Wednesday is the biggest night of the college basketball week until the weekend. The schedule is highlighted by a top-15 matchup between Missouri and Tennessee. But there are plenty of other games worth watching - and more importantly - some betting lines that deserve your attention. Here are some of our favorite college basketball bets for Wednesday.
Oregon (16-6) at #24 Michigan (15-5)
Michigan Is an impressive 8-2 in Big Ten play thus far. The Wolverines have also been able to hold serve at home all season, losing only road and neutral-site games. But they’ve also lost five in a row against the spread, failing to put away teams like Northwestern, Penn State, and Rutgers, who are not among the Big Ten elite. Of course, the Wolverines might catch a break on Wednesday against Oregon, who has lost four of its last five games and six in a row against the spread. Something has to give in this matchup of two teams that have combined to lose 11 in a row against the spread. With Michigan being favored, the onus is on the Wolverines to win convincingly. Since that hasn’t happened lately, it’s safer to pick the Ducks, who are growing desperate for a win.
Pick: Oregon +8.5.
#15 Missouri (17-4) vs #4 Tennessee (18-4)
A week ago, Tennessee was a big home favorite against Kentucky and ended up losing. The Vols have lost three of their last five games, although they also have a couple of convincing home wins during that stretch. Somehow, Tennessee beat Florida by 20 points over the weekend without Zakai Ziegler and Igor Milicic Jr., who are both available on Wednesday. While that might bode well for the Vols, Missouri has won six of its last seven games, including a pair of road wins against Florida and Mississippi State. The Tigers will be a huge test for Tennessee’s defense thanks to a deep and talented backcourt. They should give the Vols all they can handle, which is why this line feels a little too big for Tennessee to cover.
Pick: Missouri +9.5.
#23 Illinois (15-7) at Rutgers (11-11)
The Fighting Illini hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations over the past few weeks. They’ve lost four of their last seven games, including a 21-point home defeat against Maryland and last week’s road loss to Nebraska. That creates some questions about Wednesday’s road game against Rutgers, who is notoriously tough at home. Granted, the Scarlet Knights haven’t fulfilled their promise this season. It seems unlikely that will change with Dylan Harper sidelined with a high-ankle sprain. That puts even more pressure on Ace Bailey to carry the team. Despite a disappointing record, Rutgers is 5-1 against the spread in its last six games, including a 3-0 ATS record as a home underdog. With Illinois being 2-5 against the spread in true road games this season, taking the Scarlet Knights and the points is the best bet.
Pick: Rutgers +8.
Wake Forest (16-6) at Stanford (15-7)
Both of these teams are in the second tier of the ACC and need every win they can get to reach the NCAA Tournament, so this is a huge game for both teams that could easily go either way. The Demon Deacons got the better of the Cardinal last month in an 80-67 win. But Stanford has won four of its five games since that loss. More importantly, Stanford is 5-0 straight up and 4-1 against the spread in home ACC games this season. Big man Maxime Raynaud is an NBA prospect and would be a serious candidate for ACC Player of the Year if not for Duke’s Cooper Flagg. Meanwhile, Wake Forest has had trouble facing quality opponents on the road this season. While the Demon Deacons have handled subpar ACC teams, they are 0-4 against the spread as road underdogs, which is the case on Wednesday. This is a tight spread, but the Demon Deacons are a poor shooting team that ranks low in points and assists. Those offensive deficiencies are likely to get exposed on the road against a solid Stanford team.
Pick: Stanford -2.5.
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