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NCAA Basketball Wednesday Betting Preview: Back Villanova to Cover the Spread vs. St. John’s

SI Gambling analyst Roy Larking focuses on key NCAA matchups from the SEC and Big East Conference on his Wednesday college basketball betting card.
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NCAA Basketball Wednesday Betting Preview: Back Villanova to Cover the Spread vs. St. John’s
NCAA Basketball Wednesday Betting Preview: Back Villanova to Cover the Spread vs. St. John’s

LSU Tigers at No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide

Southeastern Conference rivals meet for the second time this season when LSU visits Alabama on Wednesday night. Tipoff for Tigers vs. Crimson Tide contest is 7:00 p.m. ET at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Crimson Tide rolled to an easy 105–75 win as 1-point favorites on the road in Baton Rouge in the first meeting. These teams went1­–1 straight up and ATS in the season series last year. The Tigers won 90–76 at home and Alabama posted an 88–82 victory in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama (14–4, 9–0 SEC) is back at home and looking to rebound following a 66–61 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners on the road during the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 30. The Crimson Tide entered that contest on a 10-game winning streak. Despite the loss, Alabama still has a comfortable three-game lead over Florida and LSU in the SEC standings. Alabama set an SEC record as they drained 23 shots from beyond the arc during the first meeting against the Tigers back on Jan 19.

LSU (11–5, 6–3 SEC) opened their season with a 10–2 record, but the Tigers have lost three of their last four games. LSU heads to Alabama following a 76–71 loss at home to No. 10 Texas Tech in SEC/Big 12 Challenge. That loss to the Red Raiders dropped LSU to 0–2 straight up and ATS against AP Top 25 teams this season. Prior to that, the Tigers defeated Texas A&M 78­–66 and lost 82–69 to Kentucky during two road games. LSU is 2-3 straight up and against the spread on the road this season.

Led by Cameron Thomas (22.3 ppg) and Trendon Williams (17.3 ppg) LSU is averaging 82.9 ppg on offense. John Petty Jr. and Jaden Shackelford are both averaging 13.6 ppg for Alabama who are scoring 79.9 ppg. The Crimson Tide have an edge on defense as they are allowing 69.7 ppg while the Tigers are giving up 74.1 ppg. After shooting 53.5% in the first meeting, Alabama has shot 30.0% and 35.7% from 3-point range during their last two games. Bet the game total UNDER 163 points.

Pick: LSU at Alabama UNDER 163 points at DraftKings

Bet on College Basketball All Season at DraftKings

No. 3 Villanova Wildcats at St. John’s Red Storm

With both teams riding a winning streak, Villanova visits St. John’s for a Big East Conference battle tonight. Tipoff for the Wildcats vs. Red Storm contest is slated for 9:00 p.m. ET at Carnesecca Arena in Queens, N.Y. This is the first of two meetings this season. Villanova swept the season series last year as they posted a 71-60 win at home and 79-59 victory on the road. The Wildcats have won 16 of the last 18 games in this long-running series that dates back to 1923.

Villanova (11–1, 6–0 Big East) has been heavily impacted by COVID–19 this season as the Wildcats have had 10 games cancelled. Villanova opened their season with an 8–1 record but then had six straight games postponed. Returning to action, the Wildcats defeated Seton Hall (76–74) and Providence (71–56) during a pair of home games. That was followed by a cancelled contest against UConn and an 80–72 win over Seton Hall on the road during their last match on Jan. 30.

St. John’s (11–7, 5–6 Big East) opened the season on a 5–1 roll but struggled during a 2­–6 slide over their next eight games. Getting back on track, the Red Storm are 4­–0 straight up and against the spread during the last four games. St. John’s is back at home following an 81–68 win on the road against DePaul and a 75–73 victory over Marquette during their last game on Jan. 31. The Red Storm play their best basketball at home as they are 7–2 at Carnesecca Arena this season.

These teams are posting similar numbers on offense as St. John’s is averaging 79.9 points per game while Villanova is scoring 79.0 ppg. The Wildcats have a decided edge on defense as they are allowing 67.2 ppg while the Red Storm is giving up 77.1 ppg. Julian Champagnie leads St. John’s with 19.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl are both averaging 15.5 ppg for Villanova. Lay the points and back the Wildcats to cover the spread.

Pick: Villanova Wildcats -9 (-110) at DraftKings

2020–21 NCAA Basketball Betting Record: 19–9 ATS

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Roy Larking
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