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College Basketball

Tuesday’s SEC Tip Sheet

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
12 minute read
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Gamblers don’t have time for any sort of hangover from the College Football Playoff finals.

That’s because Tuesday offers a stacked card for college basketball. Let’s take an in-depth look at a pair of SEC games before looking at some national notes in Bonus Nuggets.

**Tennessee at Missouri**

-- One book opened Tennessee as an 8.5-point road favorite with a total of 140 early Monday afternoon.

-- Since Missouri joined the SEC for the 2012-13 campaign, these schools have squared off seven times. Tennessee is 4-3 both SU and ATS in those seven encounters, while the ‘under’ has cashed at a 5-2 clip. The Tigers won a 59-55 decision as two-point home favorites in last year’s showdown, with the 114 combined points diving ‘under’ the 141.5-point tally. Kevin Puryear paced the winners with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Grant Williams had 15 points, five rebounds and two steals in the losing effort. Kyle Alexander hit 6-of-6 shots from the field and finished with 12 points, four boards and three blocked shots, while Admiral Schofield contributed 11 points, five rebounds and two steals.

-- Since losing 87-81 in overtime to Kansas at Barclays Arena in Brooklyn on Nov. 23, Tennessee (12-1 straight up, 6-5-1 against the spread) has won eight games in a row while going 4-3-1 ATS. In Saturday’s SEC opener at Thompson-Boling Arena, Rick Barnes’s squad blasted Georgia 96-50 as a 13-point home ‘chalk.’ The 146 combined points slithered ‘under’ the 148-point tally. UT led 53-24 at intermission in this start-to-finish pimpslap. The Volunteers enjoyed a 45-30 rebounding advantage and limited UGA to 1-of-20 makes from 3-point land (5.0%!). Williams was the catalyst with 18 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and one blocked shot. Schofield added 18 points, six boards and three assists, while Alexander produced 12 points and 14 rebounds on 6-of-8 shooting from the field.

-- Tennessee has won by double-digit margins seven times during its eight-game winning streak, including a 102-92 win at Memphis and an 83-64 home win over Wake Forest. The Vols handed Gonzaga its first loss out in Phoenix by a 76-73 count as 3.5-point underdogs. Schofield drained 6-of-10 launches from 3-point land while dropping a game-high 30 points on the Bulldogs. Williams produced 16 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists compared to only one turnover, while Jordan Bone struggled from the field (2-of-13 FGAs) and had only five points but dished out nine assists. UT had an outstanding 22/7 assist-to-turnover ratio.

-- Tennessee is No. 7 in KenPom.com’s rankings. UT is 4-1 in five games against foes ranked in KenPom’s Top 100. The Vols beat Ga. Tech 66-53 in Knoxville and knocked off Louisville 92-81 in Brooklyn.

-- Williams averages team-highs in scoring (19.9 points per game), rebounding (8.3 RPG) and steals (1.2 SPG). The junior power forward from Charlotte averages 4.1 assists and 1.7 blocked shots per game as well. Williams is burying 59.7 percent of his FGAs, 44.4 percent of his 3-balls and 79.8 percent of his free-throw attempts. Schofield, the senior small forward, averages 18.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He’s made 51.7 percent of his FGAs, 45.5 percent of his 3’s and 74.1 percent of his FTAs. Alexander (10.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG) averages team-bests in field-goal percentage (68.4%) and blocked shots (1.8 BPG), while Bone (14.0 PPG) has an 83/24 assist-to-turnover ratio and has hit 85.0 of his FTAs.

-- UT is ranked seventh in the nation in FG percentage (51.3%) and 10th in scoring with its 86.3 points-per-game average. The Vols are eighth in the country in FG percentage defense (37.5%).

-- Missouri (9-3 SU, 6-5 ATS) has won six of its seven home games while compiling a 4-2 spread record. The Tigers took a devastating loss in late October when sophomore center Jontay Porter tore his ACL and MCL in his right knee to end his season before it started. Porter, who opted to return to school rather than go pro early like his brother Michael, averaged 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.7 blocked shots per game as a true freshman last year.

-- Missouri scores only 69.1 PPG to rank No. 291 in the nation out of 351 Division-1 teams. However, the Tigers can stroke it from 3-point land, ranking 20th in the country with their 39.3 percentage from beyond the arc.

-- Cuonzo Martin’s team lost three double-digit scorers and Jontay Porter from a team that went 20-13 and lost to FSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Senior guard Jordan Geist is the team leader in scoring (13.9 PPG), assists (2.8 APG) and steals (1.4 SPG). Sophomore power forward Jeremiah Tilmon averages team-bests in rebounding (6.7 RPG), FG percentage (56.4%) and blocked shots (0.9 BPG).

-- Since losing back-to-back games to Kansas St. and Temple, Missouri has won six straight games while going 5-0-1 ATS. A 64-62 overtime win over UCF as 2.5-point home underdogs ended the Tigers’ two-game losing streak. Since then, they’ve won five games in a row by margins of at least 14 points, including a 65-45 home win over Utah, a 71-56 home win over Xavier and a 79-63 triumph over Illinois in St. Louis. Geist put up 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the win over the Illini.

-- Missouri is No. 74 at KenPom, going 3-3 versus Top 100 opponents. The Tigers’ third loss was a 76-59 setback at Iowa St and they beat Oregon St. (No. 73) 69-63 on a neutral floor.

-- This is Mizzou’s first game since Dec. 29 and its SEC opener. The Tigers are off a 75-61 win over Morehead St. as 13.5-point home favorites. Mark Smith led the winners with 22 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two assists, hitting 4-of-9 from 3-point territory. Geist added 29 points, five boards, three steals and two assists without a turnover. He buried 4-of-8 launches from downtown and 7-of-12 FGAs. Puryear contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists compared to just one turnover.

-- The ‘under’ is on a 4-2 run for the Tigers in their past six games. They’ve seen the ‘under’ go 6-5 overall, 4-2 in their home outings.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (6-6) for the Vols with the ‘over’ hitting in their lone road assignment. They’ve seen the ‘under’ go 5-2 in their last seven contests.

-- The ‘under’ is 8-3 in Mizzou’s past 11 SEC games, 6-2 in UT’s last eight games against SEC foes.

-- Tip-off on ESPN2 is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

**Alabama at LSU**

-- One global shop opened LSU as a six-point 'chalk' with a total of 151.

-- Alabama (10-3 SU, 5-7-1 ATS) is in a vintage letdown spot here after getting a rare win over Kentucky at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. Since losing back-to-back games at UCF and vs. Georgia State, the Crimson Tide is on a five-game winning streak and is 4-0-1 ATS during this stretch. They captured a 77-75 win over UK as five-point underdogs, with the 152 combined points going ‘over’ the 143-point total. Alabama had a 39-31 advantage over the Wildcats on the boards. Devin Mack, the transfer from Texas who sat out last season, drained 6-of-8 shots from 3-point land and scored a game-high 22 points. Donta Hall added 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Herb Jones contributed 10 points, eight boards and six assists without a turnover. Jones made all four of his FGAs and both of his FTAs, essentially playing a perfect game offensively.

-- Avery Johnson’s squad is No. 59 at KenPom, posting a 6-1 record against Top-100 foes. Alabama has a neutral-court win over Ball St. (#62), in addition to home victories over the likes of Murray St. (#61), Arizona (#55), Liberty (#65), Penn St. (#60) and Kentucky (#12). The Tide has lost a pair of games to opponents outside of KenPom’s Top 100, falling to Northeastern (#119 on a neutral court) and Georgia St. (#109 after leading by 21 at halftime in T-Town), in addition to a 70-64 defeat at UCF (#35).

-- Alabama is 1-1 both SU and ATS in a pair of road assignments.

-- Alabama advanced to the Round of 32 last year by beating Virginia Tech before falling to eventual national champion, Villanova. The Tide lost Braxton Key (7.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG) to a grad transfer and star guard Collin Sexton (19.2 PPG) early to the NBA Draft. They have everyone else back and added Mack, who is averaging 9.9 points and 3.3 RPG, and five-star recruit Kira Lewis Jr. The true freshman guard averaged 28.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.9 steals per game for Hazel Green High School in the Huntsville area of North Alabama last year. Lewis is leading the Tide in scoring (14.8 PPG), assists (3.1 APG with a 40/25 assist-to-turnover ratio) and FT percentage (83.0%).

-- Hall (10.9 PPG) is averaging team-highs in rebounding (8.3 RPG), FG percentage (65.4%), and blocked shots (2.1 BPG). John Petty (10.7 PPG) is also averaging in double figures.

-- LSU (10-3 SU, 5-7 ATS) is unbeaten in eight home games with a 3-5 spread record. Since losing 82-76 at still-undefeated Houston on Dec. 12, Will Wade’s club has won three games in a row while going 2-1 ATS. The Tigers won an 81-69 decision over ULM its last time out on Dec. 28, but they failed to cover the number as 17.5-point home ‘chalk.’ Naz Reid, a freshman out of New Jersey who was a five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American, produced 19 points (7-of-10 FGAs), 12 rebounds and four blocked shots, while Tremont Waters also had a double-double with 11 points, 10 assists and eight steals. Skylar Mays added 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field.

-- LSU is ranked No. 41 at KenPom, posting a 3-3 record against Top-100 opponents. The Tigers lost neutral-court games to FSU (in overtime) and Oklahoma St., in addition to the loss at UH. They have Top-100 neutral-floor wins over Saint Mary’s and Charleston, in addition to a home scalp of Memphis.

-- LSU finished 18-15 overall and 8-10 in SEC play last year, losing at Utah in the second round of the NIT. The Tigers lost four players out of their rotation, including center Duop Reath (12.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG), but Wade brought in a top-five recruiting class nationally and Waters elected to return for his sophomore campaign.

-- LSU is led in scoring by Mays, who averages 13.5 PPG and is shooting the lights out from the field (52.6%), 3-point range (42.6%) and the charity stripe (88.2%). Mays has a 32/15 assist-to-turnover ratio. Waters (12.5 PPG) leads the Tigers in assists (5.5 APG) and steals (3.2 SPG). In fact, he’s ranked third in the nation and tops in the SEC in steals. Reid is averaging 12.6 points and 5.8 RPG, while fellow true freshman Ja’vonte Smart, a Baton Rouge native, is averaging 10.2 PPG.

-- The ‘over’ is 10-2 overall for the Tide, 2-0 in its road assignments.

-- Totals have been an overall wash for LSU (6-6), but the ‘under’ is 5-2 in its home games. With that said, the ‘over’ has hit a 3-1 clip in the Tigers’ past four outings (two home, one neutral and one away).

-- The SEC Network will have the telecast at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Who leads the nation in scoring? That would be Campbell’s Chris Clemons, who is scoring at a 29.3 PPG clip. The 5’9” guard out of Raleigh, N.C., also averages 5.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Clemons dropped a season-high 45 points on the Hoyas in a 93-85 loss at Georgetown, but the Fighting Camels took the cash as 13-point underdogs.

-- BEST ATS TEAMS: Ole Miss (12-1), Oklahoma (12-1-1), Samford (13-3), Longwood (11-2) and East Tennessee State (12-3). (S/O to ETSU alum Mister Jennings!)

-- WORST ATS TEAMS Middle Tennessee (1-12), Iona (2-11), Eastern Washington (2-11), Northern Iowa (2-11) and UT-Martin (1-10).

-- Anyone notice the Kermit Davis Factor above? You and I both!

-- Michigan State guard Joshua Langford is ‘out’ indefinitely with an ankle injury. Langford was averaging 15.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per through the Spartans’ first 13 games.

-- Kansas star center Udoka Azubuike is out for the rest of the season with a torn ligament in his right hand. He sustained the injury at Friday’s practice. Azubuike was averaging 13.4 points. 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per in nine KU games this year. He missed a few other games earlier in the year with a sprained ankle.

-- Kudos to VSIN’s Matt Youmans, who called New Mexico as an eight-point underdog in first-half bets and +14.5 for Saturday’s home game vs. previously-unbeaten Nevada. UNM smashed the Wolf Pack by an 85-58 count to cash money-line tickets in the +900 neighborhood. Anthony Morris dropped a game-high 27 points on Nevada for the Lobos, who are atop the Mountain West Conference standings with a 2-0 record in league play.

-- With Nevada’s loss, there are only three unbeaten teams remaining: Michigan, Houston and Virginia.

-- Tuesday’s Other Top Games to Watch:
1 - North Carolina at N.C. State (ESPN, 9:00 Eastern)
2 - St. John’s at Villanova (FS1, 7:00)
3 - Purdue at Michigan State (ESPN2, (9:00)
4 - Maryland at Minnesota (Big Ten Network, 7:00)
5 - Oklahoma at Texas Tech (ESPNNews, 9:00)

-- LAST CALLS! Wyoming at San Diego State (CBSSN, 10:00 p.m. Eastern) and UNLV at New Mexico (ESPN2, 11:00).

Follow Brian Edwards' sports gambling opinions on Twitter at @vegasbedwards.

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