NCAA Basketball Betting Odds - Wildcats, Sooners should get through second weekend unscathed
After minimal sports betting upsets in the first weekend of the NCAA basketball betting odds season, a pair of ranked teams will highlight the Saturday schedule: one who is trying to establish a defensive identity under a new coach, and another who faces a tough road trip against their coach’s former team. Both squads will be able to stay undefeated this weekend.
| WHAT: NCAA basketball betting odds |
| WHEN: Saturday, November 21, beginning at 1:00 PM ET |
| WHERE: Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY; Stuart C. Siegel Center, Richmond, VA |
| PICK: Kentucky; Oklahoma |
Rider vs Kentucky odds – Saturday, 1:00 PM ET
The No.4 Wildcats (3-0) should be large home favorites against the Broncs (2-1) of the MAAC Conference, but Kentucky is struggling defensively. They allowed 18 three-pointers in a 102-92 home win over Sam Houston State, and that’s not going to cut it against the big boys of the NCAA. The Wildcats have a trio consisting of junior forward Patrick Patterson, and the freshman guard duo of John Wall and Eric Bledsoe, that would rival anyone in the country. DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points and 18 boards against Sam Houston State, and if he can be a double-double threat, Kentucky is even more lethal. However, they have to pick up on the defensive end of the floor.
The Broncs are coming off a 79-46 loss at Virginia, and Rider was at an extreme size disadvantage, as shown by a 16-rebound deficit. Rider has only two players taller than 6’7” who combine to play almost four minutes a game, so the Wildcats should have no problem imposing their will on the Broncs, who need to try and get some long-distance shots off: they’ve shot 48.5% from three-point range so far this year. They’ve faced the Wildcats once, way back in 1995 when they fell 90-65 at Rupp.
Look for the Wildcats to get their act together on defense, as coach John Calipari was none too pleased and you know it’ll be a tough defensive practice on Friday.
Pick: Kentucky
Oklahoma vs VCU odds – Saturday, 7:30 PM ET
This won’t be an easy task for the No.17 Sooners (2-0), who head on the road for the first time against the Rams (1-1), who have won 18 of their last 20 at home. These two met last year in the first half of a home-and-home series (Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel coached VCU before joining the Sooners in 2006), with Oklahoma winning 81-70 at home, but now they have a more guard-oriented style of play with Blake Griffin in the NBA. Tony Crocker led the way with 24 points in last year’s game, and he is half of a sharpshooting duo with Willie Warren, who did well to come back to school for another year. That style of play could change if freshman Tiny Gallon continues to produce, and he’s put up 10.5 points and 12.5 boards over the first two games of the year.
The Rams are also dominated by guards, a trio of Bradford Burgess, Jay Gavin and Joey Rodriguez, and this is a team that knows how to win as they’ve reached the NCAA Tournament in two of the past three years, so a sportsbook upset is completely possible, and the NCAA basketball betting odds could go either way given VCU’s play at home. This is the perfect game for Gallon to take control of Oklahoma’s size advantage, and they should complete the sweep of the Rams.
Pick: Oklahoma
For more online betting picks throughout the season on the way to March Madness, check out Washington every week in the Betting Edge at betonline.com. For more information on these NCAA basketball betting matchups, please visit out stats section.
