NCAAB Best Bets for Saturday, December 18, 2021
College basketball continues to have a great season with upsets, great finishes, and impressive performances. This weekend should be no different as we focus on two games that I think are the best to watch, and the best to bet on.
Gonzaga vs. Texas Tech
In one of our few ranked matchups of the day, Gonzaga takes on Texas Tech. The Bulldogs came into the season as the top-ranked squad and have had a couple stumbles over the year and now sit fifth. Some of that is growing pains, but some flaws have been exposed as well. Texas Tech has responded well to their new coach, Mark Adams. He has gotten the team off to an 8-1 start and they are now ranked in the nation. Their highlight of the season for them was beating Tennessee in overtime. Gonzaga is likely to prove too much for Texas Tech, but I'm not sure it will be by nearly double-digits. I'll play the over on this game, the only low-scoring game that Texas Tech has had was against Tennessee when both teams couldn't hit a three. Over 145.5 at -114.
North Carolina vs. Kentucky
This is our third game, and the third nuetral site game. Part of me wonders how much these venues matter to the players, sure home court helps, but from a shooting perspective, there is an adjustment. Anyway, North Carolina has had a season that you'd pretty much expect from them. They've beaten everyone except the teams that were ranked, with the exception of a win over #24 Michigan. Kentucky, ranked 21st in the country, is coming off of a loss to Notre Dame. After playing Duke, there wasn't much to speak of in terms of other opponents. Now they will face another tough one in North Carolina. I would love to think that John Calipari will have them ready, but I don't know that he's had enough time to adjust everything. I'll take North Carolina to win this game at +115.