College Basketball Betting: Weekend Highlights
By: Willie Bee
Friday's best matchups are in New York at the conclusion of the 2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. Pittsburgh and Texas came away winners in Thursday's opening two games to set up their matchup Friday at 4 p.m. PT. Illinois and Maryland meet in the 2 p.m. PT consolation game.
The Panthers dominated the glass and held off a pesky Terps squad in a 79-70 win on Thursday as 7½-point favorites at Bookmaker.com. The nightcap was a thrilling back-&-forth affair between the Longhorns and Illini with Texas taking a 90-84 win in overtime. That game opened briefly as a pick 'em before the line moved all the way to Illinois minus four at close.
A Texas, Pitt matchup should prove very physical and will be a test of early conditioning in the first back-to-back game for both squads. The Panthers have more offense in the backcourt than the 'Horns which should prove to be the difference in a 3-4 point Pittsburgh win.
One of Saturday's most interesting contests will find Ball State at No. 16 Butler. It will be the Bulldogs' first game after taking a rather sound whipping Tuesday in Louisville against the Big East Cardinals. Now they take on a Cardinals team out of the MAC that's picked to be among the better squads, so it should provide a decent test for Butler in need of bouncing back in the win column.
The game tips at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis at 11 a.m. PT, and is a rematch from about 11½ months ago when Ball State hosted a then-No. 20 Butler. The Bulldogs covered their 14-point tag on the NCAAB odds board with a 59-38 win, limiting the BSU to 11 first-half points.
Neither school is ranked in the latest AP poll, but the Wisconsin, UNLV game at Thomas & Mack Center (4 p.m. PT) is a very crucial early-season matchup. The Badgers and Rebels are both in several 25-50 listings with the Badgers No. 25 in the coaches poll, so the loser will face a tough row to hoe climbing back up in rankings after an early loss.
Value City Arena in Columbus is where you'll find the Buckeyes and NC-Wilmington Seahawks tipping their Saturday duel (5 p.m. PT). Ohio State takes to the court after its huge road win at Florida on Tuesday, 93-75, as 2-3 point underdogs depending when and where you bet it.
The Seahawks were 26-point road kill at the books when they fell at Florida on Nov. 12, 77-60. John Q. Public and the NCAA basketball oddsmakers all have something to go on now along with how the books now adjust to setting lines on Gators games.
A trio of Sunday contests highlight the slate starting with No. 22 Virginia Tech at NC-Greensboro. This one tips at 10 a.m. PT and this is a second-straight road game for the Hokies who fell on Tuesday at No. 3 Kansas State, 73-57.
Va Tech was 7-point road 'dogs in the contest and Seth Greenberg's group will be meeting a Spartans team that is 0-2 straight up and even against the spread on the season. UNCG ranks third to the bottom allowing 99 points a game to Va Commonwealth and Florida State. Va Tech will be lined in the 20s and to cover they'll probably have to hold the Spartans in the 50s.
Another bounce-back battle takes place Sunday in Florida where the Gators meet Morehead State. Billy Donovan's dudes got a swift kick to the can from the Buckeyes in front of the prime-time viewers and it's always a tough call how a bunch of 18-20 year olds might respond.
The Eagles will be stepping up in class of opponent, and then some, playing at the O'Dome in Gainesville. Morehead State will also play barometer for fans, bettors and books next week when the Eagles travel to Columbus to meet Ohio State. Why, it's almost like the schedule is set up to allow even the most dense of poll voters and selection committee members to get a handle on this thing.
One of the most intriguing weekend matchups will be Sunday's neutral-site clash between LSU and No. 19 Memphis. The two meet in Tupelo's BancorpSouth Arena for a 2 p.m. PT tip in the Global Sports Challenge. The double-Tigers fight will find a raucous bipartisan crowd and is Josh Pastner's Memphis squad's last real test before a huge road tilt at Kentucky in a little more than two weeks.