Media by Associated Press – Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe (34) attempts a layup during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, in New York. The Bruins won 63-53. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
The College Basketball season gets rolling again in earnest on Wednesday after the brief Christmas break. There was one ranked team in action on Tuesday as No. 6 Texas rolled to a 25-point win in the first game for a ranked team since Friday. Wednesday’s slate has 14 ranked teams in action with conference games in the SEC and Big East.
Let’s take a look at two of the best NCAA basketball bets for Wednesday’s action, one from the top of the Big East and one from the SEC.
Kentucky -2
The No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats have already had an up-and-down year with an 8-3 record as they open SEC play with a trip to 11-1 Missouri. John Calipari’s squad lost to UCLA in Madison Square Garden before beating FAMU in their final game before Christmas. Kentucky is well-traveled this season with neutral site games in Indianapolis, NYC, and London, plus a road game at Gonzaga.
Missouri is coming off a huge win as they beat up rival Illinois 93-71 last Thursday in a game that wasn’t that close. But the last time they played at home, they were crushed by Kansas 95-67. Now they return home with a winter break crowd to face the Wildcats.
Last year’s National Player of the Year, Oscar Tshiebwe, leads UK with 15 ppg, 13 rpg and seven double-doubles in his nine starts. Antonio Reeves and Carson Wallace both average 12 ppg and shoot over 44% from the 3-point range. As a team, the Wildcats rank 8th in the nation in 3-point shooting and 12th in offensive rebounding, both of which will give Missouri trouble on Wednesday.
The Tigers’ offense is the reason they are 11-1, as they rank 4th in the nation in scoring at 88.8 ppg. But their defense allowed 95 points to Kansas, 84 to Wichita State, 85 to Penn, and 89 to SE Missouri State. They won’t be able to score at such a high clip against Kentucky’s defense which allows the Wildcats to cover -2.
Villanova +13.5
The UConn Huskies are ranked No. 2 and undefeated as Villanova comes to town on Wednesday. While the Huskies probably win the game and move to 14-0 overall, look for the Wildcats (7-5) to do enough to cover this big spread.
Villanova played a daunting schedule in November with neutral site losses to Iowa State, Portland, and Oregon, along with road losses to Michigan State and cross-town rival Temple. They are off to a 5-0 start in December with wins over Oklahoma and Boston College, plus they won the Big East opener against St. John’s. Freshman Cam Whitmore is 5-0 in the games he has played this season, averaging 12.4 ppg and 6.2 rpg.
Adama Sonogo is a walking double-double for UConn, and the Wildcats struggle with interior defense. He’s averaging 18.6 ppg and shooting 62% from the field, while Jordan Hawkins averages 14.3 ppg. UConn has six players averaging at least 9.1 ppg, and they shoot 37.3% from 3-point range, a combination that has pushed them to a 13-0 record.
With Whitemore back in action, Villanova can get up and down the court more and neutralize the UConn size advantage. Look for the Huskies to win this game, but Villanova covers the 13.5 points.
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