[mofome]

Xavier (RPI #9, Sagarin #14)
21-4
9-12 ATS
5-3 away
9-1 conf
0/u 10-11
SOS 31

Rhode Island (RPI #27, Sagarin #36)
20-5
12-9-2 ATS
12-0 home
6-4 conf
0/u 14-8
SOS 118





Rhode Island comes in with a nice record, but they only boast one game vs a team ranked in the natios top 50, while Xavier comes in 3-2 vs the top 50 and 1-1 vs the top 25. The game opened at 2.5 but has been knocked 3.5 points towards RI despite the public being on the men from Ohio. Currently you can find 1.5s and 1s at various shops.

Xavier comes into this game having won 12 of 13 since their loss to the Volunteers, but they've only covered in 2 of their last 10. Xavier has managed to pick up wins in each of its last 4 road games, but the last two (charrlotte and st louis) have come by a combined 4 points. The Xmen come in as a well balanced team with an offense and defense each ranking in the top 50 in the country. They defend the perimeter well and knock down 3s at 40% as a team.

Rhode Island is back home after 3 in a row on the road, only one of which was a victory. The Rams lost in OT to temple and by 2 at umass with a 2 point win at Fordham sandwiched in between. The two advantages RI seems to have in this game are in their steals per game and their scoring, but they've posted those numbers vs significantly worse competition so its hard to gage exactly how they compare to Xavier at this point. Again, xavier is a much more tested team at this point, but RI has a couple wins over the big-east and remains undefeated at home.

The big news here is the health of sr pg Drew Lavendar. Lavendar injured his ankle in the teams win over Charlotte and was listed as doubtful for tonight. The Musketeers had been taking care of the ball well up until their last outing when Drew got hurt and they turned the ball over 23 times. I think Xavier is the better team but i think the injury to Lavendar hurts them too much to get the win tonight.

my play:
RI -1

(mofome)

[Glenn Danzig]

Good luck. I'm on Xavier. BTW, your title is misleading your actual pick.

[mofome]

Good luck. I'm on Xavier. BTW, your title is misleading your actual pick.

gl with the play. the title is just the line on the game and the total.

[jjgold]

I am going with MoFo here blindly

[mofome]

I am going with MoFo here blindly

we'll win.

[WestsidePete]

I like URI a lot tonite.... got them on several plays....let's cash it

[Glenn Danzig]

I am going with MoFo here blindly

thanks jjgold. this is my first bet fading you inadvertently.

[mofome]

I like URI a lot tonite.... got them on several plays....let's cash it

that is good news for me.

[mofome]

most places are showing 2s out there now. Lavendar must be out.

hope so.

[mofome]

MO nice write up, although Xavier finds a way to win games late and Im on them. Howcome you post these is players talk? When I was posting my write ups in here, I was hearing all kinds of sh*t. I know you get more views in Players Talk, so what's SBR want? I guess the spotlight is in Players Talk, but still.

no real reason, there are a lot of views in the other forums and these threads can ge bumped down more quickly here, i just post the write up for some game talk and usually the thread will be 'slinked' to the ncaa board. i'll post tomorrows in the ncaa room.

thanks for the feedback, xavier is extremely tough and they could be a sleeper elite 8 kinda team this year, i just think Lavendars injury and the opportunistic nature of the rhode island defense may be enough to get a big home win tonight.

[evilgenius]

i might have found a system to bet off of guys since im trying religiously to make something work...

say the teams away i added up there road win/loss pt differentials...then take the home teams win/loss pt differentials...i did 9 of the past games with the spreads given and it went 7-1-1...i did it for xavier-ri...texas am n texas and loyola rider...

this system says ri should cover, texas should cover, and loyola md should cover...lets see how it goes

[WestsidePete]

more on this game...

Lavender battling ailing ankle
Status still in question
He doesn't know if point guard Drew Lavender will be healthy enough to play Monday at Rhode Island, but Xavier coach Sean Miller knows what kind of court leadership the Musketeers would miss in Lavender's absence.

The 5-foot-7 senior suffered an injury to his left ankle during Wednesday's victory at Charlotte, leaving his status for Monday's game in doubt. It's more than Lavender's 11.7 points and 4.8 assists the No. 12 Musketeers (21-4, 9-1 Atlantic 10) will be without if he's unable to play, Miller said; it is his poise in tense situations that the Musketeers will have to find a way to replace. Lavender's presence has been invaluable, Miller said, as Atlantic 10 games have gotten more competitive in February, which he expects to continue Monday at Rhode Island (20-5, 6-4).

"At the end of the games Drew has been a big factor for what we do," Miller said. "A lot of times, it's Josh (Duncan) that scores or B.J. (Raymond), but the one common thread is that Drew seems to be involved in the play. That's why he's important to what we do. Hopefully his health will keep progressing."

The injury occurred during the first half Wednesday when Lavender was fouled by Charlotte's DiJuan Harris. Lavender, who was already dealing with a slightly injured left thumb, played throughout the rest of the game at a level that Miller described as "50 percent."

Lavender was not made available to the media Saturday, but Miller said he did not expect Lavender to practice before Monday's game other than going over scouting reports on Rhode Island.

"We're lucky we have an extra 48 hours," Miller said. "If we had played today, it would have been hard on him. Hopefully when we get to Monday, he'll feel much better than he feels now. We're trying ... to have a big picture with what we're doing with him, making sure we're doing what's best not just for Monday but for the long haul."

Senior shooting guard Stanley Burrell probably would move over to point guard if Lavender couldn't play, Miller said. Raymond would start at shooting guard, and Dante Jackson would continue to play backup point guard.

"Dante has really emerged on the defensive end recently," Miller said, discussing Jackson's and Adrion Graves' roles. "Both Adrion and Dante are key components to what we're doing. I'd like to continue to play them even more, and out of necessity these next couple weeks, they're going to play more."

[mofome]

Goodluck Mo in your play going to put a little on RI as Xavier screwed me earlier this year haha go RI!!!

ty brotha! gl to us tonight.

[mofome]

i might have found a system to bet off of guys since im trying religiously to make something work...

say the teams away i added up there road win/loss pt differentials...then take the home teams win/loss pt differentials...i did 9 of the past games with the spreads given and it went 7-1-1...i did it for xavier-ri...texas am n texas and loyola rider...

this system says ri should cover, texas should cover, and loyola md should cover...lets see how it goes

thanks for the info and the work. trying to come up with your own systems is one of the more challenging/rewarding parts of handicapping.

[2Pac]

Lavender plays - I'm taking X.

He's out - RI is the play

[WestsidePete]

Lavender plays - I'm taking X.

He's out - RI is the play

even if he plays he won't be 100%...he hasn't practiced since the injury

[mofome]

2s and 1.5s everywhere about 12 minutes till tip.

[WestsidePete]

any news on Lavender??

[mofome]

crazy it was just at RI -1.5 again and went to bet that and it is up at -2 again so got some of that. goodluck tonight lets cash this as well !

it looks like there are a lot of 1.5s out there. im about ready for tip off.

[diogee]

Thanks for the write-up. I am on RI pk. Best of luck and lets cash it

[mofome]

Thanks for the write-up. I am on RI pk. Best of luck and lets cash it

good to see ya Dio! glad we're on the same side here.

[gummo]

I believe X will try to slow it down.

1st half under 70.

[mofome]

I believe X will try to slow it down.

1st half under 70.

ri has played in some lower scoring firsts lately and then pushed it more in the 2nd. i was thinking about a first h under myself.

[mofome]

drew not playing and RI still taking a whoopin. this is like wisc @ minn and marquette @ Cinci. Better team opens as a small road fav and hammers the less talented squad.

[jjgold]

mofo you roosterlicker, now I need Texas in the 1st half -2.5

mofo send me the $20 I put on this game, I am down to $80 the lowest ever in my gambling career.

Mofo paypal me, no way I cannot have action tomorrow if Texas loses.

I will check my paypal account every 4 minutes

[MadCapper]

so far so good.

but you must avod the forum jinx!

[mofome]

mofo you roosterlicker, now I need Texas in the 1st half -2.5

mofo send me the $20 I put on this game, I am down to $80 the lowest ever in my gambling career.

Mofo paypal me, no way I cannot have action tomorrow if Texas loses.

I will check my paypal account every 4 minutes

write ups look to be falling to 12-9




the last box of extra medium condoms i had you ship was missing 3, i'll send you 14 dollars.