Wow, Duke is an underdog tonight

[ORRange]

at Virginia. No one is safe on the road this year. If I would have told you on New Years Day that Duke would be # 3 in the country and playing an unranked Va. team and not be a favorite you'd have laughed me off the board. Or that TCU or Penn St., well it's anybody's title to win.

 

[UnderHisOwnPower]

at Virginia. No one is safe on the road this year. If I would have told you on New Years Day that Duke would be # 3 in the country and playing an unranked Va. team and not be a favorite you'd have laughed me off the board. Or that TCU or Penn St., well it's anybody title to win.

then they get to head back home and face Miami for that rematch Sat night, that's a quick turnaround. The dookies could suffer a losing streak that knocks them all the way down to #6

 

[ORRange]

then they get to head back home and face Miami for that rematch Sat night, that's a quick turnaround. The dookies could suffer a losing streak that knocks them all the way down to #6

Very funny.

 

[RichmondCuse]

at Virginia. No one is safe on the road this year. If I would have told you on New Years Day that Duke would be # 3 in the country and playing an unranked Va. team and not be a favorite you'd have laughed me off the board. Or that TCU or Penn St., well it's anybody's title to win.

It's a classic "system game" that used to be discussed on this forum years ago. Unranked team at home favored over a ranked team - you're supposed to take the home team.

Also, UVA is good.

 

[Marsh01]

It's a classic "system game" that used to be discussed on this forum years ago. Unranked team at home favored over a ranked team - you're supposed to take the home team.

Also, UVA is good.

UVA is very good at home and will give Duke a good game tonight.

 

[ORRange]

It's a classic "system game" that used to be discussed on this forum years ago. Unranked team at home favored over a ranked team - you're supposed to take the home team.

Also, UVA is good.

You're correct on all points, but in the last week of February you could find very few examples of a top five team as a dog in this spot. Awfully late in the year for that, but it just goes to show how the top five teams have not distanced themselves from the pack this year.

 

[Knicks411]

It's also worth pointing out that UVA ranks really really well in the Sagarin/Pomeroy ratings. 16th in Pomeroy, 27th with Sagarin; if you average the two they are right around 20th. Would be much less surprising if UVA was ranked 20th and a slight favorite.

 

[ClamOtto]

Is it my imagination or has home court advantage become much bigger than in the past? Research shows that, across all sports, officiating is the major cause of home field advantage. Given how spotty and inconsistent the officiating seems to be in the NCAA, I wonder if home teams are gaining an even bigger advantage. Anyone have any data on trends in home court advantage?

 

[RichmondCuse]

Is it my imagination or has home court advantage become much bigger than in the past? Research shows that, across all sports, officiating is the major cause of home field advantage. Given how spotty and inconsistent the officiating seems to be in the NCAA, I wonder if home teams are gaining an even bigger advantage. Anyone have any data on trends in home court advantage?

I don't have any data, but I've always thought that home field (court) advantage mattered more in college hoops than in any other sport.

 

[Easy Goer]

I don't have any data, but I've always thought that home field (court) advantage mattered more in college hoops than in any other sport.

I would disagree with this (dont' have data either) because in some sports there is an actual advantage set forth in the rules for the home team. Baseball you get to bat last and in hockey you get to set your lines after the visiting team.

Then add in the Interleague play rules for baseball with the DH and it's even more of a home field advantage.

 

[RichmondCuse]

I would disagree with this (dont' have data either) because in some sports there is an actual advantage set forth in the rules for the home team. Baseball you get to bat last and in hockey you get to set your lines after the visiting team.

Then add in the Interleague play rules for baseball with the DH and it's even more of a home field advantage.

Not to really get off topic, but how is batting last really an advantage? You get 9 opportunities to score more runs than your opponent.

 

[Knicks411]

Not to really get off topic, but how is batting last really an advantage? You get 9 opportunities to score more runs than your opponent.

it can be a small advantage because you could know you only need to play for one run in the bottom of the 9th if the game is tied.

In general though, I think MLB has one of the smallest home field advantages.

 

[Easy Goer]

I get what you're saying that each team has an equal number of opportunities, but usually knowing what you need to do to win is an advantage. As Knicks said, you can play situations differently depending on the score.

 

[RichmondCuse]

I get what you're saying that each team has an equal number of opportunities, but usually knowing what you need to do to win is an advantage. As Knicks said, you can play situations differently depending on the score.

I think whatever that advantage is, it is so small it's immeasurable. But really, that's what we're talking about - "intangibles" that lend to a home field advantage. So overall, I think my point was just that I always though college hoops presented more of these intangible factors than the other sports. Whatever "real" advantages exist in baseball I think are probably more than offset by the fact that I think the crowd has an absolute zero effect on that sport, vs. in hoops where I think a rowdy crowd in a loud arena can have a real effect on teenage kids.

 

[Easy Goer]

I think whatever that advantage is, it is so small it's immeasurable. But really, that's what we're talking about - "intangibles" that lend to a home field advantage. So overall, I think my point was just that I always though college hoops presented more of these intangible factors than the other sports. Whatever "real" advantages exist in baseball I think are probably more than offset by the fact that I think the crowd has an absolute zero effect on that sport, vs. in hoops where I think a rowdy crowd in a loud arena can have a real effect on teenage kids.

Yeah, I agree with you there and I was taking it in a bit of a different direction.

Guess to some degree I was just trying to point out that there are some sports where the "rules" are different if you're the home team or the visiting team. But as you, and I think Knicks were getting at, the fans aren't much of a factor in baseball.

I do think the hockey advantage is more impactful than the baseball advantage, and actually pretty significant. Not the point here though.

 

[Knicks411]

http://www.sbnation.com/2011/1/19/1940438/home-field-advantage-sports-stats-data

 

[Easy Goer]

http://www.sbnation.com/2011/1/19/1940438/home-field-advantage-sports-stats-data

Interesting article. Plus it proves my point on the importance in hockey!

I found this interesting as well:
"The Pacers, in particular, surprise me. They rank in the bottom five in attendance, but are tied for the second-best home-court advantage? Of course, these numbers reflect a team's ineptitude on the road just as much as they reflect its home success."

 

[kirbivore]

It's a classic "system game" that used to be discussed on this forum years ago. Unranked team at home favored over a ranked team - you're supposed to take the home team.

Also, UVA is good.

so you pulling the trigger on the hoos?

 

[ORRange]

so you pulling the trigger on the hoos?[/quote

I am, even though you didn't ask me

 

[RichmondCuse]

so you pulling the trigger on the hoos?

Not only for tonight, but I may consider a very small wager on them to win the whole thing. As stated above, they are a Top 20 team in Pomeroy ratings, and in a year like this where ANYTHING could happen, I think they're the best true long-shot odds out there at 250-1. Sure, probably won't happen, but it's worth a lotto ticket I think.

 

[jimsonjunction]

Interesting discussion. I would tend to agree that home-field has the biggest advantage in college hoops (crazy fans, drunk kids close to the action, small arenas, players who are susceptible to intimidation or nervousness, etc.). Unfortunately, the postseason isn't played at anyone's home. It would be cool to have the finals be a home and home and then a neutral if the two teams split.

I think baseball is definitely an outlier though. It's also the only sport where the playing field isn't always the same... so you have teams like the Yankees who load up on power to take advantage of their smaller ballpark...essentially optimizing their home field advantage.

 

[jncuse]

By KenPom it should be Duke should be about a 1 point favourite. Given Duke's poor play in true road games the past five or so years (and this year) , not surprised to see the line shift slightly to Virginia.

 

[cuseattle]

Couldn't name on UVA player, but Tony Bennett is a great coach. Knocked off a bunch of ranked teams at Washington State, and his team always controls the tempo. A team that would give the Orange some trouble.

 

[RichmondCuse]

Couldn't name on UVA player, but Tony Bennett is a great coach. Knocked off a bunch of ranked teams at Washington State, and his team always controls the tempo. A team that would give the Orange some trouble.

You should learn Joe Harris' name then. Great player, fun to watch.

 

[cuseattle]

He looks good tonight.