Saturday college basketball odds are part of another huge sports betting day. Noteworthy matchups drop throughout the day and well into the night.
Among them are a pair of SEC clashes among ranked teams: No. 12 Kentucky at No. 2 Auburn, and No. 13 LSU at No. 24 Tennessee.
PointsBet USA provided insights on opening/current lines and action in the Saturday college basketball odds market. Check back throughout the day for action updates and additional games.
Saturday College Basketball Odds And Betting Action
TCU vs No. 15 Iowa State
UPDATE 3:50 P.M. ET: Iowa State opened as a 6.5-point chalk at TwinSpires Sportsbook and dipped to -6. The Cyclones are taking 64% of tickets, while 62% of cash is on the underdog Horned Frogs. “Sharp play on TCU +6.5,” TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said. The total went from 127.5 to 128, then down to 127, with 55% of tickets/63% of cash on the Over.
UPDATE 1:15 P.M. ET: Iowa State opened the season with 12 consecutive victories (8-4 ATS), but has since dropped four of its last six. The Cyclones (14-4 SU, 11-7 ATS) went to Texas Tech on Tuesday as 8.5-point ‘dogs and lost 72-60.
Texas Christian is 9-2 SU/7-2-2 ATS in its last 11 games, although those two SU losses occurred over the last four games. On Wednesday, the Horned Frogs fell 57-56 at Oklahoma State but cashed as 5-point underdogs.
PointsBet USA pegged Iowa State a 6-point favorite and within 10 minutes Friday night moved to -6.5. Late this morning, the Cyclones returned to -6 in this 4 p.m. ET matchup. Iowa State is taking 78% of spread tickets, but just 58% of spread money. The total is up to 128.5 from a 127.5 opener, with 76% of bets on the Over/64% of money on the Under.
No. 13 LSU vs No. 24 Tennessee
UPDATE 4 P.M. ET: Two hours before tipoff, Tennessee is out to a 5.5-point favorite at TwinSpires, after opening -4. LSU is landing 58% of tickets, but 66% of cash is on the host Vols. “Sharp play on the Vols all day Friday and this morning,” TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said. The total rose from 131 to 132.5, with the Over nabbing 71% of tickets/68% of money.
UPDATE 1:15 P.M. ET: Much like Auburn, LSU (15-3 SU, 14-4 ATS) has been a spread-covering machine. However, the Tigers enter this 6 p.m. ET clash on an 0-2 SU hiccup, including Wednesday’s 70-67 loss at Alabama as 4-point pups.
Tennessee (12-5 SU, 10-7 ATS) has alternated SU wins and losses in its last six games, beginning with a Dec. 29 loss at Alabama to open SEC play. The Vols were on the right side of that trend Tuesday night at Vanderbilt, winning 68-60 as 6.5-point favorites.
PointsBet USA hasn’t budged off Tennessee -5.5 since posting this number Friday night. Ticket count is almost dead even, with a slight Tigers lean, while 73% of cash is on the Vols. The total is up 2 points to 132.5, though it’s two-way play, with 52% of bets on the Under/54% of money on the Over.
No. 9 UCLA at Colorado
UPDATE 1:15 P.M. ET: This is a semi-compelling Pac-12 matchup, and with a 9 p.m. ET tipoff. But bettors beware: These two teams are a combined 10-18-3 ATS.
UCLA (12-2 SU, 5-8-1 ATS) hasn’t covered in its last five games (0-4-1 ATS). Following a 20-point neutral-site loss to Gonzaga, the Bruins are 7-1 SU but just 2-5-1 ATS. UCLA fended off Utah 63-58 Thursday night, failing to cash as a 9-point road chalk.
Colorado (12-5 SU, 5-10-2 ATS) followed a 5-0 SU surge by losing two of its last three. The most recent loss was certainly respectable: The Buffaloes were 2.5-point home ‘dogs to No. 16 USC on Thursday and stayed close the whole way in a 61-58 loss.
PointsBet USA just posted this game, with UCLA laying 3.5 points. Early tickets and money are running 2/1-plus on the Bruins. The total is at 136, with 78% of early bets/88% of early cash on the Under.
No. 5 Baylor vs Oklahoma
UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET: Following a 15-0 SU start (9-5-1 ATS), defending national champion Baylor hit back-to-back speed bumps. The Bears lost to Texas Tech 65-62 laying 11.5 points at home, then went to Oklahoma State as 14.5-point favorites and tumbled 61-54. Baylor (16-2 SU, 10-7-1 ATS) bounced back Tuesday with a 77-68 win over West Virginia as a 4.5-point road favorite.
Oklahoma has lost three in a row and four of five SU, a slide that began with an 84-74 loss at Baylor as a 12-point underdog Jan. 4. On Tuesday, the Sooners (12-6 SU, 9-9 ATS) came up just short to No. 7 Kansas, losing 67-64 while covering as a 3.5-point home pup.
Baylor hit PointsBet’s Saturday college basketball odds board as a 3-point favorite and moved to -3.5 late Friday night. The line returned to -3 this morning, then went back to -3.5 by lunchtime for this 3 p.m. ET contest. Baylor is netting 76% of bets and 60% of money on the spread. The total initially dipped from 137 to 136, but it’s now at 137.5, with practically all the tickets and money on the Over.
No. 12 Kentucky vs No. 2 Auburn
UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET: Auburn has been a machine on the court and an ATM for bettors, at 17-1 SU and 14-4 ATS. The Tigers’ last loss was Nov. 24, a double-overtime, neutral-site setback to UConn. Since then, Auburn is 14-0 SU/12-2 ATS, including Wednesday’s 83-60 home rout of Georgia as a hefty 21.5-point chalk.
Kentucky (15-3 SU, 9-9 ATS) has won four in a row and eight of nine (6-3 ATS). Last Saturday, the then-No. 18 Wildcats hammered then-No. 22 Tennessee 107-79 as 4.5-point home favorites. On Wednesday at Texas A&M, Kentucky notched a 64-58 win, falling just short of cashing as a 7-point fave.
Auburn opened as a 3.5-point favorite for this 1 p.m. ET tipoff and rose to -4 this morning. But it’s two-way action, with the host Tigers taking 61% of bets and 53% of handle. The total dipped from 149 to 148 overnight, but is now 149.5, with 80% of bets/92% of cash on the Over.
