Quick Hits for Tuesday's NCAA Basketball Betting Action
February 12th, 2019
The NCAA basketball betting action starts earl with Purdue and Maryland locking horns to kick things off. Let's get right to the action so you can lay the lumber. Home team in caps!
Each team has the conference’s top guards in Maryland's Anthony Cowan and Purdue's Carsen Edwards, the latter of which has had two 36-point games and five with at least 20 in their recent 8 game win streak.
Cowan who has all the potential to have a big game, but is bound by the Terps' abysmal turnover rate (worst in the country). However the Terps have size on their side and they lead the nation in rebounds and 3-point shooting percentage, so if they can keep the bad-bad to a minimum and do what they do best, they’ll have a shot.
When it comes down to brass tacks, Purdue looks good for this road win. They have momentum and with a fresh ranking which designates them as a potential third seed in the tournament, they’re not going to let go that easy despite being tight road favorites in NCAA basketball betting.
Wisconsin has 6 wins in the past 7 contests and are looking to improve their 5th seed standing. In Big 10 Matchups, center Ethan Happ is averaging 17.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists and are 2nd in the league for 3-point shooting.
If we’re talking league stats to back our NCAA basketball betting choices, MSU sits right on top of the Badgers in 3-point defense and field-goal percentage defense. They've also had a 81.9 PPG rating, well over the 70.1 that Wisconsin is sitting on. While the Badgers have Happ, MSU has Cassius Winston and both these players can make the other team’s defense wince.
Look for Michigan State to rebound and run while the Badgers play methodical ball and focus on the defensive play.
The Badgers are ready to take this win and shake things up, and they’ll do just that.
With the drama cup running over, the Tigers are upping the ante with a decade of losses at Rupp Arena.
However, the Wildcats defense will have to contend with SEC player of the week Tremont Waters who is averaging 22.5 PPG and 7.5 assists. Kentucky has to pick it up offensively and look to tighten up defensively if they have any chance.
I’m going with a safe pick and taking Kentucky but if you want a consistent heart palpitation on Tuesday, get dramatic and call LSU.
Yes, we can say "Duke" and call it a day but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t give you something to quibble over.
Duke is good at a lot of things but they rank low on field goal percentage (17th) and 3-point shooting (32nd). They also sit just above and just below Louisville on those two stats, respectively.
Ok, so that’s not really a winning favor for Louisville. They still have to lock down Barrett and Zion, and if Zion’s recent block on Hunter is any indication of their confidence heading into this game, they’re in trouble.
One shaky stat that the Cards are packing is that Louisville has taken a loss and turned the next contest into a win 4 times this season. Could that happen again?!
The answer is...not a chance. Not even with a large NCAA basketball betting line. Duke will win this matchup.
Lindsay Van Gyn has a masters degree in sports communications focusing on the NFL. She is a passionate writer who focuses on the cultural intersection of sports, statistics and fans.
#12 Purdue Boilermakers -2.5 over #24 MARYLAND TERRAPINS
Both of these Big 10 teams are looking for a top- four finish in the conference. While Maryland hasn’t looked great over their past five games (3-5 SU), they could damage Purdue’s ranking in their bid for a conference title.Each team has the conference’s top guards in Maryland's Anthony Cowan and Purdue's Carsen Edwards, the latter of which has had two 36-point games and five with at least 20 in their recent 8 game win streak.
Cowan who has all the potential to have a big game, but is bound by the Terps' abysmal turnover rate (worst in the country). However the Terps have size on their side and they lead the nation in rebounds and 3-point shooting percentage, so if they can keep the bad-bad to a minimum and do what they do best, they’ll have a shot.
When it comes down to brass tacks, Purdue looks good for this road win. They have momentum and with a fresh ranking which designates them as a potential third seed in the tournament, they’re not going to let go that easy despite being tight road favorites in NCAA basketball betting.
#20 WISCONSIN BADGERS +1.5 at #11 Michigan State Spartans
The Wisconsin Badgers will host Michigan State as they coming off a tough loss to the Wolverines, but this Big 10 matchup could have bigger implications for the Badgers if they’re able to wrap this one upWisconsin has 6 wins in the past 7 contests and are looking to improve their 5th seed standing. In Big 10 Matchups, center Ethan Happ is averaging 17.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists and are 2nd in the league for 3-point shooting.
If we’re talking league stats to back our NCAA basketball betting choices, MSU sits right on top of the Badgers in 3-point defense and field-goal percentage defense. They've also had a 81.9 PPG rating, well over the 70.1 that Wisconsin is sitting on. While the Badgers have Happ, MSU has Cassius Winston and both these players can make the other team’s defense wince.
Look for Michigan State to rebound and run while the Badgers play methodical ball and focus on the defensive play.
The Badgers are ready to take this win and shake things up, and they’ll do just that.
#5 KENTUCKY WILDCATS -8.5 over #19 LSU Tigers
This is Tuesday's hottest pick as #5 Kentucky welcomes a rampaging #19 LSU. For Kentucky, winning this game will set the tone for their fight against #1 Tennessee on Saturday and for LSU, winning 12 of their last 13 and a 5-1 road streak, they are here to show up and challenge the rankings.With the drama cup running over, the Tigers are upping the ante with a decade of losses at Rupp Arena.
However, the Wildcats defense will have to contend with SEC player of the week Tremont Waters who is averaging 22.5 PPG and 7.5 assists. Kentucky has to pick it up offensively and look to tighten up defensively if they have any chance.
I’m going with a safe pick and taking Kentucky but if you want a consistent heart palpitation on Tuesday, get dramatic and call LSU.
#2 Duke Blue Devils -8.0 over #16 LOUISVILLE CARDINAL
DUKE. That is all.Yes, we can say "Duke" and call it a day but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t give you something to quibble over.
Duke is good at a lot of things but they rank low on field goal percentage (17th) and 3-point shooting (32nd). They also sit just above and just below Louisville on those two stats, respectively.
Ok, so that’s not really a winning favor for Louisville. They still have to lock down Barrett and Zion, and if Zion’s recent block on Hunter is any indication of their confidence heading into this game, they’re in trouble.
One shaky stat that the Cards are packing is that Louisville has taken a loss and turned the next contest into a win 4 times this season. Could that happen again?!
The answer is...not a chance. Not even with a large NCAA basketball betting line. Duke will win this matchup.
Lindsay Van Gyn has a masters degree in sports communications focusing on the NFL. She is a passionate writer who focuses on the cultural intersection of sports, statistics and fans.
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