Zack Cimini
Wake Forest vs. Clemson
Pick: Clemson
Three straight losses by Clemson have put their March Madness hopes likely to an end. While Wake Forest has won three of four, they've done so with strictly offensive play. Clemson's methodical pace will be troublesome for the Demon Deacons as it was in a home loss to start ACC play. Grab the Tigers in the hostile Littlejohn Coliseum.
Power Sports
Buffalo vs. Central Michigan
Pick: Buffalo
Buffalo (7-5 MAC, 13-12 overall) is a hot team right now. They've won four straight and covered five in a row. That puts them in a second place tie w/ Ohio in the East Division behind Akron, who is the MAC's best team. Though laying points on the road can be dicey in the College Hoops, I believe the Bulls' recent form warrants such a decision here. Central Michigan gave up 101 points the first time these teams met and no, the game did not go into overtime.
That first meeting, which took place only two weeks ago, saw Buffalo shoot better than 50% from the field. That's something they've now done in four of the last five games. Their most recent effort (on Saturday) was a ridculous performance where they finished at 63.5% from the field and beat Bowling Green 88-74. This team's last six wins have all been by double digits. The only two losses in the last eight games both came by a single point, one of them at Akron. I just don't know how Central Michigan is going to get stops in this game.
Now the Chippewas can score plenty themselves. That should be obvious by the total for this game, one of the highest you'll see for any College Basketball game this year. CMU is currently in a four way tie for first in the MAC West, but w/ a 6-6 SU record in league play. So there's no doubt that the East is again the stronger division. The Chips just lost to another MAC East team, Miami, on Saturday. The final score was 81-76 and they were three-point favorites in that one. One of the worst defensive teams in the country (343rd in points allowed!), I just don't see how Central Michigan will be able to slow down Buffalo here.
David Banks
Ohio St @ Michigan St
Pick: Michigan St. -7.5
Head coach Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans are making a late-season, last-ditch push to ensure they get in to the NCAA tournament. Michigan State, 15-10 overall and 7-5 in Big Ten play, is in danger of missing March Madness for the first time in over a decade. The Spartans are coming off a big 77-66 win over Iowa, Michigan State’s third win in its last four games. Izzo’s team had a five-game midseason stretch where they lost four, including losses to Penn State and their next opponent, Ohio State.
The Spartans are looking to avenge a 72-67 loss to the Buckeyes on Jan. 16. JaQuan Lyle scored 22 points as Ohio State recorded its first Big Ten win over MSU. All five Buckeyes starters scored in double figures as head coach Thad Motta’s team was actually pulled away late. The Spartans outshot (50% to 46%) and outrebounded (32 to 28) the Buckeyes, but Michigan State turned the ball over 17 times.
Spartans leading scorer Miles Bridges has finally returned to form after missing seven games due to injury. The 6-foot-7 freshman averages 16.2 points and 8.3 rebounds to lead Michigan State. Nick Ward adds 13.1 points and six rebounds while veteran Eron Harris is the only other Spartan who averages in double figures in points, 11.3. Michigan State has won its last two games at home and needs every win it can get down the stretch. The Spartans have six regular season games remaining and three are against ranked opponents (No. 16 Purdue, No. 7 Wisconsin, and No. 21 Maryland).
The Prez
Texas at Oklahoma
Play: Under 138
The worldwide leader in sports, ESPN, will have a difficult time topping last night's Big Monday double-header. The college basketball events last night saw two overtime games that were over-the-top thrillers and worthy of February warm-ups for March Madness. The lone Big 12 contest on Terrific Tuesday pits the Longhorns and the Sooners at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Tipoff is schedule for 9:00 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN2.
Two young and sloppy clubs take the hardwood tonight in Norman with Texas looking for their first road win of the 2016-17 campaign. Still in search of its first road win of the season. This is likely the best and the last chance that the ‘Horns have of securing a win as a visitor in conference play with their other two road tests coming against West Virginia and Texas Tech.
The first meeting between these two football schools saw a high scoring 84-83 win by Texas on a three-point prayer from young Texas guard Andrew Jones. The Longhorns are off an ugly 84-71 loss at Stillwater on Saturday against Oklahoma State. Not only has Texas been poor in their road events this season of their eight losses half of those defeats have come by double-digits.
Oklahoma was schooled in their last league event losing 80-64 at Iowa State this past weekend. The bad news outside of loss to the Cyclones is that Lon Kruger’s squad will have to play the rest of the season without their experienced point guard Jordan Woodard who suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in the second half of Saturday’s defeat.
Both of these Big 12 clubs are dominated by freshman contributors and the college schedule wall for frosh is upon us. Valentine’s Day is typically that time of the season when the first year college player personnel run the court on tired legs. The Longhorns depend on freshman forward Jarrett Allen to be the go-to scorer. Allen has been Texas’ leading scorer over the last month-and-a-half and the team is without guard Tevin Mack (14.8 ) who was suspended indefinitely by head coach Shaka Smart. The youth on this Longhorn’s club is talented but without leadership.
The loss of Woodard makes the Sooners a dysfunctional unit offensively. The senior leads OU in scoring (14.6), assists (3.1) and steals (1.9). Kruger's youngsters close out the season without the their floor general and are currently riding a seven game losing streak. Like the Longhorns the Sooners will be dominated with freshman for the next month.
Ignore the high scoring affair between these two Big 12 franchises that took place in Austin last month. Freshman guard Kameron McGusty is the only starter for the Sooners tonight that is averaging 10-plus points per game (10.5). Neither club will find any offensive rhythm tonight and the first team to 65 wins.
KEY TRENDS
• The UNDER is 4-1 in the Longhorns last 5 overall games and the ‘Horns are 8-3 to the UNDER in their last 11 overall events as a visitor.
• Under is 5-2-1 in Longhorns last 8 games as an underdog of 0.5-6.5.
• The UNDER has cashed at a 4-1 clip in the Sooners last 5 and is 16-6 in OU’s last 22 league tilts.
Oskeim Sports
Tulsa vs. Central Florida
Play: Central Florida -6
Tulsa's season has come undone as the Golden Hurricane have lost four straight games, including a 66-44 loss at Memphis in their most recent road trip. Tulsa is a money-burning 3-8 ATS in its last eleven road games versus teams with a winning home record, 3-7 ATS in its last ten games as an underdog of 6.5-points or less and 1-4 ATS in its last five road tilts when getting 6.5-points or less from the oddsmakers.
Let's also note that the home team is 5-0-1 ATS in the last six meetings in this series, while the Golden Hurricane are just 1-6-1 ATS in their last eight trips to Central Florida. Tulsa's offense has stalled away from home where it's averaging just 64.3 points per game on 40.6% shooting from the field. The Golden Hurricane are averaging a woeful 58.6 points over their last five games (38.4% FG%) and are shooting just 40.7% from the floor in conference play.
Those struggles will only continue against a stifling Central Florida defense that is allowing just 61.2 points per game (35.8% FG%; 30.8% 3-PT%) to teams that would combine to average 71.6 points per game. The Knights are 11-3 SU at home this season where they are limiting opponents to a mere 57.3 points per game on 33.2% shooting from the field and 29.9% from beyond the arc.
Overall, the Knights' stop unit is 10.4 points per game better than average this season, which gives them a significant 10.2 points per game advantage over Tulsa's pedestrian attack (67.6 points per game against teams that would combine to allow 67.4 points per game).
Central Florida is also one of the best rebounding teams in college basketball, ranking 2nd-nationally in rebounds per game (42.7), 3rd in rebound margin (10.4) and 9th in total rebounds (1068). In contrast, Tulsa ranks 197th-nationally in rebounds per game (35.6) and 120th in rebound margin (2.0).
Finally, Central Florida takes the floor with legitimate revenge after suffering a 77-66 loss at Tulsa on January 28.
Harry Bondi
PITTSBURGH -4.5 over Virginia Tech
Real tough spot here for the Hokies, who not only come in off a double OT upset win over Virginia on Sunday, but will also be without sophomore sensation Chris Clarke, who torn his ACL in the big victory. That doesn’t bode well here tonight against a Pitt team that has won six of the last eight meetings overall in this series and four in a row at home. Lay the short number at home.
Stephen Nover
Stars / Jets Over 6
The oddsmaker has set a high total here - for good reason: Bad defense, below average goalies and strong offenses.
The Stars aren't as high-scoring as last season, but they do rank 13th in goals. They've scored at least three goals in six of their last eight games and can take advantage of Winnipeg's 28th-ranked defense.
The Jets have gone over the total in seven of their last eight games.
PORT PORT SPORTS
RUTGERS +18
This should be too many points for this Purdue team to cover here, especially considering they are coming in off tough wins at Indiana and at Maryland. Rutgers has been playing a little more competitive basketball lately, as although they are 1-5 ML in their L6 games, they are 3-3 ATS in that span and they have kept 4 of those losses to 12 points or less. The Scarlet Knights had a rough start to conference play as they suffered blowout losses at Wisconsin and Michigan State, although they have now covered 3-of-4 on the road in Big 10 play, with their only loss coming by a 0.5 point with a 12-point loss at Maryland as a +11.5 underdog. Rutgers has had 7-of-their-L10 games decided by points or less.