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College Basketball

Wednesday’s Tip Sheet

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
One of the best aspects of betting college basketball this time of the year is all the regional rivalries on the schedule between teams that reside in different conferences. This first one on Wednesday’s betting board is a Philadelphia Big 5 showdown between the AAC’s Temple Owls and the Big East’s Villanova Wildcats.

The UNC Wilmington Seahawks, out of the Colonial Athletic Association will step way up in class to take on the ACC’s North Carolina in this in-state tilt in the first game of an ESPN2 doubleheader. Later Wednesday night, the Pac-12’s Washington Huskies will be on the road against the top team in the nation with a matchup against the West Coast Conference’s Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Opening Odds per [...]

Temple Owls at No. 21 Villanova Wildcats (FOX Sports 1, 8:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Villanova -11, Total 140 ½

Betting Matchup

Temple’s lone straight-up loss in its first eight games came against VCU in a 57-51 defeat as a 3 ½-point favorite. After failing to cover in their first five games closing as favorites, the Owls have won their last three games both SU and ATS, including a pair of victories against Missouri and St. Joseph’s on the road as slight underdogs. The total has stayed UNDER in three of their last four games.

It has been a wild ride for the Wildcats at 6-2 SU with an even 4-4 record ATS. Earlier losses to Michigan and Furman as favorites have been replaced with a SU four-game winning streak while going 3-1 ATS. Villanova’s biggest win came against Florida State in a 66-60 victory as a 2 ½-point underdog. The total has stayed UNDER in six of the eight games.

Betting Trends

-- The Owls have failed to cover in five of their last seven Big East games and the total has gone OVER or ended as a PUSH in seven of their last eight games against the conference.

-- The Wildcats are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 home games and the total has stayed UNDER in their last five games played at home.

-- The favorite has covered the closing spread in the last seven meetings with the total going OVER in four of the last five matchups.

UNC Wilmington Seahawks at No. 14 North Carolina Tar Heels (ESPN2, 9:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: North Carolina -26 ½, Total 171

Betting Matchup

The Seahawks were able to shake off a 0-3 start both SU and ATS to post a SU 4-2 record in their last six games while going 4-1 ATS in five contests with a posted betting line. They started the new month with one of their best efforts of the season by covering as eight-point home underdogs in a 91-85 loss to Davidson. Senior forward Devontae Cacok posted a team-high 19 points in the losing effort.

North Carolina will be playing its first game since suffering an embarrassing 84-67 road loss to Michigan on Nov. 28 as a 3 ½-point underdog. The Tar Heels also lost to Texas 92-89 as nine-point favorites. They are 6-2 SU overall with a 4-3-1 record ATS. The total has gone OVER in their last seven games behind a scoring average of 92.9 points per game. Four different players are averaging at least 12 PPG.

Betting Trends

-- The Seahawks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against the ACC and the total has gone OVER in 16 of their last 21 nonconference games.

-- The Tar Heels have gone a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last five games against the CAA and the total has gone OVER in their last seven games outside their conference.

-- These two last met in 2013 with North Carolina winning 84-51 as a 21-point home favorite.

Washington Huskies at No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs (ESPN2, 11:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Gonzaga -15 ½, Total 157

Betting Matchup

The Huskies have won six of their first eight games SU, but their record falls to just 3-5 ATS after failing to cover in Sunday’s 67-63 win at home against UC Santa Barbara as 13-point favorites. They have failed to cover in four of their last six contests closing as favorites and the total has stayed UNDER in four of those six games. Sophomore guard Jaylen Nowell is averaging 18.0 PPG followed closely by senior forward Noah Dickerson with a scoring average of 17.3 points.

The top team in the nation earned that lofty position with a 89-87 upset over Duke on Nov. 21 as an eight-point underdog. Gonzaga tightened its grip on No. 1 with two more victories SU and ATS, including Saturday’s 103-92 win against Creighton to cover as a 6 ½-point road favorite. The Bulldogs are 8-0 SU with a profitable 7-1 record ATS. The total has gone OVER in seven of the eight games behind a scoring average of 98.4 PPG.

Betting Trends

-- The Huskies are 1-8 ATS in their last nine games against the West Coast Conference and the total has stayed UNDER in 17 of their last 22 games against the WCC.

-- The Bulldogs have covered in their last five Pac-12 matchups and the total has gone OVER in their last six home games.

-- Head-to-head, the favorite has covered in the last four meetings and the total has gone OVER in five of the last six games between the two.

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