NCAAB: TOP TEAMS MEET SATURDAY
It’s a dynamic Saturday afternoon of great college basketball action with several key games in somewhat neutral site locations.
Here’s a look at four must-see matchups
Duke vs. Xavier – 2 pm ET
Game being played in New Jersey.
Duke (9-1, 5-4 ATS) is 7-1 and 4-4 ATS this season as a favorite. Kyle Singler and his 16.9 PPG leads all Dukies and with swingmen Gerald Henderson and Jon Scheyer dropping three bombs all over the court, the men from Durham are deep. With Coach K returning all five starters, this is going to be a formidable pack in the coming months.
After an Elite Eight run a year ago, nobody is sleeping on the Xavier Musketeers (9-0, 4-4 ATS) this season. C.J. Anderson, Derrick Brown and B.J. Raymond are a scintillating trio, who each average double-figure points. Xavier is 4-0 and 3-1 ATS away from home.
NCAAB Predictions – Duke by 3
Texas vs. Michigan State – 2 pm ET
Game being played in Houston.
A.J. Abrams (19.0 PPG) and Damion James (14.5 PPG) lead the way but Coach Barnes also has 6-9, 225-pound forward Connor Atchley and 6-10 Dexter Pittman who lost 100 pounds since coming to the Austin campus.
Tom Izzo’s Spartans (7-2, 3-4 ATS) are battle-tested having played the likes of Maryland, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, Tennessee and North Carolina. Junior forward Raymar Morgan is the catalyst, totaling just over 16 points and five rebounds per night. Senior center Goran Suton could be back and would be a huge lift coming off knee surgery but his return is questionable.
These two powerhouses squared off last December 22nd with the Spartans pulling off the upset, 78-72, as three-point dogs. However, MSU is 0-8 ATS as a road underdog of six points or less. Texas is 3-1 straight-up and ATS in neutral site contests.
NCAAB Prediction: – Texas by 4
Connecticut vs. Gonzaga – 4 pm ET
Game being played in Seattle.
Hasheem Thabeet is projected as a Top 10 NBA pick as he averages 12.1 RPG and 14.9 PPG in addition to being a great shot-blocker. This will be a big test for the Huskies (9-0, 3-2 ATS) who are 7-17 ATS in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last three seasons.
Gonzaga (8-1, 5-2 ATS) is again loaded with talent, returning six of their seven top scorers, including Jeremy Pargo and Josh Heytvelt. Pargo is the consummate player averaging over 10 points and dishing out an astounding 7.5 assists. Heytvelt should improve upon his 15.0 PPG average and be the beast this team needs down low.
These two clubs met last December with Mark Few’s squad getting the best of the Huskies, 85-82, as 5.5-point underdogs. Gonzaga is 18-7 ATS on Saturday games while UConn is 10-2 ATS after one or more consecutive Unders the last couple years.
NCAAB Prediction: – Gonzaga by 2
Davidson vs. Purdue – 4 pm ET
Game being played in Indianapolis.
Stephen Curry is no longer college basketball’s biggest secret; but he may be its biggest star. He leads the nation in scoring, averaging over 30 points per contest. Max Paulhus Gosselin is two games back from a suspension and is the Wildcats best defender. The Wildcats are 8-1 and 4-3 ATS on the season.
Coach Matt Painter returns the meat of his lineup from last season including top producers E’Twaun Moore (14.3 PPG) and Robbie Hummel (15.6 PPG) which is a reason they are projected to finish 2nd in the Big Ten. His team gets off to a fast start, outscoring opponents 37 to 24 in the first half. The Boilermakers are 8-2 with a 4-4 ATS record.
This should be a classic game of cat and mouse. Davidson will look to push the ball and stay in the mold of their 80+ PPG average while Purdue’s only chance will be to slow the tempo down. The Boilermakers are 0-2 ATS on neutral courts this season.
NCAAB Prediction: – Pick’em
