Duke Blue Devils vs. Butler Bulldogs
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As the slogan goes for the NCAA Tournament, “The Road Ends Here”. March Madness betting action wraps up on Monday night from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where the Butler Bulldogs (33-4, 17-20 ATS) and the Duke Blue Devils (34-5, 23-13-2 ATS) will meet for the right to be called champions. The Horizon League champions, who continue to set first time marks for both their school and their conference, reached this stage by narrowly fending off last year’s national runners up, the Michigan State Spartans 52-50 in their national semifinal. Duke, on the other hand, moved to 5-0 against the college basketball betting lines in the dance by taking care of West Virginia 78-57.

Just as has been the case for the Bulldogs all season long, their defense really came up big in their Final Four betting bash against Michigan State on Saturday night. They forced 16 turnovers, including picking up a whopping 12 steals on the game. It wasn’t a particularly strong shooting night for anyone involved, as everyone on the team outside of F Gordon Hayward and G Shelvin Mack combined to shoot just 4/26 from the field. However, the two top scorers on this team did go for a total of 33 points between the two of them, which was just enough to take care of Sparty.

If there was ever any doubt about how good F Kyle Singler, G Nolan Smith, and G Jon Scheyer really were, those doubts were taken away on Saturday night. Each of the three scored at least 19 points, and the three combined to score 63 of the team’s 78 points in the dominant victory. HC Mike Krzyzewski’s team only turned the ball over five times for the entire game, which, paired with 20 assists, made for a fluid offensive performance. Shooting 13/25 from beyond the arc also helped put away a West Virginia team that only shot 41.3 percent from the floor and lost its top player, F Da’Sean Butler to a devastating knee injury in the second half.

Duke and Butler met once before in 2003, with the Dookies winning 80-60. Whereas Duke is still perfect ATS in this tournament, Butler is 4-1 ATS, but is looking to become the first mid-major school since the 1980s to capture a National Championship.

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Duke vs. Butler - April 5th 2010
Duke is currently set as a 7 point favorite against Butler in the 2010 NCAA Tournament basketball championship game with the games over/under posted at 129 points
Odds: Click here for current NCAA tournament odds
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Against The Spread Trends:
Blue Devils are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS win.
Blue Devils are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
Blue Devils are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
Blue Devils are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games as a favorite.
Blue Devils are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite.
Bulldogs are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog of 7.0-12.5.
Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a S.U. win.
Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.

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2010 NIT Championship Game: North Carolina vs. Dayton
Free Pick: Under 139 -110 odds (Jeff Alexander)
System Play - plays Under on neutral court teams where the total is between 130 and 139.5 points (DAYTON) after successfully covering the spread in 2 or more consecutive games, against an opponent that has successfully covered the spread in 3 or more consecutive games, are 52-26 the last 5 seasons. We are only seeing an average of 132.4 points scored in these contests. Dayton has been very strong defensively this season and UNC has struggled against good defensive teams. As a result, UNC is 7-1 UNDER versus good defensive teams allowing <=64 points/game, after 15+ games, this season, and we are only seeing 134.9 points on average in these spots. Take the Under.

Free Pick: North Carolina +3 -110 odds (Rocky Atkinson)
Any time North Carolina don’t make the Big Dance it is a disappointing season for them. They decided to take on the NIT challenge this year and Roy Williams and company has made it to the Championship game here tonight. North Carolina is 54-5 SU and 35-17 ATS the past 3 years in non-conference games. North Carolina is 26-4 SU and 19-8 ATS last 3 years in tournament games. Tar Heels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a SU win. Tar Heels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Atlantic 10. Tar Heels are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 neutral site games. Tar Heels are 46-19 ATS in their last 65 non-conference games. Flyers are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 Thursday games. Flyers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games. We’ll recommend a small play on North Carolina tonight! Thanks and good luck, Rocky

2010 NIT Championship Game: North Carolina vs. Dayton
Free Pick: Under 139 -110 odds (Jeff Alexander)
System Play - plays Under on neutral court teams where the total is between 130 and 139.5 points (DAYTON) after successfully covering the spread in 2 or more consecutive games, against an opponent that has successfully covered the spread in 3 or more consecutive games, are 52-26 the last 5 seasons. We are only seeing an average of 132.4 points scored in these contests. Dayton has been very strong defensively this season and UNC has struggled against good defensive teams. As a result, UNC is 7-1 UNDER versus good defensive teams allowing <=64 points/game, after 15+ games, this season, and we are only seeing 134.9 points on average in these spots. Take the Under.

Free Pick: North Carolina +3 -110 odds (Rocky Atkinson)
Any time North Carolina don’t make the Big Dance it is a disappointing season for them. They decided to take on the NIT challenge this year and Roy Williams and company has made it to the Championship game here tonight. North Carolina is 54-5 SU and 35-17 ATS the past 3 years in non-conference games. North Carolina is 26-4 SU and 19-8 ATS last 3 years in tournament games. Tar Heels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a SU win. Tar Heels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Atlantic 10. Tar Heels are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 neutral site games. Tar Heels are 46-19 ATS in their last 65 non-conference games. Flyers are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 Thursday games. Flyers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games. We’ll recommend a small play on North Carolina tonight! Thanks and good luck, Rocky

Michigan State Spartans vs. Butler Bulldogs
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A berth in the NCAA Tournament final will be on the line at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night when the winners of the Midwest Bracket, the #5 Michigan State Spartans (28-8, 15-20 ATS) and the winners of the West Bracket, the #5 Butler Bulldogs (32-4, 16-20 ATS) engage in a college basketball wagering war. The winner of this national semifinal awaits the winner of the Duke/West Virginia game to follow it.

Michigan State’s 70-69 win over Tennessee in the Elite 8 was truly an impressive performance. The two stars that really need to step up for HC Tom Izzo both responded, as F Raymar Morgan and G Durrell Summers were both fantastic. Morgan recorded a double-double with 13 points and ten rebounds, while Summers shot a blistering 8/10 from the floor and 4/6 from beyond the arc to score a total of 21 points, easily a game high. Summers is now averaging 20.0 points per game in this tournament, and he’s going to be the key scorer without G Kalin Lucas on the floor.

The Bulldogs may lull you to sleep with their defense, but the truth of the matter is that they know how to put the ball in the basket as well. F Gordon Hayward may have turned the ball over five times against Kansas State last weekend, but he scored 22 points and hauled in nine boards to lead the way for the team with the longest winning streak in the country at 24 games. G Shelvin Mack, who many think is a good dark horse pick for MVP honors in the Final Four, scored 16 points and added seven rebounds and three assists in the 63-56 win.

Butler may only be 1-4 ATS in its L/5 games as a favorite, but it does hold a fantastic 43-21-1 ATS mark in its L/65 NCAA basketball betting battles against non-Horizon League schools. The Bulldogs are also 5-1-1 ATS in their L/7 clashes with the Big Ten and are 7-3 ATS in their L/10 NCAA Tournament games. Michigan State’s figures are just as impressive though, as it is 25-10-1 ATS in its L/36 tourney affairs, and is 9-4 ATS in its L/13 tries against Horizon League foes.

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West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Duke Blue Devils
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Two conference winners that are on long winning streaks will crack skulls in a Final Four betting battle on Saturday night when the Big East champs, the #2 West Virginia Mountaineers (31-6, 17-19 ATS) face the ACC champs, the #1 Duke Blue Devils (33-5, 22-13-2 ATS). West Virginia has captured ten straight games SU, going 6-4 ATS in that run. The Dookies are 8-0 SU in their L/8 overall, and 5-3 ATS in that stretch. Both teams are a perfect 4-0 ATS in the NCAA Tournament, the only teams that can say that in the field of 65.

Regardless of whether the Mountaineers have G Darryl Bryant in the lineup or not this weekend, they’re still going to be a force to be reckoned with thanks to their three forwards. Da’Sean Butler, Devin Ebanks, and Kevin Jones combined for 43 points and 21 rebounds, which is right about at their season averages, against #1 Kentucky in the Elite 8. Those three will once again need to come up big against a Duke front line that isn’t as strong as it has been in years past. If G Joe Mazzulla can drop 17 points on the Blue Devils like he did on the Wildcats, it would just be like icing on the cake.

Coach K had a lot to be happy about with his team’s triumph over Baylor last Sunday. G Nolan Smith scored 29 points on 9/17 shooting, and G Jon Scheyer’s slump officially appears to be over after he scored 20 against the Bears. However, he can’t be happy that his team needed to get some questionable calls go its way to win. F Kyle Singler was another bone of contention, as he shot 0/10 from the field for his first game in his career with a bagel in the field goals made column.

The Blue Devils are just 1-5-1 ATS in their L/7 NCAA basketball betting clashes against the Big East, including a loss to these Mountaineers in the 2008 March Madness. The ‘Neers are 5-2 ATS in their L/7 games as an underdog, including that outright win against Kentucky. They’re also 12-2-1 ATS in their L/15 tourney ties.

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Below are 2010 NIT Tournament college basketball betting picks for March 30th 2010 from Touthouse.com handicappers. If you are looking for free NCAA basketball picks on a daily basis or premium picks from our college basketball betting experts visit Touthouse.com each day.

Free Pick: Dayton -1 (John Ryan)
3* graded play on Dayton as they take on Mississippi in the NIT semifinals set to start at 7:00 EST. Our proprietary sports handicapping model and simulator shows a high probability that Dayton will win this game by more than 3 points. Dayton has done well in past games when facing a strong shooting team. Mississippi has shot 45.4% for the season and dayton is a solid 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) versus good shooting teams making >=45% of their shots over the last 2 seasons. Dayton HC Gregory is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) after playing 2 consecutive road games. Dayton is a near perfect 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) after playing 2 consecutive road games over the last 3 seasons. Meanwhile, Mississippi HC Kennedy is a poor 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in road games in all tournament games. Take Dayton.

Free Pick: Missouri State -5.5 (Rob Vinciletti)
On Tuesday night the free play is on Missouri St. Game 766 at 8:00 eastern. Missouri St is a solid 18-2 at home this year, 13-1 vs non conference teams,10-1 and 7-3 ats as a home favorite from 3.5 to -6 over the last 3+ years and has won and covered every time with 5 or 6 days of rest. Pacific has taken a tough road to get here winning 3 straight post season road games. The last 2 as an underdog. They qualify in a negative system that is based on their back to back dog wins. Look for Missouri State to send Pacific home tonight with a win and cover. On Tuesday night I have a 5* NBA system that has cashed 100% of the time and wins by an average 108-90 score. We cashed big for a 3rd straight night in the NBA as Dallas delivered a nice blowout win on Monday. In NIT action we have a BIg 15-1 Power Play angle. Jump on and make some nice change here tonight. For the free play take Missouri St. RV

North Carolina vs. Rhode Island
Free Pick: North Carolina +1 -110 odds
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At the start of the NIT, the big question was how North Carolina was going to react after such a disappointing season. Those questions have been answered. Expectations were high to start the season and an 11-3 start pointed toward the Tar Heels at least making it back to the NCAA Tournament to defend their National Championship from a season ago. A horrendous ACC season however pushed the Tar Heels out of the big dance and into the NIT but they have stepped up and are playing some great basketball right now. Especially on defense as North Carolina has held all three NIT opponents to less than 42 percent shooting. In the past seven games, North Carolina is holding its opponents to a 37.6 field goal percentage on 160-of-425 shooting. Six of those seven games has seen the opposition shoot below its season average. In comparison, in its previous 28 outings, it held its opponents to 41.9 percent shooting so it has been a big improvement. North Carolina’s three counterparts in New York this week all shoot 44.6 percent or better from the field, so continued growth defensively is essential. Improved play from point guard Larry Drew while seniors Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard have been playing with a sense of urgency. “We understand this was not the year we wanted to have, that we ever would have dreamed of having,” Ginyard says. “But it got to the point as a team that we had to make the best of the situation. It’s been a joy for us to continue to play. We’re still excited to play, and we’ve been showing that enthusiasm on the court.” He thinks good will come from the Tar Heels’ hard fall. Rhode Island has also been playing very well after another weak finish to the regular season. The Rams defeated Northwestern and Nevada at home before pulling off the upset at Virginia Tech to make it to New York. The defense remains a big issue as Rhode Island allows opponents to shoot 46.9 percent from the floor and that is bad news against a North Carolina team that has finally found some offense. The Rams play a similar style and it will be up to the Tar Heels to continue the defensive improvement. Rhode Island is just 2-9 ATS in its 11 games following an ATS win this season while North Carolina is on a 9-0 ATS run in tournament games the last two seasons away from home. 3* North Carolina Tar Heels

Saint Louis vs. Virginia Commonwealth
Free Pick: Saint Louis +9 -110 odds
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St Louis has been an under-the-radar pointspread machine for the better part of the last two months. Rick Majerus did not enter the season with great expectation for his Billikins squad, and St Louis did not look like a postseason contender for the first three months of the season. But St Louis has caught fire: 12-3 SU, 11-4 ATS in their last 15 ballgames; including a 7-2 ATS mark as an underdog (with six outright wins) during that span. Two of their three losses came against NCAA tourney caliber opposition – Temple and Xavier – and both of those defeats came by six points or less, enough to cover tonight’s inflated pointspread.

The Billikins statistical profile is not going to overwhelm anybody. They miss free throws. They don’t rebound well. At times, the offense grows stagnant. Leading scorer Kwamain Mitchell goes cold at times. Big men Willie Reed and Cody Ellis are not dominant low post presences. There’s not much scoring punch coming off the bench.

Yet even with these weaknesses, the Billikins have done two things on a consistent basis all year long; the two things that are likely to keep them in this game for the full 40 minutes tonight. First and foremost, St Louis plays tremendous defense, holding foes to 40 percent shooting for the season; 28 percent from three point range. VCU loves to get out and run in transition. Their last two losses – both against Old Dominion – came in games where the opposing team forced their pace on the Rams. We can expect this game to be played at St Louis’s pace, not VCU’s.

The other thing St Louis has can’t be measured statistically. Quite simply, this team has heart. We’ve seen it for months now, as they’ve grinded out one tough win after the next. The Billikins don’t quit when trailing. They don’t let up when leading. They hang tough in hostile enviroments. Much like their head coach, this squad is still something of an undervalued commodity, worthy of support in a game that they don’t need to win in order to cover. 2* Take St Louis.

West Virginia vs. Duke - April 3rd 2010
Duke is currently set as a 2.5 point favorite against West Virginia in this year’s Final Four matchup with the games over/under posted at 131 points
Odds: Click here for current NCAA tournament odds
Pick: Click here for the winning pick for this game
Bet: Click here to bet on this game with your credit card

Against The Spread Trends:
Mountaineers are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 NCAA Tournament games as an underdog.
Mountaineers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a S.U. win.
Mountaineers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Mountaineers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
Mountaineers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
Blue Devils are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a favorite.
Blue Devils are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a S.U. win.
Blue Devils are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 NCAA Tournament games.
Blue Devils are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.
Blue Devils are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.

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