Winning games on the floor is one thing, and winning at the college basketball betting window is something entirely different. But occasionally, teams put the two together and the outcome is a beautiful experience for bettors.
The current list of schools doing just that is probably longer than you first think, and it includes squads from Big 6 conferences, a few more outside the Big 6 and several from mid-major affiliations.
Three teams winning both ways come from the Big Ten – Wisconsin (9-2 straight up, 6-2 against the spread), Purdue (9-2 SU, 6-3 ATS) and Indiana (9-0 SU, 5-0 ATS). If there's a team from that trio that doesn't figure to keep up in the ATS column, it's the Badgers who suffered their second spread defeat Tuesday with a 60-54 win over UW-Milwaukee as 10½-point favorites. Bo Ryan's coaching style at Wisconsin is one reason, along with the team's huge reliance on long-range shooting.
Others from the Big 6 getting it done on the scoreboard and against the odds are Virginia (8-1 SU, 5-1 ATS), Syracuse (10-0 SU, 6-3 ATS), Georgetown (8-1 SU, 5-0 ATS), California (8-2 SU, 6-2 ATS) and Stanford (8-1 SU, 6-1 ATS).
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders have been winning and cashing tickets all season, sitting 10-2 in the standings and 8-2 vs. the number. The Sun Belt crew will next hit the floor a week from now when MTSU travels to take on Ole Miss (Dec. 21).
A trio from the Atlantic 10 is also making friends among bettors. The Xavier Musketeers may be hogging a lot of the press in the A-10, but Saint Louis (9-1 SU, 6-2 ATS), St. Joseph's (7-3 SU, 7-1 ATS) and La Salle (7-3 SU, 6-1 ATS) are hogging the payouts.
Wyoming (10-1 SU, 6-2 ATS) is presently leading the way in the Mountain West while Nevada (7-3 SU, 6-2 ATS) is at the top of the WAC. Harvard (9-1 SU, 5-1 ATS) will be a team to watch since the Crimson are the class of the Ivy League and could be set up for a strong spread run throughout conference play.
Mid-Majors Top Thursday's Ticker
A couple of ranked schools from the Big 6 will be in action Thursday with the Missouri Tigers hosting Kennesaw State and Wisconsin home to face Savannah State. Neither game should have much to prove in the grand scheme of things.
There are, however, four teams ranked in the top 10 on the mid-majors poll who will be hosting games with something to prove, starting with the Murray State Racers. The Racers cracked the AP top 25 for the first time in 13 seasons after last Sunday's 76-72 win at then No. 20 Memphis. Murray State was a 10-point underdog in that game with the victory pushing the Racers to 10-0 on the season (5-2 ATS). They'll host Lipscomb Thursday night (8:00 p.m. ET) and will begin Ohio Valley play by this time next week.
Two squads from the West Coast Conference, Saint Mary's and Gonzaga, are also hitting the hardwood Thursday. The Gaels (6-1 SU, 3-2 ATS) entertain North Carolina AT&T in just their second game following a 10-day layoff, while the Bulldogs (5-2 SU, 3-4 ATS) are looking to bounce back from two straight defeats when they take on Oral Roberts.
Another team hoping to rebound from a loss is Belmont (6-3 SU, 2-3 ATS). The Bruins fell at Middle Tennessee on Tuesday, 65-62, and will host Troy at the Curb Event Center in Nashville.
Pac-12 Pair Highlight Friday Slate
A very light Friday will be highlighted by a couple of Pac-12 schools on their home courts. The Washington Huskies will take on UC-Santa Barbara in Seattle while the California Golden Bears meet a very talented Weber State crew in Berkeley.
Cal has gotten back on track following a close loss at San Diego State 10 days ago, dominating both San Jose State and Jackson State. The Bears saw top rebounder Richard Solomon return to action in the Jackson State game following a two-game suspension, and sophomore point guard Justin Cobbs is listed as probable for this game with an ankle injury.
Weber State is ranked 13th in the latest mid-major poll published by collegeinsider.com, and is led by the nation's leading scorer Damian Lillard (26.9 PPG).
The Huskies could have their hands full with a Santa Barbara squad that is just two overtime losses from being a perfect 7-0 on the campaign. The Gauchos are paced by senior swingman Orlando Johnson, sixth in the country averaging 22.1 points per contest. Johnson combined for 62 points in the OT losses to UNLV and San Diego State.