2018 – Bettors World

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco CBB ATS Prediction – 2/29/24

Bettors World — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 18:00:36 +0000

Leap Year Showdown: Gonzaga and San Francisco Collide

The Chase Center in San Francisco will witness a high-stakes West Coast Conference battle on the unique date of February 29th, 2024. The Gonzaga Bulldogs (22-6, 12-2 WCC), currently in second place, square off against the surging San Francisco Dons (22-7, 11-3 WCC) in a game carrying major implications for both teams’ NCAA Tournament paths.

Gonzaga’s Tournament Stability vs. San Francisco’s Desperation

While Gonzaga is a virtual lock for the NCAA Tournament, a potential late-season stumble could force them to rely on winning the conference tournament. On the other hand, San Francisco, despite their impressive record, finds themselves on the bubble due to their lack of quality wins. A win over Gonzaga would be a massive boost to their resume and potentially secure them an at-large bid.

The Chase Center Stage

San Francisco boasts a formidable 14-1 home record, but the semi-neutral venue of the Chase Center adds a layer of intrigue. The Dons will need to overcome the unfamiliar setting and maintain their composure against a seasoned Gonzaga squad.

Battle for Second Place

Beyond tournament implications, this game is a battle for the crucial second-place position in the WCC. A win for either team could significantly impact their seeding in the conference tournament.

Recent History and Momentum

The teams met on January 25th, with Gonzaga escaping with a narrow 77-72 away victory.
San Francisco enters this rematch on a hot streak, winning seven of their last eight games, including a dominant 92-68 victory over Pepperdine.

Key Questions and Prediction

Can San Francisco’s momentum and desire overcome Gonzaga’s experience?
Will the Dons finally secure a Quadrant 1 victory to solidify their tournament hopes?
Can Gonzaga avoid a late-season slip-up and maintain their tournament position?

Our model predicts a hard-fought contest, ultimately favoring Gonzaga with an 88-80 victory. However, San Francisco’s recent surge and desperation could lead to an upset.

Our Pick – Gonzaga -4.5

Creighton Villanova CBB

Bettors World — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:15:00 +0000

Creighton

vs.

Villanova

College Basketball

Pick

2/1/18

This season almost feels like a replica of previous ones with Villanova running away with things in the Big East. The Wildcats are only a half-Game above Xavier, but that’s been the case before and they already beat the Musketeers by 24 points. At home, this team is close to unstoppable and that’s where Creighton will try and defy the odds.

The problem for the Bluejays is that they’ve already struggled on the road against decent teams, losing by 22 at Xavier and 14 at Providence. Combine those performances with the recent injury of Martin Krampelj and there’s little reason to back them. While Villanova also lost starting guard Phil Booth recently, this team just showed it could win without him taking down Marquette on the road on Sunday. Creighton’s lone difficult Game without Krampelj was the 85-71 loss at Providence.

It’s logical to think there are going to be points in this Game, but Creighton’s defense in Conference play has been surprisingly good. The Bluejays lead the Big East in defensive efficiency as well as defensive three-point percentage (31.5). That’s a big stat because Villanova shoots lights out from deep at 41.7 percent to go with 62.7 percent from two-point range. The Wildcats have the No.1 offense in the country for a reason and even without Booth, still had 85 points at Marquette almost too easily.

Creighton’s offense is the one thing that could win this Game for the road team. However, the Bluejays have fallen off a bit on that end in Conference play and it’s hard to see them having enough options to keep up in this Game. Marcus Foster (19.9 ppg) and Khyri Thomas (14.6 ppg) are by far the best scorers on the team, but the problem is that they’ll have to work extremely hard on the other end against the likes of Jalen Brunson (19.4 ppg), Mikal Bridges (16.7 ppg) and Donte DiVencenzo (13.7 ppg). The other issue is that Villanova can put Bridges on one of those guards (likely Thomas) and lock him down for most of the Game due to his size and length.

It should be a similar battle down low with Toby Hegner playing more the last few Games. But while he’s often Creighton’s tallest guy on the cOurt, he isn’t a great rebounder and is averaging less than three per Game. He can extend the floor, but ‘Nova’s Omari Spellman can do that too and Spellman is also a much better rebounder. That said, rebounding isn’t a major deal for either of these teams due to their efficient shooting percentages.

At the end of the day, Villanova has too many scorers for Creighton to be able to compete on the road. Foster and Thomas can only do so much, especially since Brunson and DiVencenzo can match and probably exceed whatever those two do. Throw in Bridges and Spellman and it’s a large advantage with Krampelj not there to help with scoring for Creighton.

The Bluejays will need to continue their great defense, but if they couldn’t stop Xavier and Providence on the road, there’s little reason to believe they’ll do so in this Game. Look for another easy home win for the Wildcats, where they’ve scored at least 89 points in every Big East contest.

Our Pick – Creighton -13

MAC Tourney

Bettors World — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:15:00 +0000

MID-AMERICAN
CONFERENCE
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
March 8-10

BUFFALO
Record: 23-8, 15-3
The MAC is annually one of the biggest toss-ups in terms of the Tournament, but this year could be different. Buffalo ran through the Conference with its title never in doubt, finishing with only three losses. Of course, its three losses came against Kent State, NIU and Miami with none of those teams in the top Four. Still, all rankings point to the Bulls as being the best team in the MAC by far, from its 32 ranking in RPI to 81 in KenPom. This is their Tournament to lose. They are the best overall team in the Conference with the best shooting numbers offensively, but also great numbers on the other end. That combined with Four guys averaging more than 14 points per Game is good enough reason to take this team. Its route to the Championship is straightforward, although nothing is a guarantee in this conference. The Chips should be a win, but they already split with Kent State this year, a possible semifinal opponent. The likely opponents in the title Game are Toledo and EMU and Buffalo hasn’t played either of those teams since January.

TOLEDO
Record: 21-10, 13-5
The Rockets have lost three of their last five Games with two of those coming against EMU. It’ll be hard to bet on them mainly because a third matchup with Eastern Michigan could be waiting for them in the semifinals. Even the quarterfinal Game against Miami isn’t a given. The Rockets started Conference play with an 11-2 record, but that quickly disappeared with an ugly 28-point loss at Ball State standing out.

EASTERN Michigan
Record: 20-11, 11-7
The Eagles are the much easier bet compared to Toledo simply because they swept the Rockets late in the season. Another boost is that EMU has won its last six Games. A matchup with Akron in the quarters is also favorable as the Zips are the 11-seed in this Tournament. Unlike some of the other top teams, Eastern is led by a few juniors, which means next season could be even better. For now, the size of the Eagles is a real problem for most in the Conference and that could help them advance in this Tournament.

In the 4- and 5-seed spots, neither Kent State nor Ball State can be trusted to win this Tournament. The Cardinals have lost their last three Games and none of them were against top opponents. As for the Golden Flashes, they escaped past NIU on Monday and still have a losing overall record. No matter which team wins, it’s hard to see them taking down Buffalo in the semifinals.

Kent State won last year as the 6-seed, but Buffalo won in both 2015 and 2016 when it finished the regular season near the top of the standings. At the end of the day, the Bulls have the best team in the Conference and have already taken teams like Cincinnati and Syracuse to the wire. This team is destined for its third Conference Tournament title in Four years.

Seton Hall Villanova CBB

Bettors World — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:15:00 +0000

Seton Hall

vs.

Villanova

College Basketball

Pick

2/4/18

Villanova is on a run of Four-straight home Games and it’s unlikely it’ll be stopped in a quest to once again win the Big East. The Wildcats are positioned to keep winning until they hit mid-February, which features Four road trips in a span of five possible Games. Seton Hall would like a big road win on its resume, but this probably isn’t the spot to get it.

The Pirates have road wins at Louisville, Butler and DePaul, but they were also blown out at Marquette and Creighton. They’ve been all over the place and that’s not a recipe for success against what is one of the most consistent teams in the country in ‘Nova. These teams met three times last year with Villanova winning them all, 76-46 at home, 92-70 on the road and 55-53 in the Big East Tournament.

That third matchup is what Seton Hall will try and do again, but nothing points to the top-rated offense in the country scoring only 55 points. The Wildcats Scoreclose to 90 points in almost every home Game and this one should be no different. Yes, the Pirates rank solid defensively and are third in the Conference in efficiency, but they’ve also allowed at least 80 points in three of their last Four road Games. Betting on that to be the difference will be tough. Instead, Seton Hall will need a great offensive effort against a Villanova defense that ranks middle of the Conference in efficiency. The problem is that the Wildcats have been a lot better in the last couple weeks, allowing 71 points or less in six of their last seven Games.

The Pirates have Four guys that can take over Games, but it’s the other players that will decide this Game. If Ismael Sanogo or Michael Nzei can do a little more down low, that would help. again, that’s a hard thing to bet on. Desi Rodriguez, Myles Powell, Khadeen Carrington and Angel Delgado are often Seton Hall’s entire offense and the only Four guys that average more than 5.1 points per Game. The goal will be for them to match what Villanova’s guys can do.

The problem is that not many can match up with Villanova, which is why it only has one loss. Led by Jalen Brunson (19.5 ppg, 5.0 apg), the Wildcats have Four and sometimes five guys on the floor at a time that can shoot from distance. Mikal Bridges has been a difference maker as a junior. In addition to being a great defender due to length, Bridges is scoring 16.7 points per Game and making more than 42 percent of his threes. Even without third-leading scorer Phil Booth, the Wildcats have still scored with ease as Donte DiVincenzo and Eric Paschall have played a few more minutes. Throw in freshman big man Omari Spellman and this team has tools at every spot on the floor.

Defensively, it’ll be hard to bet on Seton Hall to stop this juggernaut, but if guys are hitting shots, this offense could keep things tight. Delgado has the big task of winning his battle against Spellman in the paint. Powell, the team’s best shooter, will need to hit his shots from deep. If not, the Pirates will have to rely on Carrington to do a little too much and Rodriguez is a guy that will force bad shots, which isn’t a good idea against Mikal Bridges.

Villanova lost Booth, but still has numerous options that have stepped up. The Wildcats are at home and will be hard to bet against, no matter what team is on the other end of the cOurt.

Our pick – check back

WVA Kansas CBB

Bettors World — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:15:00 +0000

West Virginia

vs.

Kansas

College Basketball

Pick

2/17/18

It’s been said all season, but there are no free Games in the Big 12. There are still a couple weeks to go and anything can happen, especially Kansas grabbing a piece of the title again. Of course, the same can be said for West Virginia if it wins this Game. Anything can happen in the next two weeks and each team has to take it a Game at a time.

The Jayhawks have rarely dominated a Game this season and that’s the main reason to go with the road team. Kansas already has a few home losses this season and when it wins Games, it isn’t by much. The same can almost be said for the Mountaineers as they’ve been susceptible to losses both home and on the road. In their last two road Games, they beat Oklahoma, but also lost by 16 points to Iowa State before that.

It’s unlikely a repeat of last month’s meeting will happen. West Virginia led most of the way and had a 12-point lead with less than 10 minutes to go. And then, things fell apart. Kansas went on a huge run in the final five minutes and ended up stealing a win 71-66, going on a 20-6 run to close it. Neither team played great offensively and there’s a chance that happens again. West Virginia lost the Game by shooting 5-of-27 from distance and turning the ball over 16 times. Missed shots and turnovers is what let Kansas back in the Game.

The issue is that WVU is not a good shooting team in the first place and that’s been a problem in almost every loss. But the Mountaineers got out to a huge lead by limiting easy looks in the paint and that could also happen again with Sagaba Konate, one of the best blockers in the country, roaming in the paint. This has the makings of another up-and-down Game with the last five minutes counting the most. Due to WVU’s offensive inefficiency, it’s much easier to back Kansas.

Devonte’ Graham and Svi Mykhailiuk won that first meeting for the Jayhawks, but three other guys reached at least nine points and that’s how they closed the door. WVU let Graham and Mykhailiuk get too many open looks and then when they put more attention on them, they dished out 11 assists. As long as the Jayhawks can get past the press, they’ll continue to get open looks. It’s just about hitting shots, which Malik Newman and LAgerald Vick have struggled to do consistently all season.

On the other end, the biggest difference from that first Game may be that James Bolden is seeing more time in the lineup after just 12 minutes and zero points last meeting. He’s been averaging more than 25 minutes the last couple weeks and that helps because he’s WVU’s best shooter from deep at more than 44 percent. With Jevon Carter trying to shut down Graham for most of the Game, having another scorer and ball handler only helps what the Mountaineers do offensively. West Virginia also needs to get similar production from Konate and Esa Ahmad down low. Konate got numerous easy looks against Udoka Azubuike, while Ahmad has too much length and size for any of KU’s power forwards to deal with, namely Mykhailiuk.

The Mountaineers may be the better team overall, but with their lack of late-Game execution, it’s hard to take them on the road against a team that is almost always in a close Game and knows how to finish.

Our Pick – Kansas -3.5

Indiana vs. MSU CBB

Bettors World — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:15:00 +0000

Indiana

vs.

Michigan State

College Basketball

Pick

1/19/18

Even with how it’s looked in recent Games, Michigan State is still getting a lot of respect at No. 9 in the AP Polls and is a big favorite for this matchup. That’s mostly because of Indiana, which has won three straight, but is by no means an elite team in the conference.

Two of the Hoosiers wins have come at home against inconsistent competition and the other was a road win at Minnesota, the first Game for the Gophers in which they didn’t have two of their regular starters. Being 4-2 in the Conference is definitely better than some envisioned at this point, but this team still has to face MSU twice in addition Purdue and Ohio State in Four of its next six Games.

The biggest thing for the Spartans is that they figure out how to Scoreagain and that’s exactly what Indiana could help them do. The loss of De’Ron Davis hasn’t been a major issue for Indiana yet, but that’ll probably change in this Game since this team won’t have anyone taller than 6-foot-7 that sees real minutes. Clifton Moore, at 6-10, could get more time, but he’s a freshman that rarely sees the floor.

In all likelihood, the Hoosiers will go to a zone in order to mix things up against Nick Ward and Jaren Jackson because those guys could eat in the paint if not. Even then, Juwan Morgan, Justin Smith, Freddie McSwain and Collin Hartman aren’t the guys you want to have defending Ward in the post anyway. While Ward has had problems dealing with double teams, this is a great spot for him to find open guys on the perimeter because everyone else in the starting lineup can shoot at a consistent rate from deep. It doesn’t help that Indiana ranks as one of the worst teams in the country in three-point percentage on both ends of the floor. That’s not good news against the Spartans, who have three guys (Joshua LAngford, Cassius Winston, Jaren Jackson) all shooting above 43 percent from deep. Then there’s still Miles Bridges, who can catch fire from distance, but will also likely have a weaker defender on him like Zach McRoberts.

Still, covering this Game is more than possible for Indiana, especially looking at MSU’s last three Games. In addition to getting nothing going offensively, the defense has had trouble against speedier guards all season and that’s exactly what the Hoosiers bring. While this Game was at Assembly Hall last year, the speed of the guards was too much for Michigan State to handle in an 82-75 IU win.

Morgan will probably have trouble scoring against whoever guards him, but Josh Newkirk and Robert Johnson could have plenty of open shots, as long as they don’t settle for threes. Eighteen of Johnson’s last 25 shots have come from behind the arc and that needs to change in this Game. He’ll need to attack LAngford as much as possible and the same goes for Newkirk, who will have Winston on him. If both guards come out in attack mode against inferior defenders, that’ll at least keep the Hoosiers competitive in a tough spot.

Of course, if that doesn’t happen, Michigan State could run away early. This is a jump in class for Indiana and the last time it played someone on this level in Big Ten play was the trip to Michigan in which it lost 69-55. The only reason it was that close was because of Morgan, who had 24 points and likely won’t do that again if Jaren Jackson is defending him.

Our Pick – Indiana +14.5

NC Louisville CBB

Bettors World — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:15:00 +0000

North Carolina

vs.

Louisville

College Basketball

Pick

2/17/18

This isn’t a rivalry, but this Game is plenty important for both teams given the upcoming Schedule. Louisville is on the bubble and still has three road Games in addition to hosting Conference leader Virginia. North Carolina isn’t on the bubble, but is far from having a top-Four seed locked up and travel in three of its final Four Games. In the only meeting between these teams, it’s expected to be tight and that’s seen in the spread.

UNC has been far from easy to trust on the road, already with Four losses in ACC play. Louisville is better at home, although lost its last two against decent competition in FSU and Syracuse. Beating Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh by more than 20 points is nice, but neither of those teams is worth much. The biggest stat that separates these teams is UNC’s ability to rebound and that could be the ultimate difference. The Cardinals rank near the bottom in the Conference in rebounding, while the Tar Heels are the best at getting offensive boards and one of the best on the defensive end.

The other factor for Louisville is that Deng Adel has missed the last two Games due to an ankle injury. While his absence hasn’t meant much against bad teams, he’s still a guy that leads the team in scoring (15.5 ppg) and minutes (33.6 mpg). If he can’t play, that will only take away someone that can help on the glass.

That said, Louisville is always a team that’s deep with lengthy players that can guard numerous positions. VJ King and Jordan Nwora have seen more minutes at small forward with Anas Mahmoud and Ray Spalding seeing most of the time in the frontcOurt. It’ll be important for them to win the rebounding battle against smaller, athletic guys like LUke Maye and Cameron Johnson. The hardest thing for Maye will be finding a shot against the length of Mahmoud. Theo Pinson will have the job of dealing with Adel if he plays, otherwise it’ll be King and Nwora.

The backcOurt is where the Heels have the biggest edge with Joel Berry and Kenny Williams against Quentin Snider and whoever fits in. As of late, freshman Darius Perry has been playing more for Louisville and he’ll split time with Ryan McMahon. The Cardinals are best at forcing turnovers and limiting easy looks from distance, but UNC excels at not turning the ball over and isn’t a great shooting team as it is. Williams is the better shooter, while Berry is more lethal when he attacks his defender and in this case, that will be Snider.

against better competition, Louisville has struggled to Scoreconsistently and if Adel can’t play, that will continue to be a problem. Snider is the team’s second-leading scorer, but he’s also 11-of-38 from the field in his last five Games. Louisville has length, but that can only get you so far when shots aren’t falling. Because of their ability to rebound, the Heels are in a great position to steal a win on the road.

Our Pick – NC +1.5

Texas Tech Purdue

Bettors World — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:15:00 +0000

Texas Tech

vs.

Purdue

Sweet 16

Pick

3/23/18

This is the only Sweet 16 matchup in which the favorites to make here it here actually did with the 2- and 3- seeds. Texas Tech doesn’t play pretty, which is a main reason it’s stayed out of the spotlight, while most of the talk around Purdue has been about the injured Isaac Haas. The Boilermakers opened as slim -1.5 point favorites at 5Dimes Sportsbook for the Game in Boston.

Neither of these teams looked overwhelmingly good in the first couple Games, but both survived and that’s all that matters. Purdue showed it could win without Haas against a solid Butler team and Texas Tech took care of Florida with superior play down the stretch.

Neither one of these teams plays a high-pace brand of basketball and that could lead to a lower scoring total. The most intriguing matchup will be Purdue’s offense, which ranks second in the country, going against Tech’s defense that ranks Fourth. Those two aspects are the reason both of these teams are in this situation. The Red Raiders do everything well defensively outside of committing fouls, while it’s the same for the Boilers except they aren’t great at grabbing offensive boards.

On the other end, both teams are solid, but not as elite. With both teams playing heavy man-to-man, the matchups are the best place to look when analyzing this Game. The status of Haas is a big question, but considering he could barely lift his arm due to a broken elbow a few days ago, it’s hard to see him having a big impact.

Without Haas, Vincent Edwards took up a bigger role in the offense and that worked perfectly as the senior has regained his form and has 35 points in the last two Games. Tech doesn’t have one player that will match up exclusively with Edwards, as it will probably be a combo of guys like Jarrett Culver, Justin Gray and Zhaire Smith. At center, Matt Haarms and Zach Smith serve almost the same role on their teams, as more of a defensive presence than someone to turn to offensively. That’s the biggest difference between Haarms and Haas in that Haarms isn’t a viable offensive force, but has more athleticism on defense.

The backcOurt will be an equally fun battle with Carsen Edwards and Keenan Evans the names to know. Evans is everything for the Red Raiders and is the only consistent scorer on the team with at least 22 points in the team’s last Four wins. There’s a decent chance the bigger and better defender, Dakota Mathias, takes on Evans for the majority of the Game. If Evans can Scoreagainst Mathias, Purdue will be in trouble. That said, Mathias will probably also be needed on Zhaire Smith and Niem Stevenson, so the shorter PJ Thompson could draw Evans, as well.

As for Purdue, Carsen Edwards is a similarly important player on the offensive end and is one that can bust out for 20-plus points in any Game. That said, it won’t be an easy matchup against this defense that has decent size and length at every position.

At full strength, Purdue would have the edge in this matchup, but without a healthy Haas, the bigs are about equal. Evans is easier to trust than Carsen Edwards and Tech has a better all around defense. The Boilers have better offensive weapons, but if Haarms doesn’t win his matchup against Zach Smith, the Red Raiders could be in a great position to win.

Our Pick – Texas Tech +2

Big 10 CBB

Bettors World — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:15:00 +0000

BIG TEN CONFERENCE
Madison Square Garden, New York
Feb. 28 – March 4

Michigan STATE
Record: 28-3, 16-2

The Spartans are the favorite to win and for good reason. They have size, depth and top guard play, which are all keys to advancing in Tournaments. The problem could come in the semis if Michigan can meet them because the Wolverines already won in East LAnsing this season and are playing great. But as it stands, Cassius Winston is on an elite level, Jaren Jackson is a force on both ends, and guys like Miles Bridges and Nick Ward have almost been afterthoughts in recent Games. There are still plenty of reasons to go against this team, mainly that it didn’t beat any of the top five Big Ten teams on the road and struggled to put away everyone else. The talent is there, but MSU still isn’t a guarantee to beat a squad like Michigan or Ohio State just yet.

OHIO STATE
Record: 24-7, 15-3

The Buckeyes unquestionably have had the most impressive season in the Big Ten after projected to finish near the bottom of the standings. The bad news is that they could be set to face Penn State for a third time, a team that has already beaten them twice. That already makes the Bucks a tough pick even if they have a slight edge on Purdue after winning on the road against them. Keita Bates-Diop may be the conference’s Player of the Year and that’s why they’re an intriguing pick for this Tournament. However, a lack of depth could be problematic with zero easy Games in a three-day span.

PURDUE
Record: 26-5, 15-3

After a hot start, the Boilers have lost some luster and come in with a few questions. The best thing is that they looked back to normal in the finale against Minnesota as Vincent Edwards returned and played 25 minutes. With a full roster, this team will be hard to stop even after losing three straight a couple weeks ago. Carsen Edwards just dropped 40 points, while no one in the Conference can stop Isaac Haas. The problem for the Boilermakers is that they couldn’t close out Games against tougher competition (MSU, OSU). That’s their only issue going into the Tourney and it’s not a good one.

Michigan
Record: 24-7, 13-5

Similar to last year when they won the Tourney, the Wolverines are cruising and have won five straight with the last two coming on the road against Penn State and Maryland. They lost by 20 to Nebraska earlier in the season, but that came on the road so it’s hard to see that happening again. However, it happened and Nebraska is playing for its NCAA Tournament life. If Michigan can win that one, it will have to turnaround to try and sweep in-state rival Michigan State. The road is long for the Wolverines (as a 5-seed) to win back-to-back Tournaments, but there’s no doubt they’re playing well as a team.

NEBRASKA
Record: 22-9, 13-5

To make the NCAA Tournament, the Cornhuskers probably have to beat Michigan and then Michigan State on back-to-back days. Simply put, the odds are against them. The Huskers haven’t been the same team on the road this season and there’s no reason that will change on a neutral cOurt out east. If you count the Illinois loss as a fluke, Nebraska’s only Conference losses came against MSU, Purdue, PSU and OSU on the road. If you’re bold, this could be the team to upset its way into the final. But while they have a solid roster, expecting them to get past the Spartans is definitely a stretch.

PENN STATE
Record: 19-12, 9-9

The Nittany Lions were a trendy bubble team after sweeping Ohio State, but suddenly have fallen in their last three. While all of those were Tournament teams, it only showed that they can’t compete consistently with the best teams in the conference. To get to the semis, they have to beat the Buckeyes for a third time and then likely get Purdue. As a 7-seed, the grueling Four-day Schedule is not kind for Penn State, which is desperate to make a run.

OUtside of those top teams, it’s hard to see anyone else having a chance. The best teams in the Conference have frequently dominated the rest of the competition. The Wolverines could be a popular upset pick, but as a 5-seed they have to win Four Games in Four days, although they conveniently did that a year ago. The Spartans are the best team from head-to-toe, but betting on any of the other teams makes sense. Penn State has Ohio State’s number and Ohio State won at Purdue. Michigan State dominated Nebraska in its only meeting and Michigan won in East LAnsing. It’s anybody’s Tournament at this point.

Kentucky Missouri CBB

Bettors World — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:15:00 +0000

Kentucky

vs.

Missouri

College Basketball

Pick

2/3/18

Missouri remains on the NCAA Tournament bubble, especially after winning at Alabama on Wednesday. The Tigers were struggling, but managed to upset the Tide on the road and will try and do the same against Kentucky, although this time at home. While the Wildcats aren’t as dominant as they’ve been in recent seasons, they still have a talented squad that picked up a big win at West Virginia over the weekend.

The road has been where UK has had most of its troubles with losses at Tennessee and South Carolina standing out. While the Cats have a winning road record, none of them have come easy and that should be the case here. The Tigers are in desperate need of a win and already beat Georgia and Tennessee in Columbia. Of course, they’ve also been sMACked around in their last few (prior to Alabama) and lost 91-73 at home to Auburn only a week ago.

Missouri ranks near the bottom in the SEC in most statistical categories and that explains its record in the conference. OUtside of free-throw percentage and defensive rebounding, the Tigers are in the bottom half of most stats in the SEC. That includes turning it over on 21 percent of every possession and shooting 47 percent from two-point range. This probably won’t be the Game to change those stats, but it could get ugly at times on both sides of the cOurt, which should help Missouri.

The Wildcats are by no means a pretty team as most of their best numbers are on the defensive end, limiting SEC teams to 24.5 percent behind the arc. That doesn’t help Missouri much as its two best scorers, Kassius Robertson and Jordan Barnett, get most of their points from three-point range, shooting better than 42 percent. If those guys aren’t hitting shots, it could be a long day because no one else on the team averages 10 points per Game. That’s where the frontcOurt needs to help out between Kevin Puryear, Jontay Porter and Jeremiah Tilmon. While the Tigers don’t have a great shooting percentage inside the arc, it’s in their best interest to attack in the paint because that’s where Kentucky struggles defensively.

The problem is that Kentucky matches up well at every position. Kevin Knox and PJ Washington have the size and athleticism to deal with someone like Robertson or Barnett on the perimeter or Puryear in the paint. There’s also a problem of dealing with UK’s point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s firmly entrenched in that role with Quade Green looking to get his spot back. The size of Gilgeous-Alexander on the perimeter is a problem for most teams and that will probably be the case again and the same goes for Hamidou Diallo, although he rarely takes advantage of it.

All signs point to this being a close and ugly Game with Missouri doing everything it can to get another big win. However, the talent of someone like Knox will be hard to stop, especially if he takes over like he did in the West Virginia Game (34 points). Knox provides size, shooting and quickness that not many guys at 6-foot-9 have. If Knox can get going, UK has the edge. If not, then anything can happen as seen in Kentucky’s lucky win over Vanderbilt on Tuesday.

Our Pick – Kentucky +2