There are some fantastic college basketball tilts on Wednesday night. Bubble teams are looking to strengthen their resumes against teams that have already punched their tickets to the Big Dance. Georgetown, Florida, and Syracuse all need some big wins to help their cases, while Villanova, LSU, and Louisville are looking to keep their resumes strong. Those are some pretty tasty appetizers before the main course. North Carolina and Duke will meet for the first time this season tonight, and this could be the most watched college basketball game of the season.
Villanova Wildcats at Georgetown Hoyas
Date and Time: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
CBB Betting Line: Villanova -5.5, O/U 149.5
The Wildcats have turned a corner after a slow start to the season. Villanova needed some time to replace Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, and Donte DiVincenzo, but Jay Wright’s team has hit its stride and is in position to win another Big East title. However, the Wildcats have not fared too well on the road and blew a 14-point lead against St. John’s over the weekend.
Jessie Govan is looking to make amends after the worst game of his career. The last time Georgetown faced Villanova, he finished with a goose egg in the score line. Govan went 0-9 from the floor and was in foul trouble pretty quickly, fouling out after just 13 minutes. He has only finished in single digits in scoring once this year and is a double-double threat in every game, so that game was an anomaly he is looking to erase.
For the Hoyas to pull off the upset, Govan will have to come up big, and his team have had a week to prepare for Nova. I think that might lead to a big win for Georgetown.
Florida Gators at LSU Tigers
Date and Time: Wednesday, February 20, 2019, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
CBB Betting Line: LSU -5.5, O/U 140
LSU might be just a half-game behind Tennessee for the SEC title, but the oddsmakers aren’t big believers in the Tigers. Their advanced numbers aren’t that great, and Ken Pomeroy has them ranked 21st in the country even though they are 21-4.
That’s why they are only a moderate favorite against a 14-11 Florida team tonight. The Gators are in a precarious position with their record even though the advanced metrics love them, and they need to start picking up wins or else they’ll miss out on the NCAA Tournament and Mike White might be out of a job. Florida is just 6-6 in conference play, but the Gators have a very good chance here.
Louisville Cardinals at Syracuse Orange
Date and Time: Wednesday, February 20, 2019, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York
CBB Betting Line: Syracuse -2, O/U 133
There is a huge disparity between the spread and Ken Pomeroy’s numbers here. Pomeroy is not high on Syracuse. His numbers have the Orange ranked 44th, as the offense has been very mediocre, and the Orange are getting a lot of value out of their win over a short-handed Duke. Syracuse is 8-4 in ACC play, but its seven other wins are against teams that are unlikely to make it to the NCAA Tournament.
That’s why I like Louisville here. The Orange have lost to Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Florida State, and North Carolina State by over 17 points on average, and that is a pretty telling stat. I see the Cardinals rolling here.
North Carolina Tar Heels at Duke Blue Devils
Date and Time: Wednesday, February 20, 2019, 9 p.m. ET
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina
CBB Betting Line: Duke -9. O/U 166.5
Everyone is going to be talking about this game tomorrow. Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett will face North Carolina for the first time, and Duke will look to put the screws to their Tobacco Road rivals. Williamson and Barrett have been fantastic, and I see them dominating North Carolina in a way that will come as a shock to most.
UNC has had a lot of trouble on defense against physical teams, and Duke can take advantage of this. Look for Williamson to manhandle Luke Maye down low in a double-digit Duke win.
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