What a day for bettors: Olympic Odds, Champion's League, NBA betting and college basketball. Among the big games: North Carolina vs. Boston College, Florida vs. Mississippi (Matt Rivers has a free sports pick on this game), Texas vs. Texas Tech, Louisville vs. DePaul, Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt, UCLA vs. Washington, and the Bracket Busters.
Bodog takes a look at some of the more intriguing matchups. No. 4 Purdue clearly looks like the best team in the Big Ten right now, and the Boilermakers can pull into a tie for the conference lead – for a day at least – by beating visiting Illinois on Saturday afternoon. The Boilers have opened as solid favorites on Bodog's NCAA Basketball Odds
The Boilermakers (22-3, 7-6 ATS at home) have won a conference-high eight games in a row (5-3 ATS) and have three fewer losses overall than current Big Ten leader Michigan State but are a half-game behind the Spartans, who could lose Sunday against Ohio State. MSU and Purdue then play next Sunday in what should determine the Big Ten regular-season title. How good has Purdue been? It has four wins over Top-10 teams this season, three on the road. Big Ten opponents are shooting just 37.9 percent from the floor at Mackey Arena, where the Boilers are 12-1 overall this year. JaJuan Johnson has scored at least 19 points and pulled down at least seven rebounds in each of the Boilers' last four games.
Illinois (17-9, 5-3 ATS on road) has won five of six but enters off a 19-point home loss last Saturday to Ohio State, a team that Purdue beat by three in Columbus on Wednesday. Star Illini point guard Demetri McCamey had just nine points on 4-of-12 from the floor against the Buckeyes, and no Illinois player reached double figures in points.
When making your college basketball bet on this one, know that the Boilermakers have won five of the last eight meetings overall. That includes a six-point win at Illinois on Jan. 19. McCamey had 28 points in that one to lead the Illini, but they shot just 17-for-29 from the free-throw line. Johnson led Purdue that day with 24 points and 12 rebounds in arguably his best game of the season, but the Boilers hit only 3-for-16 from the three-point line. All your college basketball odds needs can be served at Bodog
Coming off an overtime win over Mississippi State, the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats will be looking for their seventh straight victory on Saturday when they take on No. 17 Vanderbilt.
The Wildcats are 25-1 overall and 13-11 vs. the college basketball odds on the season, and they've been lucrative on the road – 6-2 against the spread.
DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson each had 19 points for Kentucky in their 81-75 OT victory over Mississippi State, while John Wall was good for 18 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.
The Commodores have already taken on the Wildcats once this season, coming up short in an 85-72 defeat in Kentucky back on January 30.
Cousins led the Kentucky attack in that contest with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
For more information: There is not shortage of sports betting service picks from professional sports handicappers. For those who bet on their own, free sports betting databases and sports gambling previews on the OffshoreInsiders.com Network.
