Must Bet NCAA Basketball Odds Match Ups of the Week
Posted by Joe Solari on Tuesday,January 5, 2016 10:47, EDT in
If you missed Monday Night’s triple overtime NCAA Basketball odds thriller between No. 1 Kansas and No. 2 Oklahoma, then you probably missed one of the best games of the week, if not the season. Fortunately for you, this week’s college basketball lines are just getting warmed up, as we still have a long slate of exciting games running from Today, Tuesday January 5th, to Sunday January 10th. Here’s a brief guide on what you can expect in these games, including our free NCAAB picks.
Must Bet NCAA Basketball Odds Match Ups of the Week
No. 9 Kentucky at LSU, Tuesday, January 5, 5:00 AM AST, ESPN
The Wildcats (11-2, 1-0 SEC) are still placed atop the SEC standings, but their status will be challenged this Tuesday when they take on a surging LSU team (8-5, 1-0) that has won four of its last five games, including a 90-82 win at Vandy in their last outing. Led by their do-all forward Ben Simmons (who owns team-bests of 20.5 PPG, 5.4 APG, 57.4 FG%) and a good-enough defense that includes the aggressive duo of Craig Victor and Keith Hornsby, the Tigers are certainly talented to stick it out to the Wildcats. That said, LSU will need to find a way of containing the trio of Jamal Murray, Tyler Ulis and Marcus Lee, who are capable of wreaking havoc on both ends of the field.
Prediction: Kentucky 75, LSU 71.
Georgia Tech at No. 25 Pittsburgh, Wednesday, January 6, 3:00 AM AST, ESPN 3
The Yellow Jackets saw their three-game winning streak go up in flames, losing 86-78 to the then No.7 UNC on Saturday, but Georgia Tech players can take solace in the fact they gave a good show and nearly upset the Tar Heels in North Carolina. And after Pittsburgh survived an onslaught from the Jackets back in January 2015 for a tight win, they’ll know better than to underrate their unranked opponents. But then again, this is a Panthers team that is streaking on eight straight wins and has lost just once this season, so there’ll probably be nothing Georgia Tech will do that will come as a surprise to them.
Prediction: Pittsburgh 85, Georgia Tech 73.
No. 14 Duke at Wake Forest, Wednesday, January 6, 3:00 AM AST, ESPNU
Coming off a 65-57 loss to the No. 18 Louisville in their ACC opener, the Demon Deacons (9-4) are hoping to put in a better shift of work in quest for their first conference win when they take on the No. 14 Duke Blue Devils (12-2) this Wednesday. Unfortunately, this a Duke team that leads the all-time series with Wake Forest, 165-78, including two wins in 2015, so it doesn’t look like the situation will be any different here.
Prediction: Duke 80, Wake Forest 65.
No. 16 Louisville at NC State, Thursday, January 7, 3:00 AM AST, ESPN 2
After collecting six wins on the trot, the NC State Wolfpack (10-4) couldn’t carry that momentum into the ACC, as they suffered a bad road loss to a Virginia Tech team that was missing two starters. Up next for them is even a tougher game, a clash against the No. 18 Cards, who’ve lost just twice overall this season, and are coming off a 65-57 win over Wake Forest in their ACC opener. Even so, the Cardinals (12-2) showed signs of struggles against the Deacs, something that could allow NC State to hang tight with Louisville, if not deliver a home upset altogether.
Prediction: NC State 74, Louisville 72.
No. 7 Arizona at UCLA, Thursday, January 7, 5:00 AM AST, ESPN3/ ESPN 2
If you’ve been watching how the Wildcats have been playing this season, then you’d easily acknowledge that they are the class of the Pac-12. Outside their lone loss to Providence, which was in fact a respectable 69-65 defeat, the Cats have been scratching at anything and everything thrown at them. Unfortunately for the @ArizonaWBBall community, the Wildcats are going against a UCLA team that hasn’t started 0-3 in conference play in 30-plus years, creating the high possibility of an upset by the Bruins. Still, I am having trouble trusting UCLA, given the fact that four of their six losses this season have come in Los Angeles, so I’d rather go with the Wildcats, who’ve been flawless so far in their road games this season.
Prediction: Arizona 83, UCLA 78.
Virginia Tech at No. 14 Duke, Saturday, January 9, 8:00 PM AST, ESPN 3
If you’ve been sleeping on the Hokies just because they had a slow start to the season, better wake up on them right now because ACC play is on, and as always, they are here to take care of business. After going 8-5 in non-conference play, the Hokies are now 10-5 overall (and perfectly 2-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference), with their latest win being a stunning 70-68 win over the No. 4 Virginia on Monday night. Beating the Blue Devils at home is obviously not an easy thing, and the fact that Grayson Allen and his teammates are looking deadlier than ever makes things more difficult. But with the Hokies showing grit and zealousness in conference play, I wouldn’t advise you to totally write off Virginia Tech from winning this game.
Prediction: Duke 77, Virginia Tech 75
#3 Maryland at Wisconsin, Saturday, January 9, 9:00 PM AST, ESPN
The Badgers have struggled to find consistency in their season, not winning more than two games since the start of the season, something that will need to change if they are to find some break as they head into the heart of the Big Ten schedule, starting with Indiana on Wednesday and a big weekend showdown against the high-riding one-loss Maryland Terrapins. To be sincere, I don’t expect Wisconsin to win this game, and I’d be surprised if they did, but given that the Badgers will be playing at home, I highly anticipate them to keep the scores close.
Prediction: Maryland 76, Wisconsin 67.
No. 1 Kansas at Texas Tech, Saturday, January 9, 5:00 AM AST, ESPNU
The No. 1 Kansas team proved why it is the best team in the nation, overcoming a career-high 46-point effort (along with eight rebounds and seven assists) from Oklahoma’s star Buddy Hield and a spirited effort from the No. 2 Sooners to claim an exhilarating 109-106 3OT win. After such a performance, I have a hard time believing that the Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-1, No. 3 in Big 12), even with their impressive run so far this season, will be a match for the Jayhawks. So, until something else changes, I’ll be riding with the proven Jayhawks all the way to the bank.
Prediction: Kansas 78, Texas Tech 70
#11 Villanova at #18 Butler, Sunday, January 10, 12:30 AM AST, ESPNN
Last week, Butler was ranked in the top 10. Since then, the Bulldogs lost at home to Providence, and then suffered a beat-down on the road by Xavier, sending them tumbling down the rankings. Sunday’s game against the No. 11 Villanova will therefore be a big chance for the Bulldogs to redeem themselves. On any other given day, I’d want to trust on Butler (87.2 PPG scoring and 71.4 PPG given) to use its home advantage to carry the day, but with Villanova sporting a mean defense (ranked 10th in the nation, giving just 60.3 PPG) and decent offense scoring 78.1 PPG, I am inclined to lean on Villanova to use its defense to carry the day.
Prediction: Villanova 70, Butler 67.
