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College Basketball

Wednesday’s Tip Sheet

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
6 minute read
#1 Tennessee at Vanderbilt – 7:00 PM EST – ESPN2

Only one team in the SEC is unbeaten in conference play and one squad has yet to win a league game. Both these clubs reside in the Volunteer State as top-ranked Tennessee (16-1 SU, 9-6-1 ATS) looks to improve to 6-0 in SEC action against Vanderbilt (9-8 SU, 6-11 ATS), who is 0-5 inside the league.

The Volunteers moved to 11-0 at Thompson-Boling Arena with Saturday’s 71-68 close-shave victory over Alabama. Tennessee failed to cash as 13-point favorites, which snapped a five-game ATS hot streak. The Vols built a 44-32 halftime lead before the Crimson Tide ran off 13 straight points to begin the second half. Alabama led by two with three minutes remaining, but the Vols outscored the Tide, 8-3 to close out regulation for the win.

It didn’t help the Tide that they converted only 4-of-14 free throws in the second half, but Tennessee won its 11th consecutive home SEC affair since losing to Auburn last January. Grant Williams led the Vols with 21 points, as the junior forward has posted at least 18 points in four of five conference contests.

The Commodores blew a 10-point halftime lead in last Wednesday’s 74-71 home setback to South Carolina to fall to 0-4 in the SEC. Vanderbilt was a no-show in its next game this past Saturday in a 71-55 home loss to Mississippi State as a three-point underdog. Bryce Drew’s team shot 37% from the floor as Vandy fell to 0-5 SU/ATS in its last five home conference games since last February.

Tennessee has captured four of the past five meetings with Vanderbilt since shocking the Commodores as 12-point underdogs in the SEC tournament in 2016. The Volunteers swept the season series in 2018 with a pair of victories by eight points or fewer, while winning in the last two trips to Nashville.

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State – 9:00 PM EST – ESPNU

The basketball edition of “Bedlam” takes place at Stillwater for the second of two meetings between these state rivals. Oklahoma (13-5 SU, 13-3-2 ATS) has won only two of six Big 12 contests, but one of those victories came against Oklahoma State (8-10 SU, 6-12 ATS) earlier this month. The Sooners pulled away from the Cowboys in Norman, 74-64 to barely cash as 9 ½-point favorites. Both teams shot below 37% from the floor, but OU headed to the line 36 times and knocked down 25 free throws.

Oklahoma has gone backwards since a 2-2 conference start by losing at home to Kansas State and dropping a three-point decision at Texas on Saturday. Although the Sooners cashed as five-point underdogs in Austin, Lon Kruger’s team couldn’t hold onto a 66-64 lead with less than three minutes remaining. OU scored six points the rest of the way to fall to 0-3 in conference play on the road and suffer its 11th consecutive Big 12 loss away from Norman since edging TCU in December 2017.

The Cowboys lost their first two conference games to Iowa State and Oklahoma before pulling off a pair of underdog victories over Texas and West Virginia. However, OSU has gone backwards of late by falling to Baylor at home and a 13-point defeat at Iowa State. In Saturday’s loss to the Cyclones, the Cowboys fell behind by 11 points at halftime before cutting the deficit to two with 13:40 remaining in regulation. ISU outscored Oklahoma State, 17-7 the next eight minutes to open up a double-digit lead and pick up the cover as 12-point favorites.

Oklahoma State has won the last two meetings in Stillwater, including an 83-81 overtime triumph last January. The Sooners last pulled off the season sweep of the Cowboys in 2016, while eight of the past 10 matchups in the series have finished UNDER the total.

Atlantic 10 Action

VCU (4-1 in A-10) at Rhode Island (3-2 in A-10)

In a battle of Rams, URI captured both meetings with VCU last season as the two teams are coming in off two-game winning streaks. VCU is 3-1 ATS the last four road games, while Rhode Island owns a 2-4 ATS record in its last six home contests.

George Mason (5-1 in A-10) at Dayton (4-1 in A-10)

The Patriots have won and covered all three road conference games, all in the underdog role. The Flyers held off St. Bonaventure in overtime last Saturday to end a three-game ATS slide. Dayton enters this contest at 2-7 ATS the last nine games, although five non-covers came as a favorite of nine or more.

La Salle (1-4 in A-10) at Fordham (0-5 in A-10)

Two of the worst teams in the A-10 hook up in the Bronx as the Explorers have won four straight meetings with the Rams. In spite of not winning a conference game this season, Fordham has covered in three of the last four games, including in a 71-68 setback at George Mason. La Salle cashed in its first two A-10 affairs before losing three straight at home both SU and ATS.

St. Bonaventure (2-3 in A-10) at UMass (0-5 in A-10)

The Bonnies have owned the Minutemen recently by winning six straight meetings, including a 20-point home blowout last season. St. Bonaventure is 0-3 SU/ATS as a conference underdog, but 2-0 SU/ATS as a favorite against A-10 opponents. UMass has finished UNDER the total in all five league games, while scoring 67 points or less in each of these contests.

George Washington (2-3 in A-10) at Davidson (4-1 in A-10)

The Colonials erased an early 20-2 deficit to Duquesne before storming back to take a late five-point lead. The Dukes rallied to force overtime as Duquesne eventually won, 91-85 to send GW to 0-3 at home in A-10 play. GW is 2-0 on the road inside the league, while Davidson is a one-point loss to St. Joseph’s away from being undefeated in the Atlantic 10.

Saint Louis (5-0 in A-10) at Duquesne (4-1 in A-10)

The Billikens are the only unbeaten team in conference play as they held off St. Joseph’s last Friday, 68-57. SLU has held all five opponents to 64 points or less in A-10 action, resulting in four UNDERS. The Dukes have won four straight since losing at Davidson as Duquesne owns a 1-8 ATS mark in its last nine as a home favorite.

Richmond (1-4 in A-10) at St. Joseph’s (1-5 in A-10)

The Spiders blew out George Washington by 20 points earlier this month, but that is the only conference win for Richmond, surrounded by 0-4 SU/ATS mark in the other four A-10 games. The Hawks lost in both their home favorite opportunities against George Mason and George Washington, while riding a 9-1 streak to the UNDER the last 10 games.

You can reach Kevin Rogers via e-mail at rogers@vegasinsider.com

Kevin Rogers can be followed on Twitter at virogers.

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