The BIG EAST Confererence will get the Saturday men's college basketball slate off and running with two early Noon games. In the day's only head to head matchup between ranked schools, No. 25 West Virginia (15-6) and No. 12 Villanova (18-4) tip-off at the Pavilion in Philadelphia. Odds makers at most offshore sports shops list the Wildcats as 5-point spreads favorites in this one with a combined score total of 134.
Keeping up to date on current NCAA Basketball Point Spreads, will equip fans of college basketball with the best tools to make winning bets all the way through the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
In the other early BIG EAST game, the unranked Friars of Providence College (14-9) will be big underdogs when they play No. 13 Georgetown at the Verizon Center in Washington DC. Odds makers list the Hoyas as 11 1/2-chalk favorites versus the Friars who are looking for their first road win of the season, currently 0-6.
Villanova and West Virginia are two schools among a group of four with three conference losses. The winner of today's game will still be in the mix of BIG EAST championship contenders while the loser will slip into a second tier group with four or more conference losses. It is unlikely any team to finish in the bottom half of the BIG EAST will make it to the NCAA tournament.
Today's game will be Villanova's third of a three game homestand where they are 1-1, with a loss to Georgetown and a win Wednesday versus Marquette. The Mountaineers defeated Seton Hall in Morgantown, also on Wednesday, by 12, covering the 8 1/2 point chalk. West Virginia is 3-2 SU over its last five games and is 3-3 of their last six road games.
Georgetown is one of those schools with four league losses, but today's game with the Friars should be less taxing than say, going on the road to Connecticut or Pitt. The Hoya's will more than likely beat Providence. Now covering the double-digit (-11 1/2) point spread is another matter. The Hoyas played one game at home versus DePaul on New Years Day when lined as double-digit home favorites. In the game, Georgetown won by 11, falling short of the cover. In their last five home games, the Hoyas are 1-4 ATS. Last time out on Monday (Jan. 31) Georgetown narrowly slipped past Louisville 62-59 as a 4 1/2-point favorite.
NCAAB spreads BEST BET – West Virginia + 5; Providence +11 1/2
