Mike Lundin
Wizards / Heat Under 197½
The Washington Wizards will play their third game in as many nights since the All Star break and each of the first two went under the total. They've had a very stingy defense and posted a 98-86 victory over the Pistons on Friday and the under is 7-2 in their last nine games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. The shorthanded Miami Heat defeated the Hawks 115-111 at Atlanta last night and the under is 5-2-1 in Heat last eight games when their starting five players combine for more than 160 minutes on the previous day and 4-1 in their last five home games. Miami will have Hassan Whiteside back after serving a one-game suspension. With both teams on a back-to-back it will be in neither sides interest to drive up the tempo, and I think we'll see a low-scoring contest at American Airlines Arena Saturday.
Chase Diamond
Pittsburgh vs. Syracuse
Play: Pittsburgh +3
This game in the ACC as the 18-7 Pitt Panthers take on the 18-9 Syracuse. Syracuse has no post season this year and this game means the world to Pitt and getting into the big dance. Pitt won earlier this season and looks to do it again here. I love getting points with the more motivated team. Panthers have won 3 straight in this series look for them to win this one out rite but I'll take the points gladly.
Nelly
Oklahoma State -1 over Texas Tech
Oklahoma State lost by two at Texas Tech in overtime in early February and with a long gap between games after losing Monday night the Cowboys should be a focused team forSaturday’s matchup with the Red Raiders. After a good start in Lawrence the Cowboys wound up blown out by highly ranked Kansas on Monday, a Jayhawks team they beat in Stillwater in January. Oklahoma State has a stunning 3-10 record in Big XII play but the efficiency numbers are very similar to Texas Tech’s conference numbers with the Red Raiders 6-7 in league play but benefitting from two overtime wins. Oklahoma State has five conference losses by five or fewer points and in a critical game they will catch Texas Tech coming off a mammoth home win over Oklahoma on Wednesday. Texas Tech has won three big games in a row but the road results have mostly been ugly for the Red Raiders with losses in five of seven road games on the season. The last road win for Texas Tech at Oklahoma State came in 2003 under Bobby Knight and this is a short number on a Cowboys team that hasn’t been far away from a much better season with some very tough luck this year but these teams rate pretty similarly and the situation should greatly favor the hosts.