We certainly live in some bizarro times.
The Indiana Hoosiers football team just completed a 16-0 season and won the national championship. The Nebraska Cornhuskers basketball team, a program that famously has never won an NCAA Tournament game, is 20-0 and trying to be this year’s hoops version of the Hoosiers.
Nebraska’s best start in program history will face an enormous test on Tuesday night when the Cornhuskers battle the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Michigan (18-1) has been blowing out opponents for much of the season. The team has a scoring margin of +23.1 points per game, which ranks second in the country. The Wolverines have won four straight games since losing to Wisconsin on Jan. 10. Michigan is a 10.5-point favorite on Tuesday night.
While Michigan-Nebraska is the marquee attraction on Tuesday, there are other options on a sporting landscape that includes seven NBA games and a full college basketball schedule. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet on for Tuesday, Jan. 27. All times Eastern.
College basketball best bets, where to watch
No. 5 Nebraska at No. 3 Michigan
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Ann Arbor, Mich. | TV: Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Nebraska +10.5 | Expert: Michigan -10.5 (Jeff Hochman)
The Cornhuskers’ Pryce Sandfort enters the game on shooting hot streak. Over the last four games, the 6-foot-7 junior is averaging 23.8 points per game on 56.4% shooting, including a robust 52.6% from 3-point range. For the season he ranks 14th in the country in 3-pointers made per game (3.40). The SportsLine Projection Model says that Nebraska has a 63.0% chance to cover and assigns a ‘B’ grade to Cornhuskers +10.5. However Hochman notes that Nebraska’s non-conference strength of schedule ranks No. 299 in the nation and says that the team’s record is a byproduct of weak opponents. “Michigan, with a non-conference SOS of 14th, is No. 2 in KenPom and boasts an adjusted efficiency margin (+35.87) nearly 8 points higher than Nebraska,” he says. “Such a gap signals a major mismatch.”
No. 12 Purdue at Indiana
Time: 9 p.m. | Location: Bloomington, Ind. | TV: Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Indiana +187
One of college basketball’s best rivalries resumes on Tuesday when the Purdue Boilermakers and Indiana Hoosiers collide at Assembly Hall. The Boilermakers (17-3, 7-2 Big Ten) own the third-most Quad 1 wins in the country (six) but enter the game off back-to-back losses to UCLA and Illinois. In both of the losses, Purdue led at the final media timeout but faltered late. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers (13-7, 4-5) are coming off an 82-59 win over Rutgers, which ended a four-game losing streak, and are desperate for a big win. They currently sit just outside the NCAA Tournament bubble according to multiple bracketologists. The SportsLine Projection Model says Indiana has a 43.0% chance to win and gives a ‘B’ grade to the Hoosiers money line (+187).
Kentucky at No. 18 Vanderbilt
Time: 9 p.m. | Location: Nashville, Tenn. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Vanderbilt -6.5
The Kentucky Wildcats will look to stay on a tear when they take on the Vanderbilt Commodores at Memorial Gym. After losing their first two SEC games, the Wildcats (14-6, 5-2 in SEC) have won five in a row. They are coming off a 72-63 victory over Ole Miss. However, Kentucky ranks 167th in the country in defensive efficiency (67.6 points per 100 possessions). That does not bode well against the Commodores (17-3, 4-3), who have the ninth-best offense in the nation (125.5 points per 100). The SportsLine Projection Model says Vanderbilt has a 60.0% chance to cover and assigns a ‘B’ grade to Commodores -6.5.
NBA best bets, where to watch
Bucks at 76ers
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Philadelphia | TV: NBC/Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Bucks +10.5
As always, stay updated on the availability of Joel Embiid and Paul George for Tuesday. Their status could change the SportsLine Projection Model’s simulations. Without Embiid and George on Monday, Philadelphia suffered an epic defeat, losing 130-93 to the Hornets in a game it once trailed by 50. The 76ers will now be playing the second half of a back-to-back. Meanwhile, the Bucks, who will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo for several weeks because of a calf strain, have not played since Friday. The SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 61% chance Milwaukee covers and gives a ‘B’ grade to Bucks +10.5.
Clippers at Jazz
Time: 10 p.m. | Location: Salt Lake City | TV: Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 233.5
Do the Los Angeles Clippers have enough time to get into the top six of the Western Conference? The red-hot Clippers (21-24) have won eight of their last nine games and sit in 10th place in the West. They are six games behind the Timberwolves (28-19) for the sixth and final automatic playoff spot in the conference. Defense has carried the Clippers during their recent hot stretch. Over the last nine games, they are giving up just 108.3 points per 100 possessions, which ranks third in the NBA over that stretch. Meanwhile, the Jazz (15-31) have the worst defense in the league, allowing 122.5 points per 100. The SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 66.2% chance the teams combine for 234 points or more and assigns a ‘B’ grade to Over 233.5.
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