Purusing the Lines:02/06/08

3-4-1 Baby! Drake kept up the nation's second-longest winning streak, and Butler pulled off the three point win, matching the spread, in the last 15 seconds. That's what I call getting lucky, on the court and with your bookmaker.

I use Sportsbook.com for my daily lines in these blogs, not out of need, since I of course have my own bookie, but I like their site and I eventually hope to get advertising dollars from them, and they seem to have the most money. Honesty never hurt a legit gambler. So, considering their three-point spread, I get a push on the Butler-Valpo game. Let' see what we can find on the line to get us over that .500 mark.


St. Jospehs @ Duquesne

First one on the board on VegasInsider.com (I like to compare the Vegas lines with the offshore sites, and wouldn't mind getting some ad money from them as well), and it's the pick of the day. The Hawks are fresh off an ass-spanking of 'Nova (talk about a team that's fallen apart. I'd also like to talk about the tradition of NCAA hoops in Philly, but that's a Friday blog), and Duquesne has lost two in a row by 15 and 16 respectively, the fifteen at home to UMass last Wed, the sixteen visiting the Bonnies, who are 1-6 in conference, 7-14 overall.

The Minutemen fiasco was only their second loss at home this season mind you, and the first was to a fully loaded Pitt squad. But giving them favorite status, if only by a point, sounds like dollar signs (do dollar signs make sounds?). RPI's aren't even close: 44 to 98. The Illustrious Mr. Pomeroy has them a bit closer in his rankings: 53-83, but still, come on, Jesus Mirimba, (that's "hey-zeus mirimba" like the Latinos say it. One of my favorite Nicholson quotes, from the original Batman, when he's looking at pictures of Kim Basinger? Remember? Of course you don't, nobody does.) this would be a major upset.

SMU @ Memphis

Give me the 31.5! Memphis will destroy the Mustangs, but watch Calipari call the dogs off in the second half. This is basically a meaningless game for the Tigers, as are the rest of their games in Conference US-gay, and I'm predicting a twenty to twenty-five point win. SMU will give it their all against the No. 1 team in the land, fall well short, but not get torched like that.

talk to y'all tomorrow-A.B.