We’re approaching the conference portion of the 2019-20 men’s college basketball schedule. So far, some teams have overachieved — but others have disappointed. The #1 slot in the rankings has been a treacherous place, as multiple top-ranked teams have fallen within days of being placed at the top of the ratings. We do know that Butler is well ahead of preseason expectations.
Last year, they finished 16-17, but they have started 10-1 this year, and their defense is the difference; a year ago, they permitted more than 70 points per game, but this year they are permitting 54.5. Their only loss came at Baylor — currently in the top ten. A disappointment has been Syracuse, sputtering to a 5-5 record so far, with their best victory coming against a Georgia Tech team that is not very good.
They have lost to Oklahoma State, Penn State, Iowa (at home) and at Georgetown. We have a couple picks for this coming Saturday for those who plan to include college basketball betting for this week.
Top College Basketball Betting Picks of the Week – December 24th Edition
Here is Sunday morning’s updated @CBSSports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings from @GaryParrishCBS — with some words at the top on why No. 1 teams keep losing. 1. Ohio State 2. Gonzaga 3. Kansas 4. Louisville 5. Dukehttps://t.co/z0Alr2eGF8
— CBS Sports CBB (@CBSSportsCBB) December 22, 2019
Saturday, December 28th
Wisconsin at Tennessee (1:30 pm ET, CBS)
Wisconsin had a solid start to Big Ten play, beating Indiana at home by 20, but then they lost to Rutgers to fall to 1-1 in conference play. The Badgers bounced back with an 83-64 win over Milwaukee on Saturday, as they got Micah Potter back from almost two years’ worth of sanctions from the NCAA. He put up a dozen points in 13 minutes, while D’Mitrick Trice put up 31, a career best, and Nate Reuvers added 22. Potter should make life easier for Reuvers in the paint, but how will he respond against the likes of Tennessee?
The Volunteers lost to Memphis and Cincinnati before rebounding against Jacksonville State on Saturday. In that win, Tennessee rolled to a 75-53 victory, but they also lost senior point guard Lamonte Turner for the season to thoracic outlet syndrome and season-ending surgery. He was averaging 12.3 points per game, but his shooting percentage had dropped from 42 last year to 31 this year, as his shoulder was affecting his game. Can Tennessee rebound without their starting point guard?
College Basketball Betting Prediction: Tennessee 76, Wisconsin 72
Louisville at Kentucky (3:45 pm ET, CBS)
Louisville followed up their loss to Texas Tech with wins over Eastern Kentucky and Miami (Ohio). In that win over the Redhawks, Louisville couldn’t buy a basket in the first half but then used a 17-0 run in the last 10 minutes to pull away. Jordan Nwora led the Cardinals with 20 points, Ryan McMahon chipped in 11, and Dwayne Sutton had 15 boards to tie a career best. However, Louisville has not shot 40 percent or better in three of their last five games, so while their win was nice, they are still showing warning signs on offense.
Kentucky lost to Ohio State their last time out, 71-65, in the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday. Kentucky had a hard time with their outside shooting, but they ground away inside, getting 17 points from Nate Sestina and 15 more from Tyrese Maxey. The Wildcats would force outside shots against coverage instead of making the extra pass, but even with those offensive issues, they were down just one point with 6:30 left in the second half. However, they kept forcing up contested shots instead of moving the ball, and Ohio State was able to hold off their comeback. Kentucky needs to work on patience and ball distribution if they plan to do well in SEC play.
College Basketball Betting Prediction: Kentucky 74, Louisville 71
