Marquette opens -4.5, already moved to -6

[BGandBLUE]

Just for informational purposes but seems like the early money is jumping on Marquette.

[Bombastic Blue]

This makes me nervous. Those casinos don't pay those BIG light bills by being wrong.

[RP_McMurphy]

Tell that to the Giants.

This makes me nervous. Those casinos don't pay those BIG light bills by being wrong.

[Bombastic Blue]

Tell that to the Giants.

Well, I didn't say they were 100%! But, point taken.

[BGandBLUE]

This makes me nervous. Those casinos don't pay those BIG light bills by being wrong.

The opening line is about what I expected but the fact that it has already jumped to -6 this early means some serious money is going against the Cats.

[DCWildcat]

Try to forget the idea that the Vegas line is meant to be "right" all of the time. The motivation for the books isn't to predict the outcome, it's to find the line that balances the money coming in off both sides, so the money cancels itself out and the book profits from the vigorish.

If the books knew they could get equal money on each side by putting the line as Kentucky -550, they would.

[Buck_Naked]

UK getting 5 or 6 sounds about right to me. Does anybody know how this line compares to the lines for the other #6 vs. #11 games?

[Buck_Naked]

UK getting 5 or 6 sounds about right to me. Does anybody know how this line compares to the lines for the other #6 vs. #11 games?

Never mind...I found it.

#6 Oklahoma is -1.5 vs. St. Joseph
#6 USC is -2.5 vs. Kansas State
#6 Purdue is -2.5 vs. Baylor

[BamaCat86]

Never mind...I found it.

#6 Oklahoma is -1.5 vs. St. Joseph
#6 USC is -2.5 vs. Kansas State
#6 Purdue is -2.5 vs. Baylor


Well....to quote Rashad Carruth, it looks as though we're the "Dawg" of the first round with regards to #6 vs #11 seeds.

[IAM4UK88]

Play to win. That is all.

[Doctor Zhivago]

UK getting 5 or 6 sounds about right to me. Does anybody know how this line compares to the lines for the other #6 vs. #11 games?


I think you're reading it backwards. I think that Marquette -6 means that they expect Marquette to win by 6. Am I wrong on this???

[VirginiaBlue]

Here is a summary of the major books.
Link (http://www.pointspread.com/cobrands/index.php?sport=cbb&page=1&interval=30&cobrand=rivals)

[Matt Dillon]

I think you're reading it backwards. I think that Marquette -6 means that they expect Marquette to win by 6. Am I wrong on this???

That is correct. Buck Naked is correct as well. When a team is the underdog, they get points for betting purposes. It's like adding points to the underdog's final score. If the game was played today and UK lost by between one and five points and you bet on them, you would win your bet. Or, naturally, if UK won you'd win as well.

[billoliver40]

Not really a surprise.
here are some of the reports that get looked at:

UK 18-13 record
Losses to lower ranked teams
Missing leading rebounder/most consistent inside threat
Loss to Georgia in opening game of SEC tourney

Major injuries to two key players

One of the lowest scoring teams in the tourney

One of the worst assist/turnover ratios in the tourney

12-5 in a down year SEC

The money lines in Vegas go by the pure numbers. They don't go on
momentum and emotion....that comes from the bettors and fans.

Line will end up about 3 before it's over.

[CatFanInTheBathtub]

Not really a surprise.
here are some of the reports that get looked at:

UK 18-13 record
Losses to lower ranked teams
Missing leading rebounder/most consistent inside threat
Loss to Georgia in opening game of SEC tourney

Major injuries to two key players

One of the lowest scoring teams in the tourney

One of the worst assist/turnover ratios in the tourney

12-5 in a down year SEC

The money lines in Vegas go by the pure numbers. They don't go on
momentum and emotion....that comes from the bettors and fans.

Line will end up about 3 before it's over.

easy now...we're 18-12.

sec down ??? we got 6 teams in....pretty average for us really.

also, no way the line goes from 6 to 3 in the next 36 hours. fine by me though, I'll take 6, seeing as how we were double-digit dogs at ut (fared pretty well) and dogs when ut and vandy came into Rupp (fared very well).

the one tournament line I'll always remember was the (retch) '92 duke game. they gave us 7 points in that one and we all know what happened.

[Backrate]

I'd probably need 7 or 8 pts to take the cats. But I almost never wager when the cats are playing

[wildcat537]

let me quote the great joe namath and the arrogant chad johnson
"we will win".

[Bombastic Blue]

I'd probably need 7 or 8 pts to take the cats. But I almost never wager when the cats are playing

I hear you. Where the Cats are concerned I tend to bet with my heart, and that is a sucker bet.

[ukwebfan]

I should take the 6 points with the way we've played recently.

[campflatlickky]

I should take the 6 points with the way we've played recently.

UK wins 67-63 over Marquette. Crystal ball never lies.

[poodoo]

One of the worst assist/turnover ratios in the tourney QUOTE
*********

I'm not a betting woman. Yet, I want to respond that I think that area is the KEY to the game for UK (and any team's three-point percentage shooting is often a factor, of course). UK simply MUST take better care of the ball. Unfortunately, Marquette leads the Big East in having NINE steals a game, while forcing opponents to have SEVENTEEN turnovers. We must NOT have a bad assist-to-turnover ratio Thursday.