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The annual Big Ten-ACC Challenge got off to a rocking start on Monday and Tuesday night and will return for its final night of action this season on Wednesday. Things are currently tied at 4-4 between the two conferences and the Big Ten will have to hope for some upsets on Wednesday to come out with a tie or a win.
You can preview all the games below. All spreads are based on KenPom.
Big Ten Game of the Day:
-North Carolina at Indiana
- Time/TV: 9:00PM ET - ESPN
- KenPom Spread: North Carolina (-3)
For the third time in the last five seasons, Indiana and North Carolina will face off against one another on the hardwood. North Carolina won the most recent matchup in last year’s Sweet 16, but the Hoosiers won the previous one in November of 2013 in Assembly Hall. Indiana and its fans will surely be hoping that this game is more like the first than the second matchup.
Excluding Indiana’s hiccup against Fort Wayne last week, each of these teams has performed admirably so far this season. The two have a combined 11-1 record and are both ranked in the top 15. As such, this is a huge opportunity for both to add a marquee win and get things going into the latter portions of non-conference play.
The matchup to watch in this game will obviously be upfrtont, where North Carolina’s dynamic duo of Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks will face off against Indiana’s OG Anunoby and Thomas Bryant. Whoever comes out on top there will have a pretty clear path to victory.
- Pick Against The Spread: Indiana
The Rest:
-Virginia Tech at Michigan
- Time/TV: :00PM ET - ESPN2
- KenPom Spread: Michigan (-5)
The Wolverines may still be trying to regroup from a frustrating loss on the road to South Carolina, but that process will have to be quick with a quality Virginia Tech team coming to town. The Hokies are 5-1 and a led by a dynamic big man in Zach LeDay. This is a key opportunity for Michigan to add a quality win and it will be up to the frontcourt to get the job done.
- Pick Against The Spread: Michigan
-Nebraska at Clemson
- Time/TV: 9:00PM ET - ESPNU
- KenPom Spread: Clemson (-9)
Nebraska played its last three games against top 50 opponents and that streak will get longer on Wednesday as the Cornhuskers head on the road to face Clemson. While the Tigers are only 3-2, both losses came against quality competition (Oklahoma and Xavier) and two of those wins came against top 100 opponents. If Nebraska is going to win, stopping Jaron Blossomgame on the wing will be step one.
- Pick Against The Spread: Nebraska
-Ohio State at Virginia
- Time/TV: 9:00PM ET - ESPN2
- KenPom Spread: Virginia (-10)
Although Buckeye fans may be excited by the team’s 6-0 start to the season, don’t be surprised if those feelings change on Wednesday night. Ohio State will be facing off against an elite Virginia team that has yet to allow an opponent to score over 52 points this season. If Ohio State can even show some fight in this game, it should be considered an achievement.
- Pick Against The Spread: Virginia
-Purdue at Louisville
- Time/TV: 7:00PM ET - ESPN
- KenPom Spread: Louisville (-7)
Purdue may have let Villanova off the hook earlier this month, but the Boilermakers have still gotten out to a 5-1 start and are looking to add a major win to the team’s resume. Wednesday will offer that with a road trip to face off against Louisville. This is going to be a tough game, but if Purdue can find a way to slow down Donovan Mitchell and Quentin Snider in the backcourt, it has a chance to come out with a win.
- Pick Against The Spread: Louisville
-Rutgers at Miami (FL)
- Time/TV: 7:00PM ET - ESPNU
- KenPom Spread: Miami (FL) (-15)
The Scarlet Knights are 6-0 on the year and on the verge of moving into the top 150 on KenPom’s rankings. It’s been an impressive turnaround for a program that has seen the worst of college basketball the last few years. Unfortunately, that fun will stop on Wednesday night thanks to a road trip to Miami to face one of the ACC’s better teams. The one solace that Rutgers might have is that the Hurricanes have not been a great outside shooting team. As such, if Rutgers can get hot, maybe they can keep it close.
- Pick Against The Spread: Miami (FL)
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Thomas’ Season Record vs KenPom’s Spread: 22-22-2