The 23rd edition of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge got underway Monday as the Big Ten took a 2-0 lead thanks to wins from Iowa and Illinois. In the opening game, Virginia stormed back from a 21-point deficit to take a one point lead late, but Joe Toussaint hit a tough shot with eight seconds left to secure the win. Notre Dame threatened to make things interesting in the second half before Kofi Cockburn and the Illini closed the door.
Tuesday proved more of the same as the Big Ten got wins in four of six games, taking a 6-2 lead on the ACC. Eight wins are needed to clinch. Syracuse and Wake Forest were the big winners for the ACC, while Ohio State’s comeback win over No. 1 Duke provided the marquee game of the night. The Blue Devils had no field goals (and just one made free throw) over the final 5:18 of the game. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, got 20 points from Zed Key and 14 from E.J. Liddell in the victory.
Since 2009, the Big Ten has outright won seven of these events, with the ACC taking two and the two conferences tying thrice. Overall, the ACC leads the series 12-7-3, buoyed by a 10-0 start from 1999-2008.
We have six more games tonight, so let’s take a look at what to expect.
All odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook.
Louisville at No. 22 Michigan State (-3.5)
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
If Louisville’s last game had counted, it could’ve helped the ACC out as the Cards defeated Maryland by eight to win the Bahamas Championship. Alas, it didn’t, so Chris Mack will take his squad to MSU to face Tom Izzo and the Spartans. Michigan State enters the game with a No. 22 ranking and a 5-2 record. Their losses came against Kansas and Baylor — absolutely no shame there — and they have two solid wins over Loyola-Chicago and UConn.
Michigan State has the edge at home, but don’t count out a defensively tough Louisville team.
Game Line: Michigan State -3.5, Louisville +145 ML, O/U 136.5
Time: 7:15pm ET
Network: ESPN
Virginia Tech at Maryland (-1.5)
AP Photo/Adam Hunger
Both of these teams enter tonight’s game coming off of losses — Maryland fell to Louisville, and Virginia Tech dropped a heartbreaker to Xavier — so this should be a fun one. The Terps are slight favorites, and even KenPom sees this as a one-point outcome. Virginia Tech is connecting on 40% of its threes, and the Maryland defense has let their opponents make a woeful 35 percent from beyond the arc this season. If the Hokies can hit threes, the defense should be enough to pick up a road win.
Game Line: Maryland -1.5, Virginia Tech -103 ML, O/U 132.5
Time: 7:15pm ET
Network: ESPN2
Nebraska at NC State (-6.5)
AP Photo/Jessica Hill
Nebraska is 5-2 on the season with losses to Western Illinois and Creighton, and its best win coming against KenPom No. 210 Sam Houston State. NC State is 5-1 with a loss to Oklahoma State. The Wolfpack have been good with ball security, only turning it over on 13.6 percent of its possessions. The Huskers have struggled from deep, but NC State isn’t particularly great from there defensively.
Game Line: NC State -6.5, Nebraska +225 ML, O/U 146.5
Time: 7:15pm ET
Network: ESPNU
No. 24 Michigan (-2.5) at North Carolina
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
This is the headliner of the evening, even if these two teams don’t come in with the numbers next to their names that we’ve come to expect. Michigan is ranked No. 24 and 4-2. North Carolina is receiving votes and also at 4-2. Neither has a bad loss, but neither has a particularly thrilling win so far this season.
Expect the Wolverines to work inside, while the Tar Heels have some shooters that can connect from the outside. This isn’t a UNC team that lives off of second chance points — they are only rebounding 28 percent of their own misses — but Michigan can do some damage on the offensive glass.
Game Line: Michigan -2.5, North Carolina +120 ML, O/U 151.5
Time: 9:15pm ET
Network: ESPN
No. 23 Wisconsin (-3.5) at Georgia Tech
Photo by David Becker/Getty Images
No, you aren’t imagining things. Yes, Brad Davison is still on Wisconsin. The Badgers are ranked No. 23 this week and are coming off of a victory at the Maui Invitational. Wisconsin has a huge win over Houston on their resume and seem to be trending in the right direction. Georgia Tech has won five straight after losing the season opener by three to Miami (OH), but the best team they’ve beaten is KenPom No. 174 Georgia.
The Yellow Jackets have Jordan Usher and Michael Devoe back from the squad that won the ACC tournament last season, and the latter is shooting a blistering 18-for-29 (62 percent) from three this year. Wisconsin’s offense has an effective field goal percentage of just 44.9 percent (yuck), but they don’t turn the ball over and Johnny Davis is emerging as a star.
Game Line: Wisconsin -3.5, Georgia Tech +135, O/U 130.5
Time: 9:15pm ET
Network: ESPN2
Miami at Penn State (-2.5)
Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports
This is a tough one to predict. Neither team has really wowed so far this season, and they both have losses to teams in the KenPom 100s. Miami and Penn State seem like teams still trying to figure out their identities, so this should be a good gauge against solid-but-not-overwhelming competition.
Seth Lundy and Sam Sessoms lead the Nittany Lions with 15.3 points per game each, and Miami’s Kameron McGusty and Isaiah Wong can fill up a stat sheet. This should be a close one.
Game Line: Penn State -2.5, Miami +125 ML, O/U 134.5
Time: 9:15pm ET
Network: ESPNU
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