Top 25 Betting Recap
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com
Each week until March Madness we'll take a look at how the Top 25 fared from college basketball, but straight up and against the number, while also taking a look at their upcoming schedule.
Gonzaga (28-0 SU, 19-5-1 ATS) had a rare non-cover against Pacific over the weekend, winning by 21 with a 30 1/2-point spread. The Bulldogs have won their 16 West Coast Conference games by an average of 26.3 points per game, and they'll face a San Diego team on the road Thursday. The Bulldogs pounded the Toreros in Spokane back on Jan. 26 by a 79-43 game as 27-point favorites. You can expect the Bulldogs to be favored by 18-22 points for Thursday's game before wrapping up the regular season against Brigham Young (19-10 SU, 10-15-1 ATS).
Baylor (22-5 SU, 12-10 ATS) had a nightmare week, falling at Texas Tech on Monday and then again at home against Kansas (24-3 SU, 8-16-1 ATS) as two-point favorites. The Bears will look to rebound against Oklahoma at home and Iowa State on the road. The Bears beat each of those teams in the first meetings, but covered only against the Sooners on the road. The Bears have won just two of their past six games overall, and they're 5-9 ATS over their past 14 outings. Total bettors have been making money off of Baylor, too, as the 'under' has cashed in five of the past six, and seven of the past nine.
Arizona (25-3 SU, 13-13-2 ATS) and UCLA (24-3 SU, 14-13 ATS) have a huge clash set for Saturday in Tucson, as the Bruins hopeful to keep their hopes alive for a regular season Pac-12 title. UCLA will be looking to avenge a 96-85 loss at home against the Wildcats back on Jan. 21, as Arizona won straight-up as 5 1/2-point underdogs. The Wildcats have actually struggled against the number since then, going 2-6 ATS over their past eight outings. The Bruins have struggled to cover lately after a hot start to the season, going 2-5 ATS over their past seven games and 4-11 ATS over the past 15 outings.
West Virginia (21-6 SU, 12-10 ATS) was receiving heaps of praise in the Twitterverse on Monday in Kansas, as they were sending the Jayhawks fans to the exits early. They looked like a championship contender for 37 minutes, but they blew a 14-point lead with 2:58 to go in regulation before failing in overtime. The Jayhawks have not lost back-to-back games in 14 years under head coach Bill Self, and they haven't lost two in a row at Allen Fieldhouse since the 1988-89 season.
Virginia (18-8 SU, 14-10 ATS) and Florida State (21-6 SU, 14-10-1 ATS) each had awful weeks, dropping both of their games. The Seminoles have had a difficult time over the past month, going just 3-4 SU/ATS in their past seven games. In fact, FSU has forgotten how to win on the road, going just 1-5 SU/ATS over their past six away from Tallahassee. The Cavaliers have dropped three games in a row, and five of their past seven. If you're interested in winning money, take UVA 'under' results. The under is 7-2-1 in the past 10 games for the Cavs.
In the upcoming week the headline game will be in Chapel Hill, N.C. when Louisville (22-5 SU, 16-8-1 ATS) visits North Carolina (23-5 SU, 14-12-1 ATS) on Wednesday evening. These teams have not yet met this season. The Tar Heels look to avenge a 71-65 loss in Louisville last season. In fact, the Tar Heels are 1-2 SU/0-3 ATS in three regular season meetings since the Cardinals joined the Atlantic Coast Conference.