(photo: BGSU Athletics)
I will do my best to provide *at least* a daily three ball of picks for all of you snipers out there. The goal is a 2-1 night, with some 3-0’s sprinkled occasionally. I recommend you play them individually .. however, never be scared of a little three ball parlay! 20/21 Season: 58%
Season Record: 12-8
11/15 Mega Card:
Bowling Green +16
Marquette +8
Penn State -4
Buffalo Pick’Em
San Diego +3.5
Providence +6
Samford +20
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Bowling Green +16 : The Buckeyes are having a slow start to the season, and I do not believe it is a fluke. They will struggle to reach the heights of last year’s team in my opinion. CJ Walker was a very underrated floor general, and Duane Washington bailed them out with his ability to create his own shot countless times. They are missing their elite guard play this season. Still a good team, but the number tonight is reflective of last year’s Buckeyes. Not this season’s. Daeqwon Plowden is an absolute star for the Falcons, and he is already out to a hot start in his 5th year. I love the transfer portal acquisitions of Myron Gordon and Gabe O’Neal as well. They will be very productive pieces this season, and are already contributing. Bowling Green keeps this one around 10.
Score Prediction: Ohio State 77 – Bowling Green 67
Marquette +8 : This is Shaka Smart’s first massive home game in charge of the Golden Eagles. Fiserv Forum is going to be JUMPING. The Illini will still be without Kofi Cockburn due to suspension, and I think that this leaves the door cracked for a potential upset here. Darryl Morsell is quickly turning into one of the best weapons in the country in the early part of this season. He is already arguably the best on-ball defender in the country, but now he is filling it up to go along with the defense. Justin Lewis is also one of the best wings in the country that you probably have not heard of yet. 6’7, and can do it all. Double-Double threat on a nightly basis, and a lengthy defender. I like the Golden Eagles to keep this between one and two possessions for the entirety of this one. The defensive pressure will really bother the Illini. Curbelo is a nice player, but he is very loose with the ball against tight pressure defense. Potential upset alert.
Score Prediction: Illinois 72 – Marquette 68
Penn State -4 : I had this line at 6.5, so I will take it here. Penn State looked great in a season opening win over a decent Youngstown State team. They assisted on 16 of 31 made baskets, and the transfers really seemed to mesh in well. They also got this done with Myles Dread scoring 0 points in his new role as a starting guard for the Nittany Lions. That will quickly change. This guy has hit big triple, after big triple, during his time in State College. UMass showed in the Yale game that they had no interest in fixing their defense in the offseason, and the offense will be on a decline this season after the departures of Tre Mitchell and Carl Pierre. Penn State wins comfortably.
Score Prediction: Penn State 79 – UMass 69
Buffalo Pick’Em : Continuing to ride with my guys. If Josh Mballa stays out of foul trouble, this will be a comfortable win. We will always have our king, Jeenathan Williams, to bail us out in the event that he doesn’t.
Score Prediction: Buffalo 74 – North Texas 68
San Diego +3.5 : This is starting to feel a lotttt like Santa Clara vs Stanford from Friday night to me. However, this game will be on the road. Cal does not have a great home court advantage, so this does not bother me a ton. San Diego has a great crop of transfers that have quickly come together to get this team out to a 2-0 start (including a big time win at Nevada). Jase Townsend has scored the ball well to start this season, and Terrell Brown will continue to have a strong start in the post for the Toreros. Cal will struggle this season without Matt Bradley. There is nobody to handle that scoring load. Toreros in an “upset” win.
Score Prediction: San Diego 64 – Cal 61
Providence +6 : This team is scrappy and athletic. The type of team a Badger team normally struggles against. They are forcing 16.5 turnovers to start the season, and will be flying around and trapping again tonight. This team really improved in the offseason I believe. Even with the departure of Duke. I love the addition of Al Durham from Indiana. This seems to be a perfect fit for him, and he is out hot to start the year. Justin Minaya is also a sneaky good piece coming off of the bench. He was a do-it-all guy in the Frank Martin starting lineup for many years in Columbia, and now he is providing this production off of the bench for the Friars. With all of the turnover in Madison, I really love this play. Friars pull out a close one.
Score Prediction: Providence 65 – Wisconsin 64
Samford +20 : Ques Glover will prove to be in an instant impact transfer for the Bulldogs. I always thought he was very productive every time he got into the game for Mike White and the Gators. Jacob Tryon is also back this season for Samford. He is a 6’11 stretch forward that always proves to be a problem for defenses to figure out. Look out for freshman, Wesley Cardet Jr., this season as well. A guard with nice size, and can fill it up. San Francisco is a great mid-major program and they will not struggle to get this win, but we will sneak under this number.
Score Prediction: San Francisco 80 – Samford 65
Best of luck! Let’s snipe this one y’all!!
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