Saturday college basketball odds bring to light an unusual situation: Duke is playing at North Carolina, but this heated rivalry isn’t necessarily the day’s marquee matchup. Sure, you generally can’t beat Blue Devils-Tar Heels, and it’s likely to be a great game. However, right now, Carolina isn’t even ranked.
But the Big 12 has a big matchup of highly ranked outfits: No. 8 Baylor at No. 10 Kansas.
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. 2 Gonzaga vs BYU
UPDATE 9:30 P.M. ET: With tipoff approaching, BetMGM Nevada has Gonzaga a 13.5-point road favorite against Brigham Young. That matches the opening number, and the line then dipped to -12.5 late Friday night, before returning to -13.5 this afternoon.
“Some sharp play on BYU +13.5,” BetMGM Nevada’s Scott Shelton said, before noting the public is on the Zags. “Tickets are 4.5/1 and money just over 2/1 on Gonzaga. And it’s a well-bet game.”
The total hasn’t budged off 158.5, though tickets and money are running 5/1 on the Over.
UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET: With a double-digit spread, this 10 p.m. ET tipoff might not end up being all that competitive. But on a Saturday night in Provo, perhaps it gets interesting. Since a Dec. 4 neutral-site loss to Alabama, Gonzaga has won 11 in a row (7-3-1 ATS). Most recently, the Bulldogs (18-2 SU, 11-8-1 ATS) traveled to the University of San Diego and breezed to a 92-62 victory as hefty 23-point favorites.
Brigham Young is on a three-game SU skid and five-game ATS purge, and it was favored in all five outings. The Cougars (17-7 SU, 10-12 ATS) were giving 3 points at home to San Francisco on Wednesday, trailed 40-25 at halftime and never really threatened from there in a 73-59 loss.
Gonzaga opened -13 Friday night in DraftKings’ Saturday college basketball odds market. Overnight, the line bottomed out at Zags -11.5, but it’s since returned to the -13 opener. Practically all the early tickets and dollars are on the Bulldogs, at 87% and 95%, respectively. The total in this contest dropped from 158 to 156 by midmorning, but it’s now at a high point of 158.5, with 82% of tickets/88% of money on the Over.
Those side and total betting splits make sense, given that Gonzaga destroyed BYU 110-84 as a 14.5-point home chalk on Jan. 13. Gonzaga is 6-2-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings (all as a favorite).
No. 7 Kentucky vs Alabama
UPDATE 7:30 P.M. ET: Thirty minutes before tip time, Alabama is a 1.5-point home favorite at BetMGM Nevada. This SEC matchup opened at pick ’em and initially moved to Kentucky -1.5, then back to pick late Friday night. Alabama, which saw sharp play at +1.5, has spent most of today at -1.5.
“But tickets and money are pretty one-sided, all Kentucky. It’s 3/1 tickets and 5/1 money on Kentucky,” BetMGM Nevada’s Scott Shelton said.
The total is nailed to 157.5.
“Good two-way action, tickets and money,” Shelton said.
UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET: The point spread tells you quite a bit about this contest. Although ‘Bama is unranked, it’s laying 1 point on its home floor against a top-10 outfit. And that’s after the Crimson Tide (14-8 SU, 8-13-1 ATS) got waxed at No. 1 Auburn on Tuesday night, 100-81 as 6-point pups. Alabama is a dismal 2-11-1 ATS in its last 13 games.
Kentucky (18-4 SU, 10-12 ATS) has been pretty solid, on the floor at least, since a mid-December neutral-site win over North Carolina. The Wildcats are 11-2 SU in their last 13 games (7-6 ATS). On Wednesday, Kentucky held off Vanderbilt 77-70 but never threatened to cover as a 14.5-point home favorite.
This 8 p.m. ET tipoff opened Kentucky -1 at DraftKings, then jumped the fence this morning to Alabama -1.5, and it’s now ‘Bama -1. However, the visiting Wildcats are collecting 90% of early tickets and 81% of early dollars on the spread. The total is painted to 157, having not moved at all, with 59% of tickets/72% of money on the Over.
The home team is 5-2 ATS in the last seven series meetings.
No. 9 Duke vs North Carolina
UPDATE 5:30 P.M. ET: Duke opened as a 2.5-point favorite Friday night at PointsBet USA and went to -3 overnight. In the past 30 minutes, the Blue Devils rose to -3.5, with tipoff approaching for this big ACC clash. Ticket count is almost 5/1 and money 2/1-plus on Duke. The total climbed from 149 to 152.5, with ticket count 4/1 and money 6/1 on the Over.
UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET: Arguably college basketball’s biggest rivalry gets renewed in this 6 p.m. ET tipoff. Duke (18-3 SU, 12-7-2 ATS) has won four in a row and six of its last seven (5-2 ATS). The Blue Devils stifled a surging Notre Dame outfit Monday night, winning 57-43 as 5.5-point road faves.
North Carolina is unranked, but might be getting it together at an opportune time. The Tar Heels (16-6 SU, 10-12 ATS) have won four in row (3-1 ATS), including a 90-83 overtime victory laying 4 points at Louisville on Monday.
Carolina is a respectable 5-3 SU in its last eight clashes with Duke, and an even more noteworthy 7-1 ATS. The Tar Heels won and cashed in both of last season’s meetings.
DraftKings opened Duke a 2.5-point chalk on its Saturday college basketball odds board, reached -3.5 a couple times and is now at -3. Early action is almost all Blue Devils, at 92% of bets/87% of cash. The total rose from 148.5 to 152 by midmorning and is now 151, with 72% of bets/91% of money on the Over.
No. 19 USC vs No. 7 Arizona
UPDATE 4:30 P.M. ET: Thirty minutes before tipoff, PointsBet USA has Arizona an 11-point chalk, bouncing between the -10.5 opener and -11 a couple of times. Underdog Southern Cal is nabbing the bulk of tickets and cash, at 62% and 76%, respectively. The total shot from 145.5 to 150 by midafternoon, with with 63% of tickets/79% of money on the Over.
UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET: A quirk in the Pac-12 schedule — the result of a slew of COVID-related postponements — saw Arizona face UCLA in two of its past three games. In the first outing in Los Angeles on Jan. 25, the Wildcats got run 75-59 as 3-point road favorites. After subsequently rebounding with a home victory over Arizona State last weekend, Arizona (18-2 SU, 12-7-1 ATS) got even with UCLA on Thursday, notching a 76-66 win and cashing as a 6.5-point home chalk.
Southern Cal (19-3 SU, 11-11 ATS) has won five of its last six, with the lone setback being a stunning 64-61 loss to Stanford as a 10.5-point home favorite. On Thursday night, the Trojans held off Arizona State 58-53 as a 6-point road chalk. USC has dropped its last three ATS and is 5-9 ATS in its last 14 games.
Arizona opened -10.5 at DraftKings for this 5 p.m. ET clash, an interesting point spread given that the underdog has cashed in the last five series meetings. The line briefly touched -11 Friday night, dipped to -10 late this morning and is now back at the -10.5 opener. USC, which is 5-1 ATS in its last six battles with the Wildcats, is actually getting the lion’s share of early action, at 72% of tickets and 66% of money.
The total opened at 146.5, then shot straight to 149 about 30 minutes later Friday night before quickly backing up to 147.5. It then climbed again to as high as 151 this morning, and it’s now 149.5, with 62% of bets on the Over/61% of dollars on the Under.
No. 8 Baylor vs No. 10 Kansas
UPDATE 3 P.M. ET: An hour before tipoff, PointsBet USA has Kansas a 3-point chalk on its Saturday college basketball odds board. The Jayhawks opened -2 early Friday evening, went to -2 shortly thereafter, then got to -3 early this afternoon. It’s two-way action on the spread, with 54% of bets on Kansas and 53% of cash on Baylor. Likewise, the total is getting two-way play, with 57% of bets on the Over/57% of money on the Under. The total opened at 147.5, peaked at 148.5 Friday night and is now down to 144.5.
UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET: Baylor won its first 15 games, then had a two-game hiccup, but has since rebounded to win four of its last five. The Bears (19-3 SU, 12-9-1 ATS) hosted West Virginia on Monday night and eked out an 81-77 victory, falling well short as 12-point favorites.
Kansas (19-3 SU, 9-11-1ATS) had a five-game win streak halted last Saturday in blowout fashion on its home floor. The Jayhawks got trounced by Kentucky 80-62 as 5-point faves. But Kansas bounced back with Tuesday’s 70-61 victory laying 1.5 points at Iowa State. That marked a rare spread-cover of late for the Jayhawks, who are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight outings.
The Jayhawks opened -2.5 Friday night and today made two treks to -3, most recently in the past half-hour. Kansas is netting 60% of spread tickets and 64% of spread money for this 4 p.m. ET start. The total is down to 144.5 from a 147.5 opener. Although 82% of tickets are on the Over, the money is almost dead even.
Kansas is 4-2 SU/5-1 ATS in the last six meetings with Baylor, but the visitor is on a 24-9-1 ATS roll in this rivalry.
No. 20 Iowa State vs No. 22 Texas
UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET: Iowa State (16-6 SU, 13-9 ATS) was a surprise early-season darling, winning its first 12 games (8-4 ATS). Since then, however, the Cyclones are 4-6 SU (5-5 ATS). On Monday against No. 10 Kansas, Iowa State came up short 70-61 as a 1.5-point home underdog.
Texas has been inconsistent on the court lately, splitting its last six games SU. The Longhorns have been even worse at the betting window, though, going 1-5 ATS dating back to a 79-70 loss at Iowa State as a 2.5-point road underdog on Jan. 15. Most recently, Texas (16-6 SU, 9-13 ATS) went to Texas Tech as 4-point underdogs Tuesday and lost 77-64.
This number has bounced around a bit on DraftKings’ Saturday college basketball odds board. Texas opened -8 and quickly got to -9 Friday night, then overnight dropped to -7.5. This morning, the Longhorns rose to -8.5, where the line sits now, even though ticket count is beyond 5/1 and money 3/1 on underdog Iowa State.
The total is up 2 points to 122.5, with 81% of bets/71% of cash on the Over. The overwhelming action on the Over is easy to understand, given that the last six Texas-Iowa State battles (including last month’s) topped the total.
Tipoff is at 2 p.m. ET.
