Picks for 1/8/26
College Football
7:30 PM EST
Rotation # 274
Ole Miss +3 over Miami (loss)
The Hurricanes have done a great job of running the football in the college football playoffs, as they have not had to rely much on their passing game. I’m just wondering how much of that you can get away with? There has been so much talk about the Ole Miss coaching staff taking other jobs. Head coach Lane Kiffin has already left the team, and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. is on his way after the season, but that takes away from the talent on the field who are actually playing the game. Rebels QB Trinidad Chambliss is an exceptional talent. A year ago, Chambliss was playing Division 2 football and, in a few short months, became one of the best players in the nation. Chambliss can move in the pocket, Kewan Lacy is one of the better running backs in the game, and the receiving room has as much talent as any in the country. Ole Miss is an electric offense that can put up points in a hurry and in different ways. We cannot say the same about Miami. The Hurricanes could indeed just run the ball and control the clock, but they are not playing a brand of football in the playoffs that can be explosive in the passing game if they get down on the scoreboard. It’s hard to turn that back on, although QB Carson Beck is more than capable of finding his targets. Tonight’s game is evenly matched and wouldn’t be one we’d play on any given Saturday, but since it’s the semi-finals, we are playing it. We will take our chances with the underdog. Take Ole Miss.
College Basketball
8:30 PM EST
Rotation # 798
Illinois -22.5 over Rutgers (win)
Rutgers secured a big home win in overtime against Oregon the other night. I am not taking anything away from the Scarlet Knights, but the Ducks were missing their top floor general, Jackson Shelstad. The Illini had a big halftime lead in their last game at Penn State and coasted in the second half to make the score look closer than the game actually was. I am sure Coach Underwood wasn’t happy about it, and he will have his team focused this evening. The Illini are a better program top to bottom; they have the size and experience advantage and play outstanding offense and defense. Illinois’s offensive efficiency will be too much for Rutgers to keep up with, as the Scarlet Knights will struggle to score in fastbreak situations, and I don’t see Illinois turning the ball over enough for them to make a game out of it. Guards Keaton Wagler, Kyler Boswell, and Andrej Stojakovic will all try to put up 20 points each tonight. The spread is high, but over 40 minutes, the Illini should do enough to win by a large margin. It’s the type of game you should know by the half if the favorite is serious about playing or not. Take Illinois.