College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Saturday (12/23)
It’s another busy weekend slate on the college basketball hardwood, including one battle of top-15 teams in Las Vegas. We’re going to go for volume this week, looking to load up on this final weekend before the holidays. Thank you for reading, and Happy Holidays to you and yours!
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Saturday’s Best College Basketball Bets
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All wagers are for 1 unit
Arizona vs. FAU – 3 p.m. ET
The Wildcats of Arizona and the Owls of FAU do battle on the Las Vegas strip. Both of these teams are piling up the points on offense, with FAU posting 83.5 points per game (PPG) on 50.8% field-goal percentage and 38.4% 3-pointer percentage, while Arizona is second in the nation with 92.3 PPG. The Wildcats have hit 50.7% from the field, and 37.7% from behind the arc. We should see plenty of offensive fireworks in Las Vegas.
The Over has cashed in two of the past three games for the Wildcats, while going for 82 or more points in each of the past four contests. Defensively, Arizona has allowed 73 or more points in three in a row, too. FAU has seen the total go Over at a 2-1-1 clip in the past four games, with the offense notching 83 or more points in seven of the past eight contests. It also allowed 98 points against Illinois at Madison Square Garden in New York in the most recent battle against a ranked team. Look for plenty of points here.
Bets: Over 162.5 (-115)
Eastern Kentucky at Alabama – 4 p.m. ET
The Colonels have had a tough go of it, losing five straight games against Division I opponents, and Eastern Kentucky has managed just a 1-7 ATS mark in eight games against Division I foes. The Colonels have lost three in a row by at least seven points, too, and the defense has allowed 72 or more points in 10 of 11 games this season. The Crimson Tide is averaging 90.5 PPG, which is 4th in the nation, while shooting 47.6% from the field, and 36.7% from behind the 3-point line. The Crimson Tide is going to pile up the points on the poor Colonels, who won’t offer very much resistance.
The only hope for Eastern Kentucky to keep forward Isaiah Cozart out of foul trouble. He leads the team with 15.4 PPG and 9.7 RPG, while posting a crazy 4.9 BPG this season. If he cannot stay on the court, heaven help EKU. The Colonels do not have anybody else remotely close to being able to match up with the SEC opponent.
Bet: Alabama -24.5 (-110)
Vanderbilt at Memphis – 4 p.m. ET
We get an in-state rivalry game, but it could get ugly in a hurry. Vanderbilt has really struggled this season, going just 4-7 SU, while cashing in just one of the past six games overall. And in four of the past five losses, the Commodores have lost by 13 or more points. Defense, or a lack thereof, has been the issue for the ‘Dores. Vandy has coughed up 70 or more points in seven of the past nine games overall, and that has to have the Memphis offense licking its collective chops.
Memphis belted Virginia last time out, winning 77-54 as a 3.5-point favorite, while the Tigers are 3-1 ATS in the past four outings overall. Even more impressively, that four-game stretch came against the likes of UVA, Clemson, Texas A&M and VCU, not a slouch among the bunch. The Tigers have climbed into the top-25 rankings as a result of the impressive run, and Vandy doesn’t figure to give Memphis much trouble here.
Bet: Memphis -16.5 (-112)
St. John’s at Connecticut – 8 p.m. ET
The Huskies of UConn are expected to be without 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan, as he suffered an ankle injury in the team’s conference opener loss against Seton Hall. With Clingan on the shelf, it’s likely that St. John’s big man Joel Soriano has a field day down low.
UConn is just 2-3 ATS in the past five games as a double-digit favorite, and the Huskies have managed to win just three times in the past five outings straight up. The Johnnies have covered five of the past six games overall, including a 5-point cover against Xavier last time out in an 81-66 win. Defense has been solid for St. John’s lately, too, allowing 66 or fewer points in four of the past six contests.
Bets: St. John’s +11.5 (-110)
Missouri State at Saint Mary’s – 8 p.m. ET
The Bears of Missouri State hit the road for Moraga, California. It is playing with tremendous confidence after pulling off a 79-57 win and cover as a 17.5-point favorite against Lindenwood last time out. The Bears have covered at a 2-0-1 ATS clip in the past three games, while going 7-3-1 ATS in the past 11 games overall. There is some risk here, however, as the Bears are 0-3-1 ATS in four true road games this season.
The Gaels just worked out Northern Kentucky by a 92-56 score to easily cover a 15.5-point number last time out, and Saint Mary’s is on a 3-1 ATS run in the past four games. It’s a stark contrast to the 1-5 ATS skid from Nov. 12-Dec. 5. The 92 points produced against the Norse was a season high against Division I opponents, and you can expect the Gaels to carry over the momentum into Saturday’s game.
Bets: Saint Mary’s -14.5 (-110)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Saturday:
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- NBA Same Game Parlay Odds, Picks & Predictions
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