No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers vs. Butler Bulldogs
Saturday, 12/15/12, 2:00 PM EST, TV: CBS
Opening Point Spread: Indiana -12.5
Current Betting Line: Indiana -10.5
Opening Total: 142
Current Total: 142.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Indiana is off to a perfect 9-0 start in the 2012-13 college basketball season, as it comes off a 100-69 victory over Central Connecticut State a week ago. After nine games, the Hoosiers have improved 5.4 points scored, 5.0 fewer points allowed and gained 7.9 rebounds at the same juncture of the season a year ago. The program owns a 37-13 lead in this particular series, including a 75-59 victory as 13.5-point home favorites last year. Indiana is 6-1 ATS as a favorite this season, with the OVER going 3-2 in those contests.
The Hoosiers shot 61.5 percent from the arc in last year’s meeting with the Bulldogs, with four players finishing in double figures in scoring. Sophomore All-American Cody Zeller had a career-best night on the boards last time out, posting 19 points and 19 rebounds. He is averaging a team-best 15.4 points and 8.9 rebounds. Indiana is expected to welcome Hanner Mosquera-Perea and Peter Jurkin to the floor, as the two freshmen completed their NCAA-imposed nine-game suspensions.
Butler will face a team ranked No. 1 for just the fifth time in school history, as it looks to extend its current win streak to four games. “They’re the top-ranked team for a reason, they’re very deep,” stated Bulldogs head coach Brad Stevens. The Bulldogs earned a 74-65 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats as 1.5-point road underdogs last time out, while going OVER the posted total of 127. The program has won five straight games inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, which can’t be ignored when making your college basketball picks against the spread.
The Bulldogs are 9-4 against Big Ten Conference teams under Stevens, which makes them a dangerous underdog when looking over the college basketball odds page. Senior Andrew Smith is the player to watch on the offensive end, averaging 15.0 points per game over the team’s four-game win streak. Rotnei Clark also ranks third in the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring.
Sports bettors will likely back the Bulldogs due to their 20-6 ATS mark on a neutral floor, while the Hoosiers are 6-15-1 ATS in that situation.
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