We are still one month away from March Madness, but this is a crucial stretch for teams looking to solidify their spots in the NCAA Tournament. College basketball is right in the thick of things in conference play, and teams can find themselves lulled to sleep by the monotony of it and suffer a key loss that hurts them on Selection Sunday. The four ranked teams I’m highlighting on Wednesday aren’t traditional powers in the basketball world, and they will look to keep chugging along to try to secure a low seed in seven weeks’ time.
NCAA Basketball Betting at Bookmaker.eu
Ole Miss Rebels at Florida Gators
Date and Time: Wednesday, January 30, 2019, 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Exactech Arena, Gainesville, Florida
If Kermit Davis wants to lead Ole Miss back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years in his first season on the job, the Rebels need to stop their skid ASAP. Ole Miss is still ranked as of Monday morning, but the school is likely to fall out of the AP Top 25 after losing three of its last four games by double-digits.
Ole Miss kicked off conference play with a bang in upset wins over Auburn and Mississippi State, but the Rebels are likely to be underdogs in Gainesville here. Florida is rated 14 spots ahead of Ole Miss in Ken Pomeroy’s power rankings, and this is one of the most formidable defenses in the country.
The Gators need a win in a bad way too. They are 0-6 against RPI Top 50 teams this year, and a win over Ole Miss would give their resume a boost. Look for them to get it with their three-point shooters leading the way.
Virginia Tech Hokies at Miami Hurricanes
Date and Time: Wednesday, January 30, 2019, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Watsco Center, Coral Gables, Florida
I highlighted this game earlier today, and it’s just a really terrible match-up for Miami. The Hurricanes have almost no chance of making it to the NCAA Tournament any longer, and they look set to have their worst year ever under Jim Larranaga. They are sub-.500 with one of the worst interior defenses of any power conference team, and Virginia Tech should eat them up inside.
The Hokies have the best effective field goal percentage in the country coming into this game. Virginia Tech is one of the most efficient offenses in the country, and all of its scorers can hit the three and score inside. They should have no problem getting past Miami.
West Virginia Mountaineers at Iowa State Cyclones
Date and Time: Wednesday, January 30, 2019, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa
Pomeroy believes that Iowa State is one of the most undervalued teams in the country. The Cyclones are 12th in the nation according to his rankings, and they have picked up nice road wins at Ole Miss and Texas Tech and clobbered Kansas in Ames earlier this month.
The Mountaineers look like a team going through the motions at this point. The Sagaba Konate saga has gotten downright strange, and they clearly miss the leadership of a player like Jevon Carter. They are just 1-6 in conference play and Bob Huggins no longer looks like he’s having fun coaching this team. This should be a big win for Iowa State.
LSU Tigers at Texas A&M Aggies
Date and Time: Wednesday, January 30, 2019, 9 p.m. ET
Location: Reed Arena, College Station, Texas
We’re about to find out whether or not LSU is for real. The Tigers have won nine straight games and they are 6-0 in SEC play. However, they needed overtime to get past Missouri and Arkansas on the road, and their one quality win in that stretch came against an Ole Miss team that has since fallen off.
The Aggies might be the worst team in the conference with an 8-10 record, but they have given us some surprises. They knocked off Alabama in Tuscaloosa earlier this month and they just beat Kansas State by double-digits this weekend. Texas A&M is a live dog here.
NCAA Basketball Odds
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
