Cavs, Spartans Top Two Teams In Nation
The Virginia Cavaliers and Michigan State Spartans continue to wrestle for the top spot in all the polls.
The No. 1 Cavaliers (25-2) have the fewest losses of any Division I college basketball team in the nation. The school from Charlottesville, Va., has won 19 of its last 20 games and travels to Pittsburgh to face the Panthers on Saturday.
Pitt is winless in 16 conference games this season, so the Cavs should easily push their current win streak to three.
The No. 2 Spartans (27-3) lead the Big Ten by one game over Purdue and Ohio State. The team from East Lansing, Mich., has won 11 straight and travels to Wisconsin to play the Badgers on Sunday.
Wisconsin is 7-10 in Big Ten play, but has won three straight, including a home win over the No. 9 Boilermakers.
With a full slate of action this weekend, let’s try to pick a winner against the spread (ATS) in two games involving top-ranked schools and cash a winning parlay ticket.
**VGB’s college basketball parlay pick (odds provided by Bovada) — Take Syracuse (+13) over Duke and Kansas (+2) over Texas Tech. If both teams cover the spread, the payoff is $66.13 for a $25 bet. If either team loses against the spread, the ticket is void.
Syracuse (+13) at No. 5 Duke — The Blue Devils (23-5) are surging up the polls at the right time. With March Madness just weeks away, Duke has won four in a row and 10 of their last 13 games.
While they are three games back of the No.1-ranked team in the nation in the ACC, the Blue Devils gave the Cavaliers all they could have in their conference game in January. Virginia won 65-63.
The Blue Devils now face the Orange (18-10), who sit 10th in the ACC standings. Syracuse has lost two of its last three and four of its last seven.
Tyus Battle (20.1 points per game) leads the Orange in scoring, while Marvin Bagley (21.2) powers the Blue Devils.
Duke has only lost once at home this season, and that was to one of the best teams (Virginia) in the country. They should take care of business in this conference matchup on Saturday.
No. 8 Kansas (+2) at No. 6 Texas Tech — The is the game of the year so far for these two Big 12 leaders. Thanks to a three-game winning streak, the Jayhawks (22-6) now lead the conference by one game over the Red Raiders (22-6).
Texas Tech lost two games on the road this week. The Red Raiders now return home where they are 7-0 in conference play, while the Jayhawks are 5-2 on the road.
The Red Raiders beat the Jayhawks in their first meeting this season on Jan. 2 at the Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, by 12 points.
Devonte Graham (17.6 points per game) is the leading scorer for the Jayhawks, who are gunning for their 14th straight Big 12 regular-season title. Keenan Evans (17.6) fuels the Red Raiders’ offense.
This game should be close with bragging rights on the line.
(Current odds to win the Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship listed after team record. Odds provided by Bovada.)
