DePaul Blue Demons at South Florida Bulls, USF Sun Dome, Tampa, FL
Thursday, January 27, 2011, 7:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPNU
Opening Line: South Florida -10.5
Current Line: South Florida -10
Opening Total: 133.5
Current Total: 133
Money Line: South Florida -500 / DePaul +400
The DePaul Blue Demons (6-13, 0-7 Big East) may not get an easier opponent this season to try to break their 20-game conference losing streak against than Thursday night when they visit the South Florida Bulls (7-14, 1-7). Still, the Bulls (-10) are double-digit favorites and will likely have a tougher time when they face the Blue Demons again on the road in a rematch on February 26.
South Florida has dropped nine of its last 10 games following consecutive losses on the road at West Virginia (56-46) and Rutgers (71-62). That two-game skid comes after the Bulls earned their only league win of the season, a 79-72 home victory against Providence on January 16. However, they are 3-1 against the spread in their last four games overall and 4-0 straight-up and ATS in the past four meetings with DePaul. The UNDER has cashed in the past two meetings.
The Blue Demons are riding a seven-game losing streak after winning three in a row against non-conference opponents, two of which are local teams. The decision to join the Big East certainly seems like a poor decision in retrospect, and the road does not get any easier after this game. DePaul hosts #15 Notre Dame next Thursday before visiting #23 Louisville to start a stretch of playing four of the next six games on the road, none of which will be easy.
Three of the last four meetings between the teams have been decided by less than 10 points, with South Florida’s biggest win coming two years ago on the road (80-58). The Blue Demons won the previous six meetings before that, going 5-1 ATS.
DePaul is coming off an 80-50 home loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday, failing to cover for the fourth straight game after going 6-0 ATS in its previous six. The rout by the Panthers was the second consecutive 30-point loss for the Blue Demons and third in a row by 20 points or more.
Meanwhile, the Bulls nearly set a season-low for points against the Mountaineers on Sunday, as only a 50-42 loss at Florida Atlantic on December 4 was worse. They actually outscored West Virginia 30-29 in the second half but made only 1 of 13 shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Augustus Gilchrist scored a game-high 20 points, and no other Bull totaled more than nine. The OVER is 6-1 in South Florida’s last seven games and 8-2 in the past 10.
If you are betting this Big East college basketball game between South Florida & DePaul, make sure to check out the winning basketball picks packages we offer. You can also get free winners on our free NCAA basketball picks page.
