College Basketball Handicapping Articles

NCAA Basketball Expert Predictions: Three Interesting Jan. 24 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews - 1/23/2017

On Saturday's Opening Line Report story, I looked at the status of Arizona sophomore guard Allonzo Trier and how much better the already-good Wildcats could be if/when he returned from a PED suspension. I'd like to tell you that I had some inside knowledge that Trier was going to return on Saturday, but that would be a lie. Yet there he was, and what a difference it made. The Wildcats dominated No. 3 UCLA in the Bruins' gym, 96-85, for their 12th straight victory. The former touted recruit finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists. I absolutely believe Arizona is good enough now to give the Pac-12 its first men's basketball national champion 1997 when Arizona won it. The Cats have are now down to +1400 to cut down the nets.

Expert College Basketball Predictions: Weekly MAC Betting Report and Picks
by Chris Vasile - 1/23/2017

Last Saturday's MAC action brought bettors a fairly mixed bag in terms of the closing point-spreads. Favorites covered the spread in just three games, while underdogs cashed in the other three. However, there was only one underdog that won outright, and that was Bowling Green, who defeated Ball State 79-74 as three-point dogs. The "over/under" results were just as split. Three games found their way "over" the total, while three games managed to stay "under" the number. I can assure you that you will not find another mid-major conference that offers up the parity and results that the MAC conference does.

NCAA Basketball Expert Predictions: Three Interesting Jan. 21 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews - 1/20/2017

This has not been a good week regarding the health of key players on potential Final Four teams. The latest injury has struck Indiana and sophomore forward OG Anunoby, who has been compared to former Hoosier Victor Oladipo for his athleticism. Anunoby went down at the end of the first half of Wednesday's win against Penn State with a knee injury, and it doesn't look good.

College Basketball National Championship Futures Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 1/19/2017

In a couple of short weeks the football season will come to an end, and many casual bettors will suddenly discover that college basketball is being played. The season starts in November, but betting volumes increase dramatically as we draw nearer to March. Before all the bandwagon jumpers turn their attention to college basketball, and by extension to college basketball championship futures, this is a good time to check in on those futures to see what is interesting, and where there might be some value (odds to win the NCAA Championship are from BetOnline):

NCAA Basketball Expert Predictions: Three Interesting Jan. 19 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews - 1/18/2017

On Wednesday's Opening Line Report, I mentioned that No. 7 Creighton was awaiting news on a potential serious ligament injury to excellent point guard Maurice Watson Jr. There was one report from the school that his ligaments were "sound," but that was wishful thinking as Watson has been diagnosed with a torn ACL that will end his collegiate career. The Bluejays are one of the nation's best offensive teams and Watson was the guy who made that unit go in averaging 12.9 points and 8.5 assists (No. 1 in the nation in that category). Too bad as this appeared to be one of the best Creighton teams in years and its 18-1 start is the best in school history.

College Basketball Betting Advice: Weekly Schedule Spot Fade Picks
by Aaron Smith - 1/18/2017

The Villanova Wildcats are back at the top spot of the college basketball rankings. Baylor's stay was short at the top after getting waxed by West Virginia. It definitely feels like a wide-open year in college basketball. I also believe there are more high-quality teams this year than there have been in previous years. That should mean some really exciting action in March.

NCAA Basketball Expert Predictions: Three Interesting Jan. 18 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews - 1/17/2017

Potentially devastating news for an excellent Creighton team on Monday as point guard Maurice Watson, who leads the nation in assists at 8.8 per game, had to be carried off the court in the first half after injuring his knee. It was actually the second time in the game he had to be helped off the court as he previously had collided with a Xavier player. Watson also averages 13.4 points and shoots an excellent 48.4 percent from 3-point range.

College Basketball Betting Advice: Creighton Bluejays one of Best Bets in Nation
by Trevor Whenham - 1/17/2017

Here's a little peek behind the curtain for you. My editor and I decide on Thursday or Friday most weeks what I am going to write about the next week, but I usually don't start writing until Sunday or more often Monday. That often puts me in a situation, then, when I have a rooting interest over the weekend - hoping that the team that seemed like a story on Friday still seems like a story when the weekend ends. Such was definitely the case with Creighton this weekend.

NCAA Basketball Expert Predictions: Three Interesting Jan. 17 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews - 1/16/2017

I have never previewed a women's college basketball game in my life, and I'm not going to start now. But I have to give kudos out to the UConn women after they won at SMU 88-48 on Saturday for their 91st straight victory, breaking their own NCAA mark (men or women). UConn scored the game's first 21 points and gave up a season-low two points in the first quarter. I had literally forgotten that the women play quarters now.

Expert College Basketball Predictions: Weekly MAC Betting Report and Picks
by Chris Vasile - 1/16/2017

If you love betting underdogs, then last Saturday's MAC action was sure to have been a profitable day for you. Five of the seven games were won straight up by underdogs, with Eastern Michigan getting the best win as 7.5-point dogs against Ohio. Miami-Ohio was the only underdog to cover the spread and not win. The lone winning favorite was Western Michigan as they snuck by Kent State by a score of 92-88. This is only part of the reason why the MAC conference can be very profitable for bettors who do their due diligence before writing off a conference and labeling it as bad basketball.

NCAA Basketball Expert Predictions: Three Interesting Jan. 14 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews - 1/13/2017

I have yet to see any odds on a player to win the Wooden Award, but they will be out eventually -- probably at sportsbooks after the Super Bowl once the books shift their focus to basketball. But the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list was revealed this week, and just one player who was on last year's Midseason ranking is back: Maryland's Melo Trimble. Four players who were not on the Preseason Top 50 have joined: Baylor's Johnathan Motley; Butler's Kelan Martin; UCLA's TJ Leaf (a freshman); and Duke's Luke Kennard.

NCAA Basketball Expert Predictions: Three Interesting Jan. 12 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews - 1/11/2017

There will be no Power 5 team to enter the 2017 NCAA Tournament with an unbeaten record. Not a huge surprise really, but the last major conference team to lose was new No. 1 Baylor at No. 10 West Virginia, as I expected, on Tuesday night. That leaves only Gonzaga without a loss and it's quite possible that the Zags reach the Big Dance with a zero in the loss column. They also could get to No. 1 in the next AP poll by sweeping their WCC foes this weekend. The Zags shouldn't have much trouble Thursday vs. Loyola Marymount.

NCAA Basketball Betting Advice: Gonzaga With one of Best Teams in Years
by Trevor Whenham - 1/10/2017

And then there were two. Baylor and Gonzaga are the only two unbeaten teams remaining in the country. Of the two, Gonzaga has the better chance by far of running the table - not necessarily because they are better but because they have the more favorable schedule. By now we are very used to Gonzaga being strong - the class of their conference and often more than that. But they have never been able to take the final step and be a viable threat deep into the tournament - which is all that really matters.

NCAA Basketball Expert Predictions: Three Interesting Jan. 11 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews - 1/10/2017

Now that the college football season is officially over, most bettors really turn their focus to college basketball. I can promise you one thing: there won't be an Alabama-Clemson rematch in this year's basketball National Championship Game in Phoenix. The Crimson Tide haven't made the Big Dance since 2012 or won a game in it since 2006. Coach Avery Johnson has the program on the right track, but it's not likely to be an NCAA Tournament team this year. Ditto Clemson, which hasn't made the tournament since 2011. The Tigers definitely have sporting bragging rights now, however, as they also beat the Tide in basketball on Dec. 18 in Birmingham.

NCAA Basketball Expert Predictions: Three Interesting Jan. 10 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews - 1/9/2017

As I projected on Saturday, Baylor has risen to the No. 1 spot in the polls for the first time in school history and it is just the second team in the past 25 years (2009-10 Syracuse) to reach No. 1 after being unranked in the preseason. The Bears might not want to get too comfortable there as they visit No. 10 West Virginia on Tuesday night. Over the past 10 years, seven other schools (Villanova, Gonzaga, Texas, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Wisconsin) earned the No. 1 ranking for their first time ever like Baylor. And the longest winning streak for those first-time No. 1s was just four games. Baylor is the 59th school to be ranked No. 1 since the poll started in the 1948-49 season. The Bears are 6-point underdogs at WVU.

College Basketball Betting Advice: Weekly Schedule Spot Fade Picks
by Aaron Smith - 1/9/2017

Baylor is the new No. 1, and it's the first time in the program's history they have been ranked at the top of the college basketball polls. Scott Drew has done a great job with this program. I don't think Baylor is the best team in the country, but they deserve a lot of credit for how they have played thus far in the season.

Expert College Basketball Predictions: Weekly MAC Betting Report and Picks
by Chris Vasile - 1/9/2017

Just like in college football, the best college basketball teams reside in the five major conferences: ACC, SEC, Pac-12, Big East, and the Big 12. However, some of the best (wildest) college basketball games are rarely broadcasted nationally and feature lesser-known teams from smaller conferences. For that reason alone, the lines for the "smaller" conference games are usually off by one or two points, thus creating value in the betting line.

NCAA Basketball Expert Predictions: Three Interesting Jan. 7 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews - 1/6/2017

Baylor might still be known as a football school, but that program is a mess right now with all the off-field issues and coaching overhaul. It's time to call Baylor what it is: a basketball school. Both the men's and women's teams are No. 2 in the polls, and the men should rise to No. 1 on Monday -- thanks to Villanova's loss on Wednesday at Butler -- as long as the Bears can hold serve Saturday vs. Oklahoma State.

College Basketball Betting Advice: Mid-Majors that Should be On Your Radar
by Trevor Whenham - 1/6/2017

Conference play in college basketball, especially early on, is when we tend to forget about mid-majors. We take notice again when talk of the tournament fires up and we are trying to forecast the bracket, but right now there is so much exciting action in the major conferences that it can be more work than many are willing to do to check in on the less-beaten paths to see which teams are worthy of attention. Some under-the-radar mid-majors, then, can be very useful for bettors who are willing to put in the extra effort to seek them out.

NCAA Basketball Expert Predictions: Three Interesting Jan. 5 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews - 1/4/2017

It's fairly unusual for a head coach to get fired at this point in the season as conference play has just begun around the country and there's still plenty of time to turn things around. But the University of South Florida has pulled the plug on Orlando Antigua. The former assistant to John Calipari at Kentucky was 23-55 in his tenure at USF, which started in the 2014-15 season. The Bulls are 6-7 this season, and their best player, Jahmal McMurray, transferred out of the program last month.