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2/17 Three Ball Write-Up

(photo: IndyStar)

I will do my best to provide 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!

Season Record: 148-112-5

2/17 Three Ball:

Butler -1.5

Fairleigh Dickinson -3.5

Northeastern tto 60.5

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Butler -1.5 : I love the way this team has come together since the addition of Bo Hodges. The ETSU transfer has completely turned things around for the Bulldogs. After winning their last two games at Hinkle Fieldhouse, I expect them to add a third straight win at home in a revenge game over a struggling Marquette. Marquette was already bottom third in America in defensive efficiency, and they just lost their best defender, Justin Lewis. Things are not going well for the Golden Eagles, and this is not a great spot to get right. Butler evens the season series tonight.

Score Prediction: Butler 69 – Marquette 64

Fairleigh Dickinson -3.5 : B2B System spot here. I do not see a scenario in which Fairleigh Dickinson drops two at home to St. Francis. Jenkins, Williams and Rush have all had a game over 28 points in the last few weeks. That star power will show tonight as they have revenge on their minds. Don’t over think it. The Knights get it done at home.

Score Prediction: Fairleigh Dickinson 79 – St. Francis BKN 72

Northeastern tto60.5: I really love this play. To start, UNC has allowed 61 points in 16 of their 19 games this season. Yes, this total has hit at a 16-3 clip. Also, two of the times that it did not .. the total landed on 60. Close to a perfect record of going over 61 points against Carolina this season. We must trust the analytics and ride with this tonight. Also, this pace will be driven by UNC. They will hurt Northeastern down low and probably have a sizable lead for the majority of the game, which will rush Walker and the Huskies to try to score in a hurry. I don’t think we absolutely soar past this number, but I see it more in the 64-66 range with the potential to go higher based on tempo.

Score Prediction: UNC 80 – Northeastern 65

Best of luck! Let’s snipe this one y’all!!

2/16 Three Ball Write-Up

(photo: Beaumont Enterprise)

Season Record: 145-111-5

2/16 Four Point Play:

Wagner +4

Austin Peay 1H -3.5 & -6

Purdue -5

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Wagner +4 : This team is rolling into their series against Mount St. Mary’s on a tear! They have won 5 in a row, and their players are racking up big time NEC accolades. DeLonnie Hunt has won Rookie of the Week for the 2nd straight week, and Alex Morales won NEC Player of the Week last week. There is balanced scoring on this team across their four key guards, and they all crash the offensive glass. This team is undersized, but they just don’t get outrebounded. They are a scrappy bunch that I will love to take the points with in this match-up.

Score Prediction: Wagner 64 – Mount St. Mary’s 62

Austin Peay 1H -3.5 / 6 : This will be another drubbing of the Redhawks by the Governors. Any time the Redhawks take a step-up in competition, they fold and get blown out. They have lost 4 of their last 5 games, and all of those loses were by double digits. When they get down big, they do not claw back into games. They had no answer for Terry Taylor in the first match-up. Not many people do, but Terry had 23 points in the first half! I expect another big night for him, but the catalyst tonight will be Jordyn Adams. He has not been playing like himself recently, and this will be a great night to snap out of that spell. If you are scared of the B2B series here, I understand .. but, there have been a few days off .. and a similar team, Murray State, demolished the Redhawks twice recently. Governors big!

Score Prediction: Austin Peay 77 – SE Missouri St. 64

Purdue -5: There will be a lot of energy in Mackey tonight! This may not be a “must win” for the Boilermakers, but it is pretty close. Purdue will finally have their full compliment of players tonight, and Sparty has just been dreadful of late. A name to watch is Brandon Newman. Mike Randle (Action Network) pointed out recently that the freshman shot 58% from distance during Stefanovic’s absence from the lineup. If the Boilermakers can have two sharp shooters hitting, it will open up a lot of space for Trevion Williams to work. These are just two teams with completely different mindsets tonight. Also, the Boilermakers just don’t lose at Mackey. 8-1 straight up this season, with the lone loss to #3 Michigan. Boiler Up!

Score Prediction: Purdue 71 – Michigan State 62

Best of luck! Let’s snipe this one y’all!!

2/12 Three Ball Write-Up

(photo: HBCU Gameday)

Season Record: 135-102-5

2/12 Three Ball:

Hampton -2.5

Northern Kentucky ML -120

UAB +2

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Hampton -2.5 : Head scratching loss for the Pirates yesterday. They got bullied on the boards, and did not knock down their wide open looks. They are just simply a better team than PC, and this fits our B2B system. Davion Warren had his worst game of the season yesterday. This kid is a lethal scorer, and should get it going again today. Hampton by double digits.

Score Prediction: Hampton 75 – PC 64

Northern Kentucky ML : Darrin Horn has the Norse rolling into Friday’s match-up with Green Bay. Northern Kentucky has won 6 games in a row dating back to Jan. 22nd. The Norse rely on Faulkner and Warrick to fill it up, but their X-Factor, Adrian Nelson, is who is really driving home these wins. Adrian Nelson is a 6’7 forward that is averaging 9.5 boards a game. Any time I see rebound production like that from an undersized forward, I know there is an unstoppable motor in that body. I love to bet on teams with weapons like this. The Norse make it 7 in a row tonight.

Score Prediction: Northern Kentucky 74 – Green Bay 69

UAB +2: I am simply trusting in Andy Kennedy to get a W tonight in a very important road game for UAB. La Tech is having a fantastic season, but Kennedy has a massive coaching advantage in this matchup. Also, I love the makeup of the Blazers. They have four guards that are averaging double digit points, and have 7′ Trey Jemison down low protecting the rim. This will be an NCAA tournament team that could potentially pull a day 1 upset. I am good playing this all of the way to -1 if the line moves before you are reading this.

Score Prediction: UAB 68 – La Tech 66

Best of luck! Let’s snipe this one y’all!!

2/11 Three Ball Write-Up

(photo: Winthrop Athletics)

Season Record: 132-101-5

2/11 Three Ball:

Winthrop -3

Utah -4

Oregon -1 & +2.5

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Winthrop -3 : This play is simple. The Big South runs through the Eagles. Following a slip-up for their first loss of the season, Winthrop will come out hot in this game and never look back. This team is 10 deep at times, and they have a role player for everything you need to be a successful mid-major team. This team will maintain their stranglehold of the 1 seed before entering the conference tournament. Don’t overthink it. 2u play for me.

Score Prediction: Winthrop 75 – Radford 65

Utah -4 : The Timmy Allen show will be on full display tonight. After scoring 26 points in the first match-up between these two, he will get closer to 30 tonight. It was a weird game when these two met for the first time. Utah came out firing early, and had a 15 point lead near the end of the 1H. For what ever reason, they took their foot off of the gas and allowed Cal to come back and get the win. Embarrassing loss for Utah. This will have them fired up to prove a point tonight. Also, Cal just does not have the talent to run a double on a team in the Pac 12. Utah – big.

Score Prediction: Utah 70 – Cal 59

Oregon -1 & +2.5: It doesn’t happen often, but the line on the Oregon game moved against me overnight. The public must be more concerned over Duarte and Williams. As I said, I am confident in the Ducks either way.. so I am adding Oregon +2.5 to my -1 as well. From Dana’s comments, I think the Ducks will have Duarte and be without Williams. People are forgetting Will Richardson made his season debut the other night.. and looked amazing! This team, and this coach, are too good to drop this game tonight. NCAA Tournament is on the mind of his bunch.

Score Prediction: Oregon 79 – Arizona State 76

Best of luck! Let’s snipe this one y’all!!

2/10 Three Ball Write-Up

(photo: The Wichita Eagle)

Season Record: 130-99-5

2/10 Three Ball:

Wichita State ML -120

UVA -4

Mizzou +2.5

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Wichita State ML : Favorite play of the night. Take this one to the bank. Tyson Etienne has put himself in the upper tier of scoring guards in America this season. He is averaging over 18 ppg, and is shooting it 40% from the 3 point line. To add to the scoring, he also takes exceptional care of the basketball. The ball is in his hands constantly, and he is only averaging 1.3 turnovers per game. On the other hand, UCF is very sloppy with the ball at over 15 turnovers per game. They are very disorganized, and are really struggling at the moment. I love Wichita State by 6-8 points here.

Score Prediction: Wichita State 71 – UCF 65

UVA -4 : This has been a spot in the last two seasons where I have faded UVA. However, this is a complelely different basketball team with Sam Hauser and Trey Murphy scoring the ball the way they are currently. They are playing a style reminiscent of their national title team from a few years back. Also, this is Tony Bennett time. This is when Tony gets the most out of his guys. I love Alvarado and Wright from the Jackets, but the slow pace and discipline from UVA should give them trouble tonight. This will not be an easy one, and we may be down early, but we will find our way home in the end.

Score Prediction: UVA 69 – Georgia Tech 63

Mizzou +2.5 : Listen, I know .. this is the classic unranked team favored over a Top 10 opponent spot. I get it. However, I just cannot get behind it tonight. Missouri is just playing to well to not take the 2.5 points in a matchup with an Ole Miss team that has simply underperformed this year. The Rebels are coming off of a thrilling victory over Auburn on the weekend, and the drive and hunger you need to knock off a Mizzou might be slightly hampered by that result. The Smith’s are too efficient, Tillman is too good down low, and Pinson can handle Devontae Shuler. Give me the Tigers and the points.

Score Prediction: Mizzou 69 – Ole Miss 67

Best of luck! Let’s snipe this one y’all!!

2/9 Three Ball Write-Up

(photo: Texas Athletics)

Season Record: 128-97-5

2/9 Four Point Play:

Georgia State / South Alabama o143

Texas tto 72.5 / -13.5

West Virginia +6

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Georgia State / South Alabama o143 : The pace will be dictated by the home team today. Georgia State ranks 27th nationally in possessions per game. South Alabama is about middle of the pack, but they tend to play at the speed of their superior opponents when they take a step-up. The teams average 83.1 and 76.4 ppg respectively. I expect threes, fouls, fast breaks, and a close game coming down to the wire. We may even get some OT action, but we are going over the total regardless.

Score Prediction: Georgia State 77 – South Alabama 74

Texas tto 72.5 / -13.5 : Shaka Smart’s team has had to listen all weekend long about how they are frauds. About how they have lost 4 out of 5. About how this is the same old Texas. That is baaaaaad bad news for Kansas State. You never want to be in a match-up with a team that is significantly better than you, and pissed off. The three headed monster of Ramey, Coleman and Jones shot a combined 10-49 from the field in Stillwater. Look for that to be around 25-49 today. This will be an absolute assault. Get Right Game at it’s core.

Score Prediction: Texas 82 – Kansas State 61

West Virginia +6 : I am taking with the points with the Mountaineers in what should be another instant classic tonight in Lubbock. The first time these two met up this season was one of the best games of the year. It came down to a last second shot from Mac McClung to win the game that rolled off of the rim. Tonight, McClung makes that shot. However, it will be a one possession game again. I will take two possessions in points to my favor.

Score Prediction: Texas Tech 73 – WVU 70

Best of luck! Let’s snipe this one y’all!!

2/8 Three Ball Write-Up

(photo: Babcock Hoops)

Season Record: 124-97-5

2/8 Four Point Play:

Lafayette -1.5

Ohio State -3

Gonzaga 1H -5.5 / -10

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Lafayette -1.5 : B2B system play here. Loyola MD got their first win of the season over Lafayette yesterday, so the Leopards will get their revenge today. Just how it has worked in the B2B series this season. I love Justin Jaworski and E.J. Stephens as scorers in this league, and they get back on the right track today.

Score Prediction: Lafayette 74 – Loyola MD 67

Ohio State -3 : The Buckeyes are one of the hottest teams in the country, and we will try to hop on to this heater with them tonight. E.J. Liddell is the real deal, and he is also getting huge scoring help from Washington Jr. and Suening. Chris Holtmann has really impressed me this season, and I trust him to get a road win over a Mark Turgeon. There is advantage in talent and coaching on Ohio State’s side, and I can’t see any reason why they will drop this one on the road tonight.

Score Prediction: Ohio State 72 – Maryland 66

Gonzaga 1H -5.5 / -10 : There is no indication of why this will not be a repeat of the earlier match-up in the season. Especially, after the scare that the Zags received the other night against Pacific. Jalen Suggs really got the team fired up, and inspired the run to eventually take control and win that game handedly. That scare should have the Zags very locked in for this road trip to Provo. BYU’s strengths are not a fit to take down Gonzaga. Zags win big again.

Score Prediction: Gonzaga 89 – BYU 70

Best of luck! Let’s snipe this one y’all!!

2/5 Three Ball Write-Up

(photo: Tulsa World)

Season Record: 114-87-5

2/5 Three Ball:

Oakland ML -120

Oral Roberts +4

Seattle -2

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Oakland ML : The line points the Golden Grizzlies to get the win tonight. I completely agree. I was hoping to get points, but I will take the ML with some extra juice. Jalen Moore is one of the most productive point guards in the country with 19 ppg and 8 apg. I expect a big night from the electric guard. I also love what Trey Townsend is doing lately. The freshman is really coming into his own. Cleveland State cannot make free throws, and I trust this battle tested Oakland team in a close one tonight.

Score Prediction: Oakland 71 – Cleveland State 67

Oral Roberts +4 : I absolutely love getting points with the Eagles tonight. Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor are LEGIT. They could get minutes at any program in the country this year (outside of Baylor & Gonzaga). I expect both of them to be fired up for a big performance tonight. Abmas led the conference in points in January, and Obonar was just named to the Lou Henson Award finalist list. Oral Roberts wins this game.

Score Prediction: Oral Roberts 69 – North Dakota State 67

Seattle -2: Tonight I am picking on a Dixie State team that is poor in the three categories that I pay attention to the most. They shoot it 30% from 3, 64% from the line, and turn the ball over 15 times a game. Seattle also has a pair of guards in Darrion Trammell & Riley Grigsby that can really get it going. Both are pushing 20ppg seasons. I trust in them to get it done.

Score Prediction: Seattle 75 – Dixie State 67

Best of luck! Let’s snipe this one y’all!!

2/4 Three Ball Write-Up

(photo: Montana Grizzlies Athletics)

Season Record: 112-86-5

2/4 Three Ball:

Murray State / Morehead State o128.5

Rutgers / Minnesota o140

Montana ML -115

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Murray St / Morehead St over 128.5 : This number has risen a tad since we locked it in last night, so the CLV should be in our favor. When these two teams met earlier in the season, the total landed on 117. However, there are a lot of underlying factors that lead me to believe we will easily hit the number tonight. There were 43 fouls in the first match-up. That resulted in a whopping 51 free throw attempts between the teams, but only 30 of these attempts were cashed in. 21 points left at the line. Also, the teams were a combined 7 for 34 from distance. Murray State shot 35% from the field, and Morehead shot 40% from the field. I believe we easily go over the total here. Two unit play for me.

Score Prediction: Murray State 73 – Morehead State 69

Rutgers / Minnesota over 140 : I really like this play tonight. Minnesota is coming into the RAC with a fringe top 50 pace in the country. Rutgers plays with high energy at home, and I believe they will get out and run with an inferior Minnesota team. Also, neither team rank in the top 100 in the country in defensive efficiency. There should be plenty of fast breaks, fouls, open threes, etc. that will get us across the 140 total. I was tempted to take Rutgers here, but I will go with the over instead.

Score Prediction: Rutgers 78 – Minnesota 70

Montana ML -115: A little late night Grizz action! I’m not sure if you can find this one on a stream anywhere, but make sure to add it to your bet slip. This is one of my favorite mid-major programs to follow. This year especially with the addition on Brandon Whitney. This is a big time freshman. Whitney is averaging 21.3 ppg in his last three, and is shooting it 54% from the field on the season as a guard. He will be a name in the Big Sky for years to come. Also, Portland State is just not very good. 38.5% from the field, 27.5 % from distance, and turn the ball over 15 times a game. Yuck. Give me the Griz! This may be a multi-unit play as well.

Score Prediction: Montana 69 – Portland State 60

Best of luck! Let’s snipe this one y’all!!

2/3 Three Ball Write-Up

(photo: South Carolina Gamecocks Athletics)

Season Record: 110-85-5

2/3 Three Ball:

South Carolina +9

Seton Hall ML -115

SFA -12.5

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South Carolina +9 : I know that I am biased with the Gamecocks. I have admitted this. However, after watching Frank Martin teams since my freshman year in college .. this is a game that South Carolina either wins – or competes in. There are a lot of things to like about the Gamecocks on the offensive end, which you can normally cannot say. A.J. Lawson has taken a big step as a top-option scorer this season, and Keyshawn Bryant is challenging Greg Brown for the best athlete in the country. Frank usually has a stalwart defense, and that has been missing this season. I believe you will see a more inspired effort on that end tonight after the embarrassment in Nashville.

Score Prediction: Florida 72 – South Carolina 70

Seton Hall ML : This is a must win for the Pirates, and I think they get it done. Yes, they have lost 4 of 5.. but, they lost a pair to Creighton and Villanova. Most teams in the country would suffer the same fate. Providence can occasionally get into a lackadaisical flow on offense when David Duke’s head is not in the game, and I believe the energy from Seton Hall will help them squeak out a close victory. Bryce Aiken is the X-Factor. A double digit night almost guarantees a Hall victory

Score Prediction: Seton Hall 73 – Providence 70

SFA -12.5 : The Lumberjacks have done an exceptional job of blowing out inferior opponents this season. That will not stop tonight. Texas A&M CC is one of the worst teams in America. They are still winless against Division 1 opponents, and commit SEVENTEEN!!! turnovers a game. SFA has a high pressure defense that will surely get that number over 20 tonight. This will be a cruise from start to finish. Hammer this one.

Score Prediction: SFA 84– Texas A&M CC 63

Best of luck! Let’s snipe this one y’all!!