The Kansas Jayhawks are looking to become the first repeat champions in NCAA men’s basketball in 15 years. It was Billy Donovan who led Florida to titles in 2006 and 2007 before heading to the NBA, and since then, no team has been able to make the grueling march to a championship two years in a row. Given the transfer portal and the increasing number of players who head to the pros early, repeating is more difficult than ever. The Houston Cougars, ranked #1 in the AP poll, at least for now, would get a huge benefit if they can make it to the Final Four, which is set for Houston’s NRG Stadium. As we look to NCAA Basketabll betting picks for November 29, we have two Big Ten-ACC clashes for your consideration.
NCAA News: Top College Basketball Bets for November 29
Maryland Terrapins (-12.5) at Louisville Cardinals (O/U 135.5)
(7:00 pm ET)
How can such a basketball blue blood as Louisville be a 12 ½-point home underdog, you ask? Well, Maryland comes in with a perfect 6-0 record (although their only win over a competitive opponent came against the Miami Hurricanes), while the Louisville Cardinals are 0-6, fresh off a hide-tanning at the Maui Invitational.
Maryland took down Miami by 18 and Saint Louis by 28 while winning the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-off. The key for the Terrapins has been their defense; KenPom has them ranked 41st in the nation in Adjusted Defense. Their last action came on Friday, a win over Coppin State. The Terrapins had an 11-point lead at the intermission before putting the hammer down in the second half. Julian Reese set a career high with 24 points and pulled down 10 rebounds against an undersized frontcourt. Forward Hakim Hart put up 22 points and eight rebounds, and point guard Jahmir Young chipped in 22 points and five boards. This was the first time in 20 years that Maryland had had three 20-point scorers in the same game. The only weakness was three-point shooting, as the Terrapins only made four of their 19 shots from distance.
Louisville also struggled last year, going 13-19 (6-14 ACC). The team has a new head coach in Chris Mack, but things have not improved. The schedule opened with such supposedly manageable opponents as Bellarmine, Wright State and Appalachian State, but they lost all three games by a single point apiece. In the Maui Invitational, Louisville lost to Arkansas, Texas Tech and Cincinnati by a combined 77 points. On offense, the Cardinals are shooting just 39.5% from the floor (29.7% from three-point land) for the season, so there are plenty of things to work on on both sides of the ball. Final Score Prediction: Maryland 77, Louisville 60
Penn State Nittany Lions (+1.5) at Clemson Tigers (O/U 132.5)
(7:00 pm ET)
Penn State brings a 6-1 record into this meeting after topping Lafayette on Friday. Clemson (5-2) last played on Saturday, beating Cal in the Emerald Coast Classic. The Nittany Lions put together a sweet run in the Big Ten Tournament last year and look to build on that this season. On Friday, they won by 13 behind 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds from Jalen Pickett. Seth Lundy scored 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds, and Camren Wynter chipped in 11 points. Lafayette jumped out to an early 19-12 lead, but then the Nittany Lions dropped a 36-12 run that extended into the second half. Penn State’s defense limited Lafayette to 31% shooting for the game (32% on three-point shooting). In contrast, the Nittany Lions shot 48% as a team.
This will be Penn State’s first true road game as they face a Clemson team that split their two games at the Emerald Coast Classic. Their win over Cal came in 67-59 fashion, as Chase Hunter led the Tigers with 14 points while dishing out seven assists and grabbing a pair of steals. Alex Hemenway scored seven points and set a career best with six rebounds. Ben Middlebrooks contributed six points and eight boards. For the game, Clemson shot 51% overall (41% on three-pointers). Clemson has a +9 average point differential on the season. Neither team rebounds particularly well, so the team that can hustle on the glass will likely get the win. Final Score Prediction: Clemson 70, Penn State 64.
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