No. 8 Connecticut Huskies at Seton Hall Pirates
Tuesday, 1/3/12, 7:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN3
Opening Point Spread: Connecticut -2
Current Betting Line: Connecticut -3
Opening Total: 135
Current Total: 135.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Connecticut is set to take on Seton Hall on Tuesday night inside the Prudential Center and is coming off an 83-69 win over the St. John’s Red Storm as 13.5-point home favorites. The Huskies have won seven games in a row, but have covered the spread just once in their last three affairs. Head coach Jim Calhoun will not be on the sidelines, serving the final game of a three-game suspension due to compliance violations. “We definitely want to get 3-0 for him and for ourselves,” stated Huskies guard Jeremy Lamb. Connecticut is 0-4 ATS as a road favorite of three or less points the last two-plus seasons.
The Huskies are 2-0 in Big East Conference play for the first time since the 2003-04 season, as four players are averaging double-figures in scoring. Lamb leads the group in scoring 18.9 points per game, topping the 20-point mark in five games this season. Connecticut has taken care of business on the road in conference play since the 1989-90 campaign, posting a 114-76 record when playing away from Storrs.
Seton Hall won for the ninth time in 10 games with a convincing 67-48 win over West Virginia as one-point home favorites, which was a nice bounce back effort after suffering a 75-49 blowout loss to the Syracuse Orange. “I said after the Syracuse game that this was a must-win and that we were going to get it,” stated Pirates senior guard Jordan Theodore. He is the second-leading scorer on the squad, averaging 15.8 points per game, which is just behind senior forward Herb Pope’s 18.6 points per game. Seton Hall is 5-1 ATS as a home underdog of three points or less.
The Pirates played incredible defense against the Mountaineers last time out, holding them to 32.1 percent shooting from the floor, while forcing 17 turnovers. Seton Hall has registered a perfect 8-0 record inside tonight’s venue during the 2011-12 campaign thus far, matching its entire home win total from a season ago. Last year, the program tallied a 2-8 mark against ranked opponents, while going 67-220 all-time when taking on such teams.
Bettors will likely back the Pirates due to their 6-1 ATS mark as an underdog of 6.5 points or less, while the Huskies are 2-5 ATS as a road favorite in the same point range.
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