Tweet
Robert Ferringo cbb
1-Unit Play. Take #815 San Jose State (+9.5) over New Mexico (5:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
I think that this is too many points for New Mexico to lay out. This team has been a mess over the last month, with suspensions and off-court issues. They are coming off a huge upset win over Utah State in their final home game, but I think they will have a letdown here. San Jose State is playing with house money here in the Mountain West tournament. They are awful. They have lost nine straight games and they are just 7-23 on the season. But they actually beat New Mexico once this year. Now on a neutral court, against a team in a letdown spot, catching a ton of points, I think that they can give the Lobos a game.
4-Unit Play. Take #742 Providence (-4) over Xavier (6:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
This Friars team is finally playing like the team I expected them to be all November and December. Things have clicked and they have won four straight to put themselves in NCAA Tournament contention. I think that they will keep it rolling here. This is a great matchup for the Friars. Xavier has a weak backcourt and isn't a good shooting team. They try to beat teams with physicality, but Providence is actually a bigger, more physical team. Providence has revenge for a loss on the road on Feb. 8 and I think they will get it here against a Musketeers squad that is not nearly as good on the road. Providence is playing its final two home games. They have a bunch of seniors that are going to be geared up for this week, knowing this is the end of their home careers and also knowing that the Friars need both of these games. They will get this one.
4-Unit Play. Take #760 Arkansas (-3) over LSU (7 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
I think that this is a great spot for the Razorbacks. They are a completely different team at home. They will prove it again here. The Razorbacks tripped up on the road over the weekend, losing to Georgia. But the Bulldogs were absolutely due to beat someone. I think that Arkansas will rally here now that they are back home. This team was able to weather the storm without Isaiah Joe. Now that he's back and healthy this team is legit. LSU, on the other hand, is a bit overrated. They are just 3-5 SU in their last eight games. And if you go back to their season-defining 10-game winning streak you see that they had a five wins by two points or less or in OT. So their overall record is a bit misleading. LSU is just 1-4 in their last five road games and I think they are taking on water. I'll look for a Razorback bounce back.
1-Unit Play. Take #762 Georgia (+2.5) over Florida (7 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
Georgia Tech is a little better than their record suggests. They haven't played like it. But they certainly have more talent than a .500 team. They are coming off a commanding upset over Arkansas and the Bulldogs have actually won three of their last four games. They only lost to Florida by six on the road in the first meeting. And I think that the wrong team is favored here. Florida has been overrated all season long. They are coming off a sloppy loss at Tennessee and this team has not been that good on the road. This is a really young Florida team and I think that they will get caught looking ahead to their big home game against Kentucky this weekend.
7-Unit Play. Take #752 Indiana (-3.5) over Minnesota (7 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
The Big Ten is loaded this season. And Indiana has been a bit of a forgotten team thanks to a 3-7 slide at the back end of league play. However, they have two home games this week and this team can be really, really tough in Freedom Hall. Also, they are 3-7 in their last 10 games but two of those losses were by a single point (against Maryland and Illinois). Maryland has had a brutal week. They've actually had a brutal few weeks, as they are also 3-7 in their last 10 games. Last week they had a complete and total collapse at home against Maryland, blowing a 16-point lead and losing a game in which they never trailed until the final buzzer. I didn't' think they could recover emotionally from that game at Wisconsin on Sunday. But, to their credit, they did. And the rallied from a 12-point deficit to take a four-point lead with under two minutes remaining - only to lose again. So I don't know how this team picks itself up off the mat. The Golden Gophers aren't going to the NCAA Tournament. They may not even go to any postseason tournament. Indiana, on the other hand, is fighting tooth and nail to make The Big Dance. They are desperate for wins and they are in front of a bloodthirsty home crowd. I think Archie Miller has his young squad ready to go and I think they run the Gophers off the court in the second half.
1-Unit Play. Take #774 Temple (-2.5) over Tulsa (7 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
I don't think that Tulsa is as good as they have played. I think that Temple is better than its played. And the fact that a team near the bottom of the league standings is favored over a team in first place in the league tells you what you need to know about their relative strength. Tulsa embarrassed Temple in the first meeting, winning 70-44. Now I think the Owls will get some revenge.
2-Unit Play. Take #790 Georgia Tech (-6) over Pittsburgh (9 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
Georgia Tech just announced that they will not contend their postseason ban. They aren't playing in the ACC Tournament and they are ineligible for any postseason tournament. That means that their final two games are their entire season. And this is their final home game, and the final home game for senior James Banks. The Yellowjackets don't have anything to hold back for so I think they are going to give their best effort. This team has been a hard-luck squad all year long and they are better than their record. They have revenge for a loss at Pitt and the Panthers have been awful on the road this season. Pitt has lost six straight and hasn't looked good in any of those games. They are already looking ahead to the ACC Tournament and I think that they are going to have a hard time against a motivated Tech team here.
1-Unit Play. 5-POINT TEASER: Take #762 Georgia (+7.5) over Florida (7 p.m.) AND Take #770 Siena (-6) over Niagara (7 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #815 San Jose State (+9.5) over New Mexico (5:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
I think that this is too many points for New Mexico to lay out. This team has been a mess over the last month, with suspensions and off-court issues. They are coming off a huge upset win over Utah State in their final home game, but I think they will have a letdown here. San Jose State is playing with house money here in the Mountain West tournament. They are awful. They have lost nine straight games and they are just 7-23 on the season. But they actually beat New Mexico once this year. Now on a neutral court, against a team in a letdown spot, catching a ton of points, I think that they can give the Lobos a game.
4-Unit Play. Take #742 Providence (-4) over Xavier (6:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
This Friars team is finally playing like the team I expected them to be all November and December. Things have clicked and they have won four straight to put themselves in NCAA Tournament contention. I think that they will keep it rolling here. This is a great matchup for the Friars. Xavier has a weak backcourt and isn't a good shooting team. They try to beat teams with physicality, but Providence is actually a bigger, more physical team. Providence has revenge for a loss on the road on Feb. 8 and I think they will get it here against a Musketeers squad that is not nearly as good on the road. Providence is playing its final two home games. They have a bunch of seniors that are going to be geared up for this week, knowing this is the end of their home careers and also knowing that the Friars need both of these games. They will get this one.
4-Unit Play. Take #760 Arkansas (-3) over LSU (7 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
I think that this is a great spot for the Razorbacks. They are a completely different team at home. They will prove it again here. The Razorbacks tripped up on the road over the weekend, losing to Georgia. But the Bulldogs were absolutely due to beat someone. I think that Arkansas will rally here now that they are back home. This team was able to weather the storm without Isaiah Joe. Now that he's back and healthy this team is legit. LSU, on the other hand, is a bit overrated. They are just 3-5 SU in their last eight games. And if you go back to their season-defining 10-game winning streak you see that they had a five wins by two points or less or in OT. So their overall record is a bit misleading. LSU is just 1-4 in their last five road games and I think they are taking on water. I'll look for a Razorback bounce back.
1-Unit Play. Take #762 Georgia (+2.5) over Florida (7 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
Georgia Tech is a little better than their record suggests. They haven't played like it. But they certainly have more talent than a .500 team. They are coming off a commanding upset over Arkansas and the Bulldogs have actually won three of their last four games. They only lost to Florida by six on the road in the first meeting. And I think that the wrong team is favored here. Florida has been overrated all season long. They are coming off a sloppy loss at Tennessee and this team has not been that good on the road. This is a really young Florida team and I think that they will get caught looking ahead to their big home game against Kentucky this weekend.
7-Unit Play. Take #752 Indiana (-3.5) over Minnesota (7 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
The Big Ten is loaded this season. And Indiana has been a bit of a forgotten team thanks to a 3-7 slide at the back end of league play. However, they have two home games this week and this team can be really, really tough in Freedom Hall. Also, they are 3-7 in their last 10 games but two of those losses were by a single point (against Maryland and Illinois). Maryland has had a brutal week. They've actually had a brutal few weeks, as they are also 3-7 in their last 10 games. Last week they had a complete and total collapse at home against Maryland, blowing a 16-point lead and losing a game in which they never trailed until the final buzzer. I didn't' think they could recover emotionally from that game at Wisconsin on Sunday. But, to their credit, they did. And the rallied from a 12-point deficit to take a four-point lead with under two minutes remaining - only to lose again. So I don't know how this team picks itself up off the mat. The Golden Gophers aren't going to the NCAA Tournament. They may not even go to any postseason tournament. Indiana, on the other hand, is fighting tooth and nail to make The Big Dance. They are desperate for wins and they are in front of a bloodthirsty home crowd. I think Archie Miller has his young squad ready to go and I think they run the Gophers off the court in the second half.
1-Unit Play. Take #774 Temple (-2.5) over Tulsa (7 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
I don't think that Tulsa is as good as they have played. I think that Temple is better than its played. And the fact that a team near the bottom of the league standings is favored over a team in first place in the league tells you what you need to know about their relative strength. Tulsa embarrassed Temple in the first meeting, winning 70-44. Now I think the Owls will get some revenge.
2-Unit Play. Take #790 Georgia Tech (-6) over Pittsburgh (9 p.m., Wednesday, March 4)
Georgia Tech just announced that they will not contend their postseason ban. They aren't playing in the ACC Tournament and they are ineligible for any postseason tournament. That means that their final two games are their entire season. And this is their final home game, and the final home game for senior James Banks. The Yellowjackets don't have anything to hold back for so I think they are going to give their best effort. This team has been a hard-luck squad all year long and they are better than their record. They have revenge for a loss at Pitt and the Panthers have been awful on the road this season. Pitt has lost six straight and hasn't looked good in any of those games. They are already looking ahead to the ACC Tournament and I think that they are going to have a hard time against a motivated Tech team here.
1-Unit Play. 5-POINT TEASER: Take #762 Georgia (+7.5) over Florida (7 p.m.) AND Take #770 Siena (-6) over Niagara (7 p.m.)
Comment