Wednesday’s journey on the college basketball betting card takes us coast-to-coast, beginning with a matchup for the latest No. 1 and concluding with a look at the team our new No. 1 beat for the National Championship last April.
Picks Summary
- Creighton +6½ (-110)
- Texas Tech +12½ (-110)
- Nevada-San Diego State Under 139½ (-110)
*All odds from Caesars Sportsbook (check our Caesars Sportsbook Review)
Creighton Bluejays vs. Connecticut Huskies
Wednesday, January 17, 2024 – 07:00 PM ET at Gampel Pavilion
Last week was cruel to the cream of the rankings, but Connecticut prevailed to move to the top of the polls. Now the Huskies face a tough first test as No. 1 with a visit from Creighton.
Win Streaks on the Line Wednesday
Top-rated sportsbooks have the top-ranked team in the country favored by 6-6½, with the scoreboard target set at 144.
Since opening the Big East fixture with losses to Villanova and at Marquette, Creighton has won four in a row. Two of the victories were lopsided dubyas at Georgetown and DePaul, but the Bluejays struggled last Saturday before hanging on for a close 66-65 home win over St. John’s.
After being upset in the conference opener at Seton Hall, UConn has won five in a row. The Huskies were working on a 3-game cover streak before an 80-67 win Sunday over Georgetown, the Hoyas hanging tough enough to cash as big 21-point underdogs.
Short History of Rivalry Favors ‘Jays
The Bluejays and Huskies split two meetings a year ago, each side winning and covering as home chalk. Connecticut’s win in Storrs was its only victory in the rivalry, with Creighton winning and covering the other six clashes, twice as an underdog at Gampel Pavilion.
This one will be closer than Dan Hurley likes; take the points.
NCAAB Pick: Creighton +6½ (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Houston Cougars
Wednesday, January 17, 2024 – 09:00 PM ET at Fertitta Center
It was a bumpy trip for Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars out on the Big 12 highway a week ago. They’re back home now and will be up against a tough Texas Tech team in a matchup of top 25 clubs.
1st Meeting as Conference Foes Since ‘96
The Red Raiders and Cougars renew an old Southwest Conference rivalry, and it has been an even series over the years, with Houston winning 29 times and Texas Tech taking 27. Since the SWC breakup, they’ve only met five times, three times on neutral courts.
Houston won the most recent clash, a 64-53 final up in Ft. Worth at Dickies Arena in November 2020. The Cougars used a smothering defense to grab the early lead, eventually pulling off the mild upset as 3-point underdogs on the NCAAB odds.
UH 6-2-1 ATS at Home
So far, so good for Grant McCasland in his first year in Lubbock. The Red Raiders are riding high with a 9-game win streak, and already proved themselves on the road with an upset win in Austin over then-No. 20 Texas.
Houston came out flat at Iowa State last Tuesday, but fought back to tie the Cyclones with under a minute to go before falling 57-53. The Cougars then let a 4-point lead with 1:27 left at TCU slip through their hands in a 68-67 loss to the Horned Frogs.
3-Ball Missing from Cougars’ Attack
One problem for Houston last week was finding the bucket from outside, hitting just 11-44 (25%) of 3-point attempts. The double-digit spread is too fat, making Texas Tech an easy play.
NCAAB Pick: Texas Tech +12½ (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Nevada Wolf Pack vs. San Diego State Aztecs
Wednesday, January 17, 2024 – 11:00 PM ET at Viejas Arena
Our Hump Day cross-country cruise comes to an end in San Diego in the final game on Wednesday’s card, and it should be a dandy between a pair of Mountain West contenders with the Nevada Wolf Pack visiting the Aztecs.
Pack & Aztecs Coming Off Losses
Nevada suffered its first league loss and saw an 8-game win streak come to an end last Friday in a 64-56 loss at home to Boise State. Favored by 6½, the Wolf Pack were bullied on the glass by the Broncos, who used a strong start to the second half to remain undefeated on the MWC slate.
San Diego State trekked to Albuquerque and dropped its first MWC contest on Saturday, letting a 12-point lead in the first half disappear and get manhandled by New Mexico, 88-70. A 5-minute scoring drought in the first half didn’t help, nor did having Micah Parrish and Lamont Butler deal with foul trouble.
Viejas a Shop of Horrors for Nevada
The Wolf Pack isn’t only dealing with the stigma of being the underdogs, they’ll be looking to pull off the upset inside the Viejas Arena, where the Aztecs have won the last 11 meetings.
The programs split last year’s meetings with home wins and covers, and Nevada’s triumph in the second matchup ended a 9-game winning streak for San Diego St. The last five at Viejas have gone 1-3-1 O/U/P.
Let’s close out the Wednesday card with a college basketball pick on the ‘under’ in this MWC collision.
NCAAB Pick: Under 139½ (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
