With Selection Sunday just six weeks away, Cappers Mall takes a look at the biggest college basketball betting matchups on the hardwood that you should be keeping a close eye on this Saturday.
Villanova Wildcats vs. Georgetown Hoyas 12:00 ET: The Hoyas and Wildcats are two of the best teams in the best conference in the country, and they'll have at it in our nation's capitol to kick off the weekend. Georgetown fell victim to the prototypical sandwich game against South Florida during the middle of the week, while Nova rolled to its ninth straight Big East victory against Seton Hall on Tuesday night. The Cats took out the Hoyas 82-77 just three weeks ago, but the oddsmakers at Bookmaker.com think that G'Town is the way to go in this one. HC John Thompson III's team is -1.5 on the basketball gambling lines.
Temple Owls vs. Richmond Spiders 2:00 ET: Atlantic-10 foes square off in Richmond on Saturday afternoon in what could be a battle between two NCAA Tournament teams. Without a doubt, Temple has done plenty to get in the Field of 65, and it only solidified its position with a 16-point win at home against Duquesne on Wednesday night. Richmond has won three straight both SU and ATS since losing at home to Charlotte, but it would love to record a win against one of the big boys in the A-10 to boost the old resume for the Selection Committee. You can find the Spiders lined at -1 at Olympic on the overnight CBB wagering spread.
BYU Cougars vs. UNLV Runnin' Rebels 4:00 ET: Two of the top teams in the Mountain West engage in a critical battle in Sin City on Saturday. This game looks eerily similar to the Temple/Richmond game from the standpoint that the road team, in this case BYU, has nothing to worry about for the NCAA Tournament, while the hosts have all to play for and badly need to protect their home court. The Runnin' Rebels have won four straight college basketball betting battles in the MWC, and they have to have some confidence in them after having won three straight and five out of six against the Cougs before losing 77-73 in Provo on January 6th. Also like that Temple/Richmond game, the hosts have been lined at -1 in this Mountain West wagering war at 5Dimes.
Baylor Bears vs. Texas A&M Aggies 4:00 ET: Both the Aggies and Bears look to be in good shape for the NCAA Tournament right now. The Bears laid the smack down on Wednesday night at home against Iowa State with an 84-63 victory. Meanwhile, A&M came up with arguably its biggest win of the season that same night, winning in Columbia 77-74 to upset Missouri. The Aggies have covered three straight in the recent history between these Big XII rivals. You can find them at -1.5 right now at Bodog Sports.
Michigan State Spartans vs. Illinois Fighting Illini 9:00 ET: After taking a 73-63 defeat on the road back on January 16th, the Fighting Illini are set to take their second shot at Michigan State on Saturday night. The Spartans are coming off an awful 67-49 loss at Wisconsin on Tuesday. Illinois has won three straight games (2-1 ATS), but wins against Penn State, Indiana, and Iowa aren't nearly as impressive as a victory against Sparty would turn out to be. Even though this is a monstrous game if the Illini hope to return to the NCAA Tournament, Michigan State is favored on the NCAAB betting lines on Saturday night at Bet Jamaica.
