Blog

College Basketball
12:15 PM EST
Rotation # 779-780
Baylor/Mississippi State Over 145.5 (win)
The first thing that jumps out about this matchup is a decent size advantage for Mississippi State as they are the more physically dominant team. Baylor is an offensive-minded program that runs its offense with a purpose and settles for the best available shot. The Bears are great at creating second-chance points with offensive rebounding. Baylor lacks focus on the defensive end as they are a poor defensive rebounding team, and their defense could use work. Mississippi State will use their size to score easy buckets. Both teams are scrappy at turning teams over, so hopefully, we get a lot of fastbreak points. One area in both team’s struggle is defending the three-line. It’s hard to predict which team will advance because if the opponent gets hot from deep, it’s lights out. Look for Josh Hubbard to have a massive game for the Bulldogs and for Jayden Nunn to shoot a lot of three-pointers for the Bears. Take the Over.

College Basketball
12:40 EST
Rotation # 792
Alabama -21.5 over Robert Morris (loss)
Robert Morris dominated the Horizon Conference but is in for a tough test today against an Alabama team that played the most demanding schedule in the nation. The Colonials played a weak schedule and did not test themselves in non-conference play. Alabama is a deep basketball team that will make it a point to get the Colonial starters in foul trouble. Robert Morris is a top-heavy team that doesn’t have a good bench. Look for the Crimson Tide’s pace to be too much for Robert Morris to handle. Grant Nelson’s status is still in the air, but the Alabama bench will compensate. Guards Mark Sears, Labaron Philon, and Aden Holloway will dominate this game. Take Alabama. 

College Basketball
12:40 EST
Rotation # 796
Iowa State -14.5 over Lipscomb (win)
The Lipscomb Bison cleaned up in the Atlantic Sun this year. The Bison are well-coached and challenged their program with a few good matchups against top-level competition early in the season. Iowa State is dealing with an injury to guard Keshon Gilbert that has him sidelined for the rest of the year, and Tamin Lipsey is coming back from an injury. I can see why Lipscomb is a popular underdog pick. The Cyclones are the bigger and stronger team and should push the Bison around on the defensive end. The Bison are another team that doesn’t have a deep bench, so the Cyclones will use their muscle to get them in foul trouble. T.J. Otzelberger is a good coach and should unleash players like Joshua Jefferson to overwhelm the Bison defense with his size. It will be challenging for Lipscomb to shoot over the Cyclone’s length. Take Iowa State.

College Basketball
7:10 EST
Rotation # 800
Kentucky -11.5 over Troy (win)
The Troy Trojans cleaned up in the Sun Belt competition this year. What I like about Troy is that they are a year ahead of schedule as they are very young outside of senior sensation Tayton Conerway. The Trojans’ glaring problem is their inability to protect the ball. You can get down on the scoreboard quickly if you get sloppy against an athletic Wildcats team. Mark Pope has done an outstanding job in his first season coaching Kentucky with all transfer players. The Wildcats have gifted offensive talent up and down their lineup. It might take Pope another year or two to land better defensive players. Kentucky will have a significant size advantage, and if they can get to the foul line, they are great at knocking them down. Kentucky is going to score. I am not sure the Trojans can keep up, as they don’t shoot the ball particularly well playing in a weaker conference. Sometimes, a team’s numbers are inflated, scoring at an elite rate against bad teams all season, but the numbers don’t lie when you are a below-average shooting team against weaker teams. Take Kentucky.

NCAA Tournament Underdog Pick
College Basketball
7:25 EST
Rotation # 785
New Mexico +3.5 over Marquette (win)
We had a seven-year streak going with our March Madness Underdog Pick. We did lose it last year, so seven of the previous eight years still sounds good! The average basketball fan doesn’t get to watch the Mountain West Conference much, but it’s not too far behind the BIG East. The Lobos were the regular-season champions coached by Ricard Pitino Jr. The Lobos are a big team with an excellent scoring offense that plays at a frantic pace. The Lobos are elite-level rebounders, which isn’t good news for a Marquette team with a poor offensive-rebounding squad. The Golden Eagles lack a deep bench, and foul shooting can be an adventure. It’s something to watch if this game is close down the stretch. Lobo’s guard Donovan Dent could start on many big-named programs. Look for the Lobos to play tough for 40 minutes and to keep it close. Take New Mexico.

College Basketball
7:35 EST
Rotation # 803-804
Akron/Arizona over 167.5 (loss)
Coach John Groce led the Akron Zips to a dominating performance in the MAC this year. The Zips are an outstanding offensive team that plays at a NASCAR-like pace. Akron can spread the floor well and score from anywhere on the court. The Zips are a deep team with the talent to score quickly on the fast break. It is hard to get a measure of just how good the Zip’s offense is as they play in a weaker conference and certainly are not used to the massive size advantage Arizona holds over them. The Wildcats themselves love the play fast. Two quick-paced teams have a lot of possessions, which is why Vegas made them the highest total on the board today. The Wildcats can get a layup anytime they want, as they have the most considerable height advantage out of any teams playing this weekend. Look for a lot of powerful dunks from Arizona on the fastbreak. Caleb Love will look to have a high-point night, as he doesn’t want his last game to be anytime soon. Two offensive-minded teams with deep benches should put on an entertaining performance. Look for a lot of points. Take the Over.