The Virginia Cavaliers continue to lead all teams with a 16-3 record to the ’under.’
If you're a fan of Big East basketball, you know there is plenty to be thrilled about with your conference. There are going to be at least seven, and perhaps as many as 10 teams from the league, in the NCAA Tournament, including perhaps the tournament's top overall seed, the Syracuse Orange.
However, there is another distinction that the Big East carries this year. This is a conference that boasts a ton of teams that are big time winners for 'over' bettors.
The Villanova Wildcats played 11 straight games past the total until last week's 74-72 win over the Providence Friars. In that stretch, they had scored at least 70 points in nine of the 11 games, and allowed at least 70 in all 11. The Wildcats are 16-5 for 'over' bettors this year, one of the top marks in the entire country.
Villanova isn't nearly alone in the Big East, though. The Marquette Golden Eagles are 14-9-1 towards the 'over,' while the West Virginia Mountaineers are 16-5 in favor of high scoring games as well. Both teams are using their offense to win games in conference play, and the two teams are going to meet up for their one and only scheduled meeting in Morgantown a week from Friday.
While Marquette and West Virginia are setting up for more 'over' games on the horizon, Villanova might be a different story. The next two teams on tap for the 'Cats are the South Florida Bulls and Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and they have the two best 'under' records in the league at 15-7 and 14-5-2 respectively.
The team with the most 'overs' in the country is the Denver Pioneers. Denver has played five straight games in the Sun Belt past the total, and will put its 18-6 'over' mark on the line in the last three games of the regular season, all of which will be played at home. In the altitude of Magness Arena, the Pioneers are 9-3 'over' this year.
The Washington Huskies started off the season with a flurry of 'overs,' but since Pac-12 play started, they have had nothing but 'unders' to speak of. In fact, they have had 10 'unders' in a row dating back to January 7.
Next on tap is a game against the Arizona State Sun Devils, who have played four straight 'under' contests and are 15-9 to the low side of totals for the campaign.
Of all of the teams in the country though, the one with the best record for either side of totals is the Virginia Cavaliers. The Cavaliers are a whopping 16-3 'under' for the season, 8-2 that direction in ACC action.
Virginia has the No. 2 ranked defense in the nation, allowing just 51.9 PPG, and it should really be no surprise considering the fact that head coach Tony Bennett was known for his low scoring affairs in his past job with the Washington State Cougars.
The only potential snag for 'under' bettors is that Virginia's next game is against the Clemson Tigers at Littlejohn Coliseum. The Tigers have one of the best 'over' marks among ACC squads at 11-8, and are one of just two teams in the ACC that have forced the Cavaliers into an 'over' contest this year.
The Boston College Eagles are the only other ACC team to do that, and they sit 13-6 to the 'under' for the 2011-12 schedule. Boston College's 8-1 record for 'under' bettors in its first nine conference games went out the window with these last two though, as games against the Florida State Seminoles and Virginia Tech Hokies both went past the total.