Early inter-conference play in the new college basketball season heads into its second weekend of games. While there are a number of interesting matchups on the slate over the three-day span, the following three are at the top of my list when it comes to betting on the games at any of the top offshore sportsbooks taking action online.
Friday- Virginia Cavaliers at VCU Rams (CBS Sports Network, 4 p.m.)
The Cavaliers opened the new season with a 60-48 victory against UNC Greensboro last Friday as 16.5-point home favorites with the total staying UNDER the closing 134.5-point line. They followed that up with Monday?s 93-49 romp over Austin Peay to cover the closing 26.5-point line this time around as heavy favorites at home. The total went OVER 128.5 points in that win.
Known for its suffocating defense, it was interesting to see Virginia rack up that many points on Monday as a heavy favorite. Freshman forward Jay Huff made a good first impression in Monday?s win with 16 points off the bench in 24 minutes of playing time.
VCU is also off to a fast start with a pair of victories at home against Grambling State by 29 points last Friday and North Florida by 10 points on Monday. Neither game had any posted betting lines for the pointspread and the total although Monday?s victory was probably a bit too close for comfort given the mismatch on the court.
Justin Tillman has been the Rams? leading scorer with a combined 41 points in those two games while shooting a blistering 73.9 percent from the field. The senior forward was the team?s second-leading scorer last season with an average of 12.2 points per game. Through these two games, VCU has a total of five players scoring in double figures.
Saturday- Utah State Utes at No. 17 Gonzaga Bulldogs (ESPN3, 10 p.m.)
The Utes started things off on a down note with a 65-59 road loss to Weber State in a game that closed as a PICK. The total stayed UNDER the 156.5-point closing line. They went on to post their first victory of the year both SU and ATS with Monday?s 81-73 win at home against Montana State as 5.5-point favorites. The total went OVER 149 points in that contest. Utah State will play Mississippi Valley State at home on Wednesday before facing Gonzaga on the road this Saturday night.
Koby McEwen and DeAngelo Isby each posted a combined 29 points in their first two games as the team?s top two leading scorers. Isby shot 47.4 percent from the field over the same span while connecting on four of his five shots from three-point range. The Utes, as a team, shot 46.2 percent from the field in those two games.
Gonzaga was No. 18 in the AP Top 25 preseason rankings and it has move up one spot with early double-digit victories at home against Texas Southern last Friday and Howard on Tuesday. There were no posted betting lines for either of these two contests, but neither game was much of test for a team that has aspirations of getting back to the NCAA Championship Game this season.
Junior guard Josh Perkins led the way in the season opener with 20 points, but it was a pair of freshman in Zach Norvell Jr. and Corey Kispert that caught everyone?s eye against Howard with a combined 31 points. The Bulldogs connected on 52.8 percent of their shots over the course of those first two games.
Sunday- No. 10 USC Trojans at Vanderbilt Commodores (SEC Network, 8 p.m.)
The Trojans held onto their lofty No. 10 ranking with a pair of victories against Cal State-Fullerton and North Dakota State. While they covered the 26.5 points at home in the 84-42 victory last Friday, thing got a bit too close for comfort on Monday in a 75-65 win as 23.5-point home favorites. The total stayed UNDER in both games.
Bennie Boatwright posted a career-high 28 points against North Dakota State to help USC close things out on a 13-5 run to escape with the win. Chimezie Metu scored 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the Trojans? season opener and Jordan McLaughlin is the third player on this roster to average more than 10 points in the first two games.
Vanderbilt got past Austin Peay last Friday 73-54, but it failed to cover as a 25.5-point home favorite. Going on the road this past Monday against Belmont, the Commodores were stunned as 3.5-point favorites in a 69-60 loss. The total stayed UNDER the closing line in both of those games. They will play host to UNC Ashville on Friday before welcoming the Trojans to Memorial Gym in Nashville for Sunday?s Pac-12/SEC tilt.
Trailing by five points at halftime of Monday?s loss, Vanderbilt did not help its cause by shooting 35.4 percent from the field while going a dismal 4-for-23 from three-point range. Senior forward Jeff Roberson scored 13 points in the losing cause after posting 13 points in the season opener as the team?s leading scorer through the first two games.
Friday- Virginia Cavaliers at VCU Rams (CBS Sports Network, 4 p.m.)
The Cavaliers opened the new season with a 60-48 victory against UNC Greensboro last Friday as 16.5-point home favorites with the total staying UNDER the closing 134.5-point line. They followed that up with Monday?s 93-49 romp over Austin Peay to cover the closing 26.5-point line this time around as heavy favorites at home. The total went OVER 128.5 points in that win.
Known for its suffocating defense, it was interesting to see Virginia rack up that many points on Monday as a heavy favorite. Freshman forward Jay Huff made a good first impression in Monday?s win with 16 points off the bench in 24 minutes of playing time.
VCU is also off to a fast start with a pair of victories at home against Grambling State by 29 points last Friday and North Florida by 10 points on Monday. Neither game had any posted betting lines for the pointspread and the total although Monday?s victory was probably a bit too close for comfort given the mismatch on the court.
Justin Tillman has been the Rams? leading scorer with a combined 41 points in those two games while shooting a blistering 73.9 percent from the field. The senior forward was the team?s second-leading scorer last season with an average of 12.2 points per game. Through these two games, VCU has a total of five players scoring in double figures.
Saturday- Utah State Utes at No. 17 Gonzaga Bulldogs (ESPN3, 10 p.m.)
The Utes started things off on a down note with a 65-59 road loss to Weber State in a game that closed as a PICK. The total stayed UNDER the 156.5-point closing line. They went on to post their first victory of the year both SU and ATS with Monday?s 81-73 win at home against Montana State as 5.5-point favorites. The total went OVER 149 points in that contest. Utah State will play Mississippi Valley State at home on Wednesday before facing Gonzaga on the road this Saturday night.
Koby McEwen and DeAngelo Isby each posted a combined 29 points in their first two games as the team?s top two leading scorers. Isby shot 47.4 percent from the field over the same span while connecting on four of his five shots from three-point range. The Utes, as a team, shot 46.2 percent from the field in those two games.
Gonzaga was No. 18 in the AP Top 25 preseason rankings and it has move up one spot with early double-digit victories at home against Texas Southern last Friday and Howard on Tuesday. There were no posted betting lines for either of these two contests, but neither game was much of test for a team that has aspirations of getting back to the NCAA Championship Game this season.
Junior guard Josh Perkins led the way in the season opener with 20 points, but it was a pair of freshman in Zach Norvell Jr. and Corey Kispert that caught everyone?s eye against Howard with a combined 31 points. The Bulldogs connected on 52.8 percent of their shots over the course of those first two games.
Sunday- No. 10 USC Trojans at Vanderbilt Commodores (SEC Network, 8 p.m.)
The Trojans held onto their lofty No. 10 ranking with a pair of victories against Cal State-Fullerton and North Dakota State. While they covered the 26.5 points at home in the 84-42 victory last Friday, thing got a bit too close for comfort on Monday in a 75-65 win as 23.5-point home favorites. The total stayed UNDER in both games.
Bennie Boatwright posted a career-high 28 points against North Dakota State to help USC close things out on a 13-5 run to escape with the win. Chimezie Metu scored 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the Trojans? season opener and Jordan McLaughlin is the third player on this roster to average more than 10 points in the first two games.
Vanderbilt got past Austin Peay last Friday 73-54, but it failed to cover as a 25.5-point home favorite. Going on the road this past Monday against Belmont, the Commodores were stunned as 3.5-point favorites in a 69-60 loss. The total stayed UNDER the closing line in both of those games. They will play host to UNC Ashville on Friday before welcoming the Trojans to Memorial Gym in Nashville for Sunday?s Pac-12/SEC tilt.
Trailing by five points at halftime of Monday?s loss, Vanderbilt did not help its cause by shooting 35.4 percent from the field while going a dismal 4-for-23 from three-point range. Senior forward Jeff Roberson scored 13 points in the losing cause after posting 13 points in the season opener as the team?s leading scorer through the first two games.
