Saturday college basketball odds include a raft of intriguing matchups, a nice prelude to Super Bowl Sunday. Just as nice: Big games are spread throughout the day.
Arguably the best of the bunch is No. 12 UCLA at No. 21 USC in a pivotal Pac-12 showdown. Also on the docket: Indiana at No. 17 Michigan State, No. 16 Ohio State at Michigan, and No. 22 St. Mary’s at No. 2 Gonzaga.
Multiple oddsmakers provided insights on opening/current lines and action in the Saturday college basketball betting market. Check back throughout the day for action updates and additional games.
Saturday College Basketball Odds And Betting Action
No. 12 UCLA vs No. 21 USC (10 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 9:30 P.M. ET: UCLA jumped from -2 to -4 at TwinSpires in the past hour, on news that USC standout Isaiah Mobley (broken nose) won’t play tonight. The Bruins opened as 2.5-point favorites and initially dipped to -2. UCLA is landing 66% of spread tickets and 58% of spread money. “It’s been all UCLA money the past hour. We’ll need USC,” TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said. The total is up to 137 from a 135.5 opener, with ticket count 3/1 and money almost 5/1 on the Over. “Lopsided action on the Over. We’ll need the Under here,” Lucas said.
UPDATE NOON ET: UCLA dropped both games of last week’s road swing through the Grand Canyon State, falling at Arizona and in overtime at Arizona State. But the Bruins (17-4 SU, 10-10-1 ATS) rebounded Tuesday night at Stanford with a 79-70 win laying 7.5 points. UCLA is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games.
Southern Cal (20-4 SU, 12-12 ATS) also made the Arizona swing last week, splitting with a win over the Sun Devils and a loss to the Wildcats. The Trojans then got a breather from Pac-12 play, notching a 74-68 win over Pacific while falling well short of cashing as 17.5-point home favorites Tuesday. USC is 1-8 ATS in its last nine home games and 1-4 ATS in its last five overall.
USC has won the last four SU in this L.A. rivalry SU, but the teams split those games ATS. In fact, the ATS winner has alternated in the past seven meetings, with UCLA cashing in the most recent contest.
The Under has also hit in six of the last eight meetings, including four in a row.
UCLA hit DraftKings’ Saturday college basketball odds board as a 2.5-point chalk, dipped to -1.5 this morning and is now -2. Ticket count is beyond 6/1 on the Bruins, but money is significantly closer at 2/1 UCLA. The total went straight from 135.5 to 138 late Friday night, but has since backed up to 136.5, with tickets 9/1-plus and money 4/1 on the Over.
No. 22 St. Mary’s at No. 2 Gonzaga (10 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 9:45 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Fifteen minutes before tipoff, Gonzaga is a 16-point favorite on TwinSpires’ Saturday college basketball odds board. That matches the opening number, and the Zags spent a brief period at -15.5. The Bulldogs are seeing 64% of tickets and 58% of money on the spread. “Not much of a decision for the game. However, we have a lot of liability tied to Gonzaga first-half -9,” TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said, noting ticket count of 3/1 and money running 5/1 on Gonzaga in that market. The total is down a tick, from 148 to 147.5, with 59% of tickets/54% of money on the Under.
UPDATE NOON ET: While St. Mary’s entered the Top 25 for the first time this week, oddsmakers certainly aren’t expecting Gonzaga to see much of a challenge in this late game. The Bulldogs are 16-point home favorites, and rightly so as they continue to pound West Coast Conference opposition.
The Zags (20-2 SU, 13-8-1 ATS) throttled visiting Pacific 89-51 Thursday night and covered as a massive 32-point chalk, its third straight ATS triumph. Gonzaga has won its last five games by 30-plus points, with an average victory margin of 33.4 points. What’s more, the Bulldogs are on a 13-game win streak, with 10 of those victories by at least 25 points. They’re 9-3-1 ATS during this stretch, all as a double-digit chalk.
St. Mary’s (20-5 SU, 16-8 ATS) is on an 8-1 SU/7-2 ATS run. On Thursday at San Diego, the Gaels breezed to an 88-57 victory as 15-point faves. While St. Mary’s ranks ninth in the nation defensively, yielding just 59.1 points per game, the Zags are No. 1 in scoring offense (90.8 ppg).
Gonzaga is 6-0 SU/4-2 ATS in the last six clashes with St. Mary’s, with four of the six contests going Over the total.
The Bulldogs opened -16 Friday night at DraftKings, spent a couple of hours at -16.5 (even) this morning, then returned to the opener. Early ticket count is 9/1-plus and money 5/1 on Gonzaga. The total dipped from 148.5 to 146.5, then rose to 147.5, with practically all the early tickets and cash on the Over.
No. 16 Ohio State vs Michigan (6 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 5 P.M. ET: TwinSpires Sportsbook moved Michigan from -2 to -2.5, while seeing a ticket count of 2/1 and money running 3/1 on the Wolverines. “A mix of public and sharp money on Michigan,” TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said. The total went from 141 to 140.5 and back to 141, with 57% of tickets on the Over/55% of money on the Under.
UPDATE NOON ET: Ohio State (14-6 SU, 10-10 ATS) had won four of five SU and four in a row ATS before a Wednesday setback at Rutgers. The Buckeyes closed as 3.5-point favorites and fell 66-64.
Michigan (13-9 SU, 9-13 ATS), in dire need of wins to enhance its NCAA Tournament chances, got its biggest one of the season Thursday night. The Wolverines went off as 3.5-point home pups against No. 3 Purdue and hammered the Boilermakers 82-58. The spread-cover ended a 1-4 ATS skid.
Entering this 6 p.m. ET contest, Ohio State is on a modest 3-1 SU and ATS upswing against its Big Ten archrival. The Buckeyes also have cashed in nine of their last 13 as an underdog.
DraftKings opened Michigan -2 in its Saturday college basketball odds market and moved to -2.5 within a few minutes Friday night. The Wolverines remain -2.5 today while netting 55% of spread money, but 70% of spread tickets are on the Buckeyes. The total opened at 141, peaked at 142 and is now 140.5, even with early tickets and money beyond 80% on the Over.
Indiana vs No. 17 Michigan State (3:30 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 1:30 P.M. ET: Michigan State opened -4.5 and is down to -4 at TwinSpires Sportsbook. The Spartans are taking 76% of tickets, but money is much more two-way action, with 54% on Sparty. “Sharp play on Indiana +4.5,” TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said, two hours before tipoff. The total is stable at 134.5, with 63% of tickets/58% of money on the Over.
UPDATE NOON ET: Michigan State has followed a 9-3 SU/8-4 ATS run with consecutive losses and non-covers. Most recently, the Spartans (17-6 SU, 12-10-1 ATS) fell 70-62 to Wisconsin as 3.5-point home faves. Tom Izzo’s troops are 3-6 ATS in their last nine games and 1-5 ATS in their last six at home.
Indiana (16-7 SU, 13-10 ATS) has dropped its last two, as well. After getting shellacked by Illinois 74-57 last Saturday as 2.5-point home underdogs, the Hoosiers closed as 2.5-point pups at Northwestern on Tuesday and lost 59-51. Indiana is 2-11-1 ATS in its last 14 road games. The Under has hit in the Hoosiers’ last three games and is on an 8-3 run in their last 11 road outings.
Michigan State has won the last two meetings SU and ATS after Indiana had been on a 3-1 SU/4-0 ATS roll in this rivalry.
The Spartans opened -4.5 at DraftKings, briefly dipped straight to -3.5 late Friday night, then went to -4, where they remain now. It’s pretty much all Michigan State in early spread wagering, at 92% of tickets and 84% of money. The total opened at 133.5, peaked at 134.5 a couple of times, bottomed out at 133 this morning and is now back at the 133.5 opener. Ticket count is 2/1 and money 4/1 on the Over.
