As the first month of 2022 comes to a close, college basketball starts to get really exciting now. Every matchup from now on will be big as teams look to lock up their spots and seeding for the March Madness tournament. On this Super Tuesday, we have some very exciting matchups to look forward to and make money on. Let’s dive right into the bets.
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Clemson vs. Duke (-12.5)
Duke will likely be without a top playmaker in guard Trevor Keels after he suffered a leg injury against Florida State. But Clemson, despite being consistent on offense this season, doesn’t play well against teams with a height advantage. The Blue Devils have 7-foot-1 center Mark Williams on their side, who has averaged 3.3 blocks per game. On offense, they have Pablo Banchero (18 PPG) and Wendell Moore Jr. (15 PPG) as their top shooters, while freshman A.J. Griffin has shot well the last couple of games since joining the starting rotation. Duke is also great defensively, limiting opponents to 65.6 points per game. Clemson shoots well from behind the arc (38.4), but Duke allows just a 28.8 percent three-point percentage. Lay the points on the team that is 12-1 at home and 9-5 ATS.
Cap’n Kielar’s Best Bets: Duke (-12.5)
Michigan State (+5.5) vs. Illinois
Illinois could very likely be without Kofi Cockburn for a third straight game, and his absence was felt in their 81-65 loss to Maryland on Friday. The paint defense was severely lacking as they were outrebounded 33 to 30 and allowed 53 percent of shots to fall, a majority from close range. Michigan State, on the other hand, beat eighth-ranked Wisconsin on the road, to end the Badgers seven-game winning streak. The Spartans shot 52.7 percent from the floor, including 50 percent from behind the arc. Even if Cockburn plays, Sparty has seven-footer Marcus Bingham Jr. to match him who has a 13.4 percent block rate and shoots almost 60 percent from inside the arc. The Spartans are sixth in the country in three-point percentage and Max Christie and Joey Hauser can shoot and rebound with anyone. With or without Cockburn, Michigan State has the upper hand.
Cap’n Kielar’s Best Bets: Michigan State (+5.5)
Kansas State (+13.5) vs. Baylor
Kansas State looks to pull off another upset after beating Texas Tech and Texas before failing to close it out against Kansas on Saturday. Baylor bounced back from their only two losses of the season with wins over West Virginia and Oklahoma last week. The Wildcats have put together an impressive non-conference campaign, winning eight of their last 11 games. Two of their three losses came against top 15 teams in Arkansas and Illinois and they have covered the spread in four of their last five games. Meanwhile, the Bears lost their last two home games outright as pretty heavy favorites. Kansas State might not win outright, but they have the ability to stick with anyone.
Cap’n Kielar’s Best Bets: Kansas State (+13.5)
Mississippi State vs. Kentucky over 147.5
Kentucky will be looking to bounce back from a tough loss to the new number one team Auburn. Mississippi State looks to pick up a huge road victory. The Bulldogs picked up their biggest win of the season over Alabama just a couple weeks ago. The Wildcats may be done some playmakers after TyTy Washington Jr. went down with an ankle injury and Sahvir Wheeler played through some pain in the loss to Auburn. Both teams score at a high rate, with Kentucky averaging 82.9 points per game and Mississippi State averaging 78.2 points per game. This looks to be a high-scoring contest with each side crashing the boards well while Kentucky shoots from behind the arc at a 34.3 percent rate.
Cap’n Kielar’s Best Bets: Over 147.5
Arizona (-2.5) vs. UCLA
The biggest game of the day, this battle of top 10 teams should come down to the wire. Arizona faces one of its biggest tests of the season after blowing out Cal on Sunday for their fifth straight win. UCLA is also facing one of its toughest tests and has won three in a row. The Wildcats crash the boards to a clip of 35.9 percent and they are elite at defending the paint. The Bruins, meanwhile only shoot 50.1 percent from inside the arc, but can shoot well from behind the arc. They will have to rely on that in this game as Arizona doesn’t defend well in that sense. Johnny Juzang, Jules Bernard, Tyger Campbell and David Singleton have shot above 35 percent from outside this season. The interior defense of Arizona and their ability to match the three-point shooting puts them over the edge.
Cap’n Kielar’s Best Bets: Arizona (-2.5)
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