Mike Rose
Oregon at Kansas
Play: Kansas -6.5
I’ll admit, I took a stand against my Jayhawks on Thursday night thinking Matt Painter’s sole goal would be to take advantage of KU’s weakness on the interior. While that train of thought played out through the game’s first 10 minutes, once Kansas clawed back in the game, the plan of attack was abandoned. KU forced Purdue to play its style of game and it cost them dearly. The Boilers were simply unable to hit the shots they converted earlier, and then went away from their game plan which saw them turn it over at an alarming rate. I foresee the same type of scenario occurring tonight with Oregon who won’t have the benefit of extended rest like they had when matching up against Michigan in the Sweet 16.
Look for Kansas to take a page out of Rhode Island’s book and light the Ducks up from long range, and then get out in transition once Oregon starts pushing it to get back in the game. Devonte’ Graham is the first player to hit at least four 3s in four straight NCAA tourney games since a guy named Steph did it with Davidson in the Wildcats run to the Elite 8 back in ‘08. The Wolverines let loose from downtown 31 times versus the Ducks. While they only converted 35.4 percent of them, it’s safe to say the 3-ball was wide open for all that took the shot. With Graham on fire and Frank Mason, Josh Jackson and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk all readily able to make hay from deep, I expect a barrage of 3s to rain down upon the Ducks. Only this time, they’ll be converted at a higher clip. Kansas has drained an average of 11 threes per game in this tourney, and they’ll utilize their deep ball prowess to punch their ticket into the Final Four in covering fashion.
Carmine Bianco
Portland at Columbus
Play: Portland +0.5
Tough to find anything negative to say against the Timbers side that have so far lived up to what I expected of them coming into this season. Missing out last season has given them some motivation this season and with some offseason changes they've looked good so far winning all 3 matches and get +0.5 a goal here against a Crew side they've beaten the last three meetings. The showed they could defend well on the road in a 1-0 win away to the LA Galaxy and I'll look for a result Saturday as well.
Harry Bondi
LA CLIPPERS (-4) over Utah
The Jazz have only covered two of their last seven games and just four of their last 13 dating back to the beginning of the month, and things are progressively getting worse. The reason? A brutal schedule that has seen them play on the road 11 times in their last 16 games. The travel is clearly wearing on them. Once one of the most stout defenses in the league, the Jazz have given up over 100 points in 10 of their last 16 games. Now they run into a Clippers team that will be playing revenge for a 114-108 loss to the Jazz back on March 13 in which Utah shot a ridiculous 68% from three-point land. With tired legs, the Jazz won’t come anywhere close to that kind of shooting effort here today against a motivated Clippers team. Lay the home favorite.
Eric Schroeder
Two scrappy teams with something to prove, with a chance at their first national semifinal appearance.
Gonzaga and Xavier will tangle in a physical battle I like to stay Under.
Xavier has overcome adversity, and is the Cinderella story at this point, as the 11-seed. Gonzaga is looking to prove it is no longer a mid-major power that can't hang with the upper tier of college basketball.
Xavier has had an impressive path to this point, knocking off No. 6 seed Maryland, No. 3 seed Florida State and No. 2 seed Arizona.
The impressive common foe here is Arizona, which Gonzaga beat in December.
The Bullodgs are in after holding West Virginia to 26.7 percent shooting (16 of 60). Their defense has been on point thus far, and will force a slower tempo game.
3* Xavier/Gonzaga Under
Jack Brayman
After seeing the Pacers fail me last night with my freebie, I'm taking another shot in the NBA tonight, as I like the Toronto Raptors to get things done, in the final stop of their current road trip, in Dallas against the Mavericks.
Dallas is playing with plenty of heart down the stretch, because it has no other option at this point. But when you're playing desperate like the Mavericks, it can be dangerous when taking a on a team like the Raptors.
This is the same Toronto team that rolled to a 100-78 victory over the Mavericks not too long ago north of the border. That win ignited a six-game run, during which the Raptors won five. Coming into this game, they've won four straight.
The Raptors, who are in after coming from 15 points down to beat the Heat on Thursday, have won three straight over the Mavs. They've also covered three of their last four.
Take the road team in this one.
3* RAPTORS
Frank Sawyer
Oregon vs. Kansas
Play: Over 157
Kansas (31-4) is averaging 96 PPG in this NCAA Tournament after their 98-66 thrashing of Purdue on Thursday. The Jayhawks have then played 4 straight games Over the Total after scoring at least 90 points in their last game. Kansas has also played 4 straight games Over the Total after a win by at least 20 points. Oregon (32-5) will likely be very willing to play at the Jayhawks’ fast pace with their great guard play with Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey. The Ducks reached the Elite Eight with their 69-68 victory over Michigan on Thursday. Oregon has then played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a straight-up win. The Ducks have also played 5 of their last 6 games in the NCAA Tournament Over the Total as an underdog getting less than 7 points.
Teddy Covers
Pelicans vs. Nuggets
Play: Over 228
Don’t sleep on the Nuggets impressive offensive improvement since the All Star Break! The numbers don’t lie. Denver ranks #2 in the NBA in points per possession on offense since the All Star Break –behind only Houston.
And the Nuggets rank among the top five teams in the NBA in net offensive/defensive efficiency since the break as well, right there with the likes of Golden State, Houston, Miami and San Antonio.
The Nuggets have hung 124 or more on their opponents in regulation five times in their last six ballgames. Wilson Chandler is back in the lineup, as is Danilo Gallinari, giving head coach Mike Malone his full nine man rotation moving forward. It’s surely worth noting that the Nuggets didn’t even shoot particularly well to hang 125 on Indiana in their last game, hitting 47% from the floor while missing 20 of their 27 three point shots. But their aggressiveness led to 43 free throw attempts, aggressiveness that’s primed to give New Orleans fits tonight!
But the Pelicans own offensive efficiency has improved by leaps and bounds in the weeks since DeMarcus Cousins arrived in the Big Easy. New Orleans remains a defensive mess, particularly on the perimeter where Alvin Gentry’s rotations have been in flux since the Cousins trade.
With two versatile big men and with Jrue Holiday showing some comfort level at the point guard position, feeding his bigs, the Pelicans are scoring points in bunches too, hanging 107+ four times in their last five games. Look for a ‘track meet’ type game in the Mile High altitude on Sunday, flying Over the total with room to spare.
Dave Price
Wolves vs. Blazers
Play: Blazers -6½
The Minnesota Timberwolves are 0-5 SU & 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall. They have pretty much packed it in, and that was evident last night with their 119-130 overtime loss to the lowly Los Angeles Lakers. Now they are tired and facing a hungry Portland Trail Blazers team that is trying to catch the Denver Nuggets for the 8th seed in the Western Conference. The Blazers have put themselves in this position by going 9-3 in their last 12 games overall. The Timberwolves are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 road games. The Blazers are 35-16-1 ATS in the last 52 meetings.
Brandon Shively
Washington vs. Cleveland
Pick: Cleveland
Cleveland appears to be without Lebron James, but I like the value with the Cavs at home tonight catching points. Both teams played last night which brings us to a 10-2 SU/ 9-3 ATS angle since 2014. We want to play on home teams (on Saturday) on zero rest off a road win against a team with no rest off a home win. Also, Cleveland is off a very good shooting game and they are 16-1 SU and ATS at home off a game where they shot above 84% from the foul line and above 49% from the floor. Look for the Cavs to want this win as the Eastern Conference standings are getting tighter.