Rapids for today's Missouri Valley Conference showdown with the Panthers of Northern Iowa.

Creighton picked up its 11th consecutive win on Wednesday night by blasting visiting Illinois State in a 102-74 final. It was the second time this season the Bluejays soared above the 100-point mark, and it improved their overall record to 21-2, and their league ledger to 11-1. It was also the 12th win in 13 home games for a Creighton club that is clearly the class of the MVC this season.

Northern Iowa is coming off a win of its own, as the Panthers took care of visiting Southern Illinois on Tuesday, 58-49. As a result, UNI improved to 15-9 on the season and 5-7 in conference play. The Panthers own a 10-3 home record, but they've strung together consecutive wins just once since opening the season an impressive 10-1.

Creighton owns a 29-15 lead in the all-time series with Northern Iowa, and the Bluejays have won the last three meetings, which includes a 63-60 decision in Omaha back on January 10.

Doug McDermott poured in 25 points to lead six players in double figures, as the Bluejays could do no wrong in their recent win over Illinois State. The other five guys scored between 10 and 12 points apiece, and the team as a whole made good on 13-of-25 three-point attempts (.520) while shooting 56.4 percent from the floor overall. A 27-13 edge in points from the foul line helped the cause, as did a 35-23 rebounding advantage. Creighton is one of the highest scoring teams in the country, averaging 81.8 ppg behind outstanding shooting percentages of .516 overall and .453 from three-point range. McDermott (23.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg) is one of the top performers in not only the MVC, but the country as well, and the team's only other double-digit scorer is Antoine Young (11.0 ppg, 4.5 apg). Defensively, the 'Jays are giving up 68.0 ppg with foes shooting 42.6 percent from the field. Creighton is +5.8 in rebounding margin, but -1.3 in turnover differential.

Freshman Deon Mitchell scored a career-high 17 points, and Chip Rank came off the bench to net 13 more, as Northern Iowa got past Southern Illinois earlier this week. The Panthers overcame a slow start (.286 FG percentage in the first half) by shooting 55.0 percent from the floor over the final 20 minutes to earn the victory. The Salukis were limited to 35.3 percent field goal efficiency, and a 20-8 deficit in points from the free-throw line also proved costly. UNI claimed significant advantages in points in the paint (22-12), off turnovers (16-2) and from its reserves (18-5). Through 24 games, Anthony James (13.4 ppg) is the only player averaging double figures in scoring for coach Ben Jacobson's club, but he is hitting just 38.4 percent of his field goal attempts. Overall, the team is averaging 66.0 ppg in dropping 43.3 percent of its total shots and 38.2 percent of its long-range bombs, while the opposition is netting 60.8 ppg on typical shooting outputs of 43.1 percent overall and 35.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Wwnba NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Tigers and Bulldogs square off Starkville
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Meeting in the first of two games scheduled over the next two weeks, the Auburn Tigers and Mississippi State Bulldogs square off at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville this afternoon for an SEC tussle. Auburn i

<< Ward, Hurricanes try to shut down Kings
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Carolina Hurricanes may be tied for the fewest points in the Eastern Conference, but they showed again on Thursday that they can still hang with the best the NHL has to offer. Hoping to win two in a row for just the se

<< Bulls charge into D.C. to take on 14th-ranked Hoyas
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the postseason rapidly approaching, a pair of Big East Conference teams hoping to improve their prospects meet in the nation's capital this morning, as the South Florida Bulls take on the 14th-ranked Geo

<< Minus Howard, Red Wings visit healthy Oilers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings seem to finally be hitting their stride on the road, but they'll be without the league's leader in wins for the rest of their swing. Minus goaltender Jimmy Howard, the Red Wings look for their third s

<< Sharks, Coyotes engage in the desert
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Sharks aim to push their win streak to four straight games this evening as they begin a tough stretch of road games with a matchup against the Phoenix Coyotes. The Sharks halted a three-game slide with a 1-0 w

Hoosier State rivals square off in West Lafayette >>
West Lafayette, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of in-state rivals jockeying for position in the competitive Big Ten Conference meet at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette this evening, as the 20th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers tangle with the Purdue Boilerm

Waves hope to crash down on 24th-ranked Bulldogs >>
Malibu, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Coast Conference foes meet in Malibu tonight, as the 24th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs pay a visit to the Pepperdine Waves. Gonzaga was recently re-admitted into the AP Top-25 after winning four in a row from J

Sixth-ranked Bears battle Cowboys in Big 12 affair >>
Stillwater, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The sixth-ranked Baylor Bears will attempt to stay within striking distance in the Big 12 Conference, as they invade Stillwater this afternoon for a conference matchup with the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gallagh

Marquee matchup pits Jayhawks against Tigers >>
Columbia, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The most anticipated game in the Big 12 has finally arrived, as top-10 foes Kansas and Missouri collide in Columbia, with positioning atop the conference standings at stake. The eighth-ranked Jayhawks lead the

Irish set sights on Golden Eagles >>
South Bend, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 15th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles continue their push towards the top of the Big East standings, as the begin a two-game road trip this afternoon, taking on a dangerous Notre Dame team at the Joyce Center

Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

For more March Madness odds go to MySportsbook.com

For more College Basketball betting lines go to BettingExpress.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.