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Robert Ferringo CBB
yest: +3
ytd: -30
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2-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 145.5 Auburn at South Alabama (8 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
Auburn is 2-0 on the season. But it is a little bit of a shaky 2-0. They couldn't put Georgia Southern away in the opener and they were really the beneficiaries of a bad shooting night by Davidson in their second game. Bruce Pearl is leaning on just six guys right now and that's not going to hold up all season long. This game is like the Final Four for South Alabama. They are a smaller, in-state school and they get a true home game against a big SEC school. I have to think the atmosphere here tonight will be a boon for the home team. USA has a really small team. But they are experienced, with five seniors in the starting lineup. They are going to be bombing from all over the place and I think USA will keep this one competitive. South Alabama managed 75 points in their game against Southern Miss, a team that plays at one of the slowest tempos in the country. I think that they will run and gun with the Tigers, who should push the tempo in this one. I can see this one somewhere around 82-76.
1-Unit Play. Take #769 Northern Kentucky (Pk) over Coastal Carolina (7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
Both teams lost their star player from last year. But Northern Kentucky brought back four other starters from the team that beat Coastal Carolina last season and they are a bit further ahead. Northern Kentucky is just the better team from the better conference. And home court won't play a big enough role. Coastal Carolina turned over the majority of its roster and brought in a bunch of JUCO guys. It takes a bit for them to learn to play together and I don't think that this team is there yet. They lost their opener against a feeble Campbell team and Coastal has been terrible on defense in both games. I'll go with NKU.
7-Unit Play. Take #797 Miami (-2) over Central Florida (9 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
1-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 138.0 Miami at Central Florida (9 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
Central Florida won't fall off the map this year. But they aren't very good and they are undergoing almost a complete rebuild. They struggled with Prairie View in the opener and I think that they are going to get hammered here. UCF lost four starters and five of its top seven players from last year's squad. They are trying to fill the gap with transfers Dazon Ingram and Matt Milon. But it's going to take some time and I don't think it will be enough here. Miami was able to rebound from a terrible 25 minutes against Louisville in its opener to beat a decent Florida Atlantic team. Miami has more size, talent and experience and I think that they will take it to the Golden Knights in this one. Playing that game against Louisville - playing a high-caliber opponent in a charged environment - will have them ready for a hostile environment here.
6-Unit Play. Take #804 UTEP (+4) over New Mexico State (8 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
I know it doesn't resonate outside of this part of the country, but the Battle of I-10 is actually a pretty meaningful rivalry between UTEP and New Mexico State. And NMSU has won an amazing nine straight over UTEP. Well, I think it is time for that streak to get snapped. UTEP coach Rodney Terry isn't quite there yet. But he is turning around this Miners program and I don't think there is any doubt that he's bringing the better team into this game. It looks like Nigel Hawkins is going to play and he and Efe Odigie both averaged nearly 13 points per game for the Miners last year. Now they aren't even the two best players on this roster. Five transfers: Daryl Edwards (LSU), Bryson Williams (Fresno State), Souley Boum (San Fran), Anthony Tarke (NJIT) and Tydus Verhoeven (Duquesne) have really raised the talent level on this team. Throw in sophomore Jordan Lathon and his 11 points per game for UTEP last year and Terry has a really solid eight-man rotation. NMSU is not in as good of shape. They had four of five starters back from last year's 30-win squad. But three of those starters are now hurt and won't play. That means they will enter this game without three of their top four scorers and six of their top nine players from last year. I think that UTEP is going to snap the losing streak in this rivalry and win this one outright.
1-Unit Play. Take #816 USC (-14.5) over South Dakota State (10 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
SDSU lost a massive amount of talent and experience from last year's squad. They also lost their coach. So this is a major transitional year for the Jackrabbits. They have gotten off to a nice 3-0 start an dare playing well. But this is a massive step up in class. Seven of SDSU's top nine players are freshmen and sophomores. I don't know how they are going to handle this trip. USC is pretty young as well. But their talent is on a whole other level than SDSU. I think USC will get out and run and will manage to blow out the Summit League visitors here.
1-Unit Play. Take #7291 Air Force (+1) over Army (7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
Army has beaten Air Force five straight years. However, the Falcons have a decent team this year after bringing back seven of their top eight players from last year. They rebounded from a dud effort in their opening game to ring up 78 points in a win over a solid Texas State team. I just think that they are the better team from a better conference here. They are playing with a solid, six-year revenge motivation and I think that they will break through in this one.
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #773 Wright State (-5.5) over Tennessee Tech (8:30 p.m.) AND Take #753 Davidson (-5.5) over Charlotte (7 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #819 Memphis (+9) over Oregon (9 p.m.) AND Take #7291 Air Force (+6) over Army (7 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #781 Auburn (-2.5) over South Alabama (8 p.m.) AND Take #804 UTEP (+9) over New Mexico State (8 p.m.)
yest: +3
ytd: -30
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2-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 145.5 Auburn at South Alabama (8 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
Auburn is 2-0 on the season. But it is a little bit of a shaky 2-0. They couldn't put Georgia Southern away in the opener and they were really the beneficiaries of a bad shooting night by Davidson in their second game. Bruce Pearl is leaning on just six guys right now and that's not going to hold up all season long. This game is like the Final Four for South Alabama. They are a smaller, in-state school and they get a true home game against a big SEC school. I have to think the atmosphere here tonight will be a boon for the home team. USA has a really small team. But they are experienced, with five seniors in the starting lineup. They are going to be bombing from all over the place and I think USA will keep this one competitive. South Alabama managed 75 points in their game against Southern Miss, a team that plays at one of the slowest tempos in the country. I think that they will run and gun with the Tigers, who should push the tempo in this one. I can see this one somewhere around 82-76.
1-Unit Play. Take #769 Northern Kentucky (Pk) over Coastal Carolina (7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
Both teams lost their star player from last year. But Northern Kentucky brought back four other starters from the team that beat Coastal Carolina last season and they are a bit further ahead. Northern Kentucky is just the better team from the better conference. And home court won't play a big enough role. Coastal Carolina turned over the majority of its roster and brought in a bunch of JUCO guys. It takes a bit for them to learn to play together and I don't think that this team is there yet. They lost their opener against a feeble Campbell team and Coastal has been terrible on defense in both games. I'll go with NKU.
7-Unit Play. Take #797 Miami (-2) over Central Florida (9 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
1-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 138.0 Miami at Central Florida (9 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
Central Florida won't fall off the map this year. But they aren't very good and they are undergoing almost a complete rebuild. They struggled with Prairie View in the opener and I think that they are going to get hammered here. UCF lost four starters and five of its top seven players from last year's squad. They are trying to fill the gap with transfers Dazon Ingram and Matt Milon. But it's going to take some time and I don't think it will be enough here. Miami was able to rebound from a terrible 25 minutes against Louisville in its opener to beat a decent Florida Atlantic team. Miami has more size, talent and experience and I think that they will take it to the Golden Knights in this one. Playing that game against Louisville - playing a high-caliber opponent in a charged environment - will have them ready for a hostile environment here.
6-Unit Play. Take #804 UTEP (+4) over New Mexico State (8 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
I know it doesn't resonate outside of this part of the country, but the Battle of I-10 is actually a pretty meaningful rivalry between UTEP and New Mexico State. And NMSU has won an amazing nine straight over UTEP. Well, I think it is time for that streak to get snapped. UTEP coach Rodney Terry isn't quite there yet. But he is turning around this Miners program and I don't think there is any doubt that he's bringing the better team into this game. It looks like Nigel Hawkins is going to play and he and Efe Odigie both averaged nearly 13 points per game for the Miners last year. Now they aren't even the two best players on this roster. Five transfers: Daryl Edwards (LSU), Bryson Williams (Fresno State), Souley Boum (San Fran), Anthony Tarke (NJIT) and Tydus Verhoeven (Duquesne) have really raised the talent level on this team. Throw in sophomore Jordan Lathon and his 11 points per game for UTEP last year and Terry has a really solid eight-man rotation. NMSU is not in as good of shape. They had four of five starters back from last year's 30-win squad. But three of those starters are now hurt and won't play. That means they will enter this game without three of their top four scorers and six of their top nine players from last year. I think that UTEP is going to snap the losing streak in this rivalry and win this one outright.
1-Unit Play. Take #816 USC (-14.5) over South Dakota State (10 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
SDSU lost a massive amount of talent and experience from last year's squad. They also lost their coach. So this is a major transitional year for the Jackrabbits. They have gotten off to a nice 3-0 start an dare playing well. But this is a massive step up in class. Seven of SDSU's top nine players are freshmen and sophomores. I don't know how they are going to handle this trip. USC is pretty young as well. But their talent is on a whole other level than SDSU. I think USC will get out and run and will manage to blow out the Summit League visitors here.
1-Unit Play. Take #7291 Air Force (+1) over Army (7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12)
Army has beaten Air Force five straight years. However, the Falcons have a decent team this year after bringing back seven of their top eight players from last year. They rebounded from a dud effort in their opening game to ring up 78 points in a win over a solid Texas State team. I just think that they are the better team from a better conference here. They are playing with a solid, six-year revenge motivation and I think that they will break through in this one.
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #773 Wright State (-5.5) over Tennessee Tech (8:30 p.m.) AND Take #753 Davidson (-5.5) over Charlotte (7 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #819 Memphis (+9) over Oregon (9 p.m.) AND Take #7291 Air Force (+6) over Army (7 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #781 Auburn (-2.5) over South Alabama (8 p.m.) AND Take #804 UTEP (+9) over New Mexico State (8 p.m.)
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