BET Two Feisty Underdogs In College Hoops For Tuesday
In lieu of the NBA players not caring about their product, I'm going to use some of my betting bankroll on college hoops for Tuesday. My two gambling looks are in the Clemson-Virginia and Arkansas-Tennessee games.
Clemson Tigers (21-8) at No. 13 Virginia Cavaliers (21-6), 4 p.m. ET
Virginia shouldn't be more than -4 vs. Clemson considering how poorly the Cavaliers have played this month. UVA opened at -7 and are down to -6.5 so the Tigers are getting sharp action.
Per Bart Torvik, Virginia ranks 255th out of 363 college hoops programs in adjusted offensive efficiency in February and 339th in effective field goal shooting (eFG%).
Clemson on the other hand has been quietly playing good ball. The Tigers are 29th in adjusted net rating this month with the 8th-most efficient offense and are 6th in eFG%.
Clemson Tigers SG Brevin Galloway reacts following a 3-point basket vs. the NC State Wolfpack at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Lance King/Getty Images)
Also, the Cavaliers can be a tad predictable offensively. Virginia runs an ultra-slow pace and doesn't attempt a lot of 3s. Clemson is a slightly bigger than UVA and ranks 27th in 2-point percentage.
Virginia hasn't been good against the number this season. The Cavs are 6-8 against the spread (ATS) at home and 7-10-1 ATS vs. ACC teams. The Tigers are 2-0 ATS vs. ranked teams and 11-7 ATS in conference play.
College Hoops Best Bet #1: Clemson +6.5 (-105), down to +5.5
Arkansas Razorbacks (19-10) at No. 12 Tennessee Volunteers (21-8), 9 p.m. ET
I'm a little too pro-Eric Musselman (Arkansas's head coach) and it's cost me money this season. The Razorbacks are trending in the right direction as postseason play nears due to the recent return of superstar freshman Nick Smith Jr.
Smith only played 17 and four minutes in his 1st two games back. But, in the following three games, he is scoring 20.0 points per game. Arkansas is 2-1 overall and 3-0 ATS in those three contests.
Arkansas G Nick Smith Jr. talks with coach Eric Musselman during a game vs. the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
My Razorbacks bets is also a fade of the Volunteers. Arkansas is 15th nationally in adjusted net efficiency and Tennessee is 52nd, according to Bart Torvik.
Plus the Volunteers don't shoot it well enough to cover -6. Tennessee ranks 225th in eFG% and 264th in 3-point percentage. Arkansas is 10th in defensive efficiency and 15th in defensive eFG%.
Lastly, the Razorbacks have covered four straight meetings with the Volunteers and UT is trending in the wrong direction. Tennessee is 3-5 overall and 2-6 ATS this month.