MVC Picks
NCAA Basketball
7:00 PM EST
Rotation # 795
Bradley -3 over Illinois State (push)
There is a decent size talent gap between these two teams. Bradley is now back to full strength will Elijah Childs back in the lineup. This is the same team that beat the Redbirds earlier this year without Darrell Brown and Elijah Childs available that night. I just can’t see a 9 win basketball team finding the magic to beat this Bradley team with those two guys back in the lineup. This Illinois State team is locked into the #9 seed in the Missouri Valley Tournament so mentally there is no fight in them to move up the ladder. Take Bradley.
NCAA Basketball
7:00 PM EST
Rotation # 809
Virginia -2.5 over Virginia Tech (win)
Virginia Tech was rocked by UVA in the first meeting. It was the worst offensive showing the Hokies had in 50 years. I do think this Tech team has improved, but now you have a bunch of freshman that are feeling the effects of a long and grueling ACC schedule. The work load for more than half of this roster has never been seen or experienced. UVA has trouble scoring so we know on any given night they can be beaten, but I believe this is where coaching comes into play. Tony Bennett knows his squad has a massive size advantage and he will use it to his advantage. This should be another sloppy shooting game, but it’s exactly the type of game UVA lives to play for. Take Virginia.
NCAA Basketball
9:00 PM EST
Rotation # 839
Missouri -2 over Vanderbilt (win)
Missouri has yet to win a road conference game. Vanderbilt is in the basement in the conference. Both teams are pretty bad, but the advantage goes to Missouri as they will never get a better chance to win on the road and need to take advantage of a Commodores team that is missing all of their forwards. This is a young Vanderbilt team that is in the middle of a season in which their coach was released and Jerry Stackhouse has since taken over with no coaching experience. Missouri has the size advantage tonight and if they can’t take advantage it will spell trouble for Cuonzo Martin heading into his fourth year as head coach. Take Missouri.