Is Michigan the same team that it was at the start of the season, or did the Wolverines get exposed against Michigan State? That’s the question the Wolverines have to answer here. Michigan saw its hopes at first place in the Big Ten fall apart when Michigan State completed the season sweep, but even though Michigan couldn’t beat its in-state rival, it’s a defeat that proved little. Can Michigan show its potential tonight and cover the bookie’s spread of -8? DJ has the NCAA hoops pick!
Health-wise, these teams are heading in opposite directions. Syracuse is banged up after losing Battle, while Duke is starting to get healthier. Plus, the Blue Devils have plenty of motivation to come out and play well in this game. They lost once to Syracuse this season, and a win over Syracuse this time would likely give them another shot at North Carolina. There’s also a chance at a No. 1 seed to think about. Is this Duke team right where they need to be with the future #1 NBA draft returning? DJ gives his breakdown and basketball pick!
Complacency. This is always a concern in conference tournaments when you have a team that knows it’s getting a top seed against a team that thinks it’s already done its job for securing a bid. For Virginia, there’s the question of just how hard they’ll approach this game because they’re the one team among the ACC’s Big 3 that isn’t going to fall off the No. 1 seed. Is the biggest angle on this game purely motivation? DJ breaks down both squads position coming in to the game and offers his prediction.
Few teams faced as tough a stretch down the final five games as the Syracuse Orange, who had three games of five on the road, including one at North Carolina. The two home games were only against Duke and Virginia, both of whom rank in the top five nationally. Is Syracuse prim to air it out as 7 point favorites at home? DJ gives his college basketball prediction!
[et_pb_dcsbcm_divi_breadcrumbs_module hide_homebreadcrumb="off" homebreadcrumbtext="Home" separator="sep-raquo" hide_currentbreadcrumb="off" homebreadcrumborientation="left" _builder_version="3.8" fontsbreadcrumbs_font="Lato||||||||"...
Saint Mary’s has a legitimate chance to earn an NCAA bid by either winning or playing tough against Gonzaga in its third opportunity against the Bulldogs. Gonzaga, on the other hand, likely has a No. 1 seed locked up no matter what it does against the Gaels. In a game like this, where one incredible performance can lead to a fantastic reward, it sometimes happens that a lesser team pulls out a fantastic showing and pulls the upset. It hasn’t happened often against Gonzaga, which has claimed 16 of the past 20 titles in the WCC tournament, but it has happened.
This has been a season that Wofford has been building toward, but not even the Terriers coaching staff thought that they’d be this good that they likely don’t have to worry about this game. Wofford is likely looking at a single-digit seed if it can get a win here, and that’s because the Terriers have taken care of business against the teams they should beat. With sportsbooks sitting on opening this line until the last moment, what number gives bettors value for tonight’s match-up?” Dan Jamison gives his prediction.
Gonzaga hasn’t played since March 2 against Saint Mary’s. By the time this game tips off, the Bulldogs will have been idle for nine days while the Waves have been in action and gotten themselves comfortable with playing in Orleans Arena. This sometimes means that the underdog is able to build momentum and hang with the favorite for longer than it should.
The Buckeyes have more to play for when they host the Badgers on Sunday afternoon at the Value City Arena, but that doesn’t mean that this is a meaningless game for the visitor. Ohio State is only 5-4 at home against the Big Ten and 4-5 versus the number this season. Read Dan’s breakdown on this match-up and see who he thinks is the right side to back versus the spread.
Louisville staved off some serious questioning following a win over Notre Dame. Had the Cardinals lost that one and ended up with a four-game skid that included Notre Dame and Boston College, both of whom will be playing in round one of the ACC tournament, it would have been a reasonable question as to whether they’re coming apart at the end of the season. But here they are against a Virginia team that sportsbooks have handicapped to win by double digits. The Cards have no pressure on them in this one. Can playing free on the momentum of their last win get bettors a underdog cover?