Is Marquette's win streak in jeopardy on the road?
Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.
We were on the winning side in this space last week, and we're hitting our bets at a 58% rate in college basketball this season. With less than five weeks until Selection Sunday, let's keep cashing in. Here are Tuesday's best bets.
Marquette @ Butler (+4, O/U 153.5)
Marquette's hot streak landed it at No. 4 in the latest AP Poll. It's won seven straight contests and is just two games back of UConn for the top spot in the Big East.
However, Butler is also playing well. The Bulldogs have won three of their last four, with their only loss coming against UConn. This is a look-ahead spot for Marquette, which plays at the Huskies this Saturday.
We've seen multiple instances of elite teams faltering to inferior opponents with massive games on the horizon. Butler's feistiness at home could produce a similar result.
Marquette's road woes, particularly as an away favorite, have lessened in recent weeks, but it's still a worse team on the road than at home. The program is 1-4 against the spread as a road favorite.
Pick: Butler +4
Illinois team total: Over 84.5 points
Illinois is a 16-point favorite over a spiraling Michigan squad on Tuesday night. The Wolverines are a broken basketball team that can't wait until their disastrous season ends, losing six of their last seven and sitting last in the Big Ten.
Michigan also has the conference's worst scoring defense, allowing 78.4 points per game. Illinois has the Big Ten's second-best record and is 12-2 at home.
The Fighting Illini's offense has caught fire in the last three games, scoring at least 80 points. But they lost their most recent road contest at Michigan State on Saturday.
Illinois has the Big Ten's third-best scoring offense, averaging 82.4 points per night. Terrence Shannon Jr. is back to playing at a high level and leading a potent offensive attack. The Fighting Illini scored 88 in a 15-point win when they played in Ann Arbor on Jan. 18 without Shannon. They should be in for a monstrous offensive outing against a lackluster defense at home.
Odds: -125
Kentucky team total: Over 85.5 points
Virtually all of Kentucky's problems are on the defensive end, and it's led to a midseason demise that's knocked the team out of contender status. The Wildcats have lost three of their last four but have dealt with key injuries that likely contributed to those defeats.
But Kentucky scored at least 85 points in all three losses. The program averages 89.5 points per game and has various weapons who can consistently contribute to the scoring column. The Wildcats have scored at least 86 points in eight of their last 10 SEC games.
Kentucky's coming off a disappointing home loss to Gonzaga in a rare nonconference February showdown and fell to No. 22 in the latest AP Poll. After an inadequate stretch, the Wildcats should play motivated against a suspect Ole Miss defense.
Odds: -115 (playable to -125)
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.