Tuesday’s college basketball schedule is highlighted by an epic SEC clash between Kentucky and Tennessee. Of course, there are half a dozen other ranked teams in action and plenty of intriguing matchups from power and mid-major conferences. We’ve got picks for the Kentucky-Tennessee showdown, as well as a few other games with betting lines you should know about.
#12 Kentucky (14-5) at #8 Tennessee (17-3)
The Volunteers have lost just three games this season, all have come on the road with two coming by two points or less. However, the challenge on Tuesday is winning by double digits to cover the spread. That being said, the Volunteers are 3-0 against the spread in home conference games. They’ve also notched double-digit wins over Louisville, Virginia, Baylor, Syracuse, and Miami this season. Kentucky, on the other hand, has lost back-to-back games and three of its last five games. The Wildcats did beat Mississippi State away from home earlier this month, but other than that, the road has been unkind to Kentucky. With point guard Lamont Butler unavailable against a vicious Tennessee defense, this game could get away from the Cats, allowing Tennessee to cover.
Pick: Tennessee -9.5
Wake Forest (15-5) at #21 Louisville (15-5)
Louisville’s team of experienced transfer portal players has rattled off nine straight wins and started 8-1 in ACC play. The Cards are also 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games behind a deep and relentless backcourt. However, Wake Forest is arguably the toughest opponent Louisville has faced outside of Duke. The Demon Deacons just gave the Blue Devils a run for their money, giving them a 6-1 record and a 7-0 record against the spread in their last seven games. That being said, the Demon Deacons aren’t a high-scoring team and struggle to shoot the ball from the perimeter. They’ve also lost on the road by double digits to Butler, Texas A&M, and Clemson. That track record doesn’t bode well for them at the KFC Yum! Center against a red-hot Louisville team.
Pick: Louisville -8
UCF (13-6) at #11 Kansas (14-5)
Kansas was a little unlikely to lose to Houston over the weekend. But that’s what happens when you miss free throws. Naturally, one expects a team this talented to bounce back from a loss like that. The Jayhawks have a proven big man, an experienced point guard, and a slew of complementary players who could be stars elsewhere. They also blew away UCF 99-48 earlier this month. Even if the Knights improve on that result by 30 points, they still won’t cover the spread in this game. While UCF has some good pieces, the Knights have looked out of their depth against the top Big 12 teams this season. They’re also running into Kansas at a bad time when the Jayhawks are trying to erase the memory of a bad loss.
Pick: Kansas -13.5
Baylor (13-6) at BYU (13-6)
The Bears are slight road underdogs in this game, but the Baylor moneyline is worthwhile in this game because the Bears are the more talented team. Freshman VJ Edgecombe has come on strong lately while big man Torched Omier is averaging a double-double and making an impact at both ends. Despite going just 1-5 against the spread in their last five games, the Bears look like they’re going to start playing their best basketball and live up to their top-10 preseason ranking. BYU, on the other hand, has only proven it can beat low-level Big 12 teams. The four wins the Cougars have beaten in conference play are a combined 6-26 inside the Big 12. Beating a bad NC State team is BYU’s best win of the season, so it’s hard to buy them as a favorite against such a talented Baylor squad.
Pick: Baylor ML
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