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Top men’s college basketball games to bet on to close out 2022

The college basketball season is starting to ramp up with conference play underway and several shakeups to the rankings.

North Carolina, the preseason national title favorites, is no longer ranked. UConn didn’t start the season in the top 25 and is now ranked third. Three teams have already held the top spot in the rankings.

College hoops provide a great alternative during the holiday season to the NFL and college football bowl games, and there are always great matchups for bettors.

Here are five games to bet on to close out 2022, including four from the Dec. 17 slate loaded with five top-25 matchups.

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 17: Houston vs. Virginia

Let’s start with one of the premier non-conference games of the season, pitting No. 2 Virginia against No. 5 Houston, which just lost its No. 1 ranking.

The Cougars, despite being ranked lower in the polls, rank higher at KenPom, coming in at No. 2, while the Cavaliers are ninth. Houston actually has the better defense among the two teams, while Virginia’s offense ranks higher.

This road game is massive for a Houston team that won’t get many chances for quality wins in the AAC, which features no other ranked teams.

Virginia has already knocked off Baylor, Illinois and Michigan and could be the team to beat in the ACC. Expect Virginia to be a small home favorite.

One betting trend to potentially capitalize on is that Virginia is just 3-5 against the spread (ATS) despite its 8-0 record.

Dec. 17: Gonzaga vs. Alabama

Gonzaga plays a difficult non-conference schedule, which continues Saturday when the No. 15 Bulldogs take on No. 4 Alabama.

This game is a home game for Alabama, although it’s being played in Birmingham, and concludes a grueling three-game stretch for Alabama that also featured a road win against then-No. 1 Houston and a home win against a tough Memphis team.

Both of these teams are national title contenders, and it will be interesting to see how Alabama’s defense fares against Gonzaga’s elite offense.

Gonzaga has been a team to fade this year with a 2-8-1 ATS mark.

Dec. 17: Indiana vs. Kansas

There are two games between blue bloods on Dec. 17, and we’ll first dive into the Indiana–Kansas matchup at Allen Fieldhouse.

Indiana is ranked 14th, while Kansas, the defending national champion, is eighth. Both teams have the pieces to make long runs this year.

It’s always great to see the blue bloods playing at high levels, and this should be a fun matchup. Despite its high ranking, Indiana could use a second strong non-conference win to pair with its victory over North Carolina. On its resume, Kansas has a strong win over Duke on its resume but could use another nice non-conference victory.

Both teams’ games go over the total in more than half of their games.

Dec. 17: UCLA vs. Kentucky

The second blue blood matchup on Dec. 17 pits UCLA against Kentucky in a true neutral court game at Madison Square Garden.

This game will pit Kentucky’s elite defense against UCLA’s elite offense and offers a great opportunity for a win that will stand out on Selection Sunday.

UCLA has faced three ranked foes thus far and is 1-2 following Wednesday’s 87-60 blowout win at No. 20 Maryland, while Kentucky has faced a relatively weak non-conference schedule by its standards.

Kentucky is 4-5 ATS, while UCLA is 6-5.

Dec. 28: Villanova vs. UConn

UConn is the class of the Big East, but the Huskies have struggled against Villanova since re-joining the conference.

If the Huskies are truly going to make a run, they must prove they can beat their rivals. This is not an elite Villanova team in the first year of Kyle Neptune, but Villanova is a tough program. Expect a rowdy crowd in Hartford for this one.

The Huskies’ 10-0-1 ATS mark is the best in the country.