Tag: Memphis

Offensive woes doom Vols against Memphis

Offensive woes doom Vols against Memphis.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee’s men’s basketball team had its share of offensive troubles at home against in-state rival Memphis Saturday afternoon.

The Volunteers dropped a 51-47 decision to the Tigers before a capacity crowd at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Tennessee’s top scorers Jordan Bowden and Lamonte Turner were a combined 3-for-21 from the floor for the 19th-ranked Vols (7-2) who blew an early 17-5 lead.

Memphis (9-1), ranked 13th in the country, got the winning basket when Damion Baugh knocked down a 3-point shot to make it 49-47 with 1 minute, 33 seconds remaining in the contest.

Memphis’ Alex Lomax converted a pair of free throws to provide the winning margin with 7.9 seconds to go.

Tyler Harris was a difference maker for the Tigers as he scored 11 points off the bench. D.J. Jeffries also scored 11 points for Memphis, who bounced back from a big early deficit to take a 25-24 lead by halftime. Baugh finished with 10 points.

Tennessee shot 15-for-60 from the floor and was 4-for-26 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Josiah-Jordan James, a freshman, was the lone offensive bright spot for the Big Orange on this day. James scored a career-high 14 points (to lead all scorers in the game) and grabbed five rebounds.

The Vols return to action Wednesday when they travel to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats.

Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.

Memphis at Tennessee odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Memphis Tigers at Tennessee Volunteers sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Memphis Tigers (8-1, 0-0 AAC) travel to meet the Tennessee Volunteers (7-1, 0-0 SEC) in Knoxville Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. We analyze the Memphis-Tennessee odds and betting lines, while providing college basketball betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Memphis at Tennessee: Three things you need to know

1. The Volunteers have posted a 3-7 against the spread mark across their past 10 games at home, while the underdog is 9-3 ATS in the past 12 meetings in this Volunteer State rivalry.

2. The Tigers are still without C James Wiseman for another month, as he remains suspended by the NCAA. To make matters worse, freshman G Lester Quinones (hand) is considered questionable due to a hand injury.

3. Tennessee won 102-92 in the most recent meeting Dec. 15, 2018.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Memphis at Tennessee: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Tennessee 76, Memphis 72

Moneyline (ML)

There was no moneyline posted at the time of publishing. TENNESSEE would be the pick.

Against the Spread (ATS)

MEMPHIS (+6.5, -115) is a good play catching more than three buckets. This is a rivalry game, and even though Wiseman isn’t part of the festivities, Quinones might be back after a three-game absence. Either way, the Tigers should be able to at least keep it close.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Memphis to cover the spread would profit $8.70 if it does so.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 139.5 (-105) is worth a small-unit play. While the Under is 4-1 in Tennessee’s past five overall, the Over is 7-3-1 in its past 11 at home. The Under has also dominated for Memphis, but the Over is 4-1 in its past five against winning teams.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Amway Coaches Poll: Notre Dame Holds Still

Stack resumes and you can easily make the case that Notre Dame is worthy of a top-10, perhaps top-seven spot.

The final regular season Amway Coaches Poll Powered by USA Today is out and if it offers any hint of how the College Playoff Committee will see things, they’ll fall exactly in line with what we thought they’d be last night.

Here is the latest Amway Coaches Poll Powered by USA Today:

1. LSU

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Oklahoma

5. Georgia

6. Oregon

7. Florida

8. Baylor

9. Alabama

10. Utah

11. Wisconsin

12. Penn State

13. Auburn

14. Notre Dame

15. Memphis

16. Minnesota

17. Michigan

18. Boise State

19. Iowa

20. Appalachian State

21. Navy

22. Cincinnati

23. USC

24. Air Force

25. Virginia

Stack resumes and you can easily make the case that Notre Dame is worthy of a top-10, perhaps top-seven spot.

However you could also make a case (not saying it’d be correct) that they could be a few slots lower as well.

Notre Dame Football: Ole Miss Coaching Search Includes Irish Assistant

a Notre Dame assistant has now been linked to an SEC opening.
And it’s not Clark Lea.

We’ve been on the lookout for star Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea as coaching changes have been happening all around college football. The former Vanderbilt fullback won’t return to his alma mater since the Commodores didn’t make a coaching change but a Notre Dame assistant has now been linked to an SEC opening.

And it’s not Clark Lea.

247Sports is reporting that as of Tuesday night that Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long has emerged as a candidate to fill the Ole Miss head coaching vacancy.

Long has been at Notre Dame since 2017 when he took over as offensive coordinator.

Long began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Louisville in 2007 before stays in various positions at Arkansas, Illinois, Arizona State and Memphis.

Long went to Memphis with Mike Norvell in 2016 and spent one season there before headed to South Bend to call Notre Dame’s offense which he has had great success with, helping guide the Irish to now three-straight 10-win seasons.

My initial thought is that yeah, you hate to break-up something that is working but in all honesty – what is Notre Dame’s offensive identity this year?

There is something to be said with being able to get by somewhat on the fly, but it’s hardly a unit that dominates in any one capacity.

My initial thoughts upon reading this are more “Thank goodness it’s not Lea” than it is “Don’t leave, Chip!”

College Football Playoff: Instant Reaction to New Rankings

how in the world can you justify Penn State being eight spots higher?

The answer is that you can’t.

The College Football Playoff rankings came out Tuesday night with a couple of shocks but nothing major in terms of the top-four or where Notre Dame will likely end up because of where they wind up in these latest rankings.

If you haven’t seen the rankings yet, here they are:

Three fast thoughts on them:

Great news for the Big XII:

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Cincinnati at Memphis odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Cincinnati Bearcats at Memphis Tigers college football matchup, with NCAA football betting odds, picks and best bets

The Cincinnati Bearcats (10-1, 7-0 AAC East) battle the Memphis Tigers (10-1, 6-1 AAC West) Friday at the Liberty Bowl at 3:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Cincinnati-Memphis odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Cincinnati is No. 17, while Memphis is No. 18 in the Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA Today Sports. Meanwhile, the Tigers are 18th and the Bearcats 19th in the College Football Playoff Rankings.

Cincinnati at Memphis: Three things you need to know

1. The Bearcats and Tigers square off in what might be a preview of the AAC Championship Game next week if Memphis is able to win Saturday or not fall behind Navy (8-2, 6-1) in the AAC West standings.

2. Memphis ranks 10th nationally with 488.2 total yards per game on offense, while checking in 20th in passing yards (292.0 YPG) and eighth in points per game (42.2 PPG).

3. Cincinnati ranks 35th in rushing defense, yielding 133.7 yards per game. The Bearcats will be tasked with stopping Memphis freshman phenom RB Kenneth Gainwell, who has rolled up 1,294 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Cincinnati at Memphis: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 1:35 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Memphis 44, Cincinnati 30

Moneyline (ML)

Cincinnati (+310) is almost worth a roll of the dice, as the ‘Cats look to keep their New Year’s Day bowl game hopes alive. Playing at the Liberty Bowl is a tough assignment, however. Memphis (-500) is an overwhelming favorite since it’s at home and has yet to clinch a spot in the AAC title game.

New to sports betting? Every $10 wagered that Memphis will win outright will return a profit of $2.00.

Against the Spread (ATS)

MEMPHIS (-10.5, -121) has posted a 4-1 ATS mark across the past five outings, and it’s 19-7-1 ATS in the previous 27 AAC battles. The Tigers are also 5-2 ATS in the past seven against teams with an overall winning mark. Cincinnati (+10.5, +100) is a tempting play, as it has only lost one game this season, a 30-28 setback at Temple. However, it also hasn’t faced a powerful offense like Memphis, yet.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER (57.5, -106) is a great play. Memphis can score points at a video-game pace, and Cincinnati’s defense will have a hard time shutting the Tigers down. Gainwell can house it anytime he touches the ball, and sorry AAC, he is just a freshman. He’ll be around to terrorize conference defenses for a while.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Latest Amway Coaches Poll: Does Notre Dame Move Up?

After a 40-7 drubbing of Boston College on Senior Day, Notre Dame moved to 9-2 on the season with only Stanford remaining next weekend. With only Oregon and Penn State losing ahead of the Irish, was it enough to move them up from the No. 15 spot …

After a 40-7 drubbing of Boston College on Senior Day, Notre Dame moved to 9-2 on the season with only Stanford remaining next weekend.

With only Oregon and Penn State losing ahead of the Irish, was it enough to move them up from the No. 15 spot they sat in last week?  The latest Amway Coaches Poll Powered by USA Today is out and your answer is unfortunately, no.

Latest Amway Coaches Poll:

  1. LSU
  2. Ohio State
  3. Clemson
  4. Georgia
  5. Alabama
  6. Utah
  7. Oklahoma
  8. Florida
  9. Minnesota
  10. Baylor
  11. Michigan
  12. Penn State
  13. Oregon
  14. Wisconsin
  15. Notre Dame
  16. Auburn
  17. Cincinnati
  18. Memphis
  19. Boise State
  20. Iowa
  21. Oklahoma State
  22. Appalachian State
  23. Virginia Tech
  24. Navy
  25. Southern California

What might be the biggest takeaways here for Notre Dame isn’t that they didn’t move from 15, but that Virginia Tech, Navy and Southern California all are now ranked.

If that holds true with the College Football Playoff Committee who releases their rankings Tuesday night, Notre Dame having three wins over top 25 teams may be enough on the resume to lift them from their No. 16 ranking.

 

Notre Dame Bowl Projections: New Years Six Chances Improving?

So what does the blowout victory win and ultimately more importantly, what does this week’s No. 16 ranking matter for where Notre Dame will be headed this post-season?  

No. 16 Notre Dame had one of their best wins of the season last Saturday as they put a beating on previously 23rd ranked Navy and moved to 8-2 in the process.

Notre Dame didn’t move up in the College Football Playoff rankings despite Auburn having their third loss of the season, this one coming on their home field.  As much as it stings Fighting Irish fans, as we discussed earlier this week, the Irish have nobody to blame for that but themselves.

So what does the blowout victory win and ultimately more importantly, what does this week’s No. 16 ranking matter for where Notre Dame will be headed this post-season?

Knowing that last week only one of the eight experts we track had Notre Dame headed to a New Years Six Bowl Game, you may be pleasantly surprised what this weeks projections have for the Irish.

Notre Dame Bowl Projections:

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A Memphis player is blowing up Twitter by wearing short shorts

Meet Lester Quinones and his short shorts.

Who wears short shorts?

Lester Quinones wears short shorts.

The Memphis freshman shooting guard is turning heads with a sartorial choice that’s a throwback to a long-ago era of basketball, and it’s delighting and baffling everyone on Twitter.

It’s not just that the shorts are short. He actually tucks them into compression wear under his uniform. And his explanation is simple.

“It’s just, it’s different. It’s just me,” he told the Memphis Commercial Appeal recently. “It’s just kind of my thing.”

It’s perfect, it’s a great quote, don’t ever change, Lester. We need more short shorts in basketball. Here’s a full look:

(AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht)

Here’s a sampling of the reaction:

[jwplayer tP7WFzRm-q2aasYxh]

Latest CFP Rankings: 10 Thoughts

Georgia is rated over Alabama.  Does anyone in their right mind actually think Georgia is a better football team outside of Athens?

The latest College Football Playoff rankings came out Tuesday night as much drama surrounded how far Alabama would fall after losing at home to LSU, if LSU would jump previously No.1 Ohio State and how far Minnesota would rise after upsetting previously No. 4 Penn State this weekend.

Well, the wait is over and the committee’s new rankings are out and they go as follows:

25. Appalachian State
24. Kansas State
23. Navy
22. Oklahoma State
21. Boise State
20. Iowa
19. Texas
18. Memphis
17. Cincinnati
16. Notre Dame
15. Michigan
14. Wisconsin
13. Baylor
12. Auburn
11. Florida
10. Oklahoma
9. Penn State
8. Minnesota
7. Utah
6. Oregon
5.  Alabama
4. Georgia
3.  Clemson
2.  Ohio State
1.  LSU

My initial ten thoughts immediately upon release:

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