Sign In $
College Basketball

Friday’s Tip Sheet

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
3 minute read
It was has been a very exciting start to the new college basketball season during the nonconference portion of the schedule. A few Mid-Major programs not all that familiar with the national rankings have been able to make a name for themselves with impressive starts.

Two of those teams will be in action on Friday night starting with No. 24 Furman on the road against LSU. The Buffalo Bulls are currently No. 14 in the latest AP Top 25 and they will square off against No. 20 Marquette a bit later that night.

Opening Odds per [...]

No. 24 Furman Paladins at LSU Tigers (SEC Network, 8:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: LSU -9 ½, Total 147

Betting Matchup

When you win your first 12 games straight-up no matter how soft the schedule, you are bound to attract some national attention. When you mix in a huge upset against the reining national champions, you are likely to be ranked. Furman’s improbable 76-68 victory against Villanova on Nov. 17 as a 16 ½-point underdog was on the heels of an earlier win against Loyola-Chicago in its only two games closing as an underdog. It is 5-4 against the spread in games with a posted betting line.

LSU is off to a SU 8-3 start with a 5-6 record ATS after beating Saint Mary’s 78-74 last Saturday as a three-point favorite. The total went OVER 149 points in that game and it has gone OVER in four of the Tigers’ last six games. In their prior outing against Houston, they failed to cover as four-point underdogs in an 82-76 loss. LSU has been able to average 81.2 points per game behind junior guard Skylar Mays (13.3 points) as one of four Tigers scoring in double figures.

Betting Trends

-- The Paladins have a 4-1 record ATS in their last five games against the SEC and they have gone 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games following a SU win. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last six road games.

-- The Tigers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games with a 1-9-1 record ATS in their last 12 games played on Friday. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last six games played at home.

No. 14 Buffalo Bulls at No. 20 Marquette Golden Eagles (FOX Sports 1, 8:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Marquette -2 ½, Total 154

Betting Matchup

Buffalo has been able to work its way deep into the national rankings with its perfect 11-0 start SU that includes victories against West Virginia and more recently Syracuse closing as an underdog. In Tuesday night’s 71-59 upset on the road against the Orange as a 3 ½-point underdog, the total stayed UNDER 147 points. It has stayed UNDER in four of the Bulls’ last six games. They are 7-2-1 ATS in 10 games with a posted betting line. Senior guard CJ Massinburg led the way against Syracuse with 25 points and eight rebounds.

With Tuesday’s 92-66 romp over North Dakota as 21 ½-point home favorites, the Golden Eagles extended their current SU winning streak to six games while going 4-2 ATS. The total went OVER 142 points in that win and it has gone OVER in their last four games. Marquette is now 9-2 SU overall with a 6-5 record ATS. Junior guard Markus Howard scored a game-high 26 points in Tuesday’s win and he has now exceeded his 23.2-point scoring average on the year in three of his last four starts. This includes the 45 points he put up in a recent win against Kansas State.

Betting Trends

-- The Bulls have failed to cover in four of their last five games against a team from the Big East, but they have gone a perfect 4-0 ATS in their last four Friday games. The total has gone OVER or ended as a PUSH in 19 of their last 26 games on the road.

-- The Golden Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a SU win and they have covered the spread in four of their last five home games. The total has gone OVER in their last four games at home.

College Basketball News

VegasInsider Staff

VegasInsider Staff

More from VegasInsider Staff
•