We’re about halfway through the 2019-20 men’s college basketball season, and there have been quite a few developments that you may not have seen coming. We had six different teams hold the #1 ranking in the first eight weeks of the season, from five different conferences. North Carolina is in a tie for dead last in the ACC, having dropped seven of their last nine and with five of those losses coming at home. Last week, they lost to Clemson at home for the first time. Ever. In sixty meetings. Stephen F. Austin went to Duke and won in overtime, the first non-conference team to win at Cameron Indoor Stadium, ending a 150-game streak that had lasted since 2000. Evansville became the first unranked team ever to win at Kentucky when the Wildcats were ranked #1 in the nation. Thirty-nine other teams had tried and failed. Florida A&m had lost 106 straight games against Power 5 conference teams, until they won at Iowa State. And the list goes on. Can you make money with sports betting in such a crazy sport?
Check out our two top college basketball betting picks for this coming week.
Top College Basketball Betting Picks of the Week – January 13th Edition
Here is Sunday morning’s updated @CBSSports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings — with some words at the top on Gonzaga and Baylor. 1. Gonzaga 2. Baylor 3. Duke 4. Auburn 5. Oregonhttps://t.co/C7rX1UYMyO
— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) January 12, 2020
Tuesday, January 14th
Texas Tech at Kansas State (8:00 pm ET, ESPN+)
Texas Tech has hit a bumpy road in Big 12 play, falling at home to Baylor by five and then losing at West Virginia, falling by a dozen points. In that game, Davide Moretti put up 16 points to lead the Red Raiders, but along with Jahmi’us Ramsey, Moretti only combined for two baskets in the last 15 minutes of the game. Texas Tech did push hard for a comeback, getting as close as six with seven minutes left in the second half when Avery Benson nailed a three-pointer, but they would get no closer. On a night when the shots weren’t falling, Texas Tech could not get stops, and now they are 1-2 in conference play.
The next test for the Red Raiders comes at Kansas State on Tuesday. The Wildcats are 0-3 so far in Big 12 play, falling at Oklahoma, at home to TCU, and then at Texas. That loss to the Longhorns came on Saturday. Texas led by four at halftime but then held Kansas State scoreless for the first eight minutes after the intermission to build an insurmountable lead. Kansas State had four shot-clock violations before they scored a basket after halftime. If Texas Tech can mount a similar defensive effort — and make their shots — they should even their Big 12 record.
College Basketball Betting Prediction: Texas Tech 70, Kansas State 62
Wednesday, January 15th
Virginia at Florida State (7:00 pm ET, ESPN2)
Like many of the other highly rated teams in college basketball this year, the Virginia Cavaliers have had rough sledding in early conference play. They beat North Carolina (which seems less impressive with each passing week) but then they lost at Boston College and at home to Syracuse, that last loss coming on Saturday. The Orange prevailed in overtime, 63-55, as Buddy Boeheim scored nine points in the extra period (and 14 for the game) after starting the game 1 for 11 from the floor. Jay Huff put up 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who went seven minutes in the second half without scoring.
Next up for Virginia is a trip to Florida State. The Seminoles have won seven in a row, including wins at then-#7 Louisville and Wake Forest last week. In that win over the Demon Deacons, Devin Vassell led the Seminoles with 17 points, as Florida State had to come back in the second half after Wake Forest went on an 11-0 run right after the intermission. M.J. Walker put up 15 points, but the story was the Seminoles’ defense, which kept Wake Forest to just one basket in the last 6:30 of regulation. Florida State has won 14 of 15 — can they overcome a stout Virginia defense at home?
College Basketball Betting Prediction: Florida State 64, Virginia 60
