Big East - 2009-2010 Basketball Betting Preview | Sportsbookbuzz.com

Louisville went 22-15 ATS (31-6 SU) last season with a trip to the Elite Eight. Expect the Cardinals to take a small step back with Terence Williams and Earl Clark gone to the NBA.

If Jerome Dyson returns strong from his knee injury, don’t sleep on Connecticut. Bettors are fading the Huskies after the. losses of Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien, and AJ. Price, but there’s plenty of talent in Jim Calhoun’s cupboard.

Pittsburgh lost four starters from last year’s Elite Eight squad, so the Panthers are rebuilding. The question is whether Jamie Dixon can get Pitt up and running faster than public bettors expect.

Villanova is a +275 favorite to win the Big East, and it should be; senior point guard Scottie Reynolds withdrew from the NBA draft to return, The sky’s the limit for Jay Wright and one of the nation’s most talented recruiting classes.

Marquette starts over, with Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews and Dominic James gone. Buzz Williams will build around forward Lazar Hayward, but the Golden Eagles appear to be another year from contending with the big boys.

Syracuse lost three starters, but Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson should be a go-to player right away. For Syracuse to produce at the window, Scoop , Jardine has to run the point with authority after missing most of last year.

At +350 to cash the league outright, West Virginia is priced with the likes of Louisville and UConn. That’s how good the betting public expects this Mountaineers team to be.

Providence was a disappointing 11-18 ATS (19-14 SU) last season. The Friars should be a better bet this season, if only because they’ll face some monster spreads against the league’s elite.

Notre Dame was overvalued last year, going 11-19 ATS (21-15 SU) after many analysts had them making a deep run in the Dance. If Luke Harangody stays healthy, Notre Dame could earn an at-large bid in the Tourney.

Cincinnati returns everyone that matters, and adds the leading scorer in New York State high school basketball history in 6-foot-6 swingman Lance Stephenson. This is the Bearcats’ chance to make their mark.

There’s a mix of players on the floor at Seton Hall, and making it all work is the key to profitability for Pirates backers. Six new faces join the roster, so Bobby Gonzalez has his work cut out for him.

The Hoyas were riding high after defeating Connecticut and Syracuse early last season, but then everything unraveled for John Thompson III -, Bettors felt his pain, as Georgetown was a brutal 9-17 ATS.

St John’s was pedestrian last year, going 16-17 (12- 14-1 ATS). Senior forward Anthony Mason Jr. has to return healthy from his medical redshirt for The Red Storm to succeed.

Dominique Jones is one of the best players in the Big East, but he gets no credit because he plays at South Florida. He’ll have to walk on water once again this year to get the Bulls within a whiff of l0 wins.

Rutgers returns its top scorer (Mike Rosario) and rebounder (Gregory Echenique). The Scarlet Knights also added junior college transfer James Beatty, which was huge after point guard Corey Chandler was kicked off the team.

It wasn’t bad enough DePaul didn’t win a game in conference play last season; it also went a dismal 9-17 ATS (9-24 SU). It’ll be a long season for the Blue Demons, hopefully undervalued by bettors who remember last season.