Saturday's NCAAB Top 25 betting cheat sheet
We know, we know. The Super Bowl is tomorrow.
But for those of you who can't wait for the 'Big Game' and want to sink your teeth into some college hoops action, we break down Saturday's Top 25 games in our betting cheat sheet.
No. 24 Purdue at No. 17 Maryland (,)
No. 17 Maryland is off to its best start in program history with three freshmen in the starting lineup and looks to remain atop the Big Ten when it hosts 24th-ranked Purdue on Saturday afternoon. The Terrapins have won seven straight and are deadlocked with Wisconsin for first place in the conference after what coach Mark Turgeon said was a gut-check win at Ohio State on Tuesday.
First-year standouts Justin Jackson, Anthony Cowan and Kevin Huerter combined for 42 points in the victory over the Buckeyes for Maryland, which has not lost since Jan. 1 against Nebraska at home. The Terrapins must produce another big effort against Purdue, which has won four of its last five games after rolling to an 80-59 triumph against Northwestern on Wednesday. The Boilermakers are one of the most dangerous 3-point shooting teams in the nation and boast five players averaging in double figures, led by sophomore forward Caleb Swanigan. The 6-9 Swanigan is second in the Big Ten in scoring (18.8) and first in rebounding (12.9) while shooting 55.2 percent from the field.
TRENDS:
* Boilermakers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
* Terrapins are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
* Over is 6-0 in Boilermakers last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Over is 4-1 in Boilermakers last 5 games following a ATS win.
No. 11 Virginia at Syracuse (,)
Fresh off an epic comeback victory, Syracuse will face another team it has victimized with a memorable rally when it hosts No. 11 Virginia on Saturday. The Orange saved their season with a thrilling come-from-behind overtime victory at North Carolina State on Wednesday and will be playing the Cavaliers for the first time since storming back from 16 points down in last year’s Midwest Regional final to shock the top seeds.
Virginia has won six of its past seven games and turned its attention to Syracuse after thrashing in-state rival Virginia Tech 71-48 at home Wednesday. "I haven't thought about it (until) you brought it up right now, and now my heart's pounding,” senior guard London Perrantes told reporters of the reunion with the Orange after a heartbreaking 68-62 loss last season. The result vaulted Syracuse, the No. 10 seed, to the Final Four and a Top 25 ranking to open this season, but the Orange only now are starting to live up to that billing. The 100-93 overtime win against the Wolfpack was their first on the road all season and gave them three victories in a row for the first time since a 4-0 start.
TRENDS:
* Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Orange are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 home games.
* Under is 5-0 in Cavaliers last 5 overall.
* Over is 5-0 in Orange last 5 overall.
* Road team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
Pittsburgh at No. 21 Duke (,)
With a critical stretch of games approaching, Duke will have head coach Mike Krzyzewski back on the sideline when it hosts Pittsburgh in an ACC matchup Saturday. The 21st-ranked Blue Devils are beginning a three-game homestand that will include visits from North Carolina and Clemson next week, but they’ll first have to contend with the struggling Panthers, who have dropped seven straight.
The Blue Devils went 4-3 during Krzyzewski’s leave of absence following back surgery, but they’ve won two straight since he reportedly called a team meeting at his house and banned players from wearing team apparel until their performance improved. “I got a chance to watch a lot of tape,” Krzyzewski told the Washington Post. “I felt like I was one of the assistants, the lead scout.” He had to be more pleased with what he saw the past two games, as Duke followed an 85-83 win at Wake Forest with an 84-74 victory at Notre Dame to move back above .500 in ACC play. Pittsburgh has been much improved in its past two contests, dropping a tight 67-60 decision to Clemson and a heartbreaking 80-78 loss at North Carolina after being embarrassed by 55 points at home against Louisville on Jan. 24.
TRENDS:
* Panthers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Blue Devils are 2-11-1 ATS in their last 14 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 12-1 in Panthers last 13 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 8-1 in Blue Devils last 9 overall.
* Over is 10-1 in Blue Devils last 11 vs. Atlantic Coast.
Georgia at No. 20 South Carolina (,)
No. 20 South Carolina opened SEC play with five straight victories before losing to Kentucky, but are rolling again with a three-game winning streak entering Saturday’s home contest with Georgia. The Gamecocks feature one of the top defenses in the nation, holding opponents to 60.9 points per game and limiting the opposition to 63 points or fewer in five of their past seven contests.
South Carolina never trailed in Wednesday’s 88-63 victory at LSU, getting 17 points each from Duane Notice and P.J. Dozier. Georgia is trying to revive its postseason hopes after dropping three of four games, beating Texas on Jan. 28 before an inspired performance fell short in overtime Tuesday at Kentucky. J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten combined for 45 points, while Derek Ogbeide scored a career-best 18 points and a career high-tying 13 rebounds. The Gamecocks snapped a four-game losing streak to Georgia with a 67-61 road victory Jan. 4, a physical game in which 51 fouls were called.
TRENDS:
* Bulldogs are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games.
* Gamecocks are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
* Bulldogs are 8-1 ATS in the last 9 meetings in South Carolina.
* Under is 5-1-1 in the last 7 meetings in South Carolina.
Iowa State at No. 2 Kansas (,)
After surviving the toughest stretch of games during his 14-year tenure at Kansas, coach Bill Self can’t even enjoy the moment due to multiple offcourt incidents involving his players. With allegations surrounding star freshman Josh Jackson the most recent to surface, the No. 2 Jayhawks will try and stay focused and pull off a 52nd consecutive win at Allen Fieldhouse when dangerous Iowa State comes calling Saturday.
In the last 10 days Self’s crew was knocked off in Morgantown by West Virginia but rebounded with a road win over No. 4 Kentucky and a home triumph over No. 5 Baylor in a battle for the top spot in the Big 12 Conference. However, during this period, sophomore forward Carlton Bragg was suspended indefinitely and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and several players were listed as witnesses for an alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl in the dorm that houses the Jayhawks basketball team. On Wednesday, Jackson and reserve guard Lagerald Vick were identified as persons of interest in an alleged felony vandalism of a car on Dec. 9 whose owner was likely a victim of an assault by Vick in 2015. Self, who told reporters last week his club has had trouble focusing on basketball due to the turmoil swirling around the program, said through a prepared statement that he was unable to comment on a 2015 investigation that found Vick likely hit a female student multiple times.
TRENDS:
* Cyclones are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Jayhawks are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games.
* Over is 4-0 in Cyclones last 4 road games.
* Under is 7-0 in Jayhawks last 7 overall.
* Over is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings in Kansas.
No. 7 Louisville at Boston College (,)
Louisville coach Rick Pitino talked about trying to find "silver linings" with any injury after his team's most recent victory, and it appears he might have found one after losing his top two point guards for the foreseeable future. Behind the recent scoring surge from sophomore Donovan Mitchell, the seventh-ranked Cardinals eye a seventh win in their last eight outings Saturday when they visit Boston College.
Pitino was forced to rely more heavily on backup Tony Hicks to run the offense after starter Quentin Snider was lost to a hip injury for approximately 2-3 weeks in Louisville's win over Duke on Jan. 14, but Hicks lasted only three games after that before succumbing to a hand injury expected to keep him out 4-6 weeks. The run on injuries has forced Mitchell to shift over from shooting guard and the results have been dramatic of late, as he was named ACC Player of the Week last week after averaging 28.5 points, five rebounds and four assists in a pair of blowout wins. "Donovan is getting a chance to play his normal position, which is point guard, and you always look for a silver lining in any injury, and he's got a chance to work at that, which I think will pay a huge dividend down the road," Pitino said after Louisville routed North Carolina State 85-60 on Sunday. The Eagles have dropped six straight and lost their fourth in a row by single digits Tuesday, falling 85-80 at home against Wake Forest.
TRENDS:
* Cardinals are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Eagles are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Under is 5-1 in Cardinals last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.
* Over is 4-0 in Eagles last 4 overall.
Kansas State at No. 3 Baylor (,)
Third-ranked Baylor begins the second half of Big 12 play a game behind first place Kansas after losing to the No. 2 Jayhawks 73-68 on Wednesday night at famed Allen Fieldhouse. The Bears, who already have a Feb. 18 rematch with Kansas in Waco circled on their calendar, will try to avoid a letdown after the tough loss when they host Kansas State on Saturday afternoon.
"One day we'll win up here," Baylor coach Scott Drew told the Waco Tribune after the Bears fell to 0-15 all-time at Kansas. "Just not this year." Baylor has plenty of company in that regard considering Kansas extended its winning streak at Allen Fieldhouse to 51 in a row. But Baylor can still earn a share of a Big 12 title by winning out and defeating the Jayhawks in the rematch at the Ferrell Center where they've won 13 straight games. "The beauty of the Big 12 is every game counts the same, you play everybody twice," Drew said. "We're trying to improve each day and make sure in March we're playing our best basketball. But we have to be better in the second half to win conference."
TRENDS:
* Bears are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
* Over is 6-1 in Wildcats last 7 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 6-0 in Bears last 6 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings.
* Underdog is 4-1-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
No. 25 Xavier at No. 22 Creighton (,)
Little did Xavier know when Creighton lost its starting point guard to a torn left ACL in their first meeting on Jan. 16 that it would be dealing with the exact same situation less than two weeks later. Two of the top teams in the Big East continue their quest to overcome season-ending injuries to their floor generals Saturday when the 25th-ranked Musketeers hit the road and try to avoid a regular-season sweep against the 22nd-ranked Bluejays.
Maurice Watson Jr. entered the rivals' first meeting averaging a Division I-high 8.8 assists per game, but the Creighton standout injured his knee while converting a three-point play of the Bluejays' 72-67 comeback victory. Xavier's Edmond Sumner suffered the same fate on a three-point play 13 days later in an 82-77 win at St. John's, but the team dodged another bullet in Wednesday's 72-70 triumph over Seton Hall, as Big East leading scorer Trevon Bluiett fought through an early foot injury to power the Musketeers to a second straight win. As a result, Creighton junior Tyler Clement, who did not play at all Jan. 16, and Xavier freshman Quentin Goodin, who was held scoreless in five minutes of action in the same game, hope to continue capably filling the voids left behind by Watson and Sumner. In order for the Bluejays to increase their one-half game lead over the Musketeers for second place in the league standings, they will need to find a way to contain Bluiett, who is averaging 27.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in the four games since the teams' first meeting.
TRENDS:
* Musketeers are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Bluejays are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 4-1 in Musketeers last 5 road games.
* Over is 9-2 in Bluejays last 11 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings.
* Musketeers are 0-6 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
No. 5 Arizona at No. 13 Oregon (,)
Allonzo Trier has returned just in time for fifth-ranked Arizona, which heads into Saturday’s Pac-12 showdown against No. 13 Oregon in Eugene riding a 15-game winning streak. The dynamic Trier is playing in his fifth game this season but has already proven to be a difference-maker for the Wildcats, who hold a one-game lead in the Pac-12 race over the Ducks.
Trier, a sophomore guard who missed the season’s first 19 games while serving a PED-related suspension, scored 18 points in Thursday’s 71-54 win over Oregon State and has averaged 14.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists off the bench in four games since his return. “He gives them depth and an experienced perimeter player,” Oregon coach Dana Altman told reporters. “He gives them another weapon. We are going to have our work cut out for us because I don’t know how we are going to get them slowed down. They have always been good on defense and they are a good offensive team this year.” The Wildcats will be facing a sellout crowd in Eugene, where the Ducks extended their home winning streak to 39 games with Thursday’s come-from-behind 71-70 victory over Arizona State. Forward Dillon Brooks, averaging a team-high 15.8 points in league play, scored Oregon’s final 12 points as the Ducks avoided their second straight loss.
TRENDS:
* Wildcats are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 road games.
* Ducks are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 4-1 in Wildcats last 5 overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Ducks last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
Connecticut at No. 14 Cincinnati (,)
Connecticut has won three games in a row for the first time this season but will be facing a team with a much more impressive streak when it travels to No. 14 Cincinnati on Saturday. The American Athletic Conference-leading Bearcats have won 13 consecutive games and 21 straight at home.
Cincinnati’s run nearly came to an end Wednesday night at Tulsa, but senior guard Troy Caupain scored five of his 15 points in the final minute to help the Bearcats escape with a 57-55 victory. It was the team’s third two-point victory during its streak, although it also has won four games by more than 30 points during the hot stretch. The injury-ravaged Huskies were playing with six healthy regulars last week, but that didn’t stop them from stringing together their best stretch of the season. "Three games, three wins in a week with six guys, that's my definition of perseverance," coach Kevin Ollie told reporters after a 78-68 win over Tulane on Saturday.
TRENDS:
* Huskies are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS loss.
* Bearcats are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
* Over is 5-1 in Huskies last 6 overall.
* Over is 7-0 in Bearcats last 7 home games.
* Huskies are 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Cincinnati.
Oklahoma State at No. 12 West Virginia (,)
The first time Oklahoma State faced West Virginia this season, the Cowboys lost by 17 to kick off a six-game losing streak to open Big 12 play. Five weeks later, Oklahoma State is back from the dead with four straight wins, but Saturday's road date against the 12th-ranked Mountaineers will provide its toughest test yet.
West Virginia ranks seventh in the nation in points scored (87.6), while Oklahoma State is eighth (87.5), although the teams have different levels of offensive balance. The Mountaineers have five players averaging between 9.4 points and 12.2 points, while the Cowboys have two dynamic scorers in Jawun Evans and Jeffrey Carroll. Evans, Carroll and the other Oklahoma State guards must take care of the ball against a West Virginia squad that records 12 steals per game and forces turnovers at a rapid pace. Evans committed five turnovers in the first meeting, while West Virginia's Jevon Carter had four steals to go with 15 points and six assists.
TRENDS:
* Cowboys are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Mountaineers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 4-1-1 in Cowboys last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 9-1-1 in Mountaineers last 11 overall.
* Favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
* Cowboys are 0-7 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
No. 18 St. Mary’s at San Diego (,)
Saint Mary's tries to maintain focus as it defeats inferior West Coast Conference competition between Gonzaga meetings and must keep its head on straight for two more games beginning with Saturday's contest at San Diego. The No. 19 Gaels hung on for a 74-70 victory at Pacific on Thursday for their fifth straight victory and 14th in the last 15 games and can taste the opportunity that comes Feb. 11 when they try to exact revenge from the No. 1 Bulldogs for a 79-56 loss Jan. 14.
"You can't ever forget it's tough to win on the road," Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett told reporters after his team recorded one field goal in the final 12 minutes before winning their 10th WCC game but first by single digits. Saturday's matchup is a contrast in taking care of the ball as the Gaels are third nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.59 while the Toreros (.96) are one of three WCC teams with more turnovers than assists. San Diego is coming off a 72-53 loss to Loyola Marymount on Thursday for its third setback in four games despite a game-high 21 points from leading scorer Brett Bailey. Saint Mary's prevailed 72-60 on Dec. 31 for its sixth straight meeting in the series with freshman reserve guard Tanner Krebs scoring 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting from 3-point range in 18 minutes.
TRENDS:
* Gaels are 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
* Toreros are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a double-digit loss at home.
* Toreros are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 4-0 in Gaels last 4 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
* Under is 5-0 in Toreros last 5 overall.
* Gaels are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
St. John’s at No. 4 Villanova (,)
Sometimes Jay Wright's analysis requires deep thought and well orchestrated insights, but other times - like after Wednesday's win over Providence - the Villanova coach can keep it simple. "Thank God we've got good players," Wright said after his fourth-ranked team's 27th win in 29 games - a run he hopes will continue Saturday versus visiting St. John's.
Villanova topped St. John's by 13 points last month as Donte DiVincenzo scored a season-high 19 points. The redshirt freshman made an even bigger name for himself Sunday with a game-winning tip-in against Virginia, and the Wildcats followed up that thrilling victory with a nine-point win at Providence. St. John's has won three of five since the loss to Villanova, including a 14-point win against Marquette its last time out. Bashir Ahmed delivered a career-high 23 points and continues to provide scoring support alongside the high-octane duo of Shamorie Ponds and Marcus LoVett.
TRENDS:
* Red Storm are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Wildcats are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Over is 5-1 in Red Storm last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Under is 10-1 in Wildcats last 11 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 6-1 in Wildcats last 7 overall.
No. 6 Kentucky at No. 23 Florida (,)
After avoiding the first three-game losing streak in the coach John Calipari era, No. 6 Kentucky hits the road for a tough challenge against No. 23 Florida on Saturday night. The Wildcats, who were coming off losses at Tennessee 82-80 on Jan. 24 and to No. 3 Kansas 79-73 on Jan. 28, needed freshman guard Malik Monk's jumper with eight seconds left to force overtime before outlasting Georgia 90-81 on Tuesday as freshman point guard De'Aaron Fox sat out with the flu.
Senior guard Mychal Mulder and freshman forward Sacha-Killeya Jones - a pair of key reserves - also missed the Georgia game because of illness with at least Fox and Mulder expected to return Saturday. “I don’t know how many people we have sick, but the sickness is going through our team,” senior forward Derek Willis told reporters before Friday's practice. “Even away from the gym, I have friends that are getting sick. ..." The Gators sit third in the SEC - one game behind the Wildcats and No. 20 South Carolina - after crushing Missouri 93-54 on Thursday for their third straight victory and are excited about the prospects of snapping their five-game losing streak to Kentucky. "I think it'd be a huge, breakthrough win for us, if we can get it done," Florida coach Mike White told reporters. "If we play very well, we will have a chance, and that's all you can ask for. It's a healthy level of confidence and respect there."
TRENDS:
* Wildcats are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Gators are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
* Over is 5-1 in Wildcats last 6 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Over is 6-1 in Gators last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Wildcats are 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
Santa Clara at No. 1 Gonzaga (,)
Top-ranked Gonzaga keeps racking up the victories and now possesses the longest winning streak in school history entering Saturday's West Coast Conference game against visiting Santa Clara. The Bulldogs notched their school-best 23rd straight win when they posted an 85-75 victory at Brigham Young on Thursday and look to move closer to an undefeated regular season.
Gonzaga coach Mark Few makes sure his players don't get full of themselves with the accolades being thrown their way, but junior point guard Nigel Williams-Goss certainly doesn't mind the limelight. "It's definitely an honor," Williams-Goss said after scoring 33 points in the win over BYU. "Somebody has to be ranked No. 1, so as a competitor, why not it be you? It's not like we don't appreciate it or think it's cool to be ranked No. 1. But we just understand we can't rest our hat on that and we have to keep getting better each week." The Bulldogs are outscoring opponents by 23.2 points per game and have eight wins by 30 or more points, including an 88-57 victory at Santa Clara on Jan. 19. The Broncos are playing solid of late with five wins in their last seven games and recorded a 60-45 road win over Portland on Thursday.
TRENDS:
* Broncos are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing less than 50 points in their previous game.
* Bulldogs are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 home games.
* Bulldogs are 21-5-1 ATS in their last 27 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 12-3 in Bulldogs last 15 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
* Broncos are 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
No. 8 UCLA at Washington (,)
UCLA has been in the unusual position of needing to end losing streaks this week, and the No. 8 Bruins will try to stop another when they visit Washington for a Pac-12 game Saturday night. UCLA ended a string of three straight road losses against Washington State when it topped the Cougars on Wednesday, also snapping its first two-game skid this season, and will look to end a two-game losing streak against the Huskies, both incurred last season.
This game will feature three of the best freshman in the nation in Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf of UCLA and Markelle Fultz of Washington. Ball is second in the nation in assists and No. 1 among active players at eight a game while also averaging 14.8 points and 5.8 rebounds, and Leaf averages 17 points and 8.9 rebounds, both team highs, and is coming off a 32-point performance against Washington State, the second-most points ever scored by a UCLA freshman. Fultz is averaging a Pac-12-leading 23.1 points a game, which is seventh-most in the nation and tops among freshmen. Ball will likely draw the assignment of guarding Fultz in a matchup that will surely have NBA scouts watching closely.
TRENDS:
* Bruins are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
* Huskies are 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up loss.
* Over is 5-1-1 in Bruins last 7 overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Huskies last 4 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Bruins are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Washington.
