Top NCAA Basketball Betting Predictions of the Week – February 26th

Why does it feel like whichever team wins the NCAA title in early April will end up vacating it due to NCAA sanctions? ESPN and Yahoo! Sports broke some huge news over the weekend about rampant violations in the sport, including at blue-blood programs like Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Arizona and Michigan State. Here are two interesting NCAA Basketball betting matchups this week. Check back for the latest college basketball odds around game time. Rankings may change in Monday’s new AP Top 25.

Top NCAA Basketball Betting Predictions of the Week – February 26th

College Basketball Power Rankings: Duke is the new No. 1. Wait, what? https://t.co/N3ksyNNUlr pic.twitter.com/WNsbG9UxL9

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) February 26, 2018

Oklahoma at Baylor

When: Tuesday, 9 PM ET (ESPN2) Two NCAA Tournament bubble teams from the Big 12 here. I believe the Sooners will get in simply because the nation wants to see OU freshman sensation Trae Young on the biggest stage and the committee knows that. He continues to lead the nation in scoring and assists, which no player has ever done. The Sooners stopped a six-game losing streak on Saturday with an 86-77 win over Kansas State. Young finished with 28 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds. He was efficient in all areas, making 7 of 10 shots — 6 of 9 from three — and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line. Oklahoma led 43-35 at halftime, and K-State never seriously threatened in the second half. Christian James scored 15 points and Brady Manek and Jamuni McNeace each added 10 for the Sooners (17-11, 7-9 Big 12), who shot 53 percent from the field. Oklahoma hadn’t won since Jan. 30 and had dropped two straight at home.

How Has Baylor Done Recently?

Baylor lost 82-72 at TCU on Saturday and probably isn’t in the NCAA field as of now with a 17-12 record overall and 7-9 in the Big 12.  All 25 of Baylor’s 2-point field goals were in the paint. The Bears’ 72 points came on two 3-pointers, 16 free throws and 50 points in the paint. The Bears are 4-11 this season when trailing at the half and 3-8 in Big 12 action. Baylor has the Big 12’s second longest active streak and the 12th longest nationally with at least one three-point field goal made in 865 consecutive games. Bears senior Manu Lecomte, the team’s leading scorer, was a dismal 1-of-10 shooting from the field and a season-low five points in the loss. In two games against TCU, Lecomte had a combined 13 points and was just 2-of-21 from the field. Baylor’s seniors will be honored before this game. On Jan. 30, Oklahoma beat Baylor 98-96 – the Sooners’ last win until Saturday. Young had 44 points, 31 in the second half. Young made 11 of 20 shots from the field, including 6 of 11 3-pointers, in one of his best shooting games of the season. He also was 16-for-19 from the free throw line. Rashard Odomes scored 18 points, Brady Manek had 16 and Khadeem Lattin added 15 for the Sooners. Lecomte scored 29 points and Nuni Omot scored 23 for Baylor.

Stanford at No. 14 Arizona

When: Thursday, 10 PM ET (Fox Sports 1) Will the Wildcats have coach Sean Miller for this game? He didn’t coach the team Saturday in a loss at Oregon less than 24 hours after ESPN reported FBI wiretaps had intercepted phone conversations between the head coach and Christian Dawkins — an employee for ASM Sports agent Andy Miller — during which they discussed paying $100,000 to ensure that Deandre Ayton, Arizona’s star freshman center, would sign with the Wildcats. Ayton is a superstar and could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. Yet he did play Saturday in the 98-93 overtime loss to the Ducks. It’s not clear if Miller will return for this game or if he ever will; the school almost has to fire him if the reports are true. It’s frankly baffling the UA allowed Ayton to play. A lawyer representing the family of Ayton called allegations involving Ayton false and urged the FBI, the NCAA and the university to come out publicly and clear his name. Did you actually expect Ayton to admit it? The Wildcats already are without guard Allonzo Trier, who tested positive for the same banned substance that cost him 19 games last season. He has been declared ineligible, although the school is appealing that.

Can Stanford Still Make the Tournament?

While Arizona will be an NCAA Tournament team regardless, Stanford is on the wrong side of the bubble right now at 16-13 overall and 10-6 in the Pac-12. An upset here would surely help. The Cardinal are on a three-game winning streak after beating Washington State on Saturday 86-84 in their home finale.  Freshman Daejon Davis hit two free throws with 10 seconds left for the winning points. Davis finished with eight points, seven rebound and six assists. Freshman KZ Okpala added 20 points, one shy of his season-high and Michael Humphrey scored 16, leaving him two shy of 1,000 career points. On Jan. 20, Arizona beat Stanford 73-71. Rawle Alkins made a go-ahead layup with 38 seconds remaining. Trier, who led the Wildcats with 21 points, added three free throws in the final 18 seconds. Dusan Ristic added 18 points and nine rebounds, and Alkins scored 13 points for Arizona. Ayton had nine points and blocked six shots before fouling out in the closing seconds. Reid Travis had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Stanford.

Expert NCAA Basketball Betting Predictions

Oklahoma really struggles on the road so take Baylor. Wait on the Arizona-Stanford game to see if Ayton is playing. If not, go Stanford for the outright upset.