College Hoops Looks For Tuesday Night
The College Basketball season is in full swing and not much is better than getting basketball at both the professional and amateur level. Basketball is my favorite sport, but I know how frustrating it can be to bet on the games at both levels. Last night a friend of mine lost a play because of a meaningless dunk at the buzzer. Some games, kids just dribble it out, others they dunk the ball and cost you a thousand dollars. Fun times. Tonight, we put that behind us and look at a few of the bigger games in the college slate and see what we can bet on in those games.
Duke vs. Michigan State, 7:00 ET
Two of the premier teams in College Hoops take the United Center tonight as they look toward moving forward in the rankings and have this early season test. Duke is coming off of a loss. We actually had the win in that game because we took the over, but the game wasn't a pleasant one for the Blue Devils as they lost at home to another ranked team, Arizona. This is their first road game of the season and their 53.2 clip from the field is probably going to suffer a bit now that they are away from Cameron Indoor Stadium. Michigan State came out to start the season with a nice softball game against a different Dukes. James Madison Dukes came to Michigan State and won in overtime to start the season. Apparently, that plan of an easy game to start the season backfired. Head coach, Tom Izzo, said the team lacked any passion and physicality. They responded well in their next game, winning by 23 points. These are two fairly matched teams. Duke is probably the better one in this one though and should take the game in what will be a sweaty cover. I'll take them -4.

GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 11: Kyle Filipowski (30) of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after dunking the ball during the ACC Championship against the Virginia Cavaliers on March 11, 2023 at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC. (Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Marquette vs. Illinois, 8:00 ET
In this one, we have two teams that are also both ranked, but these two haven't lost yet. Being from Illinois, it is nice to see our most popular school - at least one of them - good at basketball. Unfortunately, I don't think they will win this game. They have a pretty strong defense, and re limiting opponents to just 52.5 points per game, but neither of those opponents they faced are very good. On offense, I think they will probably struggle a bit. It isn't that Marquette is the best defense in the country but they pester you into turnovers. I do think that Marquette will control the pace in this game and I'm not sure that the Illini will have an answer for the Marquette backcourt. You never know what can happen when these college kids go on the road, but I expect Marquette to win this game. I'm not sure if it is important to you or not, but I can't put this bet in on a legal sportsbook. I share that information any time I discuss an Illinois college.
Kansas vs. Kentucky, 9:30 ET
The other big game from the State Farm Champions Classic is between Kansas and Kentucky. Kansas enters as the #1 team in the country and even though they played against two bottom-level schools, they did a nice job of handling their business. Kansas has a really nice balance of players. Their center, Hunter Dickinson, is leading the way with almost 20 points per game and eight rebounds. But, it isn't just him. They have a forward, K.J. Adams, and a guard, Kevin McCullar, that are both off to fast starts. I'm impressed with more than just those three guys, bit they've stood out quite a bit. I also like that the team is averaging almost 30 assists per game. Their shooting will dip a bit against harder competition. They are shooting almost 63% from the floor, including 47% from deep. That's not sustainable. Kentucky has started the year off strong as well, but I wouldn't consider them nearly as balanced as Kansas. Although they don't have anyone officially listed as a center, they do have height with three seven-footers if they want to throw them out there. This is one of those games that is more of a learning experience than anything. We know that Kentucky has a lot of turnover regularly, but there are just four seniors on the team and no juniors. Only two of the seniors see minutes. I think experience matters in this game. I think Kansas runs away with this one. Later in the season, I think it is a closer game, but Kansas should cover the -7.
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