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Tuesday Big East/Big 12 Battle + ACC/Big Ten Challenge: Betting Odds and Predictions

An epic matchup in the Big East/Big 12 Battle, plus two key contests from the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, is the focus of our NCAA basketball betting preview.
Roy Larking|
Tuesday Big East/Big 12 Battle + ACC/Big Ten Challenge: Betting Odds and Predictions
Tuesday Big East/Big 12 Battle + ACC/Big Ten Challenge: Betting Odds and Predictions

Big East/Big 12 Battle Series

Now in its second season, the Big East/Big 12 Battle features ten teams from both the Big East and Big 12 conferences. The Big East dominated during the inaugural event last year as they finished with an 8-2 record. The only wins by the Big 12 conference were Iowa State upsetting No. 16 Seton Hall and No. 11 Baylor defeating No. 17 Butler. A key win by the Big East was No. 18 Villanova knocking off No. 1 Kansas. Will the Jayhawks rebound with a win against the Bluejays?

No. 8 Creighton Bluejays at No. 5 Kansas Jayhawks

Already underway, the Big East/Big 12 Battle has been shortened to just six games after four contests were cancelled due to COVID-19 issues. The Big 12 has a 2-1 lead after Oklahoma State defeated Marquette 70-62 last Tuesday and No. 11 West Virginia posted an 80-71 win against Georgetown on Sunday. No. 12 Villanova has the lone Big East win as they defeated No. 17 Texas 68-64 on Sunday. DraftKings Sportsbook lists Kansas as -3.5 point favorites over Creighton.

Kansas (4-1) opened their season with a 102-90 loss to No. 1 Gonzaga at the Fort Myers Tip-Off tournament. The Jayhawks rebounded with a 94-72 victory over St. Joseph's during the final game of the tournament. Kansas followed that up with a 65-62 win over No. 20 Kentucky in the Champions Classic. Returning home, to Allen Fieldhouse, The Jayhawks crushed Washburn 89-54 and then failed to cover as -24.5 favorites during a 65-61 win over North Dakota State.

Creighton (3-0) opened their season with three wins at home against unranked opponents. The Bluejays began the year with a 69-58 win against North Dakota State but failed to cover as -23 point favorites. Creighton covered as -21.5 point chalk in their second game as they raced out to a 50-26 lead and defeated Nebraska-Omaha 94-67. Falling to 1-2 against the spread, Creighton defeated Kennesaw State 93-58 as -37 point favorites in their last game on December 4.

Tipoff for this contest is at 5:00 p.m. ET on December 8, at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. There won’t be any fans at this game so that minimizes the huge homecourt advantage the Jayhawks normally thrive on. Creighton has six players who are averaging double-digit points while Kansas has three players in that dynamic. The Bluejays move the ball around well as they are averaging 20.3 assists per game. The Jayhawks have averaged just 11.8 assists over five games.

Pick: Creighton Bluejays (+3.5)

Bet on College Basketball All Season at DraftKings

Big Ten/ACC Challenge Series

Established in 1999, the ACC/Big Ten Challenge features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big Ten Conference. Since 2014, there have been 14 games played over two days at arenas of the participating teams. The ACC dominated this series early as they went 10-0 during the first 10 tournaments. Since then, the Big Ten has posted a 6-2 record and there have been three ties. Overall, teams from the ACC lead the series with a 133-106 record.

No. 16 North Carolina Tar Heels at No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes

Heavyweights battle when Iowa hosts North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 8, at Carver–Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes are -4.5 point favorites on the betting board at DraftKings. This is just the second time these teams have met during this tournament. Iowa defeated North Carolina 60-55 on the road in Chapel Hill during first meeting back in 2014. Overall, these teams have played four times and the Hawkeyes own a 3-1 series record.

Iowa opened their season with three straight home wins against unranked opponents. The Hawkeyes defeated North Carolina Central (97-67) and covered as -28 point favorites. Iowa failed to cover the -28.5 line against Southern University (103-76) and defeated Western Illinois (99-58) as -32 point chalk during their last game on December 3. Game total OVER bets cashed in all three contests.

North Carolina is 3-1 through four games. The Tar Heels covered as -17.5 point favorites against College of Charleston (79-60) during their home opener. That was followed by wins at the Maui Invitational over UNLV (78-51) as -14 point chalk and a PUSH against Stanford (67-63) as -4 point favorites. The Tar Heels lost 69-67 to No. 17 Texas in the championship game as +1 point underdogs.

A heavy favorite, to win John R. Wooden Award at DraftKings, Luka Garza leads the Hawkeyes with 34 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Preseason ACC Player of the Year candidate Garrison Brooks leads the Tar Heels with 12.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game but he is questionable with an ankle injury. Iowa is one of the most experienced teams in the Nation as their entire starting five from last year returned this season. Bet on the Hawkeyes to cover the spread.

Pick: Iowa Hawkeyes (-4.5)

No. 6 Illinois Fighting Illini at No. 10 Duke Blue Devils

Teams ranked in the AP Top 10 meet when Illinois visits Duke at 9:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 8, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. The Blue Devils are posted as -3.5 favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook. This is a battle of unfamiliar foes, as these teams have not played each other since Duke posted a 79-66 victory way back in 2007. The Blue Devils and Fighting Illini met during the first two years of this tournament and Duke won both games.

Duke has a 2-1 record so far this season. The Blue Devils committed 22 turnovers and failed to cover as -39.5 point favorites during an 81-71 win in their home opener against Coppin State. Duke then faced Michigan State, at home in the Championship Classic, but lost 75-69 as -4.5 point favorites. Falling to 0-3 against the spread, the Blue Devils defeated Bellarmine 76-54 as 30.5 chalk at home on December 4. Duke is averaging 17.3 turnovers per game this season.

Posting a remarkable turnaround, Illinois went from 12-21 two years ago to 21-10 prior to the season being cancelled last year. Illinois (3-1) began their season with home victories against North Carolina A&T (122-60) as -29 point favorites and Chicago State (97-38) as -42.5 point chalk. They moved to 3-0 with a 77-75 win over Ohio but failed to cover as -16 point favorites. The Fighting Illini last played on December 2 and lost 82-69 to No. 2 Baylor as +4 point underdogs.

Similar to Duke, ball control has been an issue for Illinois as they are averaging 15.2 turnovers per game. Guards Ayo Dosunmu (23.8) and Adam Miller (14.5) are the leading scorers for the Fighting Illini. Forwards Matthew Hurt (19) and Jalen Johnson (13) lead the Blue Devils attack on offense. Illinois is averaging 49.2 rebounds while allowing just 22.8 per game. Duke is averaging 42.7 rebounds while allowing 34.7 per game. Take the points and bet on Illinois.

Pick: Illinois Fighting Illini (+3.5)

2020-21 NCAA Basketball Record: 1-1 ATS

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