BASKETBALL COLLEGE BASKETBALL ARTICLES

The Memphis Tigers looked like world beaters in the opening half of their first round showdown with Boise State. Though it ultimately covered the 3.5-points at online sportsbooks in the 63-54 triumph, a more consistent brand of ball will need to be executed to overcome the NCAA tournament’s top seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday; especially with Mark Few’s kids out to make amends after stinking the joint up early on against what proved to be a game Georgia State outfit as decided favorites. Had... 

The first day of the NCAA tournament already saw a number of big time players go by the wayside. Brackets were busted by the UConn Huskies, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Kentucky Wildcats whose hopes of cutting down the nets were dashed by New Mexico State, Richmond and St. Peter’s respectively. Heck, even the Gonzaga Bulldogs were put on upset alert through a half of play! Same goes for the Michigan Wolverines who were forced to battle back from a seven-point halftime deficit to get the best of Colorado S... 

The first round of the NCAA tournament closes out late Friday night with the 8/9 matchup between the Seton Hall Pirates and TCU Horned Frogs. Online sportsbooks expect this to be a competitive matchup evidenced by the current betting odds, but I’m not sold. The Big East and Big 12 each sent half their members to the Big Dance this season. Though The Hall is currently installed the slight favorite, they didn’t play in the tougher of the two conferences in my estimation. The Big East has one truly... 

Raise your hand if you’re sick and tired of tried and true power programs always getting a pass when it comes to seeding in the NCAA tournament. I’m firmly aware of the month of March being Tom Izzo’s time to shine, but he’ll likely even tell you that his No. 7 Michigan State Spartans deserve to be a double-digit seed in this year’s tournament. Sorry, but Sparty stunk out loud this season, and nobody save for those currently residing in East Lansing or with ties to the University want to see thi... 

The Kentucky Wildcats don’t enter 2022 NCAA tournament betting in the good graces of their supporter’s after John Calipari’s kids stumbled at online sportsbooks throughout the tail end of the regular season and carried it into the SEC tourney. Though it closed the regular season out with wins in three of its final four games, it only managed covers against the closing college basketball odds once (1-2-1 ATS) with the push occurring because of a last second heave from TyTy Washington in a losing ... 

The Memphis Tigers were extremely kind to my bankroll over the course of the last half of the regular season once Penny Hardaway’s kids got healthy and finally figured it all out. The Boise State Broncos did nothing but destroy my bankroll at online sportsbooks every chance they got. When I backed them on the college basketball odds, they failed to cover. When I faded them, they covered. If I laid 2-points, they won by one. When I took 2-points, they lost by three. It never failed! You’d think I... 

The 2022 March Madness bracket is set! Once the First Four plays out, all 64 teams will lace up their dancing shoes! Did you invest in the futures odds wisely over the course of the regular season? Hopefully a number of the teams you actually wagered on at online sportsbooks to win it all won’t prematurely meet up in the first couple rounds. That’s a risk you have to take in the months leading up to NCAA Tournament betting, but it’s one that must be taken in order to get the most bang for your buck. Condolences to any of you holding UConn and Arkansas futures with the teams set for a collision course in the round dos! Same goes for anyone that bought into Tennessee and Villanova early on with the SEC and Big East heavyweights also likely to lock horns early on. All prior future recommendations were made without fully knowing each team’s respective path to the Final Four. Now that it’s known and I’ve penciled in my first bracket, I’ve got favorite, underdog and longshot selections that still offer up value on the current NCAA tournament futures odds. I recommend breaking off a piece before the tourney tips off later this week. ... 

While the Purdue Boilermakers failed to see the Big Ten regular season title all the way through, online sportsbooks look to be of the belief that Matt Painter’s kids are the best team in the conference evidenced by installing them favorites to cut the nets down in Indianapolis come the conclusion of the Big Ten tournament. If in fact the Boilers live up to expectations, it would be the second B1G tourney title logged in program history under Painter’s watch. But Brad Underwood’s Illinois Fighti... 

It’s been three long seasons since the Kentucky Wildcats last won the SEC tournament with Auburn and Alabama taking the two most recent and the 2020 tourney cancelled because of COVID. Online sportsbooks look to be of the belief that John Calipari’s Wildcats end the drought this time around with KY Jelly the perceived favorite to win this tourney for the 32nd time in program history. Way back in August when futures odds started hitting the board for the national championship, I was screaming from the roof tops to get you a piece of the Wildcats at 15-1 and as high as 20-1. Well, Kentucky now only sits behind Gonzaga and Arizona on the futures odds to win the whole enchilada +700. As loaded a conference this is at the top of the heap, Kentucky still comes off as the best team when healthy in my book. Avoiding the injury bug has however been a bugaboo for the team all season long. Will those lingering injuries allow Auburn, Tennessee, Arkansas, LSU, etc. to take advantage? I guess we’re about to find out! Either way, the following are my favorite, underdog and longshot selections to make some noise in the Sunshine State over the next week. ... 

A team from the states of Oregon or Arizona has taken home Pac-12 tournament bragging rights each of the last five seasons. Arizona sealed the deal in both 2017 and 2018, and online sportsbooks currently have Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats installed favorites to cut down the nets in this year’s edition of the tourney. With Zona cruising to the regular season title, it only makes perfect sense to see them perched atop the odds to win this tourney. But with a No. 1 seed likely already secured, just how de... 

The Duke Blue Devils won the regular season ACC title in Mike Krzyzewski’s final season calling the shots in Durham by way of going 16-4 in ACC play. Quite naturally, online sportsbooks have the Dookies favored to win the ACC tournament for the third time in the last six seasons. But are the Blue Devils deserved of being the runaway chalk? Oddsmakers certainly look to believe so with the North Carolina Tar Heels clocking in right behind them with a +800 return. Quite the disparity if you ask me!... 

The Kansas Jayhawks and Baylor Bears proved to be the cream of the Big 12 crop this season with each procuring 14-4 conference records. Even though they went on to win the NCAA tournament last season, the Bears failed to win this tournament after getting bounced in the semis by Cade Cunningham and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. As for Kansas, it never even got to participate in its semifinal matchup with the Texas Longhorns due to a positive COVID test and subsequent quarantining followed by contac... 

With the Kansas Jayhawks likely to avenge Tuesday night’s beat down at the hands of the TCU Horned Frogs on Thursday night – whether they cover at online sportsbooks is to be determined – Bill Self’s kids will know that a share of the Big 12 regular season title will be there for the taking in Saturday’s revenge bout with the Texas Longhorns. Heck, they could win it all by their lonesome should they defeat Texas and Baylor somehow see its four-game win streak get snapped by Iowa State. After dro... 

Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game as head coach of the Duke Blue Devils is set to go down Saturday night in front of what’s expected to be a raucous Cameron Indoor Stadium. Fans, alumni and thrill seekers have ponied up big money to see Coach K coach his final game in front of the “Cameron Crazies.” And isn’t it fitting his final go of it comes against the hated North Carolina Tar Heels whom he owns a career 49-46 SU record against after his kids went into the Dean Dome and hammered the Heels 87... 

Two teams without any hopes of attaining the Big Ten regular season title will duke it out for nothing more than B1G tourney seeding when the Michigan State Spartans and Ohio State Buckeyes cross paths for the one and only time pre-tourney. Heading into the 2021-22 CBB betting season, both Sparty and OSU were expected to play major roles in deciding the conference victor at online sportsbooks. But with Tom Izzo’s kids clocking in with a 10-7 record and Chris Holtmann’s troops 11-6, both squads f... 

If the Baylor Bears are to win a second straight Big 12 regular season title – at the very least a share of it – they’re going to need to defend their turf on Saturday night when the Kansas Jayhawks invade the Ferrell Center for the second and final throw down of the regular season between these conference heavyweights. Bill Self’s troops cruised to the win and point spread cover at online sportsbooks in the first go-round crushing the Bears 83-59 as what turned out to be laughable 2.5-point Allen Fieldhouse favorites back on February 5. With the taste of that beating still fresh in the defending champs’ collective mouth, you can’t help but think Scott Drew’s kids will be more than ready for the rematch in front of their hometown faithful; especially with its two most recent losses coming against the other two teams still alive to take home the regular season title. But will Baylor have enough in the tank to combat what looks to be a determined Jayhawks outfit that’s a late-game collapse against Texas from entering this tilt winners of seven in a row (5-2 ATS). I think not! ... 

It hasn’t been a good year for the ACC. This conference is used to being the best or at least one of the best conferences in the country, but they are currently ranked sixth in Ken Pomeroy’s overall rankings behind the other power conferences. Duke is the only team that is certainly in the NCAA Tournament at this point with a 23-4 record, but only one other team has 20 or more wins. The Virginia Cavaliers are one of the teams on the bubble, and a win over Duke would do wonders f... 

Two of the best teams in the Big 12 are looking to keep their regular season conference title hopes alive on Saturday afternoon when the Texas Longhorns host the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Chris Beard may have finally turned around Texas after years of middling basketball under Shaka Smart, while his former team has had a resurgence in its first season under new coach Mark Adams. Both teams are considered locks to make the NCAA Tournament, but the Longhorns and Red Raiders are looking to run down t... 

It hasn’t been fun for the West Virginia Mountaineers when it comes to battling the Big 12 rival Kansas Jayhawks ever since becoming a member of the conference back in 2013. Since then, Bob Huggins has been forced to watch his kids fall to the Jayhawks in 16 of the 22 overall meetings be it in the regular season or Big 12 Tournament. None of those wins occurred in Lawrence. Does that mean WVU will have a shot to win the rematch with it back in the comforts of their own gym? Linemakers at online ... 

One of the reasons the Kansas Jayhawks have dominated Big 12 play since Bill Self took the program over in 2003 has been its ability to dominate Oklahoma State. Dating back to 2006, KU has rattled off 21 wins and was only handed nine defeats while covering the closing college basketball odds at online sportsbooks 15 times. Only twice during that 30 game sample was Kansas not favored to win the game by linemakers. Having come out victorious in seven of the last eight most recent meetings, the Jay... 

The Houston Cougars are looking to make it back to the Final Four after they had a dream run to Indianapolis last season. Houston was the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Regional and didn’t face another single-digit seed on its way to winning the region. That led to a lot of excitement surrounding the AAC this season, but this could be a one-bid conference. SMU and Memphis are the only teams with a chance to make the NCAA Tournament according to the latest edition of Bubble Watch, but the Memphis Tige... 

The greatest rivalry in college basketball will see another game played this weekend when the North Carolina Tar Heels welcome the Duke Blue Devils to the Dean Dome. This will be Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s last game against the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, and he will want to go out on top. Coach K is 49-46 all-time against North Carolina in his career, so a victory will ensure that he retires with a winning record against the Tar Heels.... 

A pair of top-10 teams will square off Saturday afternoon when the reigning champion Baylor Bears invade the Lawrence Fieldhouse looking to halt a three-game coverless streak at online sportsbooks against the No. 10 Kansas Jayhawks. These teams currently sit in first and second place atop the Big 12 standings. As such, much will be on the line when the teams collide in the first of two scheduled regular season standoffs. These rivals split their pair of meetings a year ago with both home teams h... 

The Pac 12 has two teams that could win the national championship this season in the UCLA Bruins and the Arizona Wildcats. A team from this conference hasn’t gone on to win March Madness since Lute Olson led Arizona past Kentucky in 1997, but the Pac 12 is having its best season in quite some time. There are four teams that could make the NCAA Tournament as the West Coast is suddenly becoming filled with basketball talent. UCLA and Arizona are both in contention for seeds on the No. 1 and No. 2 line heading into February. ... 

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are in real need of a statement win. Notre Dame is 13-6 and 6-2 in conference heading into this weekend, and the Fighting Irish have two crucial home games on Saturday and Monday. They take on 12-8 Virginia this weekend before facing the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils on Monday night. The Fighting Irish are currently part of the Next Four Out according to Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology, but two wins could have them back on the right side of the cut....