College Basketball betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Saturday, December 30, 2017 from various handicappers and websites
Saturday’s college hoop
Clemson won its last seven games, with wins over Florida/South Carolina; Tigers are 3-1 vs top 100 teams, with only losss to Temple on a neutral floor. NC State’s PG is suspended for off-court reasons; he missed State’s last three games. Wolfpack is 2-2 vs top 100 teams, losing to UNI by 4, Tennessee by 9. Clemson won four of last six games with NC State, sweeping Wolfpack by 4-14 points LY; State split its last four games in Littlejohn Coliseum. Last six years, Clemson is 13-21-2 as home favorites; last four years, NC State is 15-13 as road underdogs.
This is Wichita State’s first AAC game after bolting from MVC. Shockers are 10-2 vs schedule #84- they’re 2-0 in true road games, winning by 7 at Baylor, by 12 at Oklahoma State. Wichita got McDuffie back last game, but he only played 9:00. UConn is 3-5 in its last eight games, with two of the wins in OT; Huskies are 1-5 vs top 100 teams, with only win vs Oregon in PK80 tourney in Portland. Last four years, Wichita was 27-9 vs spread as MVC road favorites, but they’re in tougher league now. Last four years, UConn is 0-4 as an AAC home underdog.
Duke hasn’t played in 10 days; they’re 5-1 vs top 100 teams, but only one of the five wins was by more than 10 points. Florida State is 11-1 vs schedule #315; they’re #232 experience team that has #6 defensive eFG% in country, forcing turnovers 23.6% of time. Seminoles are 2-0 in true road games winning at Rutgers, Florida. Duke won five of last six games with FSU; Seminoles lost last three games in Cameron by 22-15-5 points. Last two years, Duke is 6-11 vs spread as home favorites; last three years, Florida State is 10-8 as road underdogs.
TCU is 12-0 vs schedule #216; they’re 4-0 vs top 100 teams, with two best wins over SMU and Nevada. Frogs are shooting 41.2% on arc but they haven’t played true road game yet (3 neutral floor games). Oklahoma won its last eight games, winning by 8 at Wichita, beating USC in Staples, Oregon in Portland. TCU won two of three vs Oklahoma LY, after losing previous six series games; Sooners lost 60-57 here LY, after winning previous three visits, by 30-12-8 points. Last four years, Oklahoma is 16-9-1 as Big X road underdogs; TCU is 4-4 as a home favorite.
Texas A&M is 11-1 vs schedule #97, but Aggies have attrition issues right now; their #1 scorer Hogg is out for this game. Alabama is 3-4 in its last eight games after 5-0 start; Crimson Tide is 3-4 vs top 100 teams- Bama’s last three wins are by total of eight points. Home side won five of six Texas A&M-Alabama games; Aggies are 0-3 in Coleman Coliseum, with two losses by a single point. Last three years, Texas A&M is 7-4-1 as an SEC road favorite; under Johnson, Alabama is 7-11 vs spread in SEC home games. Avery Johnson’s son transferred to Alabama from A&M.
Butler swept Villanova LY, winning by 9-8 points, after losing first six Big East games with the Wildcats. Villanova is 3-1 at Hinkle Fieldhouse, winning by 3-3-5 points. Villanova is 13-0 vs schedule #60; Wildcats are 3-0 in true road games, winning by 41-20-18 points, but two of those were in Philly. Butler rallied from 20 down to beat Georgetown in two OTs Wednesday; Bulldogs won eight of last nine games, are 3-3 vs top 100 teams. Last four years, Villanova is 21-13 as road favorites; since joining the Big East, Butler is 3-3 as a conference home underdog.
Tennessee is 9-2 vs schedule #20, with losses to Villanova/UNC; Vols are 2-0 in true road games, winning at Ga Tech/Wake Forest. Arkansas won its last five games; they’re 10-2 vs schedule #81; Hogs are 4-2 vs top 100 teams, with wins over Oklahoma, Minnesota. Arkansas won its last three games with Tennessee, by 18-10-4 points; Vols lost three of last four games in Walton Arena, losing by 3-13-18 points. Last two years, Arkansas is 9-5 vs spread as an SEC home favorite; Tennessee is 4-9 as an SEC road underdog under Barnes.
Charleston won five of last six D-I games; only one of their wins, over #157 Coastal Carolina, is over a top 200 team (schedule #315). Towson lost its last two games after a 10-1 start; Tigers are 1-3 in true road games, losing by 3-9-4 points, with a win at Loyola, MD. Charleston won four of last five games with Towson; favorites covered three of last four. Tigers lost last three series games played here, by 3-18-5 points. Last five years, Towson 24-11 vs spread as a CAA road underdog; last six years, Charleston is 14-27-1 vs spread as a CAA home favorite.
Louisiana Tech lost by a point by WKU last game, after trailing by 14; Bulldogs are 4-5 in last nine games- they’re 0-3 in true road games, losing by 3-1-15 points. Marshall is 0-2 vs teams in top 125, losing by 17-4 points to Illinois, Xavier. Tech won four of last five games with Marshall, winning 97-94 (+4.5) in its last visit here. Underdogs covered last three series games. Last three years, Tech is 14-12 against the spread in conference road games, 3-3 as road underdogs. Last three years, Marshall is 15-6 as a C-USA home favorite. Marshall plays fast, pace #6.
Arizona State is 12-0 with really good guards; they’ve made 10+ 3’s in six games, are shooting 39.9% on arc for season. ASU won its only true road game by 10 at Kansas, Arizona won its last seven games after an 0-3 weekend on Atlantis; Wildcats haven’t played in nine days- they’re 3-3 vs top 100 teams. Arizona won its last four games with ASU; Sun Devils lost their last seven games in Tucson. Last four years, Arizona is 18-16-2 as a Pac-12 home favorite; they were 1-6-2 LY- last five years, ASU is 14-21-2 as road underdogs- they were 4-2-1 LY.
St Mary’s is 12-2 vs schedule #304; they’re 2-0 in true road games, winning at San Jose/Cal- they split pair of top 100 games, losing at Georgia, beating New Mexico State. BYU won its last nine games, is 12-2 vs schedule #259- they split couple of top 100 games. Gaels beat BYU three times LY, by 13-13-31 points; Gaels lost three of last four visits to Provo, as home teams won seven of last nine series games. Last four years, St Mary’s is 20-8 as a WCC road favorite; since joining WCC, BYU is 26-26 vs spread in conference home games, 0-2 as a home dog.
Boise State is 11-2 vs schedule #270; they’re 1-1 in true road games, winning at Oregon, losing by 23 at SMU. Broncos are 2-2 vs top 100 teams; they’re #95 experience team. UNLV had bye on Wednesday; they’re 11-2 vs schedule #326- Rebels are 2-2 vs top 10 teams, beating Illinois, Utah but losing to UNI/Arizona, both in overtime. Boise won five of last six games with UNLV, winning two of last three games on the Strip. Last five years, UNLV is 13-19-1 vs spread as Mountain West home favorites; last three years, Boise is 9-4 vs spread as MW road underdogs.
Wofford hasn’t played for 10 days since winning 79-74 as a 24-point underdog in Chapel Hill. Terriers have #317 eFG% defense in country. NC-Greensboro won five of its last six games, with a win at NC State; Spartans are forcing turnovers 23.1% of time. UNCG won three of last four games with Wofford, beating Terriers 77-73 in SoCon tourney LY; Terriers lost by 4-19 points in their last two visits here. Last four years, NC-Greensboro is 12-8 vs spread as SoCon home favorites; last five years, Wofford is 12-5 as road underdogs.