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College Basketball

Monday’s Tip Sheet

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read
Monday night’s betting action in college basketball offers a full slate of games highlighted by a pair of matchups in the ACC and Big 12 as part of ESPN’s Big Monday along with a Big Ten clash on FOX Sports 1 at 9 p.m. (ET).

No. 15 North Carolina Tar Heels at Virginia Tech Hokies (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: North Carolina -4.5, 164

Betting Matchup

The Tar Heels extended their current straight-up winning streak to four games while going 3-1 against the spread with Saturday’s 80-66 victory at home against Georgia Tech with a tight cover as 13 ½-point favorites. The total went OVER 139.5 points in that game and it has gone OVER in three of their last four outings. North Carolina had four starters in double figures in Saturday’s win including 16 points from both Joel Berry II and Cameron Johnson. Junior forward Luke Maye scored a team-high 17 points to almost match his 17.8-point scoring average on the year.

Virginia Tech slipped to 13-6 SU with an 8-7 record ATS following Saturday’s 91-82 loss to Florida State as a slight 1 ½-point home favorite. The Hokies are 2-4 SU in ACC play while going 1-5 ATS. The total has gone OVER in their last four games. They are ranked 13th in the nation in scoring with an average of 85.6 PPG, but they fall way down the list at the other end of the court with a points-allowed average of 73.0. Junior guard Ahmed Hill leads the team in scoring with 14.7 PPG, but he ended the loss to Florida State with just five points.

Betting Trends

-- The Tar Heels are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six road games and the total has stayed UNDER in their last seven games on the road.

-- The Hokies have gone 1-4 ATS in their last five games coming off a SU loss and the total has stayed UNDER in five of their last six Monday games.

-- The underdog in this ACC tilt has covered in four of the last five meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in all five of those games.

No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers at No. 24 TCU Horned Frogs (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: West Virginia -1, 160

Betting Matchup

Following back-to-back losses to Texas Tech on the road as underdogs and to Kansas as home favorites, the Mountaineers took out their frustrations on Texas with Saturday’s 86-51 romp as 9 ½-point favorites at home. They are now 16-3 SU with a 5-2 record in Big 12 play both SU and ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in five of the seven games. Senior guard Jevon Carter led all scorers in Saturday’s lopsided victory with 22 points while going 4-for-7 from three-point range. Sophomore guard James Bolden added 19 points to the winning cause off the bench.

TCU has just two SU conference victories this season against five losses after falling to Kansas State 73-68 on Saturday as a 2 ½-point road underdog. The Horned Frogs (14-5 SU, 9-10 ATS) have failed to cover in five of their last eight games and the total had gone OVER in six-straight games before staying UNDER 149 points in Saturday’s loss. TCU is sixth in the nation in scoring with 87.5 PPG, but it is allowing an average of 77.6 points to its opponents. This lineup boasts six different players averaging at least nine points a game.

Betting Trends

-- The Mountaineers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a SU loss and the total has stayed UNDER in six of their last eight road games.

-- The Horned Frogs have gone 4-1 ATS in their last five Monday games and the total has gone OVER in seven of their last eight games at home.

-- Head-to-head in this Big 12 matchup, the home team has covered in four of the last five meetings and the total has gone OVER in five of the last seven games between the two.

No. 9 Michigan State Spartans at Illinois Fighting Illini (FOX Sports 1, 9 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Michigan State -11, 143.5

Betting Matchup

Michigan State rolled over Indiana 85-57 on Friday night as a 14 ½-point home favorite to move to 5-2 straight-up in Big Ten play. The Spartans are now 17-3 SU on the year and, after covering in four of their first seven conference games, they are 12-8 against the spread. The total has gone OVER in five of seven Big Ten games. Miles Bridges (16.9 points) and Nick Ward (14.5 points) are the team’s top two scorers and they combined for 40 points in Friday’s win. Michigan State is averaging 85.2 points per game, which is ranked 17th in the nation.

With a 75-50 road loss to Wisconsin on Friday night as a 4 ½-point underdog, Illinois is still looking for its first SU conference win of the year against seven losses. The Fighting Illini (10-10 SU) have gone 3-3-1 ATS during this same span as part of a 7-8-1 record ATS overall. The total has stayed UNDER in 11 of 16 games with a posted betting line. Illinois is averaging 77.6 PPG, but it has failed to reach this number in six of seven Big Ten games. Junior forward Leron Black remains the team’s top scorer with 14.5 PPG as one of three players scoring in double figures.

Betting Trends

-- The Spartans have gone a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last five Monday games and the total has gone OVER in 11 of their last 15 games played on a Monday.

-- The Fighting Illini are 4-0 ATS in four previous Monday games and the total has stayed UNDER in 12 of their last 17 home games.

-- The road team in this Big Ten clash has gone 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in four of the last five matchups.

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