The second full weekend of January college basketball brings the first mega-Saturday lineup of the season, featuring 94 different board games. Three of those games pit Top 20 teams against one another. There are 21 more games on Sunday including Kansas vi

2010-01-09

The second full weekend of January college basketball brings the first mega-Saturday lineup of the season, featuring 94 different board games. Three of those games pit Top 20 teams against one another. There are 21 more games on Sunday including Kansas visiting Tennessee, and even some meaningful Friday night basketball as well. It figures to be a great weekend of college hoops. Let’s dig into some of the action and take a look at some of the Top StatFox Power Trends that figure to be in play over the next three days.

On Friday night, there are 12 games, including two featuring Top 25 teams. In one, 24th ranked Butler faces one of its most difficult Horizon League games of the season when it travels to Wright State, who is undefeated at home with a 6-0 record. In the Pac 10, #22 Washington will also be on the road, at Arizona State. The Sun Devils are desperate, one of two teams with 0-2 records in league play, and will look to lean on their home court edge as they try to upset the Huskies. This weekend features the series of games between the states of Washington and Arizona in Pac 10 basketball, with the latter’s two teams hosting the action. That means after Washington visits ASU, it will take on Arizona on Sunday in Tucson. Washington State faces the same two challenges, only in reverse order.

On Saturday, there are several key games to grab your attention. The three pitting Top 25 opponents against one another will all be over before the NFL playoffs kickoff in the afternoon, so be sure to get in early to submit your wagers. In the first one at noon eastern, Connecticut travels to Georgetown. Both teams are 2-1 in Big East play but looking up in the standings at several unbeaten teams. The Huskies have struggled on the road this season, winning just once in four tries, but the Hoyas have a prolonged history of not being able to get it done vs. conference foes at home, nor as a favorite. A bit later, the Big Ten takes center stage, as Purdue, one of four remaining unbeaten teams, travels to Madison to take on the Badgers. The Boilermakers have had their way with the Badgers in recent years, but most experts agree that this will be their toughest remaining game on the schedule. The other ranked tilt matches Duke & Georgia Tech from Atlanta. Both teams are covering 2/3 of their games or more on the season, so something has to give. The Yellow Jackets are capable of the upset, but need to be at the top of their game. It’s a full Saturday lineup featuring several other key games, including West Virginia at Notre Dame, Kansas State at Missouri, and Florida at Vanderbilt.

The Sunday board features five big televised games, including a quadruple header on the FSN family. CBS brings the biggest of the contests though, with top ranked Kansas traveling to Knoxville to take on Tennessee. The Volunteers are 7-0 at home this season and scoring over 90 PPG there. However, the Jayhawks are the holding opponents to just 34.4% shooting from the floor, second best in the country. It will be the classic offense vs. defense battle. The four games on FSN come from the ACC & Pac 10 conferences. In the opener, Washington State takes on Arizona State, while in the nightcap, Oregon, the Pac 10’s lone unbeaten team in league play, hosts Oregon State, the basketball version of the Civil War. Sandwiched between those games are ACC tilts between Florida State and Maryland, then Virginia Tech at North Carolina. One point of note there, while Kansas was ranked #2 in FG% defense as of Friday, Florida State was #1.

Now, here are some of those Top StatFox Power Trends you’ll want to consider:

Friday, 1/8/2010
(829) WASHINGTON ST vs. (830) ARIZONA
ARIZONA is 15-4 OVER (+10.6 Units) when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 80%) over the last 2 seasons. The average score was ARIZONA 76.5, OPPONENT 74 - (Rating = 2*)

(831) ST MARYS-CA vs. (832) SAN FRANCISCO
ST MARYS-CA is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 20%-40%) over the last 3 seasons. The average score was ST MARYS-CA 82, OPPONENT 56.7 - (Rating = 2*)

Saturday, 1/9/2010
(525) FLORIDA vs. (526) VANDERBILT
FLORIDA is 37-14 ATS (+21.6 Units) versus very good shooting teams - making >=48% of their shots since 1997. The average score was FLORIDA 77.1, OPPONENT 68.1 - (Rating = 2*)

(535) DUKE vs. (536) GEORGIA TECH
GEORGIA TECH is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) vs excellent teams (FG Off >=45%, FG Def <=42%) over the L2 seasons. The average score was GEORGIA TECH 69, OPPONENT 78.9 - (Rating = 2*)

(565) UNLV vs. (566) NEW MEXICO
NEW MEXICO is 21-7 ATS (+13.3 Units) vs. good defensive teams (FG pct defense of <=42%) over the last 3 seasons. The average score was NEW MEXICO 75.3, OPPONENT 66.3 - (Rating = 2*)

(621) TULSA vs. (622) HOUSTON
HOUSTON is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) versus very good defensive teams (FG% defense of <=39%) over the last 2 seasons. The average score was HOUSTON 63.3, OPPONENT 74.8 - (Rating = 3*)

(631) ILLINOIS vs. (632) INDIANA
ILLINOIS is 10-0 OVER (+10 Units) in all games this season. The average score was ILLINOIS 79.1, OPPONENT 68.9 - (Rating = 6*)

(645) LOUISIANA TECH vs. (646) IDAHO
LOUISIANA TECH is 19-2 ATS (+16.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. The average score was LOUISIANA TECH 67.9, OPPONENT 68.6 - (Rating = 6*)

(649) BYU vs. (650) UTEP
BYU is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) as a road favorite or pick over the last 2 seasons. The average score was BYU 81, OPPONENT 64 - (Rating = 3*)

Sunday, 1/10/2010
(833) KANSAS vs. (834) TENNESSEE
TENNESSEE is 17-3 ATS (+13.7 Units) as a home underdog of 6 points or less or pick since 1997. The average score was TENNESSEE 70.8, OPPONENT 68.9 - (Rating = 3*)

(843) VIRGINIA TECH vs. (844) N CAROLINA
VIRGINIA TECH is 20-5 ATS (+14.5 Units) vs good 3PT shooting teams (>=37% 3PT attempts) over the last 3 seasons. The average score was VIRGINIA TECH 72.6, OPPONENT 64.3 - (Rating = 3*)

(849) OREGON ST vs. (850) OREGON
OREGON is 2-15 ATS (-14.5 Units) versus good defensive teams (FG% defense of <=42%) over the last 2 seasons. The average score was OREGON 64.8, OPPONENT 78.5 - (Rating = 4*)

Click here to read latest College Basketball news