Memphis puts 51-game C-USA win streak on line at Southern Miss

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/14/2009 - Hattiesburg, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eighth-ranked Memphis Tigers hope to keep their perfect record in Conference USA action intact, as they pull into Hattiesburg for this evening's bout with the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss.

Memphis is a stellar 21-3 on the year, and all nine of the team's conference games thus far have ended in victory. In fact, the Tigers have won a record 51 consecutive league bouts, and they are 63-1 against C-USA foes since 2005-06. Coach John Calipari's team is coming off its best defensive effort of the season as it held Tulsa to 37 points and won by 26. The Tigers are 6-1 in true road games in 2008-09, and they are riding a 15-game win streak, which is the second-longest in the country at the moment.

At the other end of the spectrum, at least in terms of conference play, the Golden Eagles are hoping an inspired effort at home will put the brakes on a four-game slide. Southern Miss was last in action on Wednesday night, and an 88-72 setback at Rice dropped the team to 13-10 on the year and 3-6 against league foes. The team 7-3 at Reed Coliseum this season, but other than a clash with Kansas State (74-55 loss) on December 11th, USM hasn't hosted a team anywhere near the caliber of Memphis.

Memphis owns a 56-23 advantage in the all-time series with Southern Miss, and the Tigers have won the last 10 meetings. Memphis has claimed victory in each of its past four visits to Hattiesburg, and Calipari is 13-4 in his career against the Golden Eagles.

Simply put, Memphis gets the job done. The Tigers are scoring an average of 76 ppg in hitting 44.2 percent of their total shots, while limiting the opposition to 60 ppg on 37.6 percent field goal efficiency. The team boasts four double-digit scorers, led by Tyreke Evans and his 16.8 ppg. Evans also accounts for 5.3 rpg and he has handed out 88 assists while logging 56 steals. Robert Dozier (12.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Antonio Anderson (10.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 105 assists) and Shawn Taggart (10.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg) have all performed well for Calipari's club, which owns a +4.8 rebounding edge as well as a +4.5 in turnover margin. Dozier was brilliant in the rout of Tulsa, hitting for 23 points, while Evans chipped in with 13. Memphis shot 44 percent from the field, but made good on only 5-of-15 three-point tries. As for the Golden Hurricane, it knocked down a mere 35.9 percent of its field goal attempts and turned the ball over 24 times. The Tigers committed just six miscues.

Southern Miss averages fewer than three points more than it allows, which doesn't exactly give its fans a reason to be optimistic as the eighth-ranked team in the nation comes to town. The Golden Eagles do have some talent, using four guards to get up and down floor, and Jeremy Wise is the team's leading scorer (16 ppg) and assist man (110 in 23 games). He gets help from backcourt mates Courtney Beasley (15.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg), R.L. Horton (12.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Craig Craft (11.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg). The lone starter up front is Andre Stephens, and while he it shooting better than 47 percent from the field, he averages just 7.1 ppg. Despite 23 points from Horton and 19 from Wise, the Golden Eagles fell to Rice on Wednesday night, 88-72. Craft posted his third double-double of the year with 15 points and 10 rebounds, but the Owls nailed a school-record 16 three-pointers and shot 58 percent from the field overall.

Wwwvoyagessncf NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< No. 2 Oklahoma puts perfect Big 12 mark on line against Texas Tech
Norman, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-ranked Oklahoma Sooners take aim at their 13th straight win as they play host to the Texas Tech Red Raiders in a Big 12 Conference clash at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. Texas Tech is an even 12-1

<< Big East battle pits Hoyas against Orange
Syracuse, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Big East Conference rivals collide at the Carrier Dome today, as the Georgetown Hoyas pay a visit to the 23rd-ranked Syracuse Orange. The 2008-09 season began fine enough for Georgetown, as 10 of the club's fi

<< Buckeyes battle Badgers in Big Ten brawl
Madison, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 24th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes invade Madison this evening for a Big Ten Conference clash with the Wisconsin Badgers. Ohio State has won its last four games to move to 17-5 overall and 7-4 in conference.

<< Jayhawks and Wildcats square off in Sunflower State showdown
Manhattan, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas State Wildcats play host to the 16th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks this afternoon in a pivotal Big 12 Conference showdown. Kansas is coming off its first league loss of the season, as it dropped a 62-60

<< Top-25 clash in ACC has Seminoles taking on Demon Deacons
Winston-Salem, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A battle of top-25 teams in the ACC takes place in Winston-Salem this afternoon, as the seventh-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons play host to the 25th-ranked Florida State Seminoles. The Demon Deacons wer

Bruins battle Wildcats in desert duel >>
Tucson, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 11th-ranked UCLA Bruins attempt to salvage something from their trip to the desert this week, as they invade the McKale Center for a Pac-10 clash with the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson this afternoon. The Bruin

Top-ranked Huskies hit the road against red-hot Pirates >>
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The suddenly surging Seton Hall Pirates will be put to the test this afternoon, as they welcome the top-ranked Connecticut Huskies to Newark, for a Big East showdown from the Prudential Center. Seton Hall got of

Golden Eagles seek quick turnaround against Red Storm >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 10th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles will try to get back on track tonight, as they entertain the St. John's Red Storm in Big East action at the Bradley Center. The Golden Eagles ripped off nine straight w

Aggies can claim outright WAC title with win over Broncos >>
Boise, ID (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 21st-ranked Utah State Aggies try to claim the Western Athletic Conference regular-season crown tonight as they confront the Boise State Broncos at Taco Bell Arena. Off to their best start in school history a

Boilermakers and Hawkeyes duke it out in Big Ten action >>
Iowa City, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 20th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers are favored on the road this afternoon against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Purdue carried a two-game losing streak into Wednesday's matchup with Penn State, but outstanding team def

MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

About MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker
Since opening in 1997, MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker has been a leader in Internet wagering, providing single account access for sports and casino play. This sportsbook has a revolutionary payment method, Direct Bank Transfer, gives players a faster and more secure transaction option for both deposits and withdrawals. This Internet Sportsbook takes pride in offering an aggressive VIP rewards program, along with seasonal reduced juice specials and high parlay payout odds. MySportsbook.com has set new standards in the sports betting industry, from their fantastic customer service, industry leading bonuses, extensive selection of wager types and props, to the fastest payouts anywhere... MySportsbook.com is America's Sportsbook! Open an account today at MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker, or call toll-free 1-866-238-6648

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Master Card needs.