NCAA Basketball Odds: Can BYU or San Diego State Get A Number One Seed?

With Selection Sunday just two weeks away, college basketball’s regular season is quickly winding down and five marquee battles this weekend will have an impact on those Madness seedings.

Heading into the tournament on a hot streak and earning the best possible slot are two of the perks to playing great basketball in late February. Two interlopers to the AP Top 10 battle again Saturday, which is among the weekend’s best matchups, and the odds courtesy of SBNation’s lines partner OddsShark.com offer plenty of betting intrigue.

SATURDAY
#7 BYU Cougars at #6 San Diego State Aztecs - Speaking of those interlopers, these Mountain West foes have muscled traditional ACC, Big East and Big Ten schools out of the way all season. And their high AP rankings are mirrored by Top 10 placements in the latest NCAA Power Rankings as well.

At 27-1, it’s been a perfect season for the Aztecs, with one glaring exception; a 71-58 road loss to these same BYU Cougars. San Diego State will have the chance to avenge that loss Saturday at home. In order to do so, they will have to find an answer for the nation’s leading scorer and fashionable Naismith Award pick Jimmer Fredette.

All he did last time was pour 43 points down San Diego State’s throat in the 71-58 victory. But BYU has been awful against the spread, with a 10-13 ATS mark on the year.

#17 Syracuse Orange at #11 Georgetown Hoyas - Both of these Big East rivals will be playing in the tournament, but this game will likely affect their seeding. Both teams enter the game with 10-6 conference records but the Hoyas, with the nation’s third toughest schedule so far (opponents have 64% winning percentage) are primed to win and cover a small spread here.

Georgetown has dropped two of its last three (to Connecticut and Cincinnati), and will try to end their skid against a Syracuse team they beat 64-56 at the Carrier Dome earlier this month. The Orange are 5-2 ATS past 7 trips to Georgetown. [Matchup Report]

#13 Florida Gators at #22 Kentucky Wildcats - The Florida Gators are in firm control of the SEC East, but they still want to finish up their season strong in road games against division rivals Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Kentucky hasn’t beaten a ranked team since #20 Louisville back on December 31, and has the opportunity to make a statement this weekend with a win over the Gators. [Matchup Report]

SUNDAY (check odds updates at SBNation)

#4 Pittsburgh Panthers at #16 Louisville Cardinals - Looking to hold off Notre Dame for the Big East regular season title, Pittsburgh will take on division opponent Louisville this Sunday. Louisville has already strengthened its tournament resume quite a bit this month with home wins over Syracuse and Connecticut, and they will try to hand Pittsburgh just the second road loss of their season.

Pitt is 3-1 SU & ATS past four trips to Louisville.

#8 Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan State Spartans - It’s surprising to see a Tom Izzo coached Spartans team on the bubble, but that’s the case this year as Michigan State might need this win just to receive a tournament invite. It won’t come easy, as Purdue’s 1-2 punch of JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore has emerged as one of the best in the country.

History is on Michigan State’s side, as they are 10-1 SU in their past 11 at home against Purdue, according to one college basketball searchable database.