With March approaching at a fast pace, this upcoming weekend has a few games that will spit the truth about several teams. I picked four which I think are pretty solid winners against the pph sportsbooks.
First, Kentucky and Alabama meet in a SEC matchup. This is the time of the year where the Wildcats collect a payback for what happens on the football field every season.
Also, Kansas will try to show they are one of the best two teams in the country by challenging Texas Tech on the road. The Jayhawks have dominated the Big 12 Conference, and that doesn’t look like it would be changing anytime soon.
The Big East has Villanova and Xavier meeting for the second time this season. The first meeting wasn’t a close one. The Musketeers need to rise to give a battle this weekend.
And last is the best game of the weekend. Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s are two pure basketball programs who hate each other. The Bulldogs already won the first game. But things chance when the rivalry moves to California.
These are the College Basketball Betting Picks for this Saturday:
Kentucky Wildcats (19-5) at Alabama Crimson Tide (14-9)
- Game Time: Saturday, February 11| 1:00 PM ET
- Arena: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- TV: CBS
After a complicated ending in January, Kentucky seems to be settling again. They have won two of their last three games, and are back in the fight for the top of the SEC. Their 92-85 win against LSU showed their blueprint. They will have a shot at every game due to their great offense. The pay per head sites will make the Wildcats favorites on the road as they average 90.3 points per game; the third best mark in College Basketball.
Alabama, on the other side, is a team which struggles to put points. Their pace is so much slower than Kentucky’s. If they try to match the Wildcats point by point, they could struggle big time. The Tide only scores 70.2 points per game; there are over 250 schools with a better average.
Bama needed four overtimes to beat South Carolina this week with a 90-86 result. The effort was impressive from all side, but that won’t be enough against Kentucky. The Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in its last five games when playing Alabama.
The Crimson Tide is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 Saturday games, 1-4 ATS in their last five home games and 18-38-2 ATS in their last 58 games following a straight up win.
College Basketball Picks: Kentucky to cover.
(3) Kansas Jayhawks (21-3) at Texas Tech Red Raiders (16-8)
- Game Time: Saturday, February 11| 2:00 PM ET
- Arena: United Supermarkets Arena, Lubbock, Texas
- TV: ESPN
Kansas is one of the best teams in the nation. They are title contenders’ material from head-to-toe. They bounced back from a surprising loss to Iowa State with a win over Kansas State. The Jayhawks average 83.6 points per game; the 17th best number in College Basketball.
Texas Tech shouldn’t be a team that makes Kansas sweat. Learning where the best bets of the weekend are is a huge step to becoming a bookmaker. The Jayhawks should be that side this weekend.
The Red Raiders have good players to keep this game close for the majority of the game, but in the end, Kansas is too superior. The Jayhawks have won the last ten straight games in the series against Texas Tech. They covered the spread in seven of those ten games.
The Jayhawks are 9-4-1 ATS in their last 14 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. The Red Raiders are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Saturday games, and 2-7 ATS in their last nine games following an ATS win.
College Basketball Picks: Texas Tech.
(2) Villanova Wildcats (23-2) at (24) Xavier Musketeers (18-6)
- Game Time: Saturday, February 11| 2:30 PM ET
- Arena: Cintas Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- TV: FOX
Two of the best teams in the country meet this Saturday in a Big East battle. Villanova has won four straight while Xavier has also come on the winning side the last four games of their calendar.
In the first meeting this season, Villanova was clearly superior, winning 79-54 back on January 10. The Wildcats have won seven of the last nine games in the series, covering the spread all seven times they won.
For Xavier to have a shot in this game, they need a good defensive effort. They held DePaul to 61 points in their last outing. Something like that is might be the recipe for success against Nova and the price per head sportsbooks.
The Wildcats are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 Saturday games, 13-5 ATS in their last 18 road games and 34-16-1 ATS in their last 51 games as a road favorite. The Musketeers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS loss, and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
NCAAB Picks: Villanova to cover the College Basketball betting spread.
(1) Gonzaga Bulldogs at Saint Mary’s Gaels
(1) Gonzaga Bulldogs (25-0) at (20) Saint Mary’s Gaels (22-2)
- Game Time: Saturday, February 11| 8:15 PM ET
- Arena: McKeon Pavilion, Moraga, California
- TV: ESPN
Gonzaga is the number one team in the country despite many don’t believe they are that good. They enter this game with a baffling 25-0 in their resume. They are outscoring opponents with a colossal 23.9 point differential; the best in the nation.
The Bulldogs score 85.6 points per game and allow just 61.8 each night. They have faced two ranked teams in this 25-win journey. One of them was Saint Mary’s Gaels. Gonzaga smacked them 79-56 back on January 14. It wasn’t pretty for the Gaels, who were supposed to be the number contenders in the West Coast Conference.
Saint Mary’s has won seven games in a row since the loss to Gonzaga. They need to put their biggest defensive performance to be ready for the Bulldogs. The Gaels allow 55.9 points per game, the second-best number in the nation. To win they need to hold Gonzaga to 70-points and collect against the online bookies.
The Gaels are 1-4 ATS in their last five games as an underdog and 7-2 ATS in their last nine games following an ATS loss. The Bulldogs are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 Saturday games, 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 road games, and 24-5-1 ATS in their last 30 games overall.
NCAAB Picks: Saint Mary’s to win and cover the spread.