Super Tuesday Picks: Record: 4-5-1 (yikes)
I am very sorry about last week’s Super Tuesday slate… Sometimes you just gotta tip your cap to Arkansas and say it isn’t your day. We’re back with a clearer mind and a clean slate. Time for a bounce back week.
7pm EST Tulane (11-11) vs USF (7-16): Tulane -3.5
Following last week’s abysmal performance I feel the need to reestablish my credibility. I’ll start with this. I anchor Temple University’s sports show called Owl Sports Update and report on Temple basketball which is in the AAC, the conference that USF and Tulane are in. USF is a very, very, VERY bad team. They have one win in the last month and it came against Temple. Temple was down two starting guards and their starting center for that contest and it took a miracle last second three pointer for USF to win that contest. Tulane on the other hand got off to a tough start this season, but have turned it on in conference play going 8-5. The Green Wave have taken care of the inferior competition in the conference, showcased by their 68-54 victory against USF when these teams met earlier this season. The Green Wave led by Ron Hunter, yes, that Ron Hunter, should make lightwork of a faltering USF team that really has no home court advantage. Not to mention Tulane’s starting guard Jaylen Forbes is on a tear right now, making 14 three pointers in his last three games. For NBA fans that may sound normal, but numbers like that simply don’t happen in the college landscape.
9pm EST Wyoming (21-3) vs New Mexico (10-14): Wyoming -5.5
Start watching tape on Wyoming while you can because this team is dangerous once March rolls around. The Cowboys found themselves in the top 25 for the first time since 2015 this week, and it’s a deserved ranking. Wyoming may not have that one standout ranked win that casual fans may be looking for, but they have strung together consistent wins in tough environments against a Mountain West conference that is having a very up year. Wyoming comes into this game on a six game winning streak and have won 12 of their last 13 games. New Mexico is simply not a very good team and sit at 10th in the Mountain West out of 11 teams. Playing against the bottom four teams of the Mountain West, Wyoming has an average win margin of +10.2 points. However these teams did meet earlier this year and Wyoming snuck away winning just by 2… I’m going to chalk that up as a trap game. Wyoming traveled to Boise State in the next game (at the time the first place team in the Mountain West). The Cowboys are really hitting their stride at this point of the season and I expect them to pour it on against one of the weakest teams in their conference.
9 pm EST Kentucky (21-4) vs Tennessee (18-6): Kentucky +1.5/Kentucky ML
This bet comes with a disclaimer and I’ll start with that. At the time of writing this bet, Kentucky’s star guard Ty-Ty Washington is listed as questionable. From the reports I’m reading his injury “isn’t all too serious”, so I’m taking the risk, getting in at +1.5, and thinking he will play. This being stated, Ty-Ty Washington is NOT the reason I’m taking Kentucky, it’s his friend in the frontcourt Oscar Tshiebwe. If you haven’t heard of Tshiebwe, it’s time to start. Tshiebwe is for lack of a better comparison, the Dennis Rodman of college basketball without all the nonsense. Tshiebwe leads the NCAA bringing down an average of 15.3 rebounds per game. Bolstered by Tshiebwe, Kentucky ranks fifth in the entire country in terms of rebounds per game, while Tennessee ranks 91st. These teams met earlier this year and Kentucky decimated the Vols 107-79. I’m not expecting a showing like that, but Calipari’s Wildcats haven’t made a deep run in March in a while. It’s just February 15, but March starts tonight for the Cats and they know it. I like Kentucky +1.5 tonight bolstered by their dominance on the glass.
Photo: Kevin C Cox
