We had two winners out of three games in Monday night’s college basketball action. Ole Miss kept us from a perfect night by figuring out how to play defense and ending a lengthy losing streak, taking down Florida at home. However, Texas Tech pushed Kansas to double overtime, losing by three – but covering that seven-point spread. Wake Forest also took care of business against a visiting Boston College squad that has been inconsistent this season. In the latest top 25 rankings, Gonzaga was not able to hold off Auburn after the Tigers knocked off Kentucky on Saturday in a potential meeting of Final Four foes, and now Auburn becomes the fifth team to hold the top spot so far this season, following Gonzaga, Duke, Baylor and Purdue. Let’s look at the latest top 25 rankings as well as your best online college basketball betting choices for the rest of the week.
NCAA News: Top 25 Analysis & Betting Opportunities
| Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auburn | 18-1 |
| 2 | Gonzaga | 15-2 |
| 3 | Arizona | 16-1 |
| 4 | Baylor | 17-2 |
| 5 | Kansas | 16-2 |
| 6 | Purdue | 16-3 |
| T7 | UCLA | 13-2 |
| T7 | Houston | 17-2 |
| 9 | Duke | 15-3 |
| 10 | Michigan State | 15-3 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 15-3 |
| 12 | Kentucky | 15-4 |
| 13 | Texas Tech | 15-4 |
| 14 | Villanova | 14-5 |
| 15 | USC | 16-2 |
| 16 | Ohio State | 12-4 |
| 17 | Providence | 16-2 |
| 18 | Tennessee | 13-5 |
| 19 | LSU | 15-4 |
| 20 | Connecticut | 13-4 |
| 21 | Xavier | 14-4 |
| 22 | Marquette | 14-6 |
| 23 | Iowa State | 14-5 |
| 24 | Illinois | 13-5 |
| 25 | Davidson | 16-2 |
Arizona (-2.5) at UCLA
Tuesday, January 25 | 11:00 pm ET, ESPN
Arizona brings their 16-1 record to Pauley Pavilion, riding a five-game winning streak into their meeting with the Bruins, who have won three in a row after dousing a Colorado comeback attempt this past weekend. UCLA is 13-2 and 5-1 in Pac-12 play. Arizona last played Cal on Sunday, rolling by 25 points. Christian Koloko put up 19 points, and Bennedict Mathurin and Oumar Ballo each kicked 14 points, as Arizona went 11 of 27 from downtown in the laugher. Arizona is in the top ten in the nation for KenPom’s offensive and defensive efficiency rating (eighth and ninth, respectively). Arizona leads the Pac-12 in both of those efficiency categories.
UCLA rumbled past Colorado in Boulder on Saturday, winning by six. Johnny Juzang led the Bruins with 23 points, and Jaime Jaquez chipped in 14. UCLA led by as many as 17 points before Colorado started to eat away at that lead, before UCLA pulled away in the waning minutes. The Bruins are ranked 17th in offensive efficiency, but their three-point shooting, just 30.4 percent, needs improvement. Can UCLA knock off the Wildcats at home?
Final Score Prediction: Arizona 89, UCLA 83 : Bet the Game Today
Georgetown (+17) at Connecticut
Tuesday, January 25 | 8:30 pm ET, CBS Sports
Georgetown (6-0, 0-5 Big East) heads to Connecticut (13-4, 4-2 Big East) for their next shot at their first conference win. They lost on Saturday to Villanova, 85-74, although they did cover a 13 ½-point spread. The Hoyas have covered just twice in their last six contests and have covered seven of 16 games overall this season. Georgetown has scoring balance, with five players averaging double figures on the season, but KenPom has them ranked just 157th in the national Aminu Mohammed is the team’s top scorer, as the freshman has 13.6 points and 8.2 boards per game.
Connecticut has a three-game winning streak, and their last two came against Butler, winning by 17 on Tuesday and 19 on Thursday, covering the spread each time. They have covered in four of their last five, improving to covers in 9 of 17 overall. KenPom has the Huskies ranked 18th in the nation, and they are 11th in the nation in free throws attempted, with just over 16 per game, Their block rate is elite, as their number of 7.2 swats per contest is second in the nation. Adam Sanogo is their interior enforcer, with 2.4 blocks and 8.5 boards per game, to go along with 15.6 points per game, second best on the team. After a bit of a letdown late against Villanova, I see Georgetown coming out flat against the Huskies.
Final Score Prediction: Connecticut 88, Georgetown 65 : Bet the Game Today
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