Minnesota will take the biggest hit in injury news.  Follow along for the latest in college injury updates that will affect your betting lines in NCAAB.

The college basketball betting season is now in full gear, fresh off exciting opening week and Thanksgiving week tournaments.  On the injury front there is one major update.


Minnesota Guard Al Nolen Out for Two Weeks


Starting guard Al Nolen could miss “a couple weeks or longer” for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, according to coach Tubby Smith.  He is battling a foot injury.

5-0 on the season, Minnesota is one of the hottest teams in the country and in the impressive Big Ten.  They are 3-1 against the spread on the year, including two wins as the underdog.

Averaging 9.2 points per game on the season, Nolen is second on the team in minutes and leads the team in steals at 2.8 per game.  He is second in assists at 4.2 per game.

Their best backup is Devoe Joseph, yet to play this season due to a violation of team rules.  Smith stated that he was unsure if he’ll bring Joseph back for the Virginia game on Monday night – he also mentioned that Joseph had academic issues.

A potential big blow for the on-fire Golden Gophers, it is good that they do not have a particularly tough schedule ahead in the near future.  However, watch the NCAAB lines closely due to Minnesota’s lack of depth at the point.  There could be value in each direction depending on how NCAAB odds makers react.

Note that small forward Rodney Williams, a starter, will also be out for Monday’s game – be sure to watch his status going forward.  He sprained his ankle in the previous game.


Quick Injury Updates


As an update to last week’s NCAAB betting overview for injuries – Elias Harris looks to be back to full strength for Gonzaga. 

Harris looked good in the 66-63 win over Gonzaga from the 23rd.  In the first half he scored 15 points in 18 minutes.  Gonzaga took the win against the spread as well; we’ll see how they fare against #19 Illinois on December 4th.

After Stanford’s 81-74 victory over DePaul on Saturday, guard Jeremy Green was sent to the hospital.

After fighting a stomach virus all week, Green was light-headed and passed out after leaving the court.  He led Stanford with 19 points.  Stanford doesn’t play next until December 12th, when they host UC Riverside.


Overview


As always watch these injuries for upcoming college basketball lines.  It will be interesting to see how Minnesota does against upcoming competition with their injury and other situations as well.

Look for other college basketball betting previews from SBR.  The NCAAB Handicapping Forum and live odds also are a worthwhile stop to get ready for betting odds.