CBB Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
The men's college basketball season continues to press-on towards tournament- time and while there has already been an amazing number of stunning upsets and fantastic finishes, you cannot help but believe that the best is yet to come. The remaining schedule is filled with a number of matchups that will have a huge impact on shaping the field of 68 teams for the madness of March's NCAA Tournament.
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.
No. 4 Missouri vs. Oklahoma
Missouri pushed its current winning streak to three games with a crucial 74-71 victory over No. 8 Kansas this past Saturday as a three-point home favorite. The Tigers are now 21-2 straight-up (10-6-2 against the spread) overall and tied for the lead in the Big 12 at 8-2 SU.
Oklahoma's 77-70 loss to Iowa State as a three-point home favorite this past Saturday was its fourth in its last five games and it dropped the Sooners to 13-9 SU and 7-11 ATS. They are 9-3 SU this season at home, but just 3-5 ATS. The total has stayed 'under' in five of the eight games. Oklahoma has been opened as a five point home underdog against the Tigers.
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No. 11 Florida vs. No. 1 Kentucky
Florida notched its seventh-straight win with a solid 73-65 victory over Vanderbilt this past Saturday as a 6½-point home favorite. The Gators are now 19-4 SU and 9-8-1 ATS. They remain a game and half behind the Wildcats in the SEC with a conference record of 7-1 SU.
Kentucky has not lost since early December and ran its overall record to 23-1 ATS with Saturday's 86-52 rout over South Carolina. The Wildcats are a costly 8-14-1 ATS this season, but they have covered in five of their last six games. They are 15-0 SU at home (3-10-1 ATS) and the total has stayed 'under' in 14 of 23 games overall.
No. 5 Duke vs. No. 6 North Carolina
Sunday's stunning 78-74 overtime loss to Miami as a 12-point home favorite dropped Duke to 19-4 SU and 9-14 ATS. The Blue Devils 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games and the total has gone 'over' in five of their last seven. They now trail both North Carolina and Florida by a game in the ACC at 6-2 SU.
North Carolina got past Maryland 83-74 on Saturday but could not cover as a 12-point road favorite. It is now 20-3 SU on the year and 11-11 ATS. The Tar Heels are 14-0 SU at home and 7-6 ATS. The total has stayed 'under' in eight of the 13 games. They remain ranked first in the nation in both points and rebounds per game.
Mississippi vs. No. 19 Mississippi State
Ole Miss was on the wrong end of a 69-67 double-overtime thriller with Alabama this past Saturday as a 10½-point road underdog. The loss dropped the Rebels to 14-8 SU overall and to 4-4 SU in the SEC. They are 10-9-1 ATS and the total has gone 'over' in six of nine games on the road.
Mississippi State squeaked by Auburn 91-88 as an 11½-point home favorite this past Saturday. The Bulldogs are now 18-5 SU overall, but they are just 2-7 ATS in their last nine games and 10-12 ATS overall. They are 14-1 SU at home this season, but 5-9 ATS. The total has gone 'over' in four of their last five games.
Friday, February 10 - Iona vs. Loyola-Maryland (ESPNU)
Iona comes into this game at 19-5 SU (10-10-2 ATS) and 11-2 SU in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Gaels have won eight of their last 10 games SU and are 5-4-1 ATS. The total has stayed 'under' in six last their last eight games.
Loyola-Maryland has already lost to the Gaels this season 74-63 as an 11-point road underdog, but is tied with Iona in conference play at 11-2 SU. The Greyhounds are 18-5 SU overall and 8-6-3 ATS. They are 6-1-2 ATS in their last nine games and the total has stayed 'under' in their last six.
Saturday, February 11 - No. 10 Michigan State vs. No. 3 Ohio State (ESPN)
Michigan State posted a huge 64-54 victory over No.22 Michigan this past Sunday as a seven-point home favorite. The Spartans are now 18-5 SU and 13-7 ATS heading into a Wednesday night matchup with Penn State. They are 4-3 ATS on the road this season and the total has stayed 'under' in four of the seven games.
Ohio State ran its overall record to 20-3 SU and 12-6 SU with a 58-52 win over No.20 Wisconsin this past Saturday as a 3½-point road favorite. The Buckeyes are 8-2 SU in Big Ten play and a game ahead of the Spartans in the standings heading into Tuesday's contest against Purdue. Ohio State is 16-0 SU and 9-2 ATS at home this season.