The SEC/ACC Challenge highlights Tuesday’s college basketball schedule with 10 games between two of the premier conferences in the country. It should make for a compelling night of basketball, especially with six more games on Wednesday. We’ve picked out a few of our favorite bets from the SEC-ACC clashes on Tuesday, as well as a player prop bet that’s also worth targeting.
Wake Forest (7-2) at #22 Texas A&M (6-2)
It’s already been an up-and-down season for the Aggies, who have suffered surprising losses to UCF and Oregon. However, Texas A&M has also scored wins over Ohio State, Creighton, and Rutgers, so this team has a high upside. They have great guard play with Wade Taylor IV and Zhuric Phelps and a veteran big man with Henry Coleman III. However, the Aggies do have to overcome lackluster perimeter shooting and sometimes have to lean heavily on their defense to carry them. Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons have suffered double-digit losses when tested this season against the likes of Xavier and Florida. On the bright side, Wake Forest does have a win over Michigan and is fresh off a win over Minnesota. However, scoring has been a serious issue for Wake outside of Hunter Sallis, who averages 16.8 points per game. They shoot just 26.3% from the perimeter and scored 60 points or less in their games against Xavier, Florida, and Minnesota. Against the Texas A&M defense, the Demon Deacons are likely to struggle, opening the door for the Aggies to win this game by double figures.
Pick: Texas A&M -9
Cameron Hildreth (Wake Forest) Under 12.5 Points
Hildreth is a key player for Wake Forest on Tuesday, although he’s had an up-and-down campaign thus far. He’s averaging less than 12 points per game, so topping that number against Texas A&M seems unlikely. To be fair, Hildreth scored 15 points in a recent loss to Florida and had 13 points in last Friday’s win over Minnesota. However, his best games this season have come against the likes of Coppin State, South Carolina Update, and Western Carolina. Hildreth is not a strong perimeter shooter, so he’ll have to find other ways to score against a strong defense. With Wake likely to struggle to get beyond 60 points, there is a strong chance Hildreth is held to 12 points or less.
#23 Ole Miss (6-1) at Louisville (5-2)
It’s fair to be a little skeptical of Louisville, as the Cardinals got crushed by 22 points in their first game against an SEC opponent this season when they hosted Tennessee. But wins over Indiana and West Virginia last week were impressive, even if the Cards lost to Oklahoma in the Battle 4 Atlantic final. The new-look Louisville backcourt has played well with point guard Chucky Hepburn and sharpshooter Reyne Smith leading the way. However, the Cards have been turnover-prone and are shooting under 30% from the perimeter. Meanwhile, the Rebels nearly knocked off Purdue last week. Ole Miss has five players who average at least 11 points per game, including Jaylen Murray and Sean Pedulla, who both shoot better than 40% from three-point range. The Ole Miss defense is also great at getting steals while the Rebels themselves average just 8.1 turnovers per game. That will be enough to overcome a tough road environment and give Ole Miss the benefit of the doubt as road underdogs.
Pick: Ole Miss +3
#4 Kentucky (7-0) -2 at Clemson (7-1)
This figures to be the game of the night, as a top-5 team heads on the road with only a small spread to cover. Kentucky already has a win over Duke on its resume, although the Wildcats haven’t played anything close to a power-conference opponent since then. On the other hand, they’ve scored at least 100 points in four of their seven games, boasting six players who average double figures. For a team with mostly transfers, chemistry hasn’t been an issue for the Wildcats, who are sharing the basketball well and spreading the wealth amongst several capable scorers. As for Clemson, the Tigers are perfect at home this season and always have a difficult environment for visiting teams. However, despite a strong defensive record this season, Clemson hasn’t faced a team like Kentucky. The Tigers also lack the quality of scorers or backcourt depth to keep up with the Wildcats for 40 minutes, even if they get a boost from the crowd.
Pick: Kentucky -2
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