Free Ncaa Basketball Tournament Predictions - January 26, 2008

We went 2-1 last night and sit at 103-60 (63%) over the past month with 23 winning days out of 31. Over that span, $100 players have made $4,990! Our 5-unit picks have gone 12-2 over the past month and we have another today.

WUNDERDOG 2008 RESULTS ($100/bet)
SPORT	WINS-LOSSES	%	NET
CBB	103-60 last 163 picks	63%	+$4990
NBA	6-2 last 8 picks	75%	+$850
NHL	20-18 last 38 picks	53%	+$1350
TOTAL			+$7190

Today's NCAA Basketball Picks:

Game: Illinois Chicago at Butler (2:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 3 units on Butler -13.5 (-110) (risk 3 to win 2.7)

#15 Butler comes into this one at 18-2, 7-2 in league play and a perfect 7-0 at home. Illinois Chicago will be grossly overmatched here. The Flames come in losers of two of their last three, dropping them to 4-4 in league play. They average just 62.6 ppg on the road while Butler gets 73.1 per game at home. The Bulldogs are outscoring foes by 16 ppg. The Flames are 3-11 ATS the past two seasons off a road loss and 3-11 ATS over that span after having lost two of their last three. Butler is 9-2 ATS over that sam span as a big home favorite of -12.5 or higher. Butler rolls here.

Texas A&M dropped their five-OT contest to Baylor. That game had to take a lot out of the Aggies. They were supposed to win that game at home. They didn't have what it took. They have to be a bit physically depleted after the longest game in NCAA history as three players played 55+ minutes! But, the damage was likely more mental. It was the third straight loss for this team after starting off 15-1. The reality is setting in that they really aren't nearly as good as they thought they were. We look for a hangover here. The Aggies now go back on the road where they are just 2-3 on the season. At home this team averages 82 ppg. On the road that drops by 18 points to 64.2. Oklahoma State is similar. They are just 1-7 on the road but 9-1 at home where they hold opponents to 56.2 ppg.

Mississippi out of the gate at 13-0, but has been an ordinary 2-2 in the last four after the loss at Auburn. They are finding out that playing on the road in the SEC is no easy task, and even their two home games were both escapes with a 2 point win over Florida, and a 3 point win over LSU. The Bulldogs are playing better than the Rebels right now, as they have rattled off eight straight, and seven of eight home wins have been by double-digits. The Bulldogs are out-performing everyone on defensive end, allowing just 35.9% from the field, and defending the 3-point ball at 30%. This has been a chamber of horrors for Ole Miss, as they haven't won here since 1997 and this class of Rebels has lost here by double-digits the last two years. Make that three double-digit losses as State wins again.

The Aggies of Utah State have won ten in a row and sit atop the WAC. This will be their toughest test since they began their winning streak. But we like their momentum. They are hitting 56% from the field since the start of conference play. New Mexico State is just 2-12 ATS the past two seasons when facing a team at 60%+ SU. They also struggle against slow-down teams like Utah State as New Mexico State is 0-6 ATS the past two seasons vs. teams that average under 53 shots per game. With New Mexico State sitting at 52-77 ATS over the past decade as a favorite, we like Utah State even more. We wouldn't be surprised if the road team gets the straight-up win here but we'll take the 5 points as a cushion.

The Mountaineers nearly got caught looking ahead to this one, and escaped Marshall by just 2 points. The Mountaineers are 40-4 in their last 44 on this floor and UCLA fell here last year. West Virginia already took out Marquette by 15 here earlier. The Hoyas living on the edge with OT escape at home to Syracuse, and a Hibbard 3 pointer to escape UCONN at home as well. The Hoyas have dropped both of their big road tests at Memphis and at short-handed Pitt. Three's are not falling right now for Georgetown and West Virginia defends at 30%. The Mountaineers are 14-5 ATS the past three seasons vs. teams at 80%+ straight up. They are also 20-9 ATS as a favorite over the past two seasons. On the surfaceit looks to like the wrong team is favored as the Hoyas are a ranked team on the road, but we are not fooled. The right team is favored and W. Virigina will get the win and cover.

Washington State is showing chinks in the armour. After starting the season 15-0, they have gone just 2-2 in their last four games as the competition has heated up. They are averaging just 53.4 ppg allowed on the season but they have allowed 75+ in two of their last four games. Both Cougars losses have come on the road where they are again tonight. Arizona State is 11-1 at home, playing defense as well as the vaunted Washington State defense. In the twelve home games, the Sun Devils have allowed opponents to hit just 36.5% from the field and score only 54.7 ppg. ASU is 11-3 ATS the past two seasons vs. very good shooting teams (48%+) and over the past three seasons they are 8-1 ATS vs. great defensive teams (those allowing 42% or less). We like the home dog here.

Texas Tech a completely different team on the road where they have yet to break through. Losses to Sam Houston State and Centenary show cause for concern. Tech is shooting the ball at over 50% in home games, which dilutes a less than ordinary 43% on the road. Three point shooting has been unconscious at home, but a mediocre 32.7% on the road. The boards have been a concern all season, as Tech has a 9+ deficit off the glass on the road. A bigger concern is that they have been pounded with opponents getting easy second-chance points on the offensive glass, where they lost the battle vs Oklahoma 13-1. Texas has gone 36-2 at home last 38, with both losses coming by a single point. Knight's boys haven't shown any signs of life on the road in the Big-12 as they are 6-16 SU last 22, with 11 double-digit losses. Make that twelve today!

Results: 4-3

NCAA Basketball Picks Resources:

• Hop over to our sports betting NCAA basketball here.
• Check out NCAA basketball sports handicapping philosophy here.
• View our ncaa bracket picks here.
• Hop over to our 2007 season NCAA basketball betting preview here.
• Take a look at our college basketball Game-of-Day Analysis here.
• Check out 2007 college basketball pick results here.
• Here we show our march madness brackets.
• View our college basketball ATS standings here.
• Updated today: college basketball blog.
• Take a look at our college basketball predictions here.
• Check out our updated NCAA basketball picks.
• Check out our updated NCAA basketball odds.

Check out the last five NCAA Basketball Picks Newsletters:

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-January-25-2008
Canisius is 3-15 including 1-7 in league play including a 77-49 loss to Siena on Monday. They are 0-9 on the road whre they get 57 points per game on 38.1% shooting. Their road games have seen them lo...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-January-24-2008
Florida International hasn't won on the road in six tries. This team is getting outscored by over 16 ppg away from home. They will be more down than usual after suffering a heartbreak 2-point loss...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-January-23-2008
The Seahawks bring a very balanced attack that features four starters averaging double digits. They are 6-2 at home while Northeastern is just 3-9 on the road. With the Huskies averaging just 63.4 ppg...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-January-22-2008
This certainly is not a vintage Illinois team. They enter with just one road win and a losing record on the season. Even though they haven't put as many in the win column as they would have liked,...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-January-21-2008
You don't see Syracuse absorb too many double-digit losses at home. In the last seven years it has only happened seven times, with the home loss to Villanova on Saturday being the seventh. The fir...