NCAA Invitational Basketball Betting - Houston at Nevada
by Charles Jay
BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds: Nevada -3
The Nevada Wolf Pack (21-11 SU, 16-15 ATS) of the Western Athletic Conference in a game that tips off at 9 PM ET from the Lawlor Events Center in Reno.
In the BetUS Sportsbook, Nevada is listed as a three-point favorite.
Here are some of the NCAA basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* HOU has covered one of its last six games
* HOU has won 17 of its last 25 games SU
* HOU has played four of its last five games OVER the total
* HOU has covered seven of its last nine road games
* HOU has lost four of its last five road games SU
* HOU has played seven of its last ten road games OVER the total
* NEV has won four of its last five games SU
* NEV has covered five of its last seven home games
* NEV has won 14 of its last 16 home games SU this season
* NEV has played four of its last five home games OVER the total
It was widely known that UTEP and finished without a head of steam, dropping three of their last four.
Nevada lost Nick Fazekas to the NBA draft, but went a different way with things, placing the ball in the hands of star guard Marcelus Kemp. And Kemp responded, scoring nearly 20 points a game and hitting 86% of his free throws. Even though Kemp sometimes throws up ill-advised shots, he has the ability to carry a team, and may find himself playing in the NBA next year.
The real key for the Wolf Pack, however, may have been 7-foot sophomore forward JaVale McGee, who can jump out of the gym, blocking 2.8 shots per game and coming into his own as a scorer down the WAC stretch, putting together consecutive games of 26, 23, and 22 points before a 15-point, five-turnover performance against New Mexico State as Nevada was eliminated.
Houston counters with the potent duo of guard Rob McKiver (23 ppg) and Dion Dowell (11.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.7 bpg). The Cougars love to sprint up and down the floor and will likely encounter a Nevada team that will not engage it in a slowdown. Houston forces turnovers (8.7 steals per game) and hits enough threes (10.8 per contest - tops in the nation) that Nevada, which doesn't have that kind of long-range shooting power and has sometimes been sloppy with the ball, is going to be challenged all the way.
We will take the points with Houston, the three-point underdog in the BetUS March Madness betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: HOUSTON
Go to the online sports betting action!
(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)
