College Hoops Check-In

Now that intra-conference play has had some time to settle, let's take a temperature check around the country to see where the balance of power lies. After lauding UConn last month for putting together the best start to their season since 2008, the Huskies proceeded to lose four of their last five 😩

• Sticking with that theme, one of the most interesting aspects of the early-season has been the blue blood programs faltering — namely a trio of schools that, after this past week, have fallen out of the rankings entirely 😅

After coming off a national championship last year, UNC was expected to at least remain competitive after returning key contributors to that squad in Armando Bacot, Caleb Love and RJ Davis, but an ugly stretch in the beginning of the season (four losses in a row) quickly dropped the Tar Heels from the AP standings 💩

• Kentucky meanwhile has looked like an average team, despite the stellar play of projected lottery pick Cason Wallace. Against their top challenges like Gonzaga, UCLA, and Alabama, the Wildcats have came up short. It's worth noting that Calipari's squad recently beat a good Tennessee team, although they followed it up with a loss to South Carolina

• An 12-6 start is definitely not what Coach Calipari had in mind, but he'll take last night's W vs. Georgia

Duke seems to be unable to find consistency, especially on the road. The Blue Devils best win has come at home (a nine point victory over Ohio State), but the program has also suffered blowout losses while visiting Purdue and NC State 👀

• Kyle Filipowski has emerged as a do-it-all prospect, but Duke expected more from No. 1 overall recruit Derek lively, who is only averaging 4 PPG

Big East Matchups

The game of the night belongs to Providence and Marquette, two ranked Big East teams that are fighting to keep pace with Xavier — both programs boast conference records of 6-1 and 6-2 respectively, while the Musketeers are perfect at 7-0. Meanwhile, Uconn takes on Seton Hall in what shouldn't be a competitive game. However the Huskies, as mentioned, have dropped four of their last five, while the Pirates have won four of their last five

📍 #22 Providence @ #20 Marquette

Both of these teams are coming into this matchup with some momentum — Providence in particular has won nine of their last ten, including a double OT thriller against Marquette right before Christmas

• Bryce Hopkins in particular has been a revelation for the Friars and may play himself into favorable NBA draft position if he can continue providing two-way excellence

• Providence has their own potential NBA talent in Kam Jones, who embodies the big guard archetype at 6'4, and possesses a wealth of defensive tools

Betting Preview (subject to change)

• Spread: Marquette -6.5

• Moneyline: Marquette -265 (bet $265, win $100), Providence +215 (bet $100, win $215)

• Over/Under: 152.5

📍 #15 Uconn @ Seton Hall

We've already hammered home the ups and downs of this UConn season so far, but this match up is intriguing for the sole fact that both teams are trending in opposite directions 🔁

• The Huskies are 4-4 in conference play and desperately need a win tonight — expect Adama Sanogo, who is averaging 17.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG, to make an impact

• Early odds favor UConn, but because of their recent troubles, are not too lopsided. It could be worth checking out the Huskies' spread unless you believe the tailspin will continue

Betting Preview

• Spread: Uconn -3.5

• Moneyline: UConn -178 (bet $178, win $100), Seton Hall +146 (bet $100, win $146)

• Over/Under: 135.5

For My Parlay Gurus

Marquette and Providence seem like a game that's too tight to call, so I'm just going to rely on the Friars covering the spread. On the other hand I think UConn comes out with a vengeance because this is an early-season must win. Give me the Huskies spread even if they have looked shaky, take a look 👇

• Providence +6.5 @ Marquette: -110

• UConn -3.5 @ Seton Hall: -115

$100 on this bet would win you $257 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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