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College Basketball

Friday’s Tip Sheet

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read
Bowling Green at Buffalo (-14 ½, 161) – 6:00 PM EST – ESPNU

The Bulls (27-3 SU, 16-12-1 ATS) take the court on a Friday night for the fourth consecutive week after wrapping up the MAC regular season title on Tuesday. Buffalo held off Ohio, 82-79, but the Bulls failed to cash as 12-point road favorites to fall to 0-3 ATS the last three games. CJ Massinburg struggled from the floor by hitting only 2-of-10 shots, but the Bulls’ guard finished with 17 points after knocking down 11 free throws to give Buffalo its 15th conference win in 17 tries.

Bowling Green (20-10 SU, 15-12-1 ATS) started MAC play with an impressive 11-2 record, but the Falcons have gone backwards of late by dropping three of the past four games. The most recent loss came in blowout fashion as Akron destroyed Bowling Green, 91-67 on Tuesday to send the Falcons to their fifth consecutive non-cover. The Falcons allowed at least 90 points for the second straight road game, while moving to 8-2 to the OVER in the past 10 contests.

The last time Buffalo lost a game occurred against Bowling Green on February 1 in a 92-88 defeat. The Falcons not only cashed as 8 ½-point underdogs, but erased an eight-point halftime deficit and outscored the Bulls, 53-41 in the final 20 minutes. That defeat snapped a nine-game winning streak by Buffalo in the series dating back to March 2014.

Minnesota at Maryland (-7, 135) – 7:00 PM EST – FS1

Both these Big 10 schools are likely headed to the NCAA tournament with at-large berths, but each team is going in different directions going into the regular season finale. The Gophers (19-11 SU, 15-15 ATS) are helping their tournament case by winning the last two games, including a 73-69 home upset of Purdue on Tuesday as five-point underdogs. Minnesota improved to 8-4 ATS the last 12 games overall, as Richard Pitino’s squad seeks its first three-game winning streak in conference play since 2017.

The Terrapins (21-9 SU, 15-14-1 ATS) haven’t lost three straight games this season, as Maryland is coming off back-to-back defeats to Penn State and Michigan. In Sunday’s home setback to the Wolverines, both teams shot 43% from the floor and each team converted 6-of-20 three-point attempts, but Michigan pulled away in the final nine minutes after trailing by two to win, 69-63.

Maryland seeks the season sweep of Minnesota after winning at Williams Arena in early January, 82-67. The Terrapins erased a six-point halftime deficit to outscore the Gophers, 48-27 in the second half, aided by 27 points from Anthony Cowan. Maryland has won seven of eight home Big 10 contests this season, while Minnesota has dropped seven of nine road league games, but beat Northwestern in its previous away assignment on February 28.

Miami (FL) at Virginia Tech (-10 ½, 134 ½) – 7:00 PM EST – ESPN2

It’s been a tough season in Coral Gables as the Hurricanes (13-16 SU, 12-17 ATS) will miss the Big Dance for the first time in four seasons. Miami closed out its home schedule with four consecutive wins at the Watsco Center after knocking off last-place Pittsburgh, 76-63 to cash as six-point favorites. The Hurricanes have struggled on the highway this season by not picking up a true road win in nine tries, while failing to cash in their past three away contests.

Virginia Tech (22-7 SU, 14-13-1 ATS) melted down in the second half and overtime in Tuesday’s 73-64 setback at Florida State to fall to 11-6 ATS in ACC play. The Hokies squandered a 14-point halftime edge to suffer only their second road loss in the past six tries. Virginia Tech hit the OVER for the fifth time in six games, but needed the extra five minutes in Tallahassee to cash the OVER of 136 after being tied at 61-61 to close out regulation.

The Hokies captured the first matchup in Coral Gables in late January, 82-70 as eight-point road favorites. Virginia Tech shot a scorching 59% from the floor, highlighted by 25 points from Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The Hurricanes drilled 12 three-pointers in the loss, but the Hokies improved to 6-1 ATS the last seven meetings although five of the covers came in the underdog role.

St. Joseph’s at VCU (-12, 138) – 9:00 PM EST

The Rams (24-6 SU, 19-10-1 ATS) are headed to the Atlantic 10 tournament as the top seed next week after compiling a 15-2 mark inside the league. The regular season finale takes place against St. Joseph’s (13-17 SU, 12-18 ATS), who VCU is facing for the first time this season. The Hawks edged the Rams in the lone meeting in 2018 in overtime, 87-81 as the past five matchups between these squads have sailed OVER the total.

VCU is riding an 11-game winning streak since getting tripped up at Rhode Island on January 23, as the Rams seek a perfect 9-0 home mark inside the A-10. The latest victory for the Rams came in blowout fashion at George Mason in a 71-36 rout on Tuesday as VCU limited the Patriots to 15 second half points. VCU has cashed in six of eight home games in the league, which includes a 2-1 ATS mark as a double-digit favorite.

The Hawks picked up a pair of wins over Fordham and La Salle before falling in overtime to Rhode Island as 2 ½-point favorites, 86-85 on Tuesday. That marked the second straight loss by one point for St. Joe’s, who slipped to 4-3 ATS the last seven games. St. Joe’s cashed in its last opportunity as a double-digit underdog in an 80-72 setback at Davidson last month, but the Hawks own a 2-4 ATS mark in six chances as a road ‘dog in the A-10.

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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