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College Basketball

Monday’s Tip Sheet

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
The final Big Monday of the month on ESPN in college basketball closes things out with a bang with a pair of matchups in the ACC and the Big 12 featuring two of the top teams in the nation.

Notre Dame at No. 4 Duke (ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Blue Devils -14, Total 150

Betting Matchup

With Saturday’s 80-75 loss to Virginia Tech as three-point home favorites, the Fighting Irish have now lost their last five games straight-up while going 1-4 against the spread. The total went OVER 143 ½ points against the Hokies after staying UNDER in five of their first seven ACC games. Notre Dame is 3-5 both SU and ATS in conference play as part of an overall record of 13-8 SU (7-11 ATS).

The Irish could never erase a seven-point deficit to Virginia Tech in their latest loss and they have averaged just 66.4 points during this five-game slide as opposed to a 76.6-point scoring average on the year. Sophomore guard TJ Gibbs led all scorers in that game with 27 points and he has now exceeded his 15.4 points per game in three of his last four starts. Senior guard Matt Farrell (15.7 points) is out with an ankle injury and forward Bonzie Colson (21.4 points) is on the shelf until late February with a broken foot.

Duke gave up some ground in the ACC with Saturday’s tight 65-63 loss to Virginia as a 3 ½-point home favorite. The Blue Devils fell to 6-3 SU (4-5 ATS) in ACC play as part of their 18-3 SU (12-8 ATS) record on the year. The total stayed UNDER the closing 134-point line in that game and it has stayed UNDER in five of their last seven outings.

Freshman forward Marvin Begley III almost scored half of Duke’s points on Saturday with 30 while going 13-for-18 from the field. He also pulled down 14 of the team’s 44 rebounds. Begley is averaging 22.0 points on a Blue Devils’ team that is ranked second in the nation in scoring with 90.3 points per game. The loss to Virginia was the first time this season Duke failed to score at least 78 points.

Betting Trends

-- The Fighting Irish are 1-4 ATS in their last five games coming off a SU loss and the total has gone OVER in their last four Monday games.

-- The Blue Devils have failed to cover in five of their last seven games against a team with a SU winning record and the total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five home games.

-- Head-to-head in this ACC tilt, the road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in four of the last seven meetings.

No. 5 Kansas at Kansas State (ESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Jayhawks -2, Total 147

Betting Matchup

The Jayhawks quickly bounced back from an 85-80 road loss to Oklahoma as slight two-point road underdogs with Saturday’s 79-68 victory at home against Texas A&M as nine-point favorites. The total ended as a PUSH against the Aggies after staying UNDER in their previous four games. Heading into that Big 12/SEC Challenge matchup, Kansas went 6-2 SU in its first eight conference games, but just 3-5 ATS.

Kansas got a big effort from senior guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk in Saturday’s victory with 24 points after he put up that same scoring total in the loss to the Sooners. He is the Jayhawks’ second-leading scorer (16.8 points) behind another senior guard Devonte’ Graham’s 17.3 PPG. Graham was held to eight points against Texas A&M after scoring 11 points against Oklahoma.

Kansas State gave its in-state rivals all it could handle in the first meeting this season on Jan. 13 in a tight 73-72 loss to Kansas as a 12 ½-point road underdog. Since then, the Wildcats have won their last four games SU while going 3-1 ATS. They failed to cover as seven-point home favorites in a 56-51 win against Georgia as part of Saturday’s Big 12/SEC Challenge. The total has stayed UNDER in six of Kansas State’s last eight games.

This lineup goes four deep in double-digit scorers led by junior guard Barry Brown with 17.3 PPG. He only scored nine points in Saturday’s win after going off for 34 points in last Monday’s win against Baylor. Junior guard Kamau Stokes (13.4 PPG) remains out of the lineup with a broken foot. Kansas State is averaging 76.3 PPG and at the other end of the court it is holding opposing teams to 66.6 points a game.

Betting Trends

-- The Jayhawks have covered in eight of their last 10 road games and the total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in six of their last eight Monday games.

-- The Wildcats are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games at home and the total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five home games.

-- The road team in this in-state battle has gone 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in four of the last six games between the two (including the first meeting this season).


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