The Jayhawks and Pirates are in action and offer sports bettors solid wagering opportunities on Saturday's Men College Basketball slate.
Ahead of the College Football National Championship Game as well as Week 18 of the NFL regular season, sports bettors have a massive college basketball slate on Saturday that offers some intriguing matchups.
SI Betting is here to highlight a Big 12 Top-25 showdown, while also breaking down a Big East matchup between the Huskies and Pirates that jump out as solid investment opportunities.
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Saturday's College Basketball Best Bets
No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks at No. 25 Texas Tech Red Raiders
Spread: Kansas -5 (-110) | Texas Tech +5 (-110)
Total: 140– Over (-110) | Under 140 (-110)
Venue: United Supermarkets Arena, Lubbock, Texas
Game Info: Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022 | 3 pm EST | ESPN2
Editor's Note - Odds are subject to change.
The line has held steady since its opening in favor of No. 6 Kansas (12-1 SU; 7-5-1 ATS) as 5-point road favorites over No. 25 Texas Tech (10-3 SU; 7-6 ATS) at SI Sportsbook.
No. 6 Kansas heads to Lubbock for a Big 12 showdown with No. 25 Texas Tech who is on an eight-game winning streak. The Jayhawks opened Big 12 conference play on Tuesday with a 74-63 win at Oklahoma State as 6.5-point road favorites. Senior forward David McCormack (9.0 ppg, 6.1 rbg) was tremendous in the win over the Cowboys pouring in session-highs with 17 points and 15 rebounds.
Kansas is led by a backcourt duo of Ochai Agbaji (20.2 ppg) and Christian Braun (16.8 ppg). Agbaji has played at an elite level for Bill Self's squad shooting 45.1% from three-point range. Arizona State star transfer Remy Martin's (10.4 ppg, 3.7 apg) ball-handling skills has led to the ability to spread the floor enabling both Agbaji and Braun to dominate.
Texas Tech will be looking for their first Big 12 conference win of the season after suffering a 51-47 loss at No. 11 Iowa State as 5-point underdogs. Junior guard Kevin McCuller (13.5 ppg, 6.1 rbg, 3.5 ast) has been a stat-stuffer this season while shooting 37.2 % from beyond the arc.
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It is always a dangerous endeavor to lay points with a road team facing a conference rival, but fading a Kansas club that is 5-2 ATS over their last seven games, is not a wise investment, The Jayhawks have won four consecutive meetings against the Red Raiders as well eight of the last 10 overall. Kansas has not had any issues in Lubbock winning four of the last five at United Supermarkets Arena.
BET: Kansas -5 (-110)
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Connecticut Huskies at No. 24 Seton Hall Pirates
Spread: UCONN +2.5 (-110) | Seton Hall -2.5 (-110)
Total: 138– Over (-110) | Under 138 (-110)
Venue: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
Game Info: Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022 | 12 pm EST | FOX
Editor's Note - Odds are subject to change.
The line has ticked up a half point since its opening in favor of No. 24 Seton Hall (10-3 SU, 7-5 ATS) as 2-point home favorites over Connecticut (10-3 SU; 6-7 ATS) to a 2.5-point demand at SI Sportsbook.
The Huskies head into the showdown with the Pirates looking to notch their second consecutive Big East win after earning a 78-70 victory at Marquette as 5.5-point road favorites. Connecticut is led in scoring by senior guard R.J. Cole (16.3 ppg) who also paces the club with 4.7 assists per game. UConn will also rely upon talented senior guard Tyrese Martin who has scored in double digits in eight of nine games. The sharp shooting Martin, who is shooting 36% from beyond the arc, was instrumental with a season-high 25 points and 6 rebounds in the win over the Golden Eagles back on Dec. 21. The Huskies will be coming off a long layoff after seeing their scheduled games with Xavier and Butler postponed due to COVID-19.
Seton Hall, who enjoyed a six-game winning streak, endured a rough start to Big East play, suffering losses to No. 16 Providence and No. 19 Villanova. The Pirates snapped their two-game losing skid on Tuesday with a 71-56 win at Butler as 3.5-point road favorites. Seton Hall will need solid production once again from their dynamic senior backcourt duo of Jared Rhoden (16.4 ppg, 7.2 rbg) and Bryce Aiken (12.2 ppg.) against a UConn club they split with in two meetings last season.
While all the focus will be on the backcourts of each respective club, it's likely down low on the block where this game will be decided. Seton Hall senior big man Alexis Yetna has been outstanding with three double-doubles in his last five games. UConn will counter with sophomore Adama Sanogo who is averaging 14.6 points per game and 5.8 rebounds. Sanogo, who has battled multiple injuries, has struggled over his last three games averaging just 6.6 points per game and 3.7 rebounds. He will likely need to return to double digit production in order for UConn to earn their second conference victory.
Seton Hall gets the nod in this matchup due to its senior backcourt experience as well as the improving play of Yetna down low against Sanogo who is not fully healthy. Back the Pirates at home.
BET: Seton Hall -2.5 (-110)
SI NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL BET REVIEW
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Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.