With football season now officially in the rearview mirror, the weekend sports-betting focus shifts exclusively to the hardwood. Of course, that means Saturday college basketball odds get to hog the spotlight.
This week, the Saturday college basketball odds menu features more than 100 games, including 16 matchups involving Top 25 teams. Looking to wager on a high-profile showdown involving two ranked squads? You don’t have much time, as three of the day’s four matchups involving ranked foes tip off in the early window: No. 12 Illinois vs. No. 19 Michigan State (Noon ET), No. 11 Texas Tech vs. No. 20 Texas (12:30 p.m. ET), and No. 25 Alabama vs. No. 4 Kentucky (1 p.m. ET).
Later in the day, No. 16 Tennessee visits No. 23 Arkansas in a key SEC battle (4 p.m. ET). From there, three of the nation’s top six teams (No. 1 Gonzaga, No. 3 Arizona, and No. 6 Kansas) will run the floor in prime time.
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.
Saturday College Basketball Odds and Betting Action
No. 6 Kansas Vs West Virginia (8 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 7 P.M. ET: A little more than an hour from tipoff, Kansas is a 5-point road favorite at TwinSpires Sportsbook, up a half-point from the opening number of -4.5. The Jayhawks are taking 72% of tickets and 70% of money, which has the TwinSpires risk room rooting hard for the home team.
“Kansas is our biggest liability remaining on today’s college basketball card,” said TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas. “The public is piling on Kansas, both the spread and moneyline.”
The total opened at 145.5 and has shot up to 147. As that line move suggests, the betting action leans to the Over, which is getting 58% of tickets and 65% of money at TwinSpires.
UPDATE 11:45 A.M. ET: West Virginia takes the court in Morgantown tonight in search of two things: its second victory in more than a month and revenge for an ugly loss at Kansas in January.
The Mountaineers (14-11 SU/10-15 ATS) fell 78-73 at Kansas State as a 3.5-point road underdog on Monday, dropping to 1-9 SU/2-8 ATS in their last 10 games. The slump started Jan. 15 when Bob Huggins’ squad went to Kansas and got drubbed 85-59 as an 11.5-point underdog.
The Jayhawks (21-4 SU, 11-13-1 ATS) took care of business against Oklahoma State on Monday, extending late for a 76-62 victory as a 10-point home chalk. Despite getting the cash against the Cowboys, Kansas is just 4-8 ATS in its last 12 outings, including 1-4 ATS in its last five on the road (all as a favorite).
WynnBet initially installed the Jayhawks as a 5.5-point chalk, but the line has since dipped to -5. Including last month’s result, the home team is 8-1 SU/7-2 ATS in the last nine head-to-head battles. That might explain why West Virginia is getting 53.4% of the money, while Kansas is catching 94.6% of tickets.
The total is sitting at the opening number of 146, with 60% of tickets and 79% of cash on the Over. That’s in line with this strong trend: The Mountaineers have hurdled the total in 12 of their last 14 games, and the Over has cashed in each of the last three series meetings.
Oregon Vs. No. 3 Arizona (10 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 7 P.M. ET: Arizona has bounced between the opening number of -13 to -12.5 and back to -13 at TwinSpires Sportsbook. Currently, the Wildcats are a 13-point home chalk. However, the betting action is split on this Pac-12 showdown, with 54% of the tickets on Oregon and 52% of the cash on ‘Zona.
“Great two-way action on this one,” said Zachary Lucas, TwinSpires’ trading analyst. “Liability is split right down the middle.”
The total has jumped from an opener of 150 to 152, with 64% of tickets and 72% of money on the Over at TwinSpires. “There’s a mix of public and sharp money on the Over,” Lucas said.
UPDATE 11:45 A.M. ET: Oregon will attempt to rebound from its worst Pac-12 loss of the season — and attempt to cover a point spread for just the second time this month — when it heads south to Tucson to face the streaking Wildcats.
The Ducks (17-9 SU, 9-16 ATS) took the court Thursday as a 5-point fave at Arizona State and exited with an ugly 81-57 loss. It was their fifth double-digit defeat of the season and fifth consecutive ATS setback (a season high).
Arizona (23-2 SU, 15-9-1 ATS) ran its winning streak to seven in a row with Thursday’s 83-69 rout of Oregon State. However, the Wildcats fell way short of covering as a 23.5-point home chalk, ending a 3-0 ATS surge. While Arizona is unbeaten through 14 home games this season, the team has been a money-burner when hosting Pac-12 rivals, going 2-5 ATS.
Oregon has absolutely owned this rivalry of late, winning seven consecutive meetings and going 8-1 ATS in the last nine. That said, WynnBet has the Wildcats as a hefty 13.5-point favorite, down a smidge from the opener of -14. Arizona is catching 89% of early tickets and 67% of early money.
The total has jumped two points from 149.5 to 151.5, with 67% of bets and 78% of money on the Over. Worth noting: The Over is 6-1 in Oregon’s Pac-12 road games this season, and 11 of the last 14 series meetings have topped the total.
No. 11 Texas Tech Vs Texas (12:30 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 11:45 A.M. ET: This Lonestar State showdown between a pair of red-hot rivals essentially doubles as a Big 12 conference eliminator.
Texas Tech (20-6 SU, 18-8 ATS) is on a 7-2 SU/8-1 ATS roll, including back-to-back blowout home victories over TCU (82-69) last Saturday and Baylor (83-73) on Monday. The Red Raiders, who have the eighth-best point-spread record in the nation, are tied with Baylor for second place in the Big 12 standings, 1.5 games behind first-place Kansas.
Texas is coming off Tuesday’s 80-78 overtime win at Oklahoma as a 2-point underdog. The Longhorns have won six of their last eight (4-4 ATS) and are now alone in third place in the Big 12 hierarchy, 2.5 games behind Kansas.
Texas, which is 15-1 on its home floor this season, will be looking to avenge a 77-64 loss at Texas Tech as a four-point road underdog on Feb. 1. The Red Raiders have won eight of the last 10 series meetings, going 6-2 ATS in the last eight.
TwinSpires Sportsbook opened the Longhorns -2.5 on their Saturday college basketball odds board, shot up to -4.5, and is now down to -3.5. The action is split pretty much right down the middle, with 54% of tickets on Texas Tech and 57% of the money on Texas.
“We’ve seen sharp action on both sides,” said TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas. “Really good two-way action.”
The total opened at 126.5 but has since skyrocketed to 129. The Over is nabbing 62% of the tickets and 68% of the money.
No. 25 Alabama Vs No. 4 Kentucky (1 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 11:45 A.M. ET: Alabama (17-9 SU, 9-16-1 ATS) takes a three-game winning streak into Rupp Arena for a rematch against SEC rival and fourth-ranked Kentucky. Most recently, the Crimson Tide rallied past Mississippi State 80-75 on Wednesday, but just missed cashing as a 6-point home favorite.
That’s been a theme of late for Alabama, which cashed in six of its first eight contests but is 3-14-1 ATS since.
Kentucky (21-5 SU, 12-14 ATS) will be trying to get back on track after its six-game winning streak ended in Tuesday’s 76-63 loss at No. 16 Tennessee. The Wildcats never threatened to cover as a 2-point road underdog. They’ve now alternated ATS wins and losses in their last seven outings.
Exactly two weeks ago, Kentucky traveled to Tuscaloosa and dumped the Crimson Tide 66-55 as a 1.5-point road underdog.
Kentucky opened as a 6.5-point favorite at TwinSpires, and the line now sits at -7. Ticket count and money favor the Wildcats at 75% and 84%, respectively.
“It’s been mainly all Kentucky money so far,” Lucas said. “Alabama is already one of our biggest needs of the day.”
The total has gone from an opener of 154.5 to 155.5, with 55% of tickets and 58% of money on the Over. The two teams fell short of the total in their matchup two weeks ago, making the Under 4-1 in the last five series meetings.
No. 16 Tennessee Vs No. 23 Arkansas (4 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 3:10 P.M. ET: After opening -3 and taking a dip to -2.5, Arkansas is now down to a 2-point home favorite versus Tennessee at TwinSpires Sportsbook. The Razorbacks are getting the bulk of the ticket action at 63%, but the visiting Vols are taking 57% of the money.
“We had sharp play on Tennessee at +3 and +2.5,” said Zachary Lucas, trading analyst at TwinSpires.
Lucas added that the total, which opened at 140 and has dropped to 138, has developed into a Pros vs. Joes situation, with professional bettors backing the Under. As such, 66% of tickets are on the Over but 63% of money is on the Under at TwinSpires.
UPDATE 11:45 A.M. ET: Tennessee kept its hopes for an SEC regular-season title alive with Tuesday’s 76-63 rout of No. 4 Kentucky as a two-point home favorite. The Vols (19-6 SU, 15-10 ATS) have won eight of their last nine, going 6-3 ATS along the way. They’ve also cashed in four consecutive road games (3-1 SU).
Arkansas (20-6 SU, 16-10 ATS) has been delivering on the court and at the betting window for more than a month, going 10-1 SU and ATS in its last 11 games. The only SU hiccup: a last-second 68-67 loss at Alabama last Saturday.
Tennessee is tied with Kentucky for second place in the SEC, two games behind Auburn, while the Razorbacks are three games back in fourth place.
Over at WynnBet, Arkansas is a 2-point favorite, up from an opener of -1 (Even). As that line move suggests, bettors are backing the Hogs, with 75% of tickets and 89% of money on Arkansas. The home team has won 13 of the last 15 series meetings (10-5 ATS), including the last four in a row (3-1 ATS).
The total is up a tick from an opener of 139.5 (-115) to 140 flat, with 91% of both tickets and money on the Over. That makes sense, given that each of the last seven Tennessee-Arkansas clashes have gone Over the total.