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Much of the talk the next couple of weeks in college basketball will be focused on which teams are on the bubble when it comes to getting into the Big Dance in March. Schedules will be combed over and good wins versus bad losses certainly will be debated.
However, unless the topic of conversation is about your team, the only real question worth asking is whether or not these teams are good bets? Should you be playing on them or against them?
We have put together a list of a few teams from the Power Conferences that are on the bubble. We’ve also addressed whether they might be a good bubble bet or whether their bubble will burst with losses against the spread.
ACC – Duke
Oh how fast the once mighty have fallen. Duke is indeed on the bubble after four straight losses. The Blue Devils sit below .500 in the conference and have a very tough schedule remaining. Finishing below .500 in the ACC is a very realistic possibility and that will definitely make for a very tough call on Selection Sunday. This is a young Duke team and facing the added pressure of making the tournament might be too much to handle. They also always seem to be given the benefit of the doubt when the line is set and so our advice is that you might look very closely at the other side.
Big East – Syracuse
This tournament fixture has struggled to find consistency this season. With a projected seven teams from the Big East already penciled into the tourney, the Orange will need some big wins down the stretch. They have winnable games on the schedule but you won’t see them as a heavy favorite so you might see some manageable numbers. The Orange have a history of playing well at this time of year and it would also be wise to look for them when they are underdogs.
Big Ten – Michigan State
The Spartans might have used everything they had in back-to-back Saturdays trying to beat the Ohio State Buckeyes. Michigan State came up short each time and they have two games with Wisconsin and one with Indiana still up ahead on their docket. Translated: that spells NIT and probably a team to keep an eye on fading down the stretch. The Spartans can get blown out easily based on relying so heavily on Drew Neitzel for scoring. If he’s having an off night so will the team!
Big XII – Texas Tech
Bobby Knight had his team playing well early but they have struggled mightily of late. The Red Raiders will need a win or two in the Big 12 tournament to get their ticket punched. One thing to watch with the Red Raiders is that they rely so heavily on Martin Zeno and Jarrius Jackson. These guys are wearing down as the season has gone on and there is reason to believe the Red Raiders fade will continue. Texas Tech has lost five straight through February 12th and plenty of tough match-ups are still upcoming.
Pac 10 – Stanford
Four of their last six games are against teams ahead of them in the conference. A 9-9 conference record will have them as one of the biggest bubble teams. This squad can look really bad at times and play way above the rim on other nights. The key comes down to their seven-foot twin towers in the middle. If the twins are playing well the team is capable of dominating. If they’re struggling so is the team. Keep this in mind before you go to the betting window on a Cardinal game. How Stanford’s frontcourt matches up with the opposition is a key in going with or against them down the stretch run.
Selection Sunday will make for some “hard” times for these teams but watching where they are in regards to making the tournament might just make you some “easy” money.
