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1-Unit Play. Take #754 Miami (-16.5) over Quinnipiac (2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16)
Miami has a lot of built in advantages in this game. They are at home. They have better talent. They have better coaching. But another one is that Quinnipiac has only played one game this year. This is a team that lost its best player (by far) when 23-point-per-game scorer Cameron Young graduated. They still aren't sure what they have. Miami, on the other hand, has played three games. That includes a big ACC game against a Top 10 team (Louisville) and two in-state rivalry games against Florida Atlantic and Central Florida. This is a step down and they should have no problem laying into the Bobcats here.
1-Unit Play. Take #760 Northern Iowa (-9) over Northern Colorado (1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16)
Let's keep banging the drum with Northern Iowa. The only game they didn't cover this season was on opening night, and that was by just a half-point in a game they totally controlled. They've handled Northern Illinois and Bakersfield, two teams that are better than Northern Colorado, and this should be another blowout. Northern Colorado is still learning to play without Jordan Davis, who did absolutely everything on the offensive end last year. UNI is deep and they are excellent defensively. I think they should grind down a Northern Colorado team that isn't good on the road.
1-Unit Play. Take #762 DePaul (-18.5) over Cornell (1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16)
We had no problem cashing in with the Blue Demons against Iowa earlier this week. DePaul dominated that game on the road, winning by 15 over the Big Ten opponent. I'm just going to go to the well here and this team is hot right now. Cornell is not. They aren't very good at all and they are coming off back-to-back one-point losses. Cornell also has a bigger regional game against Syracuse coming up on Wednesday and they could be looking ahead to that.
3-Unit Play. Take #767 Temple (-4.5) over LaSalle (2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16)
Home court is always important in these Big 5 games. That's the only thing we are giving up in this matchup, though. Temple is by far the better team in this matchup and they should prove it here. New coach Aaron McKie knows how important these Philly rivalry games are and I think he will have his team ready to make an impression. LaSalle is a really bad team. They went 10-21 last year and are probably worse this season. They have one guy averaging more than nine points per game and it is a slog for them to try to score. Temple has a veteran team and two high-volume scorers in Nate Pierre-Louis and Quinton Rose. They have four starters back from the team that beat LaSalle last season and they should have no problem doing it again here.
1-Unit Play. Take #782 Arkansas (-17) over Montana (5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16)
This is not the same caliber Montana team that we have seen in recent years. The last two graduations have hit this program hard, and they are rebuilding from scratch. Eric Musselman has a good about of talent and he is trying to make a good first impression at his new gig. I think another blowout is in the offing.
2-Unit Play. Take #794 Washington (+1) over Tennessee (5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16)
Washington already has one big win on the season, taking out Baylor in Anchorage. I think that they can get another one here. Tennessee is in a bit of a transitional season. You don't just replace Admiral Schofield and Grant Williams. Those two had been the heart and soul of this Vols program for the past three years. Rick Barnes is restocking and is leaning on some young talent. But I think that Washington's more highly touted youngsters are going to be better than Tennessee's young players. The Naz Carter and Isaiah Stewart are legit. And Kentucky transfer Quade Green looks like a different guy now that he's back home. Again, the Huskies have better young talent and they have already gone onto a neutral court and beat a very good team. Tennessee is wandering out of Knoxville for the first time and I think that they are going to fall flat. I think the wrong team I favored here.
3-Unit Play. Take #819 USC (-2.5) over Nevada (11 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16)
I'm going to keep chopping against Nevada. This team lost as much talent, experience and production as any team in the country. They also lost their coach, meaning that this a complete and total rebuilding year. They rebounded from an opening season loss to Utah with two close home wins. However, this is the best team that they have faced yet. USC is young, but they have a lot of size and talent. They like to get out and run and they are more than capable of rolling over this Wolfpack squad.
1-Unit Play. Take #804 Rutgers (-9) over St. Bonaventure (7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16)
2-Unit Play. Take #806 Bradley (-10.5) over Illinois-Chicago (8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16)
Illinois-Chicago is a mess right now. Marcus Ottey, Rob Howard, Jordan Blount and Braelen Bridges are all hurt. And I have no idea what is going on with Tarkus Ferguson. But without those four guys this team is terrible. Bradley has revenge for a loss to the Flames last year, and they are getting healthy at the right time. This line is high for a reason.
7-Unit Play. Take #808 Butler (-9.5) over Wofford (8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16)
Wofford hasn't been exposed yet, but they will be. This is one of the more overrated teams in the country right now. And I don't think they are any good at all. Last year they won 30 games, won a game in the NCAA Tournament, and had a banner year for their program. But they lost two all-time program greats and by far their two best players, they lost four of their top six players, and they lost their head coach. This isn't the same team. Prior to last year's breakout, Wofford was just another middling SoCon team. This year they are a lower tier SoCon team. They are punching out of their weight class here. Butler is coming off a supremely disappointing season last year. They are very motivated to bounce back after that losing season and they have looked sharp through the first two weeks. They are coming off a nice win over Minnesota and I think that they have the juice to blow Wofford's doors off. They aren't going to take the Terriers lightly because of Wofford's success last season. But Butler has vastly superior talent and they are shooting the ball really well. They have also been hampered by Kamar Baldwin's injured ribs. He really didn't do much in their first two games. But he is now 100 percent and busted out for 27 points against Minnesota. Baldwin is a stud. And the fact that he is their No. 4 scorer right now speaks well to how everyone else is playing. I don't think that this game will be close.
2-Unit Play. Take #811 Oregon State (-12.5) over Wyoming (9 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16)
The Beavers are coming off a frustrating loss to Oklahoma on Tuesday. That was a big nonconference game, and Oregon State really just didn't show up in the second half. They are back home now and I think that they are going to take their frustrations out on a helpless Wyoming team. The Cowboys are a mess. They lost by 34 points at South Carolina and they lost at home to a bad Cal-Fullerton team on Wednesday. Now they are facing a pissed off Pac-12 opponent that has a lot more size, talent, experience and motivation. Last year Oregon State beat the Cowboys by 19 points, and that was a better Wyoming squad. I don't see a scenario where this game is competitive.
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #804 Rutgers (-4) over St. Bonaventure (7:30 p.m.) AND Take #811 Oregon State (-7.5) over Wyoming (9 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #818 Stanford (-2) over Santa Clara (10 p.m.) AND Take #806 Bradley (-5.5) over Illinois-Chicago (8 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #808 Butler (-4.5) over Wofford (8 p.m.) AND Take #760 Northern Iowa (-4) over Northern Colorado (1 p.m.,
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