SI Gambling analyst Roy Larking focuses on key matchups from the ACC and Big 12 Conference on his Monday college basketball betting card.
Syracuse at No. 13 Virginia
Following a 78–60 win at home over No. 16 Virginia Tech, Syracuse visits No. 13 Virginia who have won six straight games. Tipoff for the Orange vs. Cavaliers is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va. These teams met twice last season with the visitor winning both games. The Cavaliers posted a 48–34 win in New York and the Orange won 63–55 (OT) in Virginia. This is the lone meeting between these ACC rivals this season.
Virginia (10–2, 6–0 ACC) is playing a second straight home game following a 64–62 win against Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Cavaliers fought back from a 36–32 halftime deficit but failed to cover as 8.5-point favorites. Prior to that, Virginia posted five straight wins by nine points or more. That winning run includes an impressive 85–50 victory on the road against No. 12 Clemson. Dating back to last season, Virginia is 12–1 during their last 13 home games.
Syracuse (9–4, 3–3 ACC) is looking to win three straight games for the third time this season. Prior to their blowout win over Virginia Tech on Saturday, the Orange crushed Miami 83–57 as a 5-point favorite at home on January 19. Before that game, Syracuse dropped to 1–3 on the road as they lost 96–76 in Pittsburgh and 81–75 in North Carolina. Syracuse is led by a balanced attack on offense as their starting five are averaging at least 10.8 points per game.
Defense leads the way for Virginia as the Cavaliers are allowing just 59.6 points-per-game (ppg) while scoring 72.8 ppg on offense. Syracuse is averaging 79.4 ppg on offense and allowing 69.3 ppg on defense. Virginia has a size advantage over Syracuse and the Cavaliers' defense has held opponents to 62 or fewer points in five of the last six games. The Orange have struggled on the road and I expect that trend to continue in this contest. Lay the points and bet on Virginia.
Pick: Virginia Cavaliers -6.5 (-110) ATS at DraftKings
Bet on College Basketball All Season at DraftKings
No. 12 Texas Tech at No. 14 West Virginia
Big 12 conference rivals square off when West Virginia hosts Texas Tech for the first of two meetings this season. Game time is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown W.Va. These teams split the season series last year as both squads won at home. The Mountaineers posted a 66–54 win in Morgantown and the Red Raiders won 89–81 in Lubbock. Both teams have played limited games recently, due to COVID–19 cancelations, and that may impact scoring.
West Virginia (10–4, 3–3 Big 12) returns home following a 69–47 road win over the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday. The Mountaineers led 31–17 at halftime and cruised to an easy cover as 11-point favorites. Prior to that, West Virginia had games against Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State postponed due to COVID–19. The Mountaineers are 4–1 at home this season. The lone loss was to No. 4 Texas who drained a 3-point shot with 1.8 seconds left on the clock and won 72-70.
Texas Tech (11–4, 4–3 Big 12) is playing their first game since a 68–60 loss to Baylor as 4-point home underdogs on January 16. That was followed by games against TCU and Iowa State being cancelled due to COVID–19 issues. Prior to the loss to the Bears, the Red Raiders defeated No. 4 Texas 79–77 to earn their first road win against an AP Top 5 ranked team in school history. Texas Tech is 3–0 on the road and all three wins were against Big 12 opponents.
These teams match up evenly on offense as Texas Tech is averaging 74.7 points per game and West Virginia is scoring 74.5 ppg. The Red Raiders have an edge on defense as they are allowing 59.9 ppg while the Mountaineers are giving up 68.1 ppg. The Texas Tech scoring defense ranks 10th overall in the NCAA and held high-scoring Baylor (86.1 ppg) to their second lowest point total this season. Take the points and bet on the Red Raiders who may win this game outright.
Pick: Texas Tech Red Raiders +2.5 (-109) ATS at DraftKings
2020–21 NCAA Basketball Betting Record: 13–5 ATS
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