Valparaiso Crusaders at Arizona Wildcats
Monday, 11/7/11, 9:00 PM EST, TV: ESPNU
Opening Point Spread: Arizona -12
Current Betting Line: Arizona -13.5
Opening Total: 141
Current Total: 136.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Valparaiso opens the Bryce Drew era on the road against Arizona and the last meeting between the two schools came on Dec. 30, 2001, dropping a 74-70 decision in the championship game of the Fiesta Bowl Classic as 12.5-point underdogs. Drew is the fourth head coach to run the sidelines in the last 31 years for the program, spending six seasons as a member of the coaching staff. The program returns two starters and will be aiming to replace three of its top four starters from the 2010-11 campaign. Valparaiso is 20-12 ATS as an underdog the last two seasons, while the ‘over’ is 20-9 in those contests.
The Crusaders lost a ton of their production from a year ago, losing 60.5 percent of their scoring and more than 40 percent of their rebounding, assists and steals. Valparaiso still has eight letterwinners returning, while only nine scholarship players will be available. The team was picked to finish in fifth place in the Horizon League preseason poll. Junior Ryan Broekhoff returns as the leading scorer, averaging 10.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game last year.
Arizona is expected to play three games in its opening week of action, hosting a contest Monday night in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. The Wildcats will be relying on four freshmen to make immediate contributions, coming off a 30-8 campaign that saw the team reach the NCAA tournament regional finals. “These freshmen are going to be good – real good,” commented Wildcats senior Kyle Fogg. “They’re going to be able to contribute right away.” The program is 8-1 all-time against schools that currently reside in the Horizon League. Arizona is 9-1 ATS in November the last two-plus seasons.
The Wildcats have enjoyed great success in season openers, tallying an 83-21 mark, including 64-12 when playing at home. Since his arrival in Tucson three seasons ago, head coach Sean Miller has helped the team continue its win streak in the first game, which comes in at nine Monday night. Miller has also never lost a season opener in his seven-year career. The Wildcats have also won 19 consecutive home games at McKale Center, which is tied for the seventh longest active homecourt streak in the nation. In this year’s preseason media poll, Arizona was picked to finish third in the Pac-12 Conference race.
Bettors will likely back the Crusaders due to their 8-2 ATS mark as an underdog of 13 or more points, while the Wildcats are 0-4 ATS when favored by more than 13 points.
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