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College Basketball

Wednesday’s Tip Sheet

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read
Maryland at Nebraska (-1, 135 ½) – 7:00 PM EST – BTN

Three teams have reached nine wins in Big 10 play (Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue), while both Wisconsin and Maryland sit at eight league victories. The Terrapins (17-6 SU, 11-11-1 ATS) have gone backwards since starting Big 10 action at 7-1 by losing three of their last four games. Maryland’s latest setback came on Friday at Wisconsin in a 69-61 defeat as five-point underdogs, while scoring 61 points or less in all three road conference losses.

Nebraska (13-9 SU, 11-9-1 ATS) cleaned up in non-conference play by winning 10 of 11 games against teams outside of the Big 10. The Cornhuskers are riding a five-game losing streak, including four straight losses in the favorite role. Two of those defeats are inexcusable, falling at Rutgers (4-7) and Illinois (3-8), while shooting 35% in Saturday’s 71-64 setback to the Fighting Illini. Since beating Illinois at home back in December, the Huskers have slumped to a 1-6 SU and 0-7 ATS mark when laying points.

In the first matchup between Nebraska and Maryland at College Park in early January, the Terrapins slipped past the Huskers, 74-72. Nebraska barely cashed as 2 ½-point road underdogs, while James Palmer, Jr. produced his best conference scoring output with 26 points on 7-of-19 shooting. This marks the first time since Maryland entered the Big 10 in 2015 that these teams are hooking up twice in the regular season, as the Huskers edged the Terrapins in Lincoln last season, 70-66.

Creighton at Villanova (-9, 152 ½) – 8:00 PM EST – CBSSN

Only one team in the country has started conference play with at least 10 straight wins and it’s the Wofford Terriers out of the Southern Conference. The second team trying to accomplish that feat is Villanova (18-4 SU, 15-7 ATS), who has jumped out to an impressive 9-0 start in the Big East, coming off a 77-65 triumph over Georgetown on Sunday as 11 ½-point home favorites. During this hot league stretch, the defending champions have covered in six consecutive games, while winning five times by double-digits.

Creighton (13-9 SU, 10-11 ATS) invades the City of Brotherly Love trying to capitalize off Sunday’s 76-54 home blowout of Xavier as six-point favorites. Following a four-game skid to start 2019, the Bluejays have won three of four to improve to 4-5 in Big East play, which is actually good for a third-place tie in the conference behind Villanova and Marquette. Creighton has split four road games inside the Big East, but this is the most points the Bluejays are receiving since falling as 8 ½-point underdogs at rival Nebraska in December, 94-75.

Villanova has owned Creighton the last few seasons by capturing nine of the last 10 meetings, including a 90-78 victory in Omaha last month as a one-point underdog. The Bluejays led the Wildcats at halftime, 42-38, but Villanova busted out for 52 second half points, highlighted by 28 points from Phil Booth. Each of the past four meetings in Philadelphia have been blowouts by Villanova as all four wins by the Wildcats have come by double-digits.

LSU at Mississippi State (-3, 156) – 9:00 PM EST – ESPN2

It took until February, but LSU (17-4 SU, 11-9-1 ATS) suffered its first SEC loss in Saturday’s 90-89 setback to Arkansas as 10-point home favorites. The Tigers put together an impressive 7-0 start in the league prior to Saturday’s defeat as the Razorbacks torched the Tigers for 58% shooting from the floor, including knocking down 13 three-pointers. LSU drilled 32-of-38 free throws in the loss, but couldn’t connect from long distance as the Tigers hit only 5-of-24 attempts from deep.

The Tigers travel to Starkville for their first meeting with Mississippi State (16-5 SU, 10-11 ATS) this season. The Bulldogs have alternated wins and losses in their last five games, as MSU picked up revenge on rival Ole Miss in Saturday’s 81-75 triumph as two-point underdogs. Mississippi State lost at home to Mississippi in mid-January, but bounced back by outscoring the Rebels in the second half this past weekend, 42-32, while Quinndary Weatherspoon scored 27 points in the win.

The Bulldogs have limped to a 1-3 ATS mark as a favorite in SEC action, while failing to cover as chalk in Starkville since the start of January. The Tigers captured the only regular season meeting with Mississippi State in Baton Rouge last March by 21, but the Bulldogs bounced LSU from the SEC tournament five days later with a three-point victory. LSU has covered in both opportunities as a conference underdog by beating Arkansas and Ole Miss on the road.

Wisconsin (-3, 133) at Minnesota – 9:00 PM EST – BTN

Purdue owns the longest current winning streak in the Big 10 at seven games, but Wisconsin (16-6 SU, 13-9 ATS) is right behind by winning five straight contests. The Badgers began conference play at 3-3, but have vaulted to 8-3 in the Big 10 after beating Maryland last Friday, 69-61 as five-point home favorites. Wisconsin hasn’t allowed more than 61 points in any of the past five victories, while cashing the UNDER four times in this stretch.

The Badgers travel to Minnesota (16-6 SU, 11-11 ATS) looking to avenge a 59-52 setback in Madison as nine-point favorites on January 3. The Golden Gophers limited Wisconsin to 14 first half points, while the Badgers’ second half rally came up short as Minnesota ended an eight-game skid in the series dating back to February 2014.

The Gophers have been the epitome of a roller-coaster ride in conference play by posting a 6-5 record, while not winning more than two consecutive league games. Minnesota has dropped three straight road games since upsetting Wisconsin last month, capped off by a 73-63 setback at Purdue on Sunday, but the Gophers cashed as 11 ½-point underdogs. Richard Pitino’s squad has covered in four straight games, while winning each of the past four home contests against Illinois, Iowa, Penn State, and Rutgers.

You can reach Kevin Rogers via e-mail at rogers@vegasinsider.com

Kevin Rogers can be followed on Twitter at virogers.

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