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Saturday Two-Pack
February 22, 2013
By CarbonSports
Two CBB games you can't afford to miss this weekend
College basketball teams across the country only have a handful of regular season games left before conference tournaments begin and that means jockeying for position and (possibly) regular season titles are on the line. Here are two games featuring top-25 conference foes going up against one another that should attract plenty of attention this weekend:
Sat 4pm: #11 Georgetown vs. #8 Syracuse
This is the first of two meetings between these schools as they will meet in Georgetown two Saturday's from now in the season finale. Both are tied with Marquette at 11-3 SU in conference play for 1st in the Big East and both will want to have the upper hand with a win in this game.
Syracuse is a perfect 16-0 SU at home this year but hasn't been playing their best basketball of late. They are 4-3 SU in their last seven games (4-3 ATS) and will no doubt be laying quite a few points in this one as they haven't been listed as less than 8-point favorites in any home game this year. Georgetown is arguably the best team they have welcomed into their building to date, but many bettors will see Syracuse's flawless home record and the fact that they've won their last two by double digits and be willing to back the Orange in this spot.
But Georgetown has been phenomenal lately (8-0 SU and ATS last eight) and understands that this is the game that could really propel them to a conference title. They already own wins over Marquette and 4th place Louisville this season and will not see either of those team's again. Those are the next two opponents on Syracuse's schedule and a Hoyas win in this one could spark a mini-slide for the Orange that could take them out of the championship picture.
Georgetown is 2-0 ATS and SU in their last two conference games as underdogs (Cincinnati and Notre Dame), and has more than enough talent to keep this one closer than the line may suggest.
Sun 4pm: #4 Michigan State vs. #18 Ohio State
We can't be surprised to see yet another huge game in the Big 10 conference this weekend as it is the deepest conference by far. The Buckeyes have their shot at redemption in this one as they look to avenge a 59-56 loss @ Michigan State about a month ago.
That game was tied at 53 with under a minute to go when Spartans guard Keith Appling took over and scored the final six points for Michigan State en route to the victory. Appling even corralled the final rebound after Ohio State missed a game-tying 3-pointer with two seconds left, securing the win. The Buckeyes haven't forgotten about that heartbreaking loss and as (likely) small favorites in this position they will look to flip the script.
Michigan State's win that night propelled them on a run through the rankings that has them at their current top-5 position as they've only lost to Indiana (twice) since then. Those two losses were their only two ATS losses in that span as well (eight games) and they need to bounce back after losing their fist at home this year to the Hoosiers. But they aren't quite the same team on the road and Ohio State's 14-2 SU record at home is nothing to overlook. Those two losses for Ohio State came at the hands of Indiana and Kansas; two highly ranked teams themselves.
The Buckeyes are coming into this one full of confidence after blowing out Minnesota 71-45 in this building earlier this week and should get their revenge in this one.
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4-2 L6, 8-3 L11, 20-9 L29 Picks |
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