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Wednesday saw the final wave of the Players Era men’s championship and other non-conference action, headlined by Michigan’s blowout win in Vegas and bounce-back victories for several ranked teams. For bettors, there was plenty of value, especially in the Alabama and Iowa State blowouts and the close Kansas-Tennessee finish.
No. 7 Michigan 101, No. 12 Gonzaga 61
Yaxel Lendeborg posted 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead Michigan to a commanding win over Gonzaga in the Players Era championship game. The Wolverines opened with a 10-point lead in the first three minutes and never looked back, completing a dominant 3-0 run in Las Vegas. Michigan also took home the $1 million NIL prize. Gonzaga’s Graham Ike was held scoreless on 0-for-9 shooting, while Braden Huff led the Bulldogs with 14 points.
Capper Insight: Sas Insider flagged Michigan -3.5 as a best bet after back-to-back 30+ point wins. The Wolverines delivered another wire-to-wire cover.
No. 3 Houston 66, Notre Dame 56
Houston bounced back quickly from its first loss of the season, pulling away from Notre Dame behind 17 points from Emanuel Sharp and 15 from Milos Uzan. The Cougars built a 22-point first-half lead before the Irish closed the gap late. Joseph Tugler added 10 points and eight boards for Houston, which improved to 7-1.
No. 6 Louisville 104, NJIT 47
Ryan Conwell lit up the scoreboard with 32 points on 8-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc as Louisville throttled NJIT. The Cardinals hit 20 threes and led by as many as 57. Isaac McKneely added 17 points, and Louisville topped 100 for the fourth time this season. NJIT shot just 31% from the field with six assists total.
Capper Insight: The Computer Picks system graded Louisville team total Over 89.5 as a high-confidence play. The Cardinals cleared it midway through the second half.
No. 8 Alabama 105, Maryland 72
Labaron Philon Jr. tallied 20 points and six assists to lead a seven-man double-figure scoring effort for Alabama. The Crimson Tide dominated the Terrapins from the start in a strong bounce-back performance. Aden Holloway added 17 points and 10 assists in his first career double-double.
No. 21 Auburn 85, No. 14 St. John’s 74
Tahaad Pettiford erupted for a career-best 27 points and three steals as Auburn overcame an 11-point deficit to beat St. John’s. Keyshawn Hall chipped in 20 points and eight rebounds. Zuby Ejiofor led the Red Storm with 24 points. Both teams exited the Players Era tournament at 2-1 and 1-2 respectively.
No. 15 Iowa State 95, Syracuse 64
Milan Momcilovic hit six threes en route to 24 points, and Iowa State blew the game open with a 60-30 second half. Joshua Jefferson posted 13 points and 10 assists in a breakout game. The Cyclones stayed undefeated at 7-0. Syracuse, winless in Vegas, was led by Sadiq White Jr.’s 14 before he fouled out.
Kansas 81, No. 17 Tennessee 76
Melvin Council Jr. and Elmarko Jackson each scored 17 points as Kansas pulled away late to secure third place and a $300,000 NIL prize. Kansas closed on a 40-23 run over the final 15 minutes. Nate Ament led Tennessee with 20 points, but the Vols had no answer down the stretch.
Capper Insight: Neal Harris cashed a +2.5 spread play on Kansas, calling the market overreaction to KU’s earlier loss to Marquette. He’s now 6-2 on ranked team matchups this month.
No. 19 Kentucky 109, Tennessee Tech 54
Kentucky attacked inside and on the boards, racking up 48 points in the paint and a 21-rebound edge. Denzel Aberdeen, Trent Noah, and Otega Oweh scored 15 each in the blowout. Tennessee Tech got 11 points from Ja’Quavian Florence but trailed big from the start.
No. 20 Texas Tech 82, New Orleans 50
Christian Anderson scored 23 points and dished five assists as Texas Tech shook off its blowout loss to Purdue. JT Toppin added 19 points and 16 boards, while New Orleans hit just 2-of-15 from deep and dropped its fourth straight.
Texas 102, No. 23 NC State 97
Jordan Pope hit seven threes and scored 28 points to lift Texas past NC State in a high-scoring Maui Invitational fifth-place game. Chendall Weaver added 17 and eight rebounds. The Wolfpack had three players score 20+, including 28 from Quadir Copeland, but couldn’t slow down Pope late.
No. 24 Vanderbilt 83, Western Kentucky 78
Duke Miles poured in 28 points and Devin McGlockton added 22 as Vanderbilt improved to 6-0 with a narrow win over WKU. The Commodores nearly blew a 15-point lead after shaky late free-throw shooting. Teagan Moore led the Hilltoppers with 24 points and five assists.
Handicappers Roundup
Sas Insider and Neal Harris continue to deliver across the college board. Sas cashed another multi-unit favorite with Michigan’s rout. Neal hit both Kansas +2.5 and Iowa State team total Over.
For sharper NCAAB bets, matchup systems, and scoring trend strategies, check the latest guides inside the Bettors Handbook. You can also tail today’s top Free Service Plays to ride momentum into Thursday’s board
