The largest upset by point spread in college basketball’s modern era took place on Wednesday, when the Eastern Illinois Panthers traveled to the University of Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes as 31 ½-point underdogs. Instead of being intimidated by their opponents, the Panthers pulled off a 92-83 upset. Kinyon Hodges put up 22 points, and Caleb Donaldson chipped in 16. Over the past 30 seasons, underdogs of at least 30 points had gone 0-558. Most books didn’t even offer a moneyline for a straight-up outcome due to the size of the spread. Iowa started out strong, running to an 18-4 lead, and they were up eight at the intermission. However, the Panthers shot 72% after halftime, making four of their eight three-pointers, while the Hawkeyes went ice cold, clanking 15 of their 17 three-pointers and shooting just 31% overall – and missing nine free throws. Let’s take a look at two NCAA Basketball betting matchups to consider for Thursday.
NCAA News: Top Basketball Picks for December 22
Louisville Cardinals (+17.5) at N.C. State Wolfpack (O/U 144.5) (7:00 pm ET)
Louisville (2-10) finds itself in the unusual position of basketball laughingstock. They had won two in a row before suffering another humiliation at the hands of Lipscomb. On the road, the Cardinals are 0-4, which makes their trip to face the Wolfpack a difficult one. They are 353rd in the nation in scoring and 287th in scoring defense. There has only been one consistent scorer, El Ellis (17.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game), and he needs help from the perimeter if the Cardinals are going to have a chance.
The Wolfpack (10-3) has a 7-1 record at home and have won two in a row and three of four. They are 32nd in the nation in scoring and 66th on the offensive glass, as their length and hustle give them extra possessions. Their backcourt has Terquavion Smith (18.2 points per game) and Jarkel Joiner (16.6) starting ahead of a wealth of depth. The Cardinals have only covered once in their last six games, and they don’t have the personnel, or the will, apparently, to compete yet. Wolfpack to win and cover.
Butler Bulldogs (+7.5) at Creighton Bluejays (O/U 141.5) (8:00 pm ET)
Butler (8-4) had a four-game winning streak going until they took a beating at home from Connecticut, falling 68-46 in their Big East opener. Butler actually led, 12-11, before Connecticut went on an 8-0 run and led at the half by eight. Things got bad in the last ten minutes, as Butler was down by just four before Connecticut went on a 25-7 run to finish the game. Butler only shot 29.6% from the floor and missed 11 of 14 from three-point land, but they also were beaten badly on the boards, 54-30. Scoring has been an issue all season, as Butler ranks 175th in the nation (72.6 points per game). Their rebounding ranks 314th (32.7 per game). The defense is better, permitting just 63.7 pints per game (66th overall).
Creighton (6-6) started the year 6-0, including victories over such ranked opposition as Texas Tech and Arkansas. Since then, though, things have fallen apart with a six-game losing streak, which included their Big East opener against Marquette on Friday. Creighton was down by nine at halftime and never pushed the deficit below eight the rest of the way. The Bluejays shot 46.3% from the floor but only made four of their 20 three-point attempts. The Bluejays are 111th in the nation (76.3 points per game), and their defense ranks 190th (69.2 points permitted per game). Top scorer Ryan Kalkbrenner (15.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game) has missed the last three games with an illness and is questionable for Thursday’s game. They should bounce back against a Butler team that is scoring to put up much offense at all, but the defense will keep it close. Butler to cover.
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