Week 15 NCAA basketball betting preview
By: Willie Bee
Strap yourselves in, boys and girls. A volatile college basketball betting season officially went to flame-on status this past Saturday when the last of the unbeatens, top-ranked Ohio State, suffered defeat at Wisconsin to open the door for a new No. 1 team to sit atop the polls.
The question now is just who will ascend to the throne with at least five teams, including the Buckeyes, having a legitimate claim.
If Monday's rankings were left up to college hoops bettors, Duquesne and George Mason might wind up 1-2. The Atlantic 10 and Colonial Athletic Association leaders respectively, the Dukes and Patriots have combined to bring home the cheese in 32 of 40 lined games.
Texas would also get some votes from bettors with a 15-5 spread record. The Longhorns will also get votes from both coaches and the press with a 22-3 straight-up mark that includes a tough win on the road at Kansas in January, part of their 10-game string of triumphs. Two of their three losses were by a total of three points to Pittsburgh and Connecticut. The lone off-night for Rick Barnes' bunch came in early December when the 'Horns trekked to USC and fell 73-56 as five-point road chalk.
Conventional wisdom says Kansas, No. 2 in both polls last week, will be the new No. 1. The Jayhawks have been playing as well as any squad in the country since the loss to Texas, the two conference foes seemingly destined to meet once more in the Big 12 Tournament a month from now.
Pittsburgh and Duke will each receive a first-place vote or two, and why not? The Panthers are 5-2 against ranked clubs and own an 11-1 record in Big East play, an amazing stat considering how deep and tough that conference is this season. Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils spent the first 10 weeks of the season atop the polls following their 2010 NCAA Championship, and have just two marks in the loss columns, both defeats on the road.
And then there is Ohio State. Put me down as among those who aren't so sure the Buckeyes shouldn't still be the No. 1 team. The timing of their only loss dictates Thad Matta's troops will drop a couple of rungs in the next rankings. But playing the 'what if' game, think about how things would be if that loss occurred in January and Kansas' defeat to Texas came this past Saturday.
Regardless of how it's sorted out this week, here's a rundown of where the top teams will be in action the next seven days.
1. Ohio State (24-1 SU, 11-11 ATS)
Both Buckeyes games this week will be previewed here at Don Best, starting with Tuesday's home matchup versus Michigan State. Ohio State won last year's lone meeting, 74-67, as five-point underdogs in East Lansing. The Buckeyes close the week in West Lafayette on Sunday when they face Purdue for a second time this season. Ohio State strolled to an 87-64 win at home over the Boilermakers on Jan. 25.
2. Kansas (24-1, 13-10)
The Jayhawks open the week on the road Monday at Kansas State who they've beaten seven straight, including a 90-66 rout just a few weeks ago in Lawrence. Kansas closes the week at home on Saturday versus Colorado. Those two played in Boulder on Jan. 25 with the Jayhawks coming away with an 82-78 win as 7½-point favorites.
3. Texas (22-3, 15-5)
Six wins away from a perfect run through their Big 12 regular season slate, the Longhorns will face Oklahoma State at home on Wednesday before traveling to Nebraska on Saturday. Texas thumped Okie State 61-46 in Stillwater on Jan. 26 as four-point road chalk.
4. Pittsburgh (23-2, 11-9)
The Panthers face a possible let-down/look-ahead game on Wednesday when they host South Florida, the first of two meetings this season between the schools. That contest comes off last Saturday's big win at Villanova and next Saturday's trip to Madison Square Garden to face a dangerous St. John's club.
5. Duke (* 22-2, 12-11)
A second-straight road game awaits the Blue Devils who will be at Virginia on Wednesday. Duke failed to cover a 21½-point spread at home mid-January in a 76-60 win. Coach K's lads will end the week at home against Georgia Tech, a team they beat twice last season including a narrow 65-61 win as nine-point favorites in the ACC Tournament semifinals.
6. San Diego State (25-1, 15-9)
The Aztecs have a home game versus New Mexico on Wednesday that is followed up with a trip to Colorado Springs on Saturday to meet Air Force. San Diego State met both back-to-back in reverse locales a month ago, winning each but failing to cover the 18½-point spread in a 68-55 win over the Falcons.
7. Brigham Young (24-2, 10-12)
BYU is in Ft. Worth to battle TCU on Saturday for its lone game this week. The Cougars hung an 83-67 loss on the Horned Frogs in Provo last month, with TCU covering the big 21½-point line.
8. Notre Dame (21-4, 13-8)
Mike Brey's Irish will have had a full week off when they continue their three-game Big East road trip on Saturday at West Virginia. The conference foes split their two meetings last season with a pair of two-point games, Notre Dame winning 70-68 at home as a five-point underdog and the Mountaineers earning the 53-51 win in the Big East Tournament, again as five-point favorites.
9. Villanova (19-6, 12-10)
The Wildcats look to shake their two-game losing skid when they travel to Seton Hall on Tuesday. 'Nova closes the week still on the road with Saturday's matchup at DePaul.
10. Connecticut (* 18-5, 10-7)
This week's award for the toughest slate goes to UConn who host No. 11 Georgetown on Wednesday, then makes a quick turnaround for a rare in-season Friday contest at No. 16 Louisville. The Huskies will be out for revenge from last year's 72-69 loss at the Hoyas who were favored by five. They'll also be seeking revenge against Cardinals after Louisville came to Storrs at the end of January and left with a 79-78 victory in double-overtime. UConn was 5½-point chalk in that loss.