Wild Wednesday in College Basketball
While all the talk in college basketball is about seeds, brackets, who's in and who's out, the college basketball bettor is focused on one thing, what winners can I find today?
Bettors live in two worlds, the present and the past with no looking to the future.
Today, there are 34 board games for bettors. Here's a look at key contests with Live Odds available for all games at Sportsbook.com.
UConn Huskies vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
With star Luke Harongody out with an injury, senior guard Tory Jackson and sharp shooter Tim Abromaitis have taken the team on the Irish on their backs and have this team fighting for an NCAA Tournament bid.
Notre Dame (19-10, 12-10-1 ATS) isn't necessarily a better team without Harangody, who will be honored on senior night. What changed is Jackson and Abromaitis deciding to become more assertive with others like Tyrone Nash, Carlton Scott and seldom used Harangody look-alike Jack Cooley following their lead.
The Fighting Irish are a confident club, fighting to be invited to the field of 65. Notre Dame has covered four of its last five and is 16-3 (7-6 ATS) at home.
Standing in their way is an even more desperate team in Connecticut (17-12, 11-15-1 ATS). The Huskies have to win their last two games in the Big East and a couple in the postseason tournament to have chance.
From a purely talent perspective, the Huskies are probably the better team, but inconsistency has plagued UConn who is 17-33 ATS on the road after consecutive home games.
Sportsbook.com has Notre Dame as two-point choice and they are 7-17 ATS after covering the spread over the last two seasons. Connecticut is 5-2-1 ATS as an underdog and will look to derail the Irish's hopes while enhancing their own dreams.
The Huskies have won six of the previous seven head-to-head meetings with five covers for this 7:00 Eastern ESPN contest.
#5 Kansas State Wildcats vs. #2 Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas State Coach Frank Martin might rub more than a few folks the wrong way with his barking dog delivery on the sidelines but backers aren't bothered.
The Wildcats, 22-4 straight up and 17-6 against the spread, have an outside chance to capture the Big 12 title. Heading into tonight, they are 8-1 ATS vs. top caliber teams outscoring their opponents by 12 or more points a game this season.
The Jayhawks were removed from the No. 1 perch losing at Oklahoma State four days ago and will seek to re-establish themselves quickly against their in-state rival.
This game will be full of emotion for guard Sherron Collins. The senior leader will be making his final appearance at Allen Fieldhouse and will want to maintain Kansas' 58-game home winning streak, the longest in the country.
Kansas is 12-3 ATS versus teams outscoring opponents by eight or more points a contest after 15 or more games over the last two seasons.
The Jayhawks are a nine-point favorite, with total of 149.5 and are 11-1 ATS after allowing 45 points or more in the first half last game.
Kansas State is 10-2 ATS having won eight or more of their last 10 contests and 7-0 OVER in a road game where the total is 145 to 149.5 over the last three seasons.
#4 Duke Blue Devils vs. #23 Maryland Terrapins
The Atlantic Coast Conference has not received its usual acclaim this season, with North Carolina plummeting to unforeseen depths and many others being merely pedestrian.
Duke and Maryland have managed to stay above the mediocrity and will battle in an important ACC clash. Maryland (21-7, 14-9 ATS) is a game behind Duke in the standings and jacked-up for senior night.
The Terrapins fans will salute seniors Landon Milbourne, Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes.
"In the beginning of year, when I looked at the schedule and saw Duke on Senior Night, I got pretty excited," Milbourne said Tuesday. "Now, it's even bigger because we're fighting for the regular-season title. We've been trying to get this chance since I've been here, and it's finally here."
The Terps have won five consecutive games, 11 of 13 and are 14-4 ATS at home off three straight wins against ACC rivals.
It's difficult to fathom, but only in the last week or two has Duke (25-4, 17-10-1 ATS) been really considered in the hierarchy of college basketball this season. Perceptions are hard to break and the Blue Devils have been an overrated team the last few years.
This team is different, with production in the paint, a +5 rebound margin and positive contributions coming off the bench. Duke isn't going to win if two if their big three have off-nights (Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler), however they have found the answer when one of the trio hasn't been in top form regularly.
Duke is 9-0 ATS versus high-powered offensive teams dropping 77 or more points a game this season.
The Dukies are a short one-point favorite at the sold-out Comcast Center, with total of 146.5. Duke is 17-7 ATS after playing a game as a road favorite, which they were at Virginia (67-49) and is 12-3 UNDER after allowing 55 points or less.
Maryland coach Gary Williams has to like his club's chances since they are 17-6 ATS in home games after covering three of their last four against the spread.
The Blue Devils have taken last five (4-0-1 ATS) during the regular season and are 8-4 and 7-5 ATS at College Park the last dozen years.
