(photo: Inside The Hall)
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: 56-58-1
11/30 Starting Five:
Minnesota -2
Indiana -3
Rutgers -2
Saint Louis +3.5
Ohio State +3.5
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Minnesota -2 : As you know from my write-ups earlier in the season, I really love the transfer pieces that Ben Johnson brought in. Jamison Battle has instantly become one of the players to watch in the Big 10. He can create his own shot, and is a great lengthy defender. That is where my brain is heading to for this matchup. Defense. Minnesota comes into this game rated 13th in defensive efficiency in the country, while only allowing 59.6 ppg. This attack is led by Peyton Willis and EJ Stephens who are both averaging 2+ steals per game. Pitt is on the complete other end of this spectrum. 255th in defensive efficiency, and just let UMBC hang 87 on them. One team will be able to get stops, and the other won’t. Gophers comfortably.
Score Prediction: Minnesota 72 – Pitt 62
Indiana -3 : I really, really love this play. I am super high on the Hoosiers this season. Trayce Jackson-Davis is an absolute weapon. 43 points against a strong Thundering Herd team the last time out. He is the exact piece that a team needs to unlock a 2-3 zone. Look for him to be aggressive from the middle of the zone driving to the rim. This will cause the wings to collapse down for open threes for his teammates as well. Not to mention, the 2-3 zone from Cuse has been horrendous this season. Allowing 77.2 ppg. They are really lacking the athleticism/length of a normal Syracuse team. Cuse can shoot with anyone, but Indiana will be too physical for them tonight.
Score Prediction: Indiana 75 – Syracuse 68
Rutgers -2 : No analytics will help me with this pick. All statistics point to Clemson. This is pure instinct. It is too early in the season to say this .. but this truly feels like a do or die scenario for the Rutgers season. A win is desperately needed coming off three straight losses to UMass, Lafayette, Depaul. Clemson, a likely tournament team, is coming into town tonight giving the Scarlett Knights a chance to clean up their resume. Arguably, it could not come at a better time. This is a “Get Up Off of the Mat” game for Rutgers. The RAC (refuse to call it Jersey Mike’s Arena – that may actually be the problem with this team) will be jumping – Ron Harper Jr. will go for 20+ -and Rutgers squeaks out a close one.
Score Prediction: Rutgers 65 – Clemson 60
Saint Louis +3.5 : Saint Louis is a very well balanced team. They come into this game 48th in offensive efficiency, and 49th in defensive. While Boise State comes in at 34 defensively, they are all the way back at 238th on the offensive side of the ball. This team just absolutely cannot shoot. The Broncos are 39.4% from the field, 59.3% from the stripe, and 27.7% from distance. Putrid. You will not get away with that against a hyper-efficient Billikens squad. I think Saint Louis is the better team. No real home court advantage here for me. Will gladly take the 3.5 points. Sprinkling the ML as well.
Score Prediction: Saint Louis 71 – Boise State 64
Ohio State +3.5 : I need Value City Arena to be jumping tonight. That is the only way we get home with this one. That also needs to be fueled by a hot start. This is Dook’s first true road game of the season. EJ Liddell provides a bit of a matchup problem for the Blue Devils, and Holtmann needs to get him going early to get the crowd behind the Buckeyes. While Ohio State lost on a long range buzzer beater for the Fort Myers Tip-Off championship game, I believe they had a lot of growth at the guard position in that tournament. It was a very beneficial trip down south for Wheeler, Johnson and Sotos. When I handicap these two sides, they are probably 7.5 points apart on a neutral court. The general public probably thinks it is even more of a disparity after seeing Dook beat Gonzaga over the weekend. That is why I believe Vegas is trying to get an exponentially large handle on the Dookies. We will be with the house on this one. Vegas can feel a hostile crowd lifting Ohio State tonight. I do too. We need Ahrens firing from three, and Young being a bulldog on the glass… and we also need that home court advantage. Be loud Buckeye fans!
Score Prediction: Dook 74 – Ohio State 73
Best of luck! Let’s snipe this one y’all!!
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