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College Basketball

Saturday’s Tip Sheet

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will host one of Saturday’s biggest betting showdowns as part of this year’s CBS Sports Classic.

As a warmup to get things started, the Pac-12’s UCLA Bruins will face the ACC’s North Carolina Tar Heels in a West Coast/East Coast tilt. Later that afternoon in the featured matchup, the Big Ten’s No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes square off against the SEC’s No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats.

UCLA vs. North Carolina (CBS, 3:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: North Carolina -5.5, Total 141

Betting Matchup

Following a straight-up 4-0 start, the Bruins have four of their last seven games, including last Saturday’s 75-61 setback to the ACC’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish as six-point road underdogs. UCLA has a 6-5 record against the spread in those 11 games with the total going OVER in five of its last eight games. There are four players averaging at least 10 points per game as part of an overall scoring average of 73.2 PPG. The Bruins are shooting 45.1 percent from the field dropping to 32 percent from three-point range.

It has been a rough December for the Tar Heels in the midst of an extremely rare four-game SU losing streak. They were able to cover in their last outing against Gonzaga on Wednesday night in a 94-81 setback as heavy 14-point underdogs. North Carolina falls to 6-5 SU with a dismal 3-8 record ATS. The total went OVER 147 points in that latest loss after staying UNDER in nine of its first 10 games. The loss of freshman sensation Cole Anthony for the near future has definitely not helped the cause. He was posting a team-high 19.1 points a game as a big part of North Carolina’s unusually low 69.5-point scoring average.

Betting Trends

-- The Bruins have failed to cover ATS in their last eight games against the ACC and they are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games played in December.

-- The Tar Heels are a perfect 14-0 SU in their last 14 games against the Pac-12. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last six December games.

-- These two have met three times since 2014 with North Carolina winning all three games SU and ATS. The total went OVER in the last two matchups. This includes the 169 ½-point line in the Tar Heels’ 94-78 victory as 10-point favorites in last season’s matchup.

No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Kentucky (CBS, 5:15 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Ohio State -4, Total 131.5

Betting Matchup

The Buckeyes have worked their way into the top five with 10 SU wins in their first 11 games. They have become a money machine for bettors at 9-2 ATS. The lone loss was to Minnesota in an early conference matchup. They were on the wrong end of a 84-71 road loss as 7 ½-point favorites. The total has stayed UNDER in seven of those 11 games. Junior forward Kaleb Wesson is averaging 14.3 points and 9.1 rebound on the year. He has posted a pair of double-doubles in his last three games, including 28 points and 10 rebounds in a win against Penn State.

Kentucky comes into Saturday’s shown a bit stunned following Wednesday’s 69-66 loss to Utah as a 9 ½-point road favorite. This snapped a SU six-game winning streak. The Wildcats’ other loss this season was also a stunner against Evansville as 25-point favorites. At 8-2 SU, they are 3-6-1 ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five outings. Sophomore guard Ashton Hagans has led the way in scoring with 13.9 PPG on a lineup that has five players averaging at least 10 points a game. Kentucky is averaging 75.4 points while shooting 46.8 percent from the field.

Betting Trends

-- The Buckeyes are 10-1 SU in their last 11 games in December with the total going OVER in nine of their last 11 Saturday games.

-- The Wildcats have posted a SU 11-2 record in their last 13 games on a Saturday. The total has gone OVER in six of their last nine games against the Big Ten.

-- The last time these two teams met was in 2015 with Ohio State coming away with a 74-67 victory as a 10-point underdog. The total went OVER 135 ½ points in that game.

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