Serious question: Are you LaSalle backers betting that way because you dislike Marshall Henderson?
You sure this is a serious question? I gamble heavy on many sports and whether I like or dislike a player has never had any bearing. Hell I bet on Ohio State and Texas all the time, I hate those schools with all my heart. LaSalle has as many or more quality wins than Ole Miss, is red hot in the tourney, has the higher RPI and they played in a better conference. Is that enough? Also I hate Marshall Henderson....
From a handicapping perspective, I can't find any reason to back that side. I'm sure I'm missing something, though. We'll see...
This is bothering me now. Curious to know how you handicapped this, to me LaSalle had all the metrics on their side as a 4.5 point dog.
Very even game so far, LaSalle is playing very smart basketball. They have to, to be in this. Very good job against the zone, and a little ahead on the foul game, which played into their favor in the 1st half. Ole Miss is a solid halftime adjustment Team, so we'll see what they cook up. I've always acknowledged Galloway as a talent, but Garland is playing out of his mind. Will be interesting to see if they can keep it up in the 2nd half.Sure, I'll give you an answer. Metrics. Big word, Doctor.
You're side is playing a much more competitive game than I anticipated.
Ole' Miss is 7th in the nation in scoring, and 19th in rebounding - despite doing a great job of cleaning both offensive and defensive glass, they have guard play that provides balance to a powerful inside game on both ends of the floor. Jarvis Summers is a solid, if under-rated PG from an efficiency standpoint, and Nick Williams is a smart, experienced complimentary player. Ladarius White has come on of late to give them a quality 6th man. Buckner and Holloway are not limited bigs, they are athletic and capable of handling the ball either facing or away from the basket, and they are the perfect foil for Marshall Henderson's style of play. His streakiness from the outside is maddening, but it seems that the bigger the stage, the better the play from him. A large # of Henderson's misses from the outside are actually rebounded by Buckner and Holloway, and scored as putbacks inside the paint. Offensive Rebounds, field goal percentage, second chance points and points in the paint very heavily statistically influence the outcome of a game.
LaSalle is indeed feeling it in the Tournament, and that counts for something. However, prior to entering the Dance they were destroyed @ St. Louis, before being beaten soundly by Butler in their only game in the A-10 Tourney. While the SEC as a conference was down this year, over the last half of Conference play, it improved dramatically. Ole' Miss, meanwhile beat bubble-buddy Alabama, won @ LSU when LSU was playing their best basketball of the season, then, in the Tournament, beat Missouri, a hot Vanderbilt team (in Tennessee, in front of a dramatically partisan crowd), and Florida, after which they stymied Wisconsin. Who's hotter? LaSalle is playing their 3rd game in 5 days, and had to travel from Dayton to Kansas City between games 1 & 3. Exhausting, especially in the 3rd day chasing a guy like Henderson all over the court. The statistical probability of any Team continuing to win under that scenario is slim at best. They play an unorthodox style featuring 4 guards and a center, and their best big man was done for the year going into the A-10 tournament. His stand-in has played over his head, and the statistical probability of that continuing, especially against the special bigs of Ole Miss is again, slim. Ole' Miss recruits from a stronger base and demographic, and has more depth and athletes on it's roster from top to bottom. More veteran experience, too. The teams are very even. LaSalle might have a slight edge outside, but Ole' Miss' edge inside is tremendous. From a geographical standpoint, and an alumni base and travelling reputation standpoint, this is more of a home game for Ole' Miss, and being that it's a 12 vs a 13, it's not like there's a tremendous 'darling' factor at play.
I never saw 4.5, only 4, but 4 is basically just asking a Team to win. Straight up on a neutral court, given the scenario, it seems solid to me.
Not like I bet the farm, like I did with Kansas, only 1u, but you asked.
ETA: this is all joking on my end, i don't know much about either. i do know the clip of the unc kid in the crowd crying from today is wonderful. if the kid didn't have a ton of money on the game, there is zero excuse for that
touche. nicely done
Penguins still suck 
on Kansas.
What am I missing here? I expected them to be about -240. Nobody is beating that team.
