NCAAM Best Bets for Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Yesterday we went 1-1-1 with the lone loss on a sprinkle of the Villanova moneyline. They came up exactly on the number with a two-point loss. Today, we have another couple of games in men's basketball that are looking like a nice opportunity for us. Let's get to them.

Duke vs. Virginia

Duke, always hyped, is having a strong campaign in Coach K's last year. Overall, the Blue Devils are 23-4 and have been ranked in the top ten this entire year. You know who handed Duke their last loss? Virginia. Did you also know that was a road game for Virginia? Yep, it sure was. So can they do it again? Not likely. I think Duke comes out here looking for their revenge after a one-point home loss. The line on this game is Duke -5. I think it needs to be a couple of points higher. It isn't that Virginia is a bad basketball team, but Duke has the opportunity to extract revenge on a national stage - this game is broadcast on ESPN. They are 17-10 and will be amped up to prove it wasn't a fluke that they beat Duke, I just don't think they have it in them. Play Duke -5.

LSU vs. Kentucky

The other ESPN game tonight is LSU vs. Kentucky. Kentucky should have no problem with the Tigers tonight. The line is hovering around 7.5/8, depending on when you're looking. I wouldn't blame anyone for playing Kentucky covering the points. I don't think this will be a defensive matchup though. Both teams are very capable of scoring and doing so in bunches. If you take just their scoring averages (this doesn't factor in points allowed, so don't think I'm saying that) they combine for 153 points per game. Neither will likely put much emphasis on defense until the game is close to the finish line and at that point, you get free throws (if the game is close) or faster shooting to try and make up ground. Either way, I think this game is primed for an over on the 142.5 total that is listed.