Early-season tournaments are here in college basketball, and we’ve got you prepared for the start of the action this Wednesday as the Battle 4 Atlantis tips at the Imperial Arena. Eight intriguing teams will battle it out for three days in Nassau, with a champion set to be crowned on Friday.
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Let’s take a look at each of the quarterfinal matchups, including tip times, television coverage, betting odds, and a brief preview of what to watch for:
How to Watch Northern Iowa vs. #14 North Carolina- TV: ESPN | Streaming: ESPN App
- Time: 12:00 p.m. ET | Location: Imperial Arena – Nassau, Bahamas
- Spread: Northern Iowa +11.5 (-106) | North Carolina -11.5 (-114)
- Moneyline: Northern Iowa (+530) | North Carolina (-780)
- Total: OVER 147.5 (-115) | UNDER 147.5 (-105)
It’s a fourth straight matchup against a team outside of KenPom’s top 100 for North Carolina, so it’s likely we’ll have to wait until Thursday for a legitimate litmus test for the Tar Heels. That said, Northern Iowa is no pushover after an impressive performance in an overtime loss to North Texas, a squad that gave both LSU and St. John’s a real scare at the Charleston Classic. Jacob Hutson and Armando Bacot should be a fun matchup here.
How to Watch Texas Tech vs. Villanova- TV: ESPN/ESPN2 | Streaming: ESPN App
- Time: 2:30 p.m. ET | Location: Imperial Arena – Nassau, Bahamas
- Spread: Texas Tech +2.5 (-110) | Villanova -2.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Texas Tech (+114) | Villanova (-137)
- Total: OVER 130.5 (-114) | UNDER 130.5 (-106)
Villanova suffered a disastrous loss to Penn at The Palestra, but the Wildcats had a hell of a bounce-back performance in a thrashing of Maryland last Friday. Texas Tech fits a similar mold as the Terrapins as a team that wants to make things ugly and earn their keep on the defensive end. A key matchup quirk that may work in the Red Raiders’ favor: They allow the least percentage of opponent points from the free-throw line, the place where Villanova is second-best in the country. Keeping Villanova from its coveted charity stripe could be the difference with such a short spread.
How to Watch Memphis vs. Michigan- TV: ESPN2 | Streaming: ESPN App
- Time: 5:00 p.m. ET | Location: Imperial Arena – Nassau, Bahamas
- Spread: Memphis -1.5 (-110) | Michigan +1.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Memphis (-122) | Michigan (+102)
- Total: OVER 157.5 (-110) | UNDER 157.5 (-110)
Michigan was off to a fiery start to their season until a loss to Long Beach State pumped the brakes on all hopes. The Wolverines can win back the trust of the public with a big win over Memphis and a solid showing down in the Bahamas. As for Memphis, this represents their first true test of the season. This is a matchup that could be crucial on resumes in March with both teams having bubble potential.
How to Watch Stanford vs. #20 Arkansas- TV: ESPNU | Streaming: ESPN App
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | Location: Imperial Arena – Nassau, Bahamas
- Spread: Stanford +6.5 (-110) | Arkansas -6.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Stanford (+220) | Arkansas (-275)
- Total: OVER 156.5 (-110) | UNDER 156.5 (-110)
Both of these schools have already dropped a buy game this season and are seeking their first power conference victory of the season. There’s plenty of pace to be had in this one, thus the total in the high-150s. This will come down to Stanford‘s defense. If they can string together some stops, they can hang around. If not, Arkansas will be sending them to the loser’s bracket comfortably.
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