Wednesday’s Tip Sheet

A pair of late starts out west highlight Wednesday’s college basketball betting matchups. First up, the Gonzaga Bulldogs will play host to the North Carolina Tar Heels. In one of two late-night starts, the Utah Runnin’ Utes tangle with the Kentucky Wildcats in Las Vegas.

North Carolina at No. 2 Gonzaga (ESPN2, 9:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Gonzaga -11, Total 145.5

Betting Matchup

The ACC’s Tar Heels have tumbled out of the national rankings following Sunday’s stunning 68-64 loss to Wofford as 11 ½-point home favorites. This followed losses to Ohio State and Virginia both straight-up and against the spread.

North Carolina is now 1-4 SU in its last five games after starting the season with five SU wins. It is a woeful 2-8 ATS overall with the total staying UNDER in nine of its first 10 games. Injuries have been the big story in Chapel Hill. Starters’ Cole Anthony (knee) and Leaky Black (foot) missed Sunday’s game. Anthony remains out indefinitely.

The Bulldogs are headed the other way up the national rankings after winning 11 of their first 12 games SU. They have also covered in their last three outings to improve to 7-4-1 ATS.

The went OVER 150 ½ points in Saturday’s 84-80 upset over Arizona as slight two-point road underdogs. The total has gone OVER in Gonzaga’s last six games while scoring an average of 83.2 points per game. Overall, the Bulldogs are ranked fifth in the nation in scoring with 85.8 points per game. This West Coast Conference power has seven different players averaging at least 10 PPG.

Betting Trends

-- The Tar Heels are 5-1 SU in their last six games against the WCC and the total has stayed UNDER in their last five December games.

-- The Bulldogs have covered the spread in their last seven games played in December. The total has stayed UNDER in nine of their last 11 games against the ACC.

-- North Carolina has the 3-1 edge both SU and ATS in the last four meetings. This includes last season’s 103-90 victory as a three-point home favorite. The total went OVER 174 ½ points in that game.

No. 6 Kentucky vs. Utah (ESPN2, 11:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Kentucky -11.5, Total 139

Betting Matchup

Utah, out of the Pac-12 comes into the Neon Hoops Showcase in Las Vegas with a SU four-game winning streak as part of an 8-2 record overall. It has covered in its last three outings to improve to 6-4 ATS. The total stayed UNDER 143 points in Saturday’s 60-49 victory against Weber State as nine-point favorites after going OVER in four of the Utes’ previous five games.

Timmy Allen has scored 19 points in each of his last two games and the sophomore forward leads the team in scoring with an average of 20.6 PPG. Utah is averaging 83.0 points a game.

The SEC’s Wildcats have quietly worked their way back up the national rankings at 8-1 SU after starting the season with an upset over Michigan State as three-point underdogs. The only blemish was a bad loss to Evansville as heavy 25-point favorites.

Kentucky has fallen to 3-5-1 ATS after failing to cover in six of its last seven games. The total has stayed UNDER in six of the nine games. Junior forward Nick Richards is averaging a team-high 13.8 PPG. He is one of five Wildcats averaging at least 10 points a game.

Betting Trends

-- The Utes have a 6-1 record ATS in seven previous games against a SEC team. The total has stayed UNDER in six of their last seven Wednesday games.

-- The Wildcats are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 Wednesday games and the total has gone OVER in four of their last five Pac-12 matchups.

-- Kentucky rolled to an 88-61 victory over Utah last season as 15 ½-point favorites. The Wildcats are 7-0 SU and ATS in seven previous meetings dating back to 1996. The total has gone OVER in two of the last three matchups.