College Basketball Saturday Betting Preview: A Top-25 Matchup and a Blue-Blood Showdown (Saturday December 18th)
The motion on the collegiate hardwood has been unpredictable to say the least as we have now already witnessed 4 groups earn the general No. 1 rating within the polls. Whereas Gonzaga, Duke, Purdue and now Baylor have garnered that prestigious honor, school basketball followers and bettors are trying ahead to a number of months of convention matchup betting alternatives.
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SI Betting is right here to spotlight two video games bettors ought to look to put money into on Saturday. One of many video games entails a Top-25 showdown, whereas the opposite contains a matchup in Las Vegas that didn’t exist till early Friday morning!
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Table of Contents
Saturday’s College Basketball Greatest Bets
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 21 Kentucky Wildcats
Unfold: North Carolina +2 (-110) | Kentucky -2 (-110)
Whole: 147.5– Over (-110) | Underneath 147.5 (-110)
Venue: T-Cell Area, Las Vegas, Nevada
Recreation Data: Sat. Dec. 18, 2021 | 5:30 pm EST | CBS
Editor’s Be aware – Odds are topic to alter.
The road has held regular since opening in favor of No. 21 Kentucky (7-2 SU; 3-6 ATS) as 2-point favorites over North Carolina (8-2 SU; 3-7 ATS) at SI Sportsbook.
On account of COVID-19 protocols, Ohio State and UCLA shall be unable to take part within the CBS Sports activities Traditional. As an alternative, school basketball followers can tune in to a matchup that did not exist till Friday morning. Initially, the Tar Heels had been scheduled to play No. 4 UCLA, whereas the Wildcats had been set to face off with No. 15 Ohio State. With each golf equipment placing their seasons on pause attributable to COVID-19, bettors are rewarded with a improbable matchup of two storied applications.
North Carolina has gained 5 straight video games after most just lately knocking off Furman 74-61, as 10.5 level house favorites. Sophomore guard Caleb Love has stepped up in his second season with the Tar Heels main the crew in scoring (16.2 ppg) due to impressively capturing 43.9% from the sector. North Carolina will want a massive sport inside from junior ahead Armando Bacot who’s second on the membership in scoring (14.3 ppg) whereas main the ‘Heels in rebounding (9.8 rbg).
Kentucky is led by junior ahead Oscar Tshiebwe, who leads the membership and the nation in rebounds per sport (14.4). The dominant massive man can also be main the Wildcats in scoring (16.3 ppg) by means of 9 video games. Junior guard Sahvir Wheeler has been sensational distributing the ball main Kentucky with 7.7 assists per sport.
North Carolina is 5-2 SU in seven video games within the CBS Sports activities Traditional whereas 1-2 SU in opposition to Kentucky within the occasion. Relationship again to 2006, Kentucky has gained six of the final 10 conferences, whereas holding a 5-4-1 ATS edge over that span.
Bacot’s matchup with Tshiebwe is clearly the place this sport shall be determined. I’ve to present that nod to West Virginia switch Tshiebwe who has been unstoppable on the block.
BET: Kentucky ML (-120)
James Snook/USA TODAY Sports activities
No. 5 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 25 Texas Tech Red Raiders
Unfold: Gonzaga -9 (-110) | Texas Tech +9 (-110)
Whole: 145– Over (-110) | Underneath 145 (-110)
Venue: Footprint Middle, Phoenix, AZ,
Recreation Data: Saturday Dec. 18, 2021 | 1 pm EST | ESPN2
Editor’s Be aware – Odds are topic to alter.
The road has held regular since its opening in favor of No. 5 Gonzaga (8-2 SU; 4-6 ATS) as 9-point favorites over No. 25 Texas Tech (8-1 SU; 5-4 ATS) at SI Sportsbook.
The Crimson Raiders head into the showdown within the Jerry Colangelo Traditional with Gonzaga having gained eight of its 9 video games this season. The Crimson Raiders greatest win of the season got here on Dec. 7 once they defeated No. 18 Tennessee 57-52 as 4-point underdogs. Their lone lack of 2021 got here in opposition to Windfall once they suffered a 72-68 setback as 2.5-point street favorites.
Texas Tech is led in scoring by an excellent backcourt tandem consisting of Kevin McCullar (14.3 ppg) and Terrance Shannon Jr. (14.3 ppg). Each dynamic gamers are capturing higher than 47 % from the sector anchoring the offense for Mark Adams in his first season in Lubbock.
Gonzaga, who leads the nation in discipline objective proportion (53.0%), will want massive video games from their stellar frontcourt duo of Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren in opposition to among the best defensive squads in school basketball. Nonetheless, this sport will doubtless come right down to the manufacturing of the Bulldog backcourt, primarily sophomore guard Andrew Nembard. The senior guard has struggled so far this season capturing a profession low from past the arc (26.5%).
BET: Texas Tech +9 (-110)
SI NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL BET REVIEW
2021 YTD: 2-6 ATS
2020: Our NCAA match betting performs yielded main monetary success, due to Alabama (+220), Illinois (+375) and Georgia Tech (+2500) all delivering convention match championship victories within the SEC, Massive Ten and ACC, respectively, for all members right here at SI Betting!
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Frankie Taddeo is a profitable high-stakes fantasy soccer participant who created the first-ever DFS program ever provided in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting’s Senior Analyst and gives his important expertise and sources within the sports activities betting scene. You may observe Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his newest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.
