Big Ten Basketball Betting Tripleheader
Big Ten Basketball Betting Tripleheader
The Big Ten took a step back this year on the gridiron as the SEC and Big 12 ruled the collegiate football world. However, things are going well so far for the conference on the hardwood with five of the Top 25 teams currently and a few of them looking like Final Four material. Two teams remain undefeated up to now, including Ohio State who will host West Virginia in one of several key games this weekend.
So this hasn’t been a terribly good year for Big Ten football. But things are already looking up on the hardwood for the most storied conference in college sports.
The Big Ten has five teams in the AP Top 25 and two more knocking at the door; we’ll see three of them this weekend, and nobody will be surprised if we also see one of these teams in the Final Four come March.
West Virginia at No. 13 Ohio State
Saturday, Dec 27, 4:00 p.m. (ET) CBS
Thad Matta’s Buckeyes (9-0 SU, 4-2 ATS) never really went away after Greg Oden and Mike Conley left for the greener pastures of the NBA. Matta simply plugged Kosta Koufos into Oden’s spot and won the NIT; now it’s B.J. Mullens patrolling the paint as the latest one-and-done sensation in Columbus. Mullens is coming off the bench for now, but his 19 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against UNC-Asheville on Monday suggest he’s ready for prime time.
Ohio State has already pulled off two notable non-conference upsets of Miami-Florida (-8) and Notre Dame (-5). Now the Buckeyes will face their toughest test of the year thus far in the West Virginia Mountaineers. The unranked Mountaineers (9-2 SU, 3-5 ATS) aren’t getting nearly the same respect in the Big East as the No. 8 Fighting Irish, but all statheads need to do is point at WVU’s No. 7 ranking on the Pomeroy charts. Handicappers, on the other hand, aren’t nearly as impressed at West Virginia’s 1-5 ATS record over the past six contests.
No. 18 Michigan State vs. Oakland
Saturday, Dec 27, 5:00 p.m. (ET)
Michigan State should have it a lot easier Saturday against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies of the Summit League. That’s Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., formerly a Division II program known as the Pioneers until 10 years ago when they moved up to Division I and changed their name to something a little more attention-grabbing. Oakland (8-6 SU, no record ATS) made the big dance in 2005 and beat Alabama A&M at the play-in game before getting blown out 96-68 by North Carolina (-28) in the first round.
The Spartans (8-2 SU, 4-4 ATS) can’t afford to be too cavalier about the GGs. They also know what it’s like to get creamed by the Tar Heels, losing 98-63 at Ford Field earlier this month as 10-point dogs. And when MSU last met Oakland in November 2007, the Grizz fought tooth-and-nail before losing 75-71. The Pomeroy rankings have the Spartans down at No. 41 in efficiency; their other loss was 80-62 to Maryland (+7½).
Valparaiso at No. 15 Purdue
Sunday, Dec 28, 4:00 p.m. (ET)
The Boilermakers (10-2 SU, 4-4 ATS) have shrugged off back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Duke (both +2) with five wins in a row, including last week’s 76-58 lockdown of No. 20 Davidson (+5). The Boilers sent human straitjacket Chris Kramer to cover Stephen Curry, holding the premier shooter in college hoops to 5-for-26 from the floor. Purdue is No. 10 in the Pomeroy rankings with the nation’s No. 4 defense.
That defense won’t be tested by the Valparaiso Crusaders. They only graduated from the Summit League to the Horizon League last year; it was a successful debut at 21-13 (14-14-2 ATS) and a trip to the inaugural CBI postseason tournament. But this year, Valpo is off to a 3-8 start at 3-4 ATS. They’ve lost their top two scorers from 2007-08: seniors Shawn Huff and Jarryd Loyd. Without them, the Crusaders offense has cratered from No. 107 in Division I to No. 281. Valpo can be found way down the Pomeroy ratings list at No. 278 as a result.
Again, though, Purdue is in no position to take it easy at Mackey Arena. In their last game on Monday against the Summit League’s IPWF (that’s IUPU-Fort Wayne) Mastodons, the Boilers only got 12 minutes out of Kramer due to a foot injury, while Nemanja Calasan (knee) only saw three minutes of action. Purdue won’t last long in the Top 25 without those two players.
The Big Ten took a step back this year on the gridiron as the SEC and Big 12 ruled the collegiate football world. However, things are going well so far for the conference on the hardwood with five of the Top 25 teams currently and a few of them looking like Final Four material. Two teams remain undefeated up to now, including Ohio State who will host West Virginia in one of several key games this weekend.
So this hasn’t been a terribly good year for Big Ten football. But things are already looking up on the hardwood for the most storied conference in college sports.
The Big Ten has five teams in the AP Top 25 and two more knocking at the door; we’ll see three of them this weekend, and nobody will be surprised if we also see one of these teams in the Final Four come March.
West Virginia at No. 13 Ohio State
Saturday, Dec 27, 4:00 p.m. (ET) CBS
Thad Matta’s Buckeyes (9-0 SU, 4-2 ATS) never really went away after Greg Oden and Mike Conley left for the greener pastures of the NBA. Matta simply plugged Kosta Koufos into Oden’s spot and won the NIT; now it’s B.J. Mullens patrolling the paint as the latest one-and-done sensation in Columbus. Mullens is coming off the bench for now, but his 19 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against UNC-Asheville on Monday suggest he’s ready for prime time.
Ohio State has already pulled off two notable non-conference upsets of Miami-Florida (-8) and Notre Dame (-5). Now the Buckeyes will face their toughest test of the year thus far in the West Virginia Mountaineers. The unranked Mountaineers (9-2 SU, 3-5 ATS) aren’t getting nearly the same respect in the Big East as the No. 8 Fighting Irish, but all statheads need to do is point at WVU’s No. 7 ranking on the Pomeroy charts. Handicappers, on the other hand, aren’t nearly as impressed at West Virginia’s 1-5 ATS record over the past six contests.
No. 18 Michigan State vs. Oakland
Saturday, Dec 27, 5:00 p.m. (ET)
Michigan State should have it a lot easier Saturday against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies of the Summit League. That’s Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., formerly a Division II program known as the Pioneers until 10 years ago when they moved up to Division I and changed their name to something a little more attention-grabbing. Oakland (8-6 SU, no record ATS) made the big dance in 2005 and beat Alabama A&M at the play-in game before getting blown out 96-68 by North Carolina (-28) in the first round.
The Spartans (8-2 SU, 4-4 ATS) can’t afford to be too cavalier about the GGs. They also know what it’s like to get creamed by the Tar Heels, losing 98-63 at Ford Field earlier this month as 10-point dogs. And when MSU last met Oakland in November 2007, the Grizz fought tooth-and-nail before losing 75-71. The Pomeroy rankings have the Spartans down at No. 41 in efficiency; their other loss was 80-62 to Maryland (+7½).
Valparaiso at No. 15 Purdue
Sunday, Dec 28, 4:00 p.m. (ET)
The Boilermakers (10-2 SU, 4-4 ATS) have shrugged off back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Duke (both +2) with five wins in a row, including last week’s 76-58 lockdown of No. 20 Davidson (+5). The Boilers sent human straitjacket Chris Kramer to cover Stephen Curry, holding the premier shooter in college hoops to 5-for-26 from the floor. Purdue is No. 10 in the Pomeroy rankings with the nation’s No. 4 defense.
That defense won’t be tested by the Valparaiso Crusaders. They only graduated from the Summit League to the Horizon League last year; it was a successful debut at 21-13 (14-14-2 ATS) and a trip to the inaugural CBI postseason tournament. But this year, Valpo is off to a 3-8 start at 3-4 ATS. They’ve lost their top two scorers from 2007-08: seniors Shawn Huff and Jarryd Loyd. Without them, the Crusaders offense has cratered from No. 107 in Division I to No. 281. Valpo can be found way down the Pomeroy ratings list at No. 278 as a result.
Again, though, Purdue is in no position to take it easy at Mackey Arena. In their last game on Monday against the Summit League’s IPWF (that’s IUPU-Fort Wayne) Mastodons, the Boilers only got 12 minutes out of Kramer due to a foot injury, while Nemanja Calasan (knee) only saw three minutes of action. Purdue won’t last long in the Top 25 without those two players.