http://www.sportsinfo.com/content.aspx?modulename=blog The GM's BLOG Al DeMarco's Wagering World Wednesday, March 10 Available weekdays by 2:00 P.M. Eastern Weekends by 11:00 A.M. Eastern Mean Green a Dollar Deliverer: Nobody is going to mistake North Texas for a contender when the doors open to the Big Dance next week. In fact, the squad will probably get a pretty rough first-round matchup and make a hasty exit. But you should think twice before betting against the Mean Green to cover the number. Why? Well, because they now own the best record in the country against the spread. On Tuesday night, the second-seeded Meanies went off as a 1-point chalk against top-seeded Troy in the Sun Belt tournament title game, and held on to win straight-up (SU) and against the spread (ATS), 66-63. North Texas is now 17-6-2 ATS on the year, covering the number at a hefty 73.9 percent clip. And the Mean Green’s ATS success doesn’t end there, as they are on further pointspread runs of 7-0 against winning teams, 6-1-1 after either a SU or an ATS win and 18-5 on neutral courts --- all numbers worth noting heading into the Tourney. And here’s something else to chew on: North Texas has won 11 in a row SU and 15 of 17 overall (12-3-1 ATS). College Basketball Fast Break: Sticking with college hoops, let’s check some numbers on a handful of today’s conference tournament clashes: · Big East and Atlantic-10 dogs went 3-1 ATS in opening-round action on Tuesday with two pups, U.Mass and St. John’s, winning outright. · Notre Dame has cashed in five straight games (4-1 SU, all in the Big East) and is on additional ATS stretches of 4-0 after either a SU or an ATS win and 5-0 against winning teams. That said, the Irish have gone 2-5 ATS in their last seven at neutral sites, with Seton Hall up today in the Big East tourney at Madison Square Garden . · The Hall is on a plethora of pointspread purges, including 6-15 overall, 6-14 in the Big East, 5-13 against winning teams, 2-9 after a SU win and 7-20 on neutral courts. · The Irish are 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS in their last seven against the Pirates, and the underdog is on a 7-1 ATS run in the Notre Dame-Seton Hall rivalry. · Staying in the Big East, Louisville is 47-23-2 ATS in its last 72 conference contests, but also shoulders negative ATS streaks of 5-11 overall, 1-9 after a pointspread win and 0-6 after a SU victory, with Cincinnati up next. · The Bearcats, among the worst spread-covering teams in the nation, are on ATS plunges of 7-23 overall, 5-21 in the Big East, 7-20 against winning teams and 3-9 after a SU win. · Marquette, meeting St. John’s, is 4-1 SU and ATS in its last five road games, on of which was a 63-61 overtime win at the Garden against the Red Storm on February 24 when the Golden Eagles were laying 1.5 points. They’re on runs of 9-2 SU and 8-3 ATS entering today’s rematch. · St. John’s has dropped 10 in a row SU versus Marquette, including a 74-45 decision in the second round of last year’s conference tournament. · Oklahoma State, facing Oklahoma in the Big 12 tourney in Kansas City, sports positive ATS streaks of 25-10-1 overall, 21-8-2 on neutral courts, 18-7-1 after a SU win and 16-7 after a spread-cover. · The Sooners are in ATS funks of 3-9 overall (all in the Big 12), 1-4 at neutral sites and 3-8 against winning teams. They’ve lost eight in a row straight-up, seven of those being played minus the services of leading scorer Willie Warren (16 ppg), who is out for the year with an ankle injury. · Texas has cashed in five straight neutral-site starts (3-0 SU and ATS this year), but the Longhorns are on ...2009-08-28T18:00:00http://www.sportsinfo.com/content.aspx?modulename=blog