Our college basketball picks today feature a pair of Monday night games on a slate devoid of any major matchups except one – No. 14 Kansas versus No. 11 Texas Tech. However, there is another game flying under the radar that is being overlooked by the oddsmakers at all the best online sportsbooks, and we intend to use that to our advantage.
Conference Foes Collide on Monday Night
Conference matchups provide more intensity and greater importance, which is why college hoops fans never miss an opportunity to watch and often bet on their favorite teams. But betting with your heart is never a good recipe for padding your bankroll; that’s why we leave emotion out of the equation and look for the right opportunity to bet on a team in a good spot or fade a team when facing a tough matchup.
In the early game, we see ACC rivals tipping off when unranked Syracuse travels to Chapel Hill to take on No. 16 North Carolina. Later tonight, we’ll have an opinion on Big 12 foes when the Jayhawks visit the Red Raiders in Lubbock, Texas.
Syracuse Orange vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (-10)
The Orange (13-9 SU, 10-12 ATS) snapped a four-game SU and ATS skid on Saturday, defeating Notre Dame, 86-72, and rewarded their backers by easily covering the 5½-point impost. Syracuse’s Nate Kingz dropped 28 points, while teammate JJ Starling added 21 in the victory.
Meanwhile, their opponents tonight, the North Carolina Tar Heels (17-4 SU, 12-9 ATS), were busy as well on Saturday when the Tar Heels won and covered their third consecutive game in a 91-75 shellacking of Georgia Tech as 9-point home chalk.
These teams have yet to meet this season, but we should note that UNC has defeated Syracuse in four of their last five contests. However, one seismic change occurred when the Tar Heels’ coach, Hubert Davis, inserted freshman point guard Derek Dixon into the starting lineup after a 95-90 loss to Stanford on January 17th. Since that time, Dixon has been lethal from beyond the arc, and UNC has been a much more cohesive unit.
The biggest advantage the Heels will have on Monday night is in the paint and around the rim, where Syracuse has been one of the worst units in the nation. UNC’s offense averages 83 points per game, while Syracuse scores 75 points per game. That’s an eight-point advantage for UNC, and that doesn’t even factor in the enormous advantage they will have down low.
Lay the 10 with the hometown Heels.
Expert Pick: UNC -10 (-108) at Heritage Sports
Kansas Jayhawks vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (-4.5)
No. 14 Kansas (16-5 SU, 14-7 ATS) will have a critical conference matchup on Monday night when they travel to United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas, to take on No. 11 Texas Tech (16-5 SU, 11-10). After Kansas defeated T-Tech in seven of eight games, the Red Raiders began to repay the favor and came out victorious (and covered the number) in the last two games they’ve met, including last year’s 78-73 victory.
These teams are similar. They have identical records, and both have been reeling off victories, although Texas Tech saw their five-game winning streak derailed on Saturday, when they dropped an 88-80 decision to UCF as 4½ point road favorites.
The Jayhawks were also in action on Saturday when they kept their five-game SU and ATS winning streak intact with an impressive 90-82 win over BYU. Although Texas Tech will enjoy home court advantage, I don’t see why this line is as high as it is. A case could be made for Kansas winning this game outright due to a much stingier defense, allowing only 68 points per game, compared to the Red Raiders’ surrendering nearly 74.5 PPG.
Grab the generous head start with the Jayhawks.
Expert Pick: Kansas +4.5 (-105) at Bookmaker
Place Your College Basketball Picks & How to Bet Smart This Week
The lines on my college basketball picks today, including Syracuse vs. North Carolina and Kansas vs. Texas Tech, will not remain stagnant forever. Odds, point spreads, and totals are dynamic, which means the moneylines and point spreads you see here may not be around by gametime.
Therefore, it is important that you get the sharpest line available, and the only way to do that is to get down immediately on the games and make sure you have an active account.
That’s right, make certain your account is funded, and perhaps get accounts at two or more sportsbooks so you can compare the numbers. Make sure to get down at a place you trust and at the best lines or odds available.
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
