The Tuesday college basketball betting menu doesn’t feature any head-to-head clashes of top-10 teams, but there’s still plenty of intrigue, particularly with the primary matchups in the Big East and Big Ten.
If No. 8 Villanova has any designs on capturing the Big East regular-season title, a road win/season sweep of No. 21 UConn likely needs to occur.
And if slumping Michigan State wants to re-enter the Associated Press Top 25 poll — not to mention improve its standing with the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee — a victory at Iowa tonight is essential.
Props.com breaks down the Tuesday college basketball betting odds for Villanova-UConn and Michigan State-Iowa.
Odds via PointsBet and updated as of 11:15 a.m. ET on Feb. 22.
No. 8 Villanova Vs No. 21 Connecticut
Tipoff/TV: 8 p.m. ET/FS1
Villanova: 21-6 SU (14-3 Big East)/14-12-1 ATS
Connecticut: 19-7 SU (10-5 Big East)/12-14 ATS
Spread/Total: UConn -2 (-110)/138
Last meeting: Villanova pounded the Huskies 85-74, easily cashing as a 4-point home favorite (Feb. 5)
Did you know: The Wildcats have won five straight meetings in this rivalry — the last four at home — while going 3-1-1 ATS and limiting UConn to an average of just 61.6 points per game
About Villanova: The Wildcats (No. 7 in the NCAA NET rankings) have won five straight games, although the last four were by an average of just 6.3 points. On Saturday, Villanova defeated Georgetown 74-66, but never threatened to cover as a 19.5-point home favorite. Among Big East programs, the Wildcats rank first in scoring defense (allowing 63.1 ppg, 32nd nationally), 3-point proficiency (36.2%), and made 3-pointers (9.2 per game). However, they’re just fifth in scoring offense (73.7 ppg).
About UConn: The Huskies have prevailed in four of their last five games, including Saturday’s 72-61 win over Xavier as a 7-point home favorite. UConn leads the Big East in rebounds (41.2 per game) and blocks (6.7 per contest), while ranking second in scoring offense (76.5 ppg), third in assists (14.3 per game), and fourth in 3-point proficiency (43.0%).
What’s At Stake: With only three Big East games left, it’s possible that Villanova (14-3, .823) will finish with the most wins in the league and sweep the season series from Providence (12-2, .857), yet still lose the regular-season conference crown to the Friars by percentage points. The reason: COVID-related cancellations from December/January will preclude both schools from playing a full conference schedule. As such, Tuesday represents a must-win situation for Villanova, which won at Providence last week and will host a rematch in Philadelphia on March 1. UConn (10-5) is tied for third place (with Creighton), but the Huskies are No. 17 in the NCAA’s NET rankings. That suggests UConn is in solid position for a No. 3 or 4 seed in next month’s NCAA Tournament.
Players To Watch
Connor Gillespie leads Villanova in scoring (16.6 points per game) and assists (2.9 per game), but the fifth-year senior is questionable Tuesday with an ankle injury. If Gillespie can’t go, fellow guard Justin Moore will be tasked with running the offense. The 6-foot-4 junior ranks second to Gillespie in scoring (15.5 ppg) and assists (2.4), and he’s third on the team in rebounds (5.3). Moore, who didn’t play earlier this month against UConn, has put up at least 13 points in 13 of his last 14 contests, and he’s averaging 17.5 points and seven boards in his last four.
UConn forward Adama Sanogo averages a team-high 8.6 rebounds per game, and he ranks second on the team in scoring (15.1 ppg) and blocks (2.0 per game), and third in field-goal shooting (52%). The 6-foot-9 sophomore has posted six double-doubles this season, with the last four coming at home.
Notable Trends
- Villanova has followed a 6-0 ATS run with a 3-7 ATS slump (1-3 ATS on the road)
- Villanova is 1-3 SU/ATS as an underdog this season
- UConn is 2-6 ATS in its last eight overall (2-4 ATS as a favorite)
- Over is 6-2 in Villanova’s last eight road games
- Under is 3-0 in UConn’s last three after the Over had been 9-2 in the previous 11
- Over is 25-11 in UConn’s last 36 at home
- Road team is 7-2-2 ATS in the last 11 head-to-head meetings
Villanova Vs Connecticut Odds and Action
UPDATE 5:15 P.M. ET: UConn opened as a 1-point home favorite (-115) at PointsBet USA and is now up to -2. There’s solid two-way action, with 60% of the wagers on visiting Villanova and 52% of the money on the host Huskies. The total opened at 136 and currently sits at 137, with 72% of the bets and 83% of the cash on the Under.
Michigan State Vs No. 25 Iowa
Tipoff/TV: 7 p.m. ET/ESPN
Michigan State: 18-8 SU (9-6 Big Ten)/13-13 ATS
Iowa: 18-8 SU (8-7 Big Ten)/15-11 ATS
Spread/Total: Iowa -6 (-110)/153.5
Last meeting: Iowa pummeled the Spartans 88-58 as a four-point home favorite (Feb. 13, 2021)
Did you know: The Hawkeyes swept last year’s season series, ending Michigan State’s five-game winning streak in the rivalry
About MSU-Iowa: This matchup on the Tuesday college basketball betting board features two squads heading in opposite directions, as the Spartans have lost four of their last five while the Hawkeyes have won four of five. Neither Michigan State (sixth place) nor Iowa (seventh) have a realistic shot at rallying for the Big Ten regular-season title. However, a top-4 seed in the conference Tournament remains in play for both. More importantly, given their solid positions in the NCAA’s NET rankings, Iowa (19th) and Michigan State (28th) are strong bets to make the NCAA Tournament field. Statistically, the Hawkeyes (83.5 ppg) lead the Big Ten in scoring offense, while the Spartans (72.8 ppg) are sixth. And while Michigan State leads the league in blocks (5.5 per game), Iowa rates first in steals (7.7 per contest). The squads also own top-5 rankings in rebounds, assists, and field-goal shooting.
Notable Trends
- Michigan State is 1-5 ATS in its last six overall (0-3 ATS on the road)
- Michigan State is 2-4 SU/3-3 ATS as an underdog this season
- Iowa is 3-1 ATS in its last four overall
- Iowa is 3-5 ATS in Big Ten home games
- Over is 20-7 in Iowa’s last 27 overall
- Over is 19-6-1 in Iowa’s last 26 at home
- The total has alternated in Michigan State’s last 12 overall (last game: Over)
- The road team is on a 4-0 ATS run in this rivalry
- Under is 3-1 in the last four meetings
Michigan State Vs Iowa Odds and Action
UPDATE 5:15 P.M. ET: Iowa State was installed as a 7-point home favorite at PointsBet USA, but less than two hours before tipoff the spread has dipped to -6. Michigan State is drawing the majority of the interest from bettors, with the Spartans nabbing 66% of all wagers and 74% of the cash. The total, which has jumped from 152.5 to 153.5, has developed into a Pros vs. Joes situation, with 73% of tickets on the Under and 74% of money on the Over.
