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If you missed Saturday’s picks, I’m terribly sorry—you missed out on a 4-1 day, and that may never happen again. Actually… screw that, let’s do it again.
Also here is a video of Jon Scheyer nailing shots for good luck. Still got it.
The Blue Jays got it done for us against Marquette on Saturday, and tonight should feature one of the best environments in the country.
$1 beer night, Red Panda, and a “meh” UConn team? Sign me up.
Creighton won the first matchup at UConn by five, thanks to an all-time performance from Jamiya Neal. I don’t expect that kind of game from Neal again, but I do expect a dominant showing from Ryan Kalkbrenner.
I can’t trust UConn’s defense on the road—especially in what will likely be the best environment they’ll face all season. This is not the UConn team from the last two years; they are very beatable.
We nailed Florida +9.5 outright against Auburn on Saturday. That said, I’m still terrified to bet against Auburn. Despite the loss to Florida, I still believe Auburn and Duke are the best teams in college basketball.
But once again, 10 points is just too many for a road game in the SEC—especially against a team fighting for its tournament life. Vanderbilt has shown it can compete with anyone in their own gym, with wins over Kentucky and Tennessee.
No, I don’t think Vandy wins outright. Auburn will bounce back and get the win, but I believe the game stays within 10 points. Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington is going to get paid a ton of money this offseason no matter where he ends up (coughs Indiana).
The No. 3 overall team in the country is an underdog at Mississippi State. Kind of weird, right?
Mississippi State has been on the cusp of a statement win all season—their best wins so far are against Pitt, Ole Miss, and Vandy. This is a huge opportunity to make their presence felt in the SEC against a Florida team riding high after its massive win at Auburn.
The game plan is simple: Mississippi State will play the exact same style Tennessee used to beat Florida, and we saw how that affected the Gators in Knoxville. The Bulldogs, led by Chris Jans, are going to muck it up, play super physical, and let Josh Hubbard run the show on offense. (We’ll discuss this on the pod this week, but I think Hubbard might be my Kemba candidate for March Madness.)
I love this Florida team—I have since we recorded our preseason previews. I truly think they’re just outside the tier that Alabama, Duke, and Auburn are in. A legitimate Final Four contender and maybe even a title contender. But tonight, the hype train slows down with a loss in Starkville.
First reason for this pick: Purdue annihilated Michigan last time they played in West Lafayette, 91-64. Yet, somehow, Michigan is favored tonight??
That game came down to one thing: turnovers.
Michigan turned the ball over 22 times in that game compared to Purdue’s 6. I don’t see Purdue winning the turnover battle by 16 again—especially on the road. That was also Danny Wolf’s worst game as a Wolverine. Credit to Purdue for forcing tough shots and turnovers, but I don’t see them replicating that level of defensive success tonight.
This will also be Purdue’s toughest road game in Big Ten play. So far, all their road matchups have been against bottom-five or bottom-six teams in the conference. I think Michigan and Dusty May get the big man pick-and-roll rolling tonight. Give me the Wolverines at home.
I hate this pick. I hate unders. But I have to take this one.
Last time these two teams played, the total landed at 135. I’m expecting a 69-60 type of final score here. People might be thrown off because Cincinnati has looked unstoppable offensively in their last two games, scoring 93 against UCF and 84 against BYU.
But they shot 58.5% from the field in those games—their season average is 45.5%. Both teams rank outside the top 340 in free throw percentage. This is going to be a rock fight. I don’t see Jizzle James hitting six threes again, and I expect Cincinnati to drain the clock while forcing Utah into tough shots.
This is an ugly pick, I know. But it comes down to one thing: fouls.
There will be a ton of free throws in this game. Both teams rank in the top 40 in free throw attempts per game. Combine that with SEC refs, and we’re looking at a free-throw shooting contest.
Neither team is particularly great from the line, but it won’t matter. The sheer volume of attempts will push this over the total.
Here are pictures of TV Teddy and Jeffrey "High Knees" Anderson for good luck for the over.
