Sports betting players should be warmed up to the college hoops season as there has been a number of huge non-conference matchups, and here are three contests to keep your eye on through the week before the weekend features a few more big-name programs. The week begins with a doubleheader in New York City in the name of a college coaching legend that continues to inspire today, before moving to Florida and finally, the runners-up in the last two NCAA Tournaments will aim to turn their fortunes around against another mid-major team that has their own hopes of a deep run into March.
Missouri Villanova Odds – Tuesday, 7:00 PM ET
The Tigers should be the favorites at Madison Square Garden in the opening game of the Jimmy V Classic, a doubleheader to honor coaching legend Jim Valvano, and they should still be undefeated by the time they get to this game as they host Northwestern State on Saturday. The Wildcats had dropped two straight to Saint Louis and Santa Clara on neutral courts, and this young Villanova team faces Penn over the weekend. This is the first meeting for these two programs, and Mizzou has the huge edge in experience, but Villanova may have the edge in the post as the Tigers have a four-guard lineup. Which team exerts their will on the other and forces them to play their game? A slight nod goes to the Tigers from Missouri.
Online Betting Pick: Missouri Tigers
Washington Marquette Odds – Tuesday, 9:00 PM ET
In the nightcap of the Jimmy V Classic, Marquette should be the college basketball betting favorite for a couple of reasons in their first meeting with the Huskies: Washington has to travel from the west to the east, and Marquette should be used to playing at MSG, home of the Big East tournament and St. John’s hosts a few home games there as well. The Huskies play an uptempo style that sometimes leaves them outnumbered at the defensive end, which is something they’ll have to work on in a road trip to Nevada. Marquette will have their hands full in Wisconsin this weekend as they take on the top-10 Badgers, but their key weapon is depth and the Golden Eagles can go ten-deep, which will come in handy against the run-and-gun Huskies.
Online Betting Pick: Marquette Golden Eagles
Arizona Florida Odds – Wednesday, 7:00 PM ET
The Gators will definitely be the NCAA basketball betting favorites in Florida, and they’ll be coming off a massive trip to Syracuse over the weekend in a clash of top-10 teams. The Wildcats have definitely taken a step back this season and even had their home winning streak snapped at 22 games, but it was always going to be tough when you have to replace a player like Derrick Williams. These two have met twice, but not since 2003 and the road team has won each time with the score falling under the posted total. How Arizona’s guards deals with Florida’s backcourt will be the deciding factor in this game and teams with good guards usually have a solid chance at going deep into March. Right now, Arizona’s guards are just too young to step up to the big time right now, especially on the road in a hostile environment like Florida.
Online Betting Pick: Florida Gators
Xavier Butler Odds – Wednesday, 9:00 PM ET
It’ll be interesting to see which way the sportsbooks lean in this Wednesday night contest in Indiana, as Butler isn’t the same team that has made it to the NCAA championship game in two straight years. They’ve already lost at home to a good Louisville team, they also fell at Indiana, and a visit from Valparaiso over the weekend won’t be a walk in the park for Butler. Xavier went on the road to beat Vanderbilt in overtime, and they’ll host Purdue before travelling to Hinkle Fieldhouse for another meeting with the Bulldogs, who are 2-3 SU and ATS in five meetings with Xavier. The home team has won three of the five games, and in the last two years, the home team has won by two points or less. The Muskateers look are aiming to be the mid-major that takes over for Butler in terms of challenging the big boys of the NCAA and truth be told, Xavier has been a strong program for a long time, but Butler’s team is slowly coming together and they would love to use this chance to show that they’re not dead yet.
Online Betting Pick: Butler Bulldogs