Do you have an ongoing gambling addiction? Do you break things after a backdoor cover goes against you? Do you become slightly aroused when it does go your way? Of course you do, and we already have so much in common. Crash the Board is a daily preview of the college basketball betting slate with a payday bet to make us all rich together.
Ladies and gentlemen, get out your wallets because it’s time for Wednesday’s edition of Crash the Board, our daily look at the college basketball betting slate. Pretend I just made a funny joke to get you in a lighthearted spirit to cash a winner or two. Let’s do this.
#21 Butler @ #16 Seton Hall
Spread: Seton Hall -5
Over/Under: 135.5
Time: 5:30 CST
TV: FS1
If these two played each other every single night of the college basketball season would anybody really notice? I feel like we’re going on double digits on the Butler-Seton Hall matchup this season. All on FS1. All at an unusual game time. Anyways, you’re gonna want to fade Butler as often as you can because they stink and oddsmakers don’t know it yet. The Bulldogs covered in once in their last 10 games.
Butler point guard Aaron Thompson is back in the lineup after missing a game and a half with a concussion, but the Bulldogs were 2-4 in the last six games he’s played anyways. Pirates head coach Kevin Willard called out the fellas for having bad attitudes after losing their second straight. They’ll be focused, and I’m all aboard the hype train for Seton Hall, which is 7-4-1 against the spread at home this season.
Syracuse @ #11 Louisville
Spread: Louisville -9
Over/Under: 146
Time: 6:00 CST
TV: ESPN
Louisville finds itself in a two-game losing streak with consecutive losses to borderline .500 teams Georgia Tech and Clemson to lose their spot atop the ACC standings. Cardinals return home where they’re 14-1 straight up, so they’re beating Syracuse, but by 9 points?
In his 75th year of coaching college basketball, Jim Boeheim knows how to get the fellas ready to go on the road. Orange are 6-1 against the spread when playing on the road this season and won 4 games as underdogs. In honor of Boeheim, pick your nose and pick the Orange.
#6 Duke @ NC State
Spread: Duke -6.5
Over/Under: 152
Time: 8:00 CST
TV: ESPN
Being a manager for Coach K has to be the worst thing imaginable. First of all, they have to be in good shape because they run off the court as if their lives depend on it the second the buzzer sounds. Then Cassius Stanley missed last game after being poked in the eye by a team manager. Pray for that kid because he’s probably dead or at the very least shackled up somewhere screaming for help. But it’s all about life lessons with Coach K. This experience will help him in the future.
Stanley is back in the lineup for a Duke squad that’s fully in ass-kicking mode recently, going for their eighth straight win putting them into first place in the ACC. After three straight road games, NC State is back on his home floor for the first time since February 1, so fans should be pretty charged up for this one. Duke is 17-8 hitting the over this season, while NC State is 16-9 on the under. SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE.
#12 Villanova @ DePaul
Spread: Villanova -4.5
Over/Under: 141
Time: 8:00 CST
TV: CBSSN
Cmon game: noun. a game in which you could not live with yourself afterward if you end up getting it wrong.
Villanova -4.5 is the very definition of a cmon game. I’m not sure how you can go into a college basketball game and bet a team like DePaul against a team like Villanova. It makes no sense. Cmon games rarely work, but be my guest and put your hard-earned dollars on DePaul against Villanova. I couldn’t do it.
Indiana @ Minnesota
Spread: Minnesota -5.5
Over/Under: 135.5
Time: 8:00 CST
TV: BTN
Minnesota is in full-on desperation mode, likely needing to win out the regular season to solidify and it might even be too late. I took a quick visit down to Minneapolis a few weeks ago to watch the Gophers beat the hell out of Wisconsin. Since then, Minnesota lost two straight. Did I break the Gophers?
Indiana is clinging to one of the last spots in some of the latest Bracketology updates, so this is a desperation game all around. I cannot bet against a Big Ten team at home this season. Gimme the Gophers.
Wednesday Payday
We’ve had some fun, but it’s time to get down to bidness and make a little cash for the Deceptive Speedsters out there. When you get rich, you visit the site. When you visit the site, I get rich. Let’s all get loaded together. We cashed with Wisconsin-Purdue over last night and we’ll be investing in Auburn -3.5 at Georgia. Similar to the Villanova-DePaul explanation above, are you really confident in putting money on 12-13 Georgia, which is 2-10 in the SEC and 13th place in the conference?
Or are you going to go with the team ranked #13 in the country with a 22-3 overall record gunning for a possible SEC title? A 3.5 line is pretty damn close to Vegas thinking Georgia wins this game, and the Bulldogs are 1-9 straight up on the road with the third youngest team in the sport. Isaac Okoro missed the last game for Auburn and we’re not sure if he’s suiting up, but still do not overthink this one. Paydays are going for three in a row, and I’ll be damned if Tom Crean takes that away from us.
Keep the conversation going by reaching out to Erik Buchinger on Twitter or email erik@deceptivespeed.com.