[Go For It]

Current Hoops Record is 1-1 ATS

Most likely I won't start playing games on the regular until Feb 4th (likely scenario), but I am going with a team tonight. Tonight, I like Virginia -2.5.
As some of you may recall I said I don't like laying points in rivalry games last week. However, the line here is only 2.5 and it went down from 4 which is a big difference IMO. Some may say "it's only 1.5", but I think that is the difference between playing Virginia and not playing them. Thus, I think we have line value now. Virginia Tech has a flashy 15-3 record, but no win really stands out to me. Maybe Seton Hall? or Miami? We found out the Canes were overrated. Boston College? Average. Their two ACC road games they lost and that was at North Carolina and at Florida State. I believe Virginia is on that same level believe it or not. Virginia took down a ranked UAB team in Charlottesville and also a ranked Georgia Tech. Furthermore, they have a great coach in Tony Bennett (no, not the singer) who is in his first year and who is someone I consider underrated. He led Washington State to back-to-back 26 wins seasons a few years ago, which tied a school-record for wins in two straight years. Furthermore, Virginia is 6-1 SU against Virginia Tech in games played at Virginia over the last decade. Virginia also makes an amazing 40% from 3-Point land and Va. Tech is supposed to be good at defense, but Virginia has too many weapons from three so they can't focus on one guy. Even more important is that they shoot threes patiently and don't force them up there. The attempts aren't super high for a team with a great FG% from 3 which is typical of a Tony Bennett coached team.Virginia is also 10-1 SU at Home and if they game is close at the end they have great FT shooters to finish Virginia Tech off if they are in that position. Virginia has a chance to tie Maryland for first-place with a win tonight and I hope that they get it done and win by 3 or more.
TAKE VIRGINIA -2.5

[Go For It]

Here is an article I just found on Virginia after I already played it.

Virginia proves to be perfect fit for Tony Bennett
Former Washington State coach Tony Bennett has found success in first season at Virginia.


Bud Withers

Seattle Times colleges reporter

PREV of NEXT


ANDREW SHURTLEFF / AP

Virginia head coach Tony Bennett has his team at 12-5, 3-1 in the ACC, although they've yet to play powerhouses Duke and North Carolina this season.
Got to admit, I was as floored as anybody when Tony Bennett abruptly left his Washington State basketball job last March. You get conditioned, and Bennett had already turned down $2 million annually to go to Indiana, plus jobs like Marquette and LSU.

Unlike a lot of people, though, I came to believe his destination, Virginia, made perfect sense. He likes the image of a strong academic tradition. He likes to be the underdog, and the ACC is the league North Carolina and Duke call home.

Some people said the disciplined, controlled style was a bad fit for the jet-fueled ACC. Precisely the contrary. It's what helped make the Bennetts successful at WSU, and Ben Howland at UCLA and Herb Sendek at Arizona State.

BennettBall is still in its infancy in Charlottesville, but entering Thursday night's game against Virginia Tech, the locals have to be pleased. Virginia is 12-5, 3-1 in the ACC, and Bennett's impact is palpable.

"We're like most teams," Bennett demurred in an interview with The Times the other day. "If you're not locked in, you become pretty mediocre."

So far, so good. The Cavaliers fired Dave Leitao last March after a 10-18 season, and some of the contrasting numbers are striking. A year ago, Virginia had an assist-turnover ratio of 0.84. Now it's a robust 1.34. Virginia was a bad-shooting team in 2008-09, hitting .316 on threes. Under Bennett, the NCAA's most accurate career three-point shooter, they're at .401.

"His guys are playing hard, and they play under control," North Carolina State coach Sidney Lowe said earlier this week, recalling Virginia's recent victory in Raleigh. "They understand who they are. They allow the guys that should have the ball in their hands to do their thing."

Usually, that's slashing sophomore guard Sylven Landesburg, a 6-foot-6 New Yorker averaging 17.5 points.

"We're just really trying to challenge him to be as complete a player as he can be," Bennett said.

Virginia hasn't played Duke or North Carolina yet, but Bennett says there's a persistent buzz for basketball in the ACC, which the Sagarin ratings have as the top league in the nation.

"Just the following, the proximity, the attention," Bennett said. "Those things are noticeable."

Proximity to recruits was another lure for Bennett, although Virginia roamed far for what Scout.com ranks as the nation's 14th-best incoming class next fall. It includes a 6-5 guard from Chelan, Joe Harris, whom Bennett's staff had recruited while at WSU, and highly touted Southern California forward James Johnson.



Referring to the departure from WSU, Bennett said, "I wasn't planning on going. Had I not felt good about the foundation that was left, it would have been even harder. I felt there's some tradition, or things that were started, that hopefully can be (built upon)."

[jimmyshivers]

Go..Big Tony Bennett fan myself, the problem that I have here with UVA is that the schedule has been loaded with teams that haven't pushed them athletically; either because they didn't have the talent or it wasn't their M.O. I think VT provides big match up difficulties here tonight, but BOL man. Hate to be against you on this one..

[Go For It]

0-1 ATS for the day and now 1-2 ATS YTD after Virginia falls in overtime after blowing a 10 point lead with 3 minutes left. All I can do is get my teams in a great position to cover and that was the case here. My one win (Arizona +11) beat the line by 30 points. My two losses have been heartbreakers. Alabama was up 7 then lost by 1 at -1.5. Virginia was up 10 with 3 minutes left only to lose in overtime. However, there are no moral covers in sports betting. You just gotta forget about it and move on and hope the luck evens out in the end which it usually does over the entire year. I'll be back Feb 4th or Feb 6th with either a 3 game, 5 game, or 7 game card for the day. It will be a big card depending on what I see. It will NOT be 1 game. Minimum 3 games since there will be lots of stuff kicking in.


Here are my System Updates

Valle Escondido System is 53-26 ATS the last 3 years and is
6-3 ATS this year

Sigiloso System is now 7-4 ATS this year after Virginia didn't cover

SSR (Same-Season Revenge) Systems are 0-0 ATS and start in February
Last year it was 25-6 ATS, too bad I discovered it a year late, I don't know how it will do this year, I will say it has highly unique paramters so I seriously doubt anyone has it, maybe same base parameters, but unique tighteners

Bracket-Buster System is 13-2 ATS over the last several years

My LHG System (Last Home Game System) is pretty unique too and this will be the first year I do it, although there are some base parameters that is good historically in LHG's

Obivously, my bread-and-butter are my Conference Tournament Systems where I was 24-15 ATS here last year in those games and I've been around 60% for 4 years straight in that sector and I'll try to do it again. I currently have 15 systems that apply to conference tournaments only.

Then I have 3 Systems that apply to the Big Dance

08-09----I was 74-65 ATS (24-15 ATS in Conf. Tournament Games) I was exactly even on all other games (although there was a big parlay in there along with 3 teasers at +140), thus I put in new stuff this year to improve on that area, obviously, I won't change nothing for conference tournament games

Back either Feb 4th or Feb 6th for a minimum 3 game card and hopefully a 7 game card, probably settle then on 5 LOL

BOL to all.