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College Basketball

Wednesday’s Tip Sheet

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
All eight teams in this season’s Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic take center stage on Christmas Day as the only four college basketball betting matchups on the board.

The first game of the afternoon at Stan Sheriff Center pits Portland against Ball State. Next up, Boise State will square off against UTEP. The two night games start with Georgia Tech taking on host Hawaii ahead of the tournament championship between Houston and No. 21 Washington.

Portland vs. Ball State (ESPNU, 1:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Ball State -8 ½, Total 133 ½

Betting Matchup

The WCC’s Pilots come into this consolation game off an 85-69 loss to Boise State on Monday as 11-point underdogs. They have now lost five of their last seven games straight-up and they have failed to cover against the spread in their last four games. Senior guard Isaiah White was held to 15 combined points his last two games as the team’s leading scorer (13.7 points).

Playing out of the MAC, Ball State lost to Washington by 21 points as a 6 ½-point underdog before dropping a tight one-point 71-70 decision against UTEP on Monday as a 2 ½-point favorite. The Cardinals are 6-6 SU and they have failed to cover in four of their last six games. They have not crossed the 70-point mark in each of their last three games.

Betting Trends

-- The Pilots are 1-7 ATS in their last eight December games and Ball State has won 16 of its last 20 games played in the month of December.

-- This will be the first meeting between these two teams.

Boise State vs. UTEP (ESPNU, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Boise State -2, Total 134

Betting Matchup

Boise State lost to Georgia Tech 74-60 on Sunday as a slight 1 ½-point favorite before knocking off Portland. The Mountain West’s Broncos are 7-2 ATS over their last nine games with the total staying UNDER in three of their last five contests. They are 3-1 ATS in their last four games as favorites. Derrick Alston Jr. scored 32 points in Monday’s win. The junior guard leads Boise State with 21.7 points per game.

The Miners, out of Conference USA lost to Houston and Hawaii both SU and ATS as underdogs in two previous tournament games. They are 9-3 SU overall and the total has gone OVER in four of their last five games. Junior forward Bryson Williams is averaging 20.8 PPG. He scored 33 points against Hawaii in a losing effort while shooting 50% from the field.

Betting Trends

-- The total has stayed UNDER in six of Boise State’s last seven Wednesday games. UTEP has covered in its last five games against the Mountain West.

-- The Miners are 4-1 both SU and ATS in their last five games against the Broncos.

Georgia Tech vs. Hawaii (ESPN2, 6:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Hawaii -1 ½, Total 139

Betting Matchup

The ACC’s Yellow Jackets’ path to this matchup included the win against Boise State ahead of Monday’s 70-59 loss to Houston as 7 ½-point underdogs. They are just 1-4 SU in their last five games while going 2-3 ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in seven of their last eight outings. Moses Wright and Jordan Usher each scored 18 points to rally Georgia Tech past the Broncos.

The host team out of the Big West is 8-1 SU at home this season. Hawaii came up short on Monday night in a 72-61 loss to Washington as a seven-point underdog. It is 6-2-1 ATS in its last nine games with the total going OVER in seven of its last 10 contests. The Rainbow Warriors are averaging 71.3 PPG led by Senior guard Eddie Stansberry’s 17.4-point average.

Betting Trends

-- The total has stayed UNDER in six of the Yellow Jackets last seven December games. The total has stayed UNDER in four of Hawaii’s last five games against a team from the ACC.

-- This will be the first meeting between these two teams.

Houston vs. No. 21 Washington (ESPN2, 8:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Washington -1 ½, Total 140

Betting Matchup

The Cougars improved to 9-3 SU (6-6 ATS) with victories against UTEP, Portland and Georgia Tech both SU and ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last seven games after holding teams to fewer than 63 points in each of those contests. Quentin Grimes has scored a combined 41 points in his past two games. The sophomore guard is averaging 15.3 PPG.

Washington is 10-2 SU on the year with losses to Tennessee and Gonzaga. It has covered in its last three games as part of a 6-2 record ATS over its last eight games. Isaiah Stewart scored 26 points with 13 rebounds in Monday’s win against Hawaii. Jaden McDaniels (22 points) and Quade Green (21 points) had the hot hands in Sunday’s win against Ball State.

Betting Trends

-- The Cougars have lost six of their last seven against the Pac-12 SU. The total has stayed UNDER in 10 of Washington’s last 13 games played on a Wednesday.

-- These two team last met in 2004 as part of a three-season series. Washington won two of the three games SU and ATS.

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