2007-08 College Basketball Betting Preview

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College Basketball Betting Preview: Hollywood Love

Trust your own judgment when betting on the 2007 NBA Finals

Nov 13th, 2007

By Adrian Brijbassi
Bodog Nation Contributing Writer

How could the rivalry between Greg Oden and Kevin Durant be topped?

By not only having the top two freshmen in college basketball play in the same conference, but in the same city. Throw in the fact that the city is Los Angeles and the two players' last names have headline writers reveling in puns, and you can see that the NCAA already possesses a bankable storyline for the next five months.

Kevin Love and O.J. Mayo would be living the pro-jock life if not for the rule that was adopted prior to the 2006 NBA draft that demands American high school players attend college for at least one year. Instead, the two phenoms have gone Hollywood, becoming the most talked about hoopsters in L.A. not named Kobe.

Love, a 6-foot-10-inch, 270-pound center, scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in No. 2 UCLA's season-opening rout of Portland State on Friday. His performance already has Bruins fans wondering about how they might rearrange the Pauley Pavilion banners to make room for the school’s 12th NCAA men's basketball title. UCLA's national championship odds are 7/1. Only top-ranked North Carolina (5/1) has higher expectations.

Love hit a three-pointer, showed off his passing skills with quick outlets to fast-breaking teammates and got Ben Howland, the Bruins' defensive-minded coach, talking offense.

"We're more efficient. Kevin will draw the double team, and he will make how we play offense different," said Howland, who is aiming for a third straight Final Four appearance. "UCLA will have the inside presence that we lacked the last two years."

Meanwhile, Mayo set a record in his first game for USC on Saturday. He netted 32 points, shattering the mark for a debut by a Trojan. But Mayo, a fast and strong 6-foot-5-inch shooting guard, was also ridiculed for his inconsistent play as the 18th-ranked Trojans – favored by 18 against the point spread - were stunned by Mercer, 96-81. Still, Mayo is expected to lead USC into the NCAA Tournament and perhaps get the school beyond the Sweet 16 round, which it reached last year. USC entered the season with college basketball odds of 18/1 to take the crown.

As Love and Mayo embark on what's sure to be one of the most memorable rivalries in the history of the Pac-10, here's a look at NCAA bets to make, trends to watch and early Final Four predictions:

Three college basketball bets to make for 2007-08

1. Bet on UCLA to win it all.

As Howland says, Love gives the Bruins the inside force they've missed on offense. If the early reviews are any indication, he may not only be the best freshman in the country but possibly the top player.

2. Bet on Duke to bounce back.

The Blue Devils finished 8-8 in the ACC last year and were bounced in the first round of the March Madness tournament by Virginia Commonwealth. They'll be better. Mike Krzyzewski recruited three McDonald's All-Americans, including Kyle Singler, who led the 13th-ranked Blue Devils in preseason scoring.

3. Bet on Syracuse to get into the draw.

The Orange were one of the big-name teams whose bubble burst on Selection Sunday. The last time that happened, Jim Boeheim followed up by bringing in a kid named Carmelo Anthony and winning a national championship. He's got two prized recruits in Johnny Flynn and Donte Green this time. I'm not saying that's going to happen again, but with long NCAA championship odds of 30/1, the Orange are a futures bet worth considering.

Three trends to watch in college hoops

1. The continuing shift of power to the west.

With Love and Mayo, the Pac-10 is without question the nation's premiere conference. The league opened the season with more teams (six) in the Top 25 than any of its counterparts. Despite USC's early upset, the Pac-10 remains a powerhouse because of teams like Washington State, Oregon and Stanford, which returns all of its starters from last season's NCAA Tournament squad.

2. Memphis blues.

Members of John Calipari's Tigers are already in trouble with the law, which is too bad. They're probably more talented than North Carolina and quicker than just about every team in the country. Chris Douglas-Roberts is a Dwyane Wade-type scorer, and Derrick Rose is the program's best point guard since Penny Hardaway. Somehow, though, I don't think the nation's third-ranked team can keep itself from coming unglued, which means another season without a Final Four appearance.

3. Who won again last year?

Billy Donovan chose to stay at Florida. Let's see how long it takes before he regrets that move. The Gators were gutted by the NBA draft after their dominating run to a second straight title. Donovan turned down the opportunity to leave, and while that's admirable, it's also going to be a headache as the program becomes an afterthought on the national scene. The Gators are unranked and downgraded to 100/1 odds for a threepeat.

Final Four predictions

Yeah, without an NCAA Tournament bracket this doesn't mean much, but what the heck. In the semifinals, UCLA over Marquette and Duke over Michigan State, and in the finals, the Bruins beat the Blue Devils at the Alamodome.

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