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NCAA Basketball Thursday’s Tip Sheet, Betting Odds and Preview – Big Ten and AAC

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
Moving to a pair of interesting betting matchups on Thursday night’s college basketball board, the games involve three nationally ranked teams in the Big Ten and AAC with major postseason ramifications.

Odds to win Big Ten Tournament

The No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini will be on the road against the No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes at the same time that the No. 21 Houston Cougars tip off against the Connecticut Huskies as the road team.

Big Ten Matchup
No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini at No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes

Date: Thursday, March 5, 2020
TV-Time: ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Value City Arena
Location: Columbus, OH

Opening Odds: Ohio State -6.5, Total 131

Bet Now (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Odds Subject to Change (T&C's Apply, 21+)

Betting Matchup

Illinois remains in the thick of the Big Ten regular season title race with a straight-up 12-6 record in conference play. It has gone 20-9 overall with a 14-13-1 record against the spread. The Fighting Illini bring a SU four-game winning streak into Thursday’s tilt after squeezing past Indiana 67-66 on Sunday as 5 ½-point home favorites. They are now 3-5 ATS over the past eight games. The total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in seven of their last 10 outings.

Ayo Dosunmu scored 17 points to pace Sunday’s win. The sophomore guard is averaging 16.4 points per game.

The Buckeyes (20-9 SU, 18-11 ATS) are also in the mix for the regular season title at 12-6 SU. They have a modest three-game winning streak (SU and ATS) after hammering Michigan on Sunday 77-63 to easily cover the four points at home. With five victories (SU and ATS) in their last six Big Ten games, Ohio State has returned to its early season form that led to a 9-0 SU (8-1 ATS) start. The total has gone OVER in five of its last seven contests.

Duane Washington Jr. tied a career high for points on Sunday with 20. Junior forward Kaleb Wesson added 14 points to match his season average.

Betting Trends

-- The Fighting Illini are 5-2 both SU and ATS in their last seven games on the road. The total has stayed UNDER in three of their last five road games.

-- The Buckeyes have a perfect 5-0 record SU and ATS in their last five home games. The total has gone OVER in three of their last four games played at home.

-- Ohio State has won eight of its last 10 games against Illinois SU but the series is tied 5-5 ATS. The total stayed UNDER in seven of those 10 contests. The Fighting Illini have covered in three of the last four meetings

AAC Matchup
No. 21 Houston Cougars at Connecticut Huskies

Date: Thursday, March 5, 2020
TV-Time: CBS Sports Network, 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Gampel Pavilion
Location: Storrs, CT

Opening Odds: Houston -2, Total 132.5

Bet Now (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Odds Subject to Change (T&C's Apply, 21+)

Betting Matchup

A SU 2-2 record in its last four games has kept Houston from locking up the AAC regular season title. It is 12-4 SU and tied with Tulsa at the top of the standings. The two recent losses were to SMU and Memphis on the road as a slight favorite. The Cougars (22-7 SU, 16-13 ATS) beat UConn 63-59 earlier in the year but they could not cover the 9 ½ point at home. Going back to that game on Jan.23, they are 5-6 ATS ever since. The total has stayed UNDER in 12 of their last 14 games.

Marcus Sasser scored 21 points and Nate Hinton added 16 points in Sunday’s 68-55 home victory against Cincinnati.

The Huskies (17-12 SU, 18-11 ATS) have moved to an even 8-8 SU in conference play with a trio of victories against South Florida and Central Florida as home favorites ahead of Saturday’s 84-63 win against East Carolina as 5 ½-point favorites on the road. Connecticut is 5-3 ATS over its last eight games. The total has gone OVER in six of its last seven outings.

Christian Vital posted a season-high 27 points in Saturday’s win. The senior guard leads the team in scoring with 15.6 PPG. He has now eclipsed that average in each of his last five starts.

Betting Trends

-- The Cougars have lost three of their last four road games both SU and ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in six of their last seven games played on the road.

-- The Huskies are 8-2 SU in their last 10 home games with the total going OVER in seven of those 10 games. They have failed to cover in two of their last three games at home.

-- With the earlier win this season, Houston is 8-2 SU in the last 10 meetings. Connecticut has the slight 6-4 edge ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in the last three games between the two.

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