It’s National Signing Day, which doesn’t mean much with the wide-open transfer portal, so let’s sit back and enjoy a few college basketball betting matchups that do mean something, including the potential for a couple of old Pac-12 rivals to play for the final time.
Picks Summary
- Villanova +3½ (-105)
- Missouri +5 (-110)
- USC-California Over 148½ (-110)
*All odds from Caesars Sportsbook (check our Caesars Sportsbook Review)
Villanova Wildcats vs. Xavier Musketeers
Wednesday, February 07, 2024 – 07:00 PM ET at Cintas Center
This game will be overlooked by fans and college basketball bettors, and that’s a shame since Villanova and Xavier will put on an entertaining match with value at top sportsbooks.
Teams Ranked 37 & 39 at KenPom
Xavier enters the fracas a game over .500 in the Big East race and looking to extend its win streak to 3, while Villanova needs a win to climb back to level in the league standings.
The Wildcats just ended a 5-game skid with a 68-50 win over Providence at home on Sunday. The 5-game losing streak included two losses to Marquette and one to UConn, the top two teams in the Big East, leaving Villanova with work to do on the bubble for the Big Dance.
Despite sitting two rungs above Villanova in the KenPom rankings, Xavier isn’t even on Joe Lunardi’s bubble right now. Quincy Oliveri’s 43 points helped the Musketeers to an easy 93-68 decision over DePaul last weekend, and they have another big game coming up at home this Saturday when Creighton visits Cincinnati.
‘Under’ Cashes 6 of Last 7 Meetings
The Wildcats and Musketeers gave us an entertaining effort when they met in Philadelphia five weeks ago. Villanova led most of the way but had to fend off a late challenge for Xavier in the 66-65 final. It was the fourth consecutive meeting for the underdogs to cover the NCAAB odds.
Last year’s matchup in Cincy was also decided by a single point, and we’ll take the points in yet another tight affair.
NCAAB Pick: Villanova +3½ (-105) at Caesars Sportsbook
Texas A&M Aggies at Missouri Tigers
Wednesday, February 07, 2024 – 09:00 PM ET at Mizzou Arena
If Buzz Williams and the Texas Aggies want to go dancing this year, they must avoid a misstep on the road at Missouri, and that may not be easy for an A&M team that so often plays a little – oh, how shall we put this? – out of control.
A&M Has Won 7 of Last 11 at Mizzou
Caesars believes the Aggies will be in control on Wednesday; Texas A&M is favored by 5 with 141½ for the total.
The Aggies were not in control early on when the teams met in College Station a couple of weeks ago. Missouri led 13-4 before going through a 10-minute span during which the Tigers turned it over seven times and shot 1-11 from the field as Texas A&M to enjoy a 23-2 run.
It ended with a 63-57 A&M victory, the 3rd-straight in the series for the Aggies, though Missouri covered getting 10½ from the oddsmakers. The Aggies hold the 25-20 all-time lead in the rivalry.
Tigers 1-8 ATS in SEC Play
Buzz’s bunch dug a 13-point hole at home last Saturday before a frenzied comeback in the second half for a 67-66 win over Florida. It still wasn’t enough to cover, leaving the Aggies with their eighth losing ticket in the last 10 games.
It has been even worse for Missouri; the Tigers fell to 0-9 in the SEC with a 68-61 loss as small favorites at Vanderbilt on Saturday, the only cover being the game at A&M.
We’re expecting Missouri to get a second SEC cover tonight, and might even lay a little down on the Tigers and the moneyline before the tip.
NCAAB Pick: Missouri +5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
USC Trojans vs. California Golden Bears
Wednesday, February 07, 2024 – 11:00 PM ET at Haas Pavilion
While there has been a lot of talk about the football rivalries that appear to be coming to an end with the Pac-12’s bones being bleached, not much is being said about some of the top hardwood rivalries playing out.
That certainly applies to the rivalry between Cal and Southern Cal, with the Trojans making their last-scheduled trek to Berkeley on Wednesday.
Can USC Win 12th-Straight in Rivalry?
An 82-74 win over Cal in LA five weeks ago was just enough for USC backers to cash their -7½ tickets, while also giving the Trojans their 11th-consecutive win over the Golden Bears. Boogie Ellis filled his stat sheet with a team-high 15 points to go with 8 boards and 7 assists.
The win helped USC to close the gap in their all-time series with Cal. The Golden Bears still lead 136-134 despite the Trojans’ win streak in the rivalry, and three of the last four in Berkeley have gone past the totals.
Bears Have Win 3 of Last 4 at Home
Southern Cal just stopped a 6-game slide with an 82-54 win over Oregon State to close out a 3-game homestand. California, meanwhile, has won three of its last four following an 81-66 win at Arizona State as a small underdog.
In what could be the final hoops contest between the schools for a long time, we’ll gladly cheer both offenses with our college basketball pick.
NCAAB Pick: Over 148½ (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
