There’s no time for a Super Bowl hangover, sports fans. Because Monday night features a must-see college basketball showdown.
The No. 1 college basketball team in the country meets the projected No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft when the Arizona Wildcats face Darryn Peterson and the No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan. Behind suffocating defense and prolific rebounding, the Wildcats (23-0, 13-0 in Big 12) have been ranked No. 1 since Dec. 8. With a win on Monday they would set the conference record for the best start to a season, which they currently share with the 2019-20 Baylor team.
Meanwhile, Peterson has been a shot-making savant, leading the Jayhawks (18-5, 8-2) in scoring during conference play (21.2 points per game) despite playing just 28 minutes a game. But he is coming off his lowest-scoring game of the season, a 14-point effort in a 71-59 win over Utah.
The Wildcats are 1.5-point favorites over the Jayhawks on Monday.
While Arizona vs. Kansas is the marquee attraction on Monday, there are other options on a sporting landscape that includes 10 NBA games and a full college basketball schedule. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Monday, Feb. 9. All times Eastern.
College basketball best bets, where to watch
N.C. State at No. 24 Louisville
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Louisville, Ky. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Louisville -6.5 | Expert: NC State -6.5 (Chip Patterson)
The N.C. State Wolfpack (18-6, 9-2 in ACC play) have been road warriors this season, going 6-0 away from home during conference play. That includes road victories over Clemson and SMU, two teams that are projected to make the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, “The Cards are 3-7 against the spread since Jan. 1 and rely heavily on the 3-point shot for their offense, even though the team is shooting just 32.8% from behind the arc in conference play,” Patterson says. The SportsLine Projection Model disagrees. The Model says that there’s a 52.0% chance that Louisville covers and assigns a C grade to Cardinals -6.5.
No. 1 Arizona at No. 9 Kansas
Time: 9 p.m. | Location: Lawrence, Kan. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Arizona -1.5 | Expert: Kansas +136 (Matt Severance)
In an era in which the 3-point shot has never been more popular, the Wildcats are thumpers in the paint. They attempt just 14.0 3-pointers; only seven teams in the country average fewer. That could haunt Arizona eventually, but so far the formula has been working. The team is coming off a 37-point victory against Oklahoma State on Saturday. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Wildcats have a 51.0% chance to cover and gives a C grade to Arizona -1.5. But Severance disagrees. He notes that the Jayhawks are 39-0 at Allen Fieldhouse on ESPN’s Big Monday under coach Bill Self. “[This is] only the fifth time in the past 30 years that Kansas is a home dog,” he says.
NBA best bets, where to watch
Bucks at Magic
Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: Orlando | TV: Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Bucks +375
Who needs Giannis Antetokounmpo anyway? I kid, of course, but the Milwaukee Bucks (21-29) have won three in a row without the Greek Freak, who remains sidelined with a calf strain. They are only one game behind the Hornets in the loss column for the fourth and final spot in the Play-In Tournament in the Eastern Conference. What has been the difference over the last three games? Milwaukee has shot 44.5% on 3-pointers. That far exceeds the team’s 39.2% over the entire season. On Monday, the Bucks play the first game of a baseball-type series against the Magic (27-24). The SportsLine Projection Model says Milwaukee has a 35.0% chance to win and assigns a B grade to the Bucks money line (+375).
Thunder at Lakers
Time: 10 p.m. | Location: Los Angeles | TV: Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Lakers +6.5
Like the Bucks, the Lakers are on a three-game winning streak, having beaten the Nets, 76ers and the Steph Curry-less Warriors. Los Angeles has also has won eight of its last 11 games. Defense, which has been the Lakers’ issue for much of the season, has been a bright spot during the recent stretch. Los Angeles is giving up just 111.3 points per 100 possessions over the last 11 games, which is a significant improvement over the team’s season average of 116.5. On Monday, the Lakers will face a Thunder team that has lost five of its last eight and again will be without reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The SportsLine Projection Model says Los Angeles has a 65.0% chance to cover and gives a B grade to Lakers +6.5.
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