Sportsbook players know that the NCAA basketball betting season is pretty slow until the conference portion of the schedule begins, but there are usually a handful of games involving the nation’s best. Here’s the cream of the crop to fill up your December with.

Michigan State at North Carolina (December 1^st)

In a rematch of last year’s national-championship game, the Spartans will be out to exact some revenge on the Tar Heels, who no longer have Ty Lawson running the show. Instead, it’ll be Larry Drew III who has the task of chasing Lucas around, but the Tar Heels will have the advantage in the post. Carolina has won six of eight against the Spartans, including the last four, which is good sportsbook knowledge to have.

North Carolina at Kentucky (December 5^th)

Sportsbook betting players will get their first big-game look at Kentucky coach John Calipari and point guard John Wall, who some say will be the top pick in the NBA draft if he decides to leave school. Most will be watching  to see how the Wildcats adapt to Calipari’s dribble-drive offense that was so effective at Memphis, and they get to test it against another top-10 team in the Tar Heels, who have won their last five against Kentucky.

North Carolina at Texas (December 19^th)

The defending national champions will head to Dallas to play the Longhorns in the new Cowboys Stadium, and the last time they played basketball in a football stadium, it was during March Madness last year. These two have met only twice, and Texas has won both, although the highest margin of victory was three points. It’ll be interesting to see how Texas’ Damion James fares in the post against UNC’s Ed Davis. Unlike this Saturday’s Pacquiao vs Cotto odds, there won’t be a heavy favorite in this slugfest.

Michigan State at Texas (December 22^nd)

It doesn’t get easy for the Longhorns, as they host the Spartans three days later. This will be the first major test for Texas’ heralded freshman guard Avery Bradley, who will be going up against Michigan State’s Kalin Lucas, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year and the main reason for the Spartans’ Final Four run last year. As two of the top three teams in the preseason rankings, sportsbook players will want to pay close attention to this game. These two have played five times since 1999, with Michigan State taking the last three, including a pair at Texas. Only one of those games have been decided by 10 points or more, so watch the posted total in your online betting book.

Louisville at Kentucky (January 2^nd)

Purdue-West Virginia on New Year’s Day is a great matchup of college basketball betting sleepers, but it has to take a backseat to one of the best rivalries in college basketball that got better the second Calipari signed on to coach Kentucky. Louisville coach Rick Pitino won a national title at Kentucky in 1996 and lost in the ’97 title game, but his legacy has definitely been tarnished with Wildcat fans after signing with their state rivals. Calipari and Pitino are probably the highest-profile coaches in the nation, and oh yeah, there’ll be a ton of talent on the floor as both are ranked in the preseason top 20 and have solid internet betting odds for the national title.