CBB Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
The rubber meets the road in men’s college basketball as the top teams in the nation head into the final week of the regular season with one last chance to impress the NCAA Tournament Committee before the start of next week’s conference tournaments. On Sunday Mar. 12 the committee will select the 68 teams that will compete for this season’s national title and what happens this last week could have a major impact on shaping each of the four brackets.
The following is a brief look at the top matchups for each day this week along with a few facts and figures to help handicap the games.
Monday, Feb. 27 - No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Kansas took one step closer to the Big 12 regular season title with a thrilling 87-86 overtime victory over No.3 Missouri this past Saturday as an eight-point home favorite. The Jayhawks are now 24-5 straight-up and 14-13-1 against the spread. They are 9-4 SU (6-6-1 ATS) on the road the total has stayed ‘under’ in 11 of the 13 games.
Oklahoma State climbed to 14-15 SU (14-12-1 ATS) with a 60-42 victory over Texas A&M as a 3½-point home favorite this past Saturday. The Cowboys are 2-7 SU in their last nine games against Kansas, but 5-4 ATS. The total has gone ‘over’ in three of the past four meetings. They are nine-point home underdogs this time around.
Tuesday, Feb. 28 - No. 5 Michigan State Spartans vs. No. 18 Indiana Hoosiers
Michigan State comes in with a 24-5 SU (18-8 ATS) record overall and it can lock-up the Big Ten regular season title with a win over Indiana. It is currently 13-3 SU in conference play and 7-5 both SU and ATS on the road. The total has stayed ‘under’ in seven of 12 games away from home.
Indiana has won five of its last six games SU to move to 22-7 SU (14-9 ATS) overall and it is 9-7 SU in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers are 16-1 SU (8-3 ATS) at home this season but they have lost six straight to the Spartans over the past few seasons including the last two at home. They are just 2-4 ATS over this span.
Wednesday, Feb. 29 - No. 8 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
Marquette is 13-3 SU in Big East play and 24-5 SU overall. It is 15-10-1 ATS this season and the total has gone ‘over’ in 16 of the 26 games. The Golden Eagles are 10-4-1 ATS on the road and the total has gone ‘over’ in nine of the 15 games.
Cincinnati’s 46-45 loss to South Florida as a two-point road underdog on Sunday dropped it to 20-9 SU on the year, but raised its record ATS to 11-12. The Bearcats are 13-4 SU at home, but just 3-9 ATS. The total has stayed ‘under’ in eight of the 12 games. They were hammered by Marquette 95-78 as six-point road underdogs the first time they played this season.
Thursday, Mar. 1 - Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats
Georgia’s stunning 76-62 victory over No.11 Florida this past Saturday as a 7½-point home underdog was just its third SU victory in its last 10 games. The Bulldogs are 13-15 SU on the year and 11-13 ATS. They are 2-8 SU (5-5 ATS) on the road and the total has stayed ‘under’ in three of their last four games overall.
Kentucky’s current winning streak reached 20 with an 83-74 victory over Vanderbilt this past Saturday as an 11½-point home favorite. The Wildcats are now 28-1 SU, but a costly 10-17-1 ATS. They are a perfect 18-0 SU (4-12-1 ATS) at home and already beat the Bulldogs 57-44 as 12-point road favorites on Jan. 24.
Friday, Mar. 2 - Providence Friars vs. No. 20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This past Saturday, Providence snapped a five-game losing streak with a 73-71 win over DePaul as a 1½-point road underdog. The Friars are now 14-15 SU (11-12 ATS) overall and 13-3 SU in Big East play. They are 4-7 SU on the road but 7-4 ATS with the total going ‘over’ in three of their last five road games.
Notre Dame is third in the Big East standings at 12-4 SU and is 20-9 SU (11-10-2 ATS). Its nine-game winning streak came to an end this past Saturday with a 61-58 loss to St. John’s as a six-point road favorite. The Irish are 15-1 SU at home and 6-2-2 ATS. They total has stayed ‘under’ in seven of the 10 games.
Saturday, Mar. 3 - No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 4 Duke Blue Devils
North Carolina is 12-2 SU in conference play and has a Wednesday night tilt against Maryland before meeting Duke with the ACC regular-season title most likely still on the line. The Tar Heels are 25-4 SU on the year and 15-13 ATS. They are 6-6 ATS on the road and the total has gone 7-5 in the 12 games.
Duke is also 12-2 SU in the ACC needs to get by Wake Forest on Tuesday night to ensure at least a share of the ACC title in light of an earlier 85-84 victory this season over North Carolina as a six-point road underdog. The Blue Devils are 25-4 SU (13-16 ATS) overall and while they are 13-2 SU at home they are just 5-10 ATS.