Tuesday, Jan. 10
The football season is winding down and the college basketball
season is heating up. Conference play has begun and the next two
months will provide numerous opportunities for sharp bettors to
profit.
Below is a look at all three nationally televised college hoops
games for Tuesday night.
WISCONSIN (Pick, 134) at MINNESOTA (ESPN)
Wisconsin lost four starters from last year's Elite Eight squad,
however, the Badgers are still off to an impressive 12-2 SU
start this season.
The early overnight money came in on Wisconsin in this game and
the line moved Wisconsin from a 1-point underdog to Pick'em or
even a 1-point road favorite in many locations as the Badgers
looked extremely strong in their recent back-to-back home wins
over Iowa and Michigan State.
Minnesota has a strong home court and the Gophers have played 10
of their 12 games in Minneapolis this season. Minnesota shoots a
solid 47% from the field and allows just 42% FG overall. They do
catch Wisconsin in a major flat spot after a pair of big home
wins and Minnesota is coming off a disappointing 57-49 loss
versus Northwestern as a 7 ½ point home favorite on Saturday
which should ensure a maximum effort this evening.
Wisconsin has been weaker on the road this season, going just
3-2 SU, compared to 9-0 SU at home. The Badgers do hold a
significant matchup advantage as they average 39% from
three-point range, while Minnesota has a weak perimeter defense
that permits 40% from beyond the arc (versus opponents that
average just 35% overall).
These teams only met once last season and Minnesota won
outright, 60-50, as a 3-point home underdog. It was a rare
Gopher win as Wisconsin had won 10 of the previous 12 meetings.
NORTH CAROLINA (-2, 142) at VIRGINIA TECH (espn2)
North Carolina lost ninety-three percent of their scoring and
all five starters from last year's national championship team,
including four players to the NBA draft lottery (Sean May,
Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton, and Marvin Williams). Despite
these heavy losses, the Tar Heels are still an extremely
talented squad that is off to a solid 9-2 SU start.
North Carolina is coming off three straight home wins, including
an 82-69 victory versus rival N.C. State on Saturday. UNC is
outshooting their opponents 48-40% from the field this season,
although they have struggled in their two roads games (40-50%
FG).
Virginia Tech is a veteran team that returns four starters this
season and has a talented backcourt as seven of their top eight
scorers are listed as guards. The Hokies are coming off a
disappointing road trip in which they went just 1-2 SU, losing
at both Old Dominion and Florida State last week.
VANDERBILT at KENTUCKY (-5, 133 ½) (ESPN)
Vanderbilt is a veteran team that returned four starters this
season and has gotten off to a strong 10-2 SU start. The
Commodores have taken advantage of their strong home court (8-1
SU) this season and are now playing just their fourth road game
overall.
The Commodores have gone 2-1 SU away with the underdog winning
all three games outright. Vanderbilt pulled upset wins at
Georgetown and Dayton, but then lost outright last Tuesday as a
road favorite at Georgia Tech.
Vanderbilt shoots a strong 38.4% from three-point range this
season (versus opponents that allow just 35.6%) and will now be
facing a strong Kentucky defense that allows just 40.5% FG
(versus opponents that average 45.2%). The Wildcats have been
exceptionally strong from beyond the arc, allowing just 28.7%
from three-point range.
Kentucky was a preseason Top 10 pick, but the Wildcats have
underachieved this year and have already lost outright versus
four quality opponents (Iowa, North Carolina, Indiana, and
Kansas).
Kentucky has dominated this series, going 15-2 SU versus
Vanderbilt since 1997, including a perfect 8-0 SU at home.
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