Yes, North Carolina visits Duke tonight, which is the clear feature on tonight's college basketball card. And while I can't wait to watch those two rivals go at it (and hopefully combine to score more than 165 points), there are 45 other games tonight that bettors will look at for potential value.
From a situational handicapping perspective, there are a few spots I had circled in the beginning of the week that are in range at their current spreads. Let's get right to it, starting with an SEC showdown at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Season Record: 27-19-1 (+6.36 units). All odds as of 1 p.m.. ET
Florida +7 at LSU
7 p.m. ET on ESPN2
As I've mentioned a few times before, LSU has one of the youngest rosters in the country, ranking 323rd in experience.
It makes what head coach Will Wade has done this year with LSU even more impressive, but I also feel that inexperience makes the Tigers more susceptible to falling victim to potential flat spots.
Tonight would qualify as one at home against Florida with an absolutely enormous home game with Tennessee on deck. That matchup on Saturday with the Vols could end up deciding who wins the SEC regular season and you couldn't fault the baby Tigers too much for looking ahead.
The rebounding edge that LSU should enjoy does concern me some, but you should get the best effort from a desperate Florida team fighting for its tournament life. The Gators should also arrive in Baton Rouge with a lot of confidence after a road blowout win over Alabama. Look out for SEC co-freshman of the week Andrew Nembhard, who exploded in that win over the Crimson Tide.
Plus, most importantly, this is simply too many points before even accounting for the LSU lookahead spot.
Xavier +5 at Seton Hall
7 p.m. ET on CBSSN
I think this is a prime opportunity to back a Xavier team that finally has looked like a competent basketball team after a horrid stretch where it lost six straight.
It all seemed to change when the Musketeers miraculously forced overtime at home against Creighton and won. After parlaying that comeback into an impressive 14-point win at Providence, I'll be betting on them to keep it going tonight in Jersey.
I think the Muskies can play loose on the road against a Seton Hall team that has all of the pressure to avoid what would be a bad home loss for its tournament resume.
Xavier also has revenge from a 10-point home loss it suffered against Hall earlier this year. And while X has had a very disappointing year, it has only been swept in conference by one team: Marquette. It split against Creighton, Depaul, Providence and Georgetown.
Don't be shocked if Xavier dominates on the offensive glass en route to a third consecutive win — all over Big East teams it previously lost to.
Providence -1 vs. St. John's
8:30 p.m. ET on FS1
This is a classic buy low/sell high opportunity here as I have to fade my beloved Johnnies after a potentially tourney-clinching, emotional comeback win over Villanova on Sunday. Meanwhile, Providence has lost two straight, including a bad home loss to Xavier in its last game on Saturday.
Yes, the Johnnies do have revenge from an upset loss to the Friars a few weeks ago, but I think the letdown factor here overrides that angle.
I also think Providence matches up well with the Johnnies. (Those of you who follow me on The Action Network app know I also played Providence less than two weeks ago at St. John's.) The Friars' length and physicality can really bother Shamorie Ponds and company on the offensive end.
Also, Providence should dominate the glass on both ends, which it did in the first meeting by an extreme margin of 43-23. The Friars rank in the top 50 in offensive rebounding percentage, while the Red Storm ranks in the bottom 15 nationally.
Editor’s note: The opinions on these games are from the individual writer and are based on his research, analysis and perspective. They are independent of, and may not always match with, the algorithm-driven Best Bets from Sports Insights.
