Notre Dame remains winless against the spread with an 0-6-1 mark.
A smattering of games remain on the college basketball slate before the unofficial midway point of the season arrives with the annual Christmas break. Most conference schedules will be underway by this time next week, and it will be interesting to see how current betting trends might change as the rigors of league play come about.
Among the teams helping pay Christmas bills so far this campaign, Indiana and Georgetown top the list of Big 6 schools that remain perfect vs. the odds. The Hoosiers, in fact, are perfect across the board after two more blowout wins this week moved them to 12-0 straight up and 7-0 against the spread. Indiana scored its signature triumph about two weeks ago with a buzzer-beating 73-72 decision over then-No. 1 Kentucky, and will now use the time off to get ready for a tough opening to Big Ten play that includes a trip to Michigan State and home dates with Ohio State and Michigan.
Georgetown (10-1 SU, 6-0 ATS) enters the break off a decisive 70-59 victory at home vs. Memphis as 6-point chalk, the second time this season that the Hoyas have taken down Josh Pastner's Tigers. John Thompson III and his lads begin Big East action next Wednesday (Dec. 28) with a very tough road contest against the Louisville Cardinals who are unbeaten at 11-0 entering their final non-conference game vs. Western Kentucky on Friday (Dec. 23).
One more Big 6 school unbeaten on the floor and at the betting window is Baylor (11-0 SU, 4-0 ATS). The Bears also have one last game to go before Christmas, taking on the West Virginia Mountaineers at the Las Vegas Classic. Baylor comes out of Christmas with a clash against Mississippi State next Wednesday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Outside the Big 6, Middle Tennessee State (11-2 SU, 9-2 ATS) has been winning both ways since the beginning of the schedule. The Blue Raiders are joined on the list of teams going green thus far by Manhattan (8-4 SU, 9-2 ATS), St. Joseph's (9-3 SU, 8-1 ATS), Nevada (9-3 SU, 8-2 ATS) and Creighton (10-1 SU, 6-1 ATS), with the Blue Jays generally regarded as the best of the mid-majors.
'Nova & Notre Dame Backers Seeing Red This Christmas
The Big East always draws a lot of attention from fans and bettors, but the attention that Villanova and Notre Dame are presently drawing from gamblers is not of a positive nature.
Jay Wright and the Wildcats (7-5 SU, 1-8 ATS) are in a bit of a funk as they prepare for conference play. Villanova's lone spread victory came over Thanksgiving in a 71-46 victory against UC-Riverside. The 'Cats have failed to cover as favorites in wins vs. Penn, Santa Clara, Delaware and La Salle, and have lost outright without staying within the number when facing St. Joseph's, Temple, Missouri and Saint Louis.
At least 'Nova backers have one winning ticket to fall back on. Notre Dame (8-5 SU, 0-6-1 ATS) remains winless against the odds, plus have some rather ugly defeats straight up along the way to Indiana, Gonzaga and Missouri.
Butler (6-7 SU, 2-7-1 ATS) might be an interesting group to watch among the current pointspread losers. Brad Stevens and the Bulldogs have struggled as they rebuild from the past two seasons, but hit the Christmas break off a big upset win at Stanford, rallying for a 71-66 victory as 12-point underdogs. If that triumph is to serve as a springboard for Horizon League play, we'll know between now and the new year when Butler hosts Green Bay (Dec. 29) and Milwaukee (Dec. 31).
A few more teams that have been great fades are Arizona State (4-8 SU, 3-9 ATS), Oregon (9-3 SU, 2-7 ATS), Texas Tech (5-5 SU, 1-6 ATS) and UC-Davis (1-11 SU, 1-9-1 ATS).
Big East & Big Ten Get Ball Rolling After Christmas Break
A light card greets college hoops fans and bettors on Tuesday (Dec. 27) with four games involving three currently ranked schools from the Big East and Big Ten.
Notre Dame will seek its first cover when the Fighting Irish host No. 15 Pittsburgh with ESPN2's cameras on hand for the 7:00 p.m. (ET) tip. The Irish have won the last three meetings vs. the Panthers, including a 56-51 upset in Iron City last January as 10½-point road 'dogs that stopped a 20-game home court win streak for Pitt.
The same night finds the Providence Friars at Carnesecca Arena in New York City to meet the St. John's Red Storm. This could be a good look-ahead spot to fade the Friars who follow this game with a road match at Georgetown and home tilt vs. Syracuse.
ESPN2 will trail the Pitt-ND clash with No. 13 Wisconsin in the heartland to battle Nebraska at 9:00 p.m. (ET). This will be the first Big Ten basketball contest for the Cornhuskers, who also opened their Big Ten football life against the Badgers.
Illinois, ranked No. 24/25 this past week, will also begin Big Ten play with a 7:30 p.m. (ET) home tip vs. Minnesota. The Fighting Illini will have had five days to let Thursday's 78-74 loss to Missouri sink in after rallying from a 15-point deficit only to fall short at the end. The Golden Gophers are off to a strong 12-1 start, though just 4-5-1 ATS, and will make their entry into conference play with two tough road games as a New Year's Day trip to No. 20 Michigan looms after the Illinois game.