We have a new No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 this week: Michigan State (14-1) moved up to No. 1 in the poll released on Monday, receiving 43 of 65 first-place votes following previously top-ranked Villanova’s loss to Butler on Saturday. Here’s a look at two intriguing NCAAB betting matchups this week. Check back for College Basketball odds.
FSU comes off a 100-93 loss at former No. 1 Duke. There were 14 lead changes in the game. Of Duke’s final 12 field goals during the last 10 1/2 minutes, all but one were layups or dunks. Phil Cofer scored a career-high 28 points and Braian Angola finished with a career-best 23 for the Seminoles (11-2, 0-1), who shot nearly 45 percent and hit 15 3-pointers. Angola’s 3 with just under 4 minutes remaining put them up 91-89, but they missed their final eight shots — six of which came from long range.
The Seminoles received no favors from the ACC’s schedule-maker. They could open league play with three straight losses yet still have a strong case for a Top 25 ranking because their first three league opponents are Duke, North Carolina and ranked Miami.
Florida State has 39 wins over ranked teams during the 16-year tenure of Leonard Hamilton. That includes a win over then-No. 4 North Carolina in the 2012 ACC title game. This year, FSU has gained 10 of its 11 victories by double figures with five of its wins coming by at least 20 points.
Top NCAAB Betting Picks & Predictions of the Week – January 2nd Edition
College Basketball Power Rankings: There is a new No. 1 as the last of the unbeatens fall. https://t.co/C1gdRzAPLy pic.twitter.com/rIYJUoKa1B
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) January 1, 2018
No. 18 Texas Tech at No. 10 Kansas NCAAB Betting Prediction
When: Tuesday, 9 PM ET (ESPN) TTU (12-1, 1-0) opened Big 12 play with an impressive 77-53 blowout of then-No. 18 Baylor on Friday. The Red Raiders dominated in nearly every area of the game as they shot 50 percent and controlled the boards by a 39-21 margin. They collected 16 assists while Baylor got just one assist while committing 14 turnovers. Texas Tech led from start-to-finish and tucked away their largest margin of victory in Big 12 action going back to an 84-58 triumph over Oklahoma on March 2, 2011. Texas Tech improved to 2-2 in ranked vs. ranked games at home. Keenan Evans poured in 18 points on 6-of-10 from the floor and knocked down four 3-pointers. The senior guard also handed out two assists and has reached double figures in 12 of 13 games on the season. It was Baylor’s most lopsided loss since a 102-74 decision against Kansas on Jan. 2, 2016. Baylor 37.3 shooting percentage matched their season low in a 69-62 loss to Wichita State on Dec. 2 at the Ferrell Center. The Red Raiders picked up nine of their 11 nonconference wins by 20 or more points and lead the nation with a 23.0 points per game scoring margin. Texas Tech secured victories over an ACC opponent (Boston College – 75-64), a ranked Big Ten opponent (No. 20 Northwestern – 85-49) and the preseason Mountain West favorite (No. 22 Nevada – 82-76) to highlight nonconference action. Kansas (11-2, 1-0) opened conference play with a 92-86 win at Texas on Friday. Senior guard Devonte’ Graham led all scorers with 23 points and was joined by junior guard Lagerald Vick (21) and senior Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (20) to eclipse 20 points. Meanwhile, Kansas leads the overall series with Texas Tech, 33-4, which began in 1959. The Jayhawks have won 16 straight against the Red Raiders dating back to Jan. 16, 2010. Kansas is 17-0 versus Texas Tech in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas has won its last 11-straight home conference openers, a streak which started in 2006-07. KU’s last Big 12 home-opening loss was to Kansas State, 59-55, on Jan. 14, 2006. KU is one of six teams in NCAA Division I that have five players averaging 10.6 points for better. The others include Duke, Gonzaga, Villanova, TCU and William & Mary. Sophomore C Udoka Azubuike is the only player in the Big 12 to rank in the top 10 in both scoring and rebounding. Azubuike is ninth in scoring at 16.2 points per game and fourth in rebounding at 8.4 rpg.No. 12 North Carolina at No. 24 Florida State NCAAB Betting Prediction
When: Wednesday, 7 PM ET (ESPN2) The defending national champion Tar Heels opened ACC play with a 73-69 win over Wake Forest on Saturday. Joel Berry, the Final Four Most Outstanding Player last season, hit a high-arcing floater in the paint with 10.3 seconds left and UNC closed the game on an 8-0 run to avoid its first league-opening loss at home since January 2009. The Tar Heels (12-2, 1-0 ACC) led by 10 points early in the second half, but didn’t hold that margin and trailed 69-65 in the final 2 1/2 minutes. Carolina shot 39.7 percent from the floor. That’s the first time since the Gonzaga national title game the Tar Heels have won when shooting under 40 percent from the floor. The Deacons missed 40 shots. The Tar Heels grabbed 35 of the misses and did not allow Wake Forest to score a single second-chance point. UNC has won five in a row when the opponents make 10 or more three-pointers (Wake Forest made 11). Luke Maye led UNC with 17 points and 15 rebounds. It was the fifth time this year he led UNC in both scoring and rebounds. It was Maye’s eighth double-double this season and ninth of his career. Berry II scored 16 points to move ahead of Brendan Haywood and Deon Thompson into 36th place in UNC scoring with 1,419 points.
FSU comes off a 100-93 loss at former No. 1 Duke. There were 14 lead changes in the game. Of Duke’s final 12 field goals during the last 10 1/2 minutes, all but one were layups or dunks. Phil Cofer scored a career-high 28 points and Braian Angola finished with a career-best 23 for the Seminoles (11-2, 0-1), who shot nearly 45 percent and hit 15 3-pointers. Angola’s 3 with just under 4 minutes remaining put them up 91-89, but they missed their final eight shots — six of which came from long range.
The Seminoles received no favors from the ACC’s schedule-maker. They could open league play with three straight losses yet still have a strong case for a Top 25 ranking because their first three league opponents are Duke, North Carolina and ranked Miami.
Florida State has 39 wins over ranked teams during the 16-year tenure of Leonard Hamilton. That includes a win over then-No. 4 North Carolina in the 2012 ACC title game. This year, FSU has gained 10 of its 11 victories by double figures with five of its wins coming by at least 20 points.
