No. 14 Iona Gaels vs. No. 14 BYU Cougars
Tuesday, 3/13/12, 9:10 PM EST, TV: Tru TV
Opening Point Spread: BYU -1
Current Betting Line: BYU -2
Opening Total: 162
Current Total: 162.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Iona will get its chance to make some noise in the NCAA Tournament when it takes on the BYU Cougars in the first round inside UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio. The Gaels are winless in seven trips to the tournament and don’t have a player taller than 6-foot-7 in their starting lineup. Many pundits around the country were puzzled when this squad landed a spot in the field of 68, as it failed to deliver as the No. 1 seed in the MAAC tournament. Iona is 4-2 ATS on a neutral court and the “over” is 4-2 in that situation.
The Gaels will be led by the play of senior point guard Scott Machado, who was named to the Naismith Men’s Basketball Player of the Year Award watch list. Iona was bounced out of its conference tournament by the Fairfield Stags, dropping an 85-75 decision as 4.5-point neutral-site favorites. It was a disappointing result when considering the team had won six straight games before that loss. Total players will find that the Gaels have gone “over” the total in eight of their last 10 games.
BYU extended its streak of receiving tournament bids to six seasons and became one of three West Coast Conference teams to land in the dance. The Cougars were a No. 3 seed in last year’s tournament, but will now have a tougher road to the Final Four in playing this opening-round contest as a No. 14 seed. “It’s a big difference this year,” commented Cougars forward Noah Hartsock. “I remember last year – a lot of expectations not only to win the first game, but to advance deep into the tournament.” BYU is 8-14 ATS on a neutral floor the last two-plus seasons.
The Cougars have tallied a 14-29 record in the NCAA Tournament, as they will play in this event for the ninth time in 12 seasons. BYU is 9-17 in opening round games in NCAA Tournament play. Current head coach Dave Rose has led the program to a 3-5 mark in the tournament. Hartsock is certainly the player to watch offensively, averaging 16.7 points per game and shooting 56.5 percent from the field and 83.9 from the free throw line.
Bettors will likely back the Cougars due to their 4-1 ATS mark as a favorite on a neutral court, while the Gaels are 0-4 ATS versus winning teams.
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