What’s up guys and gals!
Would’ve been an undefeated day if I didn’t add crusty ass Georgia – oh well! We’ve been staying afloat in CBB but hot damn, I’m ready for my expertise (ya know, pro basketball) to return. Tomorrow I’ll be solely focused on the NBA, so I doubt I’ll have any CBB picks. Here are my CBB plays today and my NBA plays for the association’s first night back!
CBB Today:
- Army -6 *
- Army got impressively shellacked by American U (YIKES) a few days ago, so this is a great bounce back spot at home against a much less capable team. Also, Bucknell is coming off a Patriot League win against Lafayette – wins don’t come often for the Bison, so I expect them to return to form tonight and shit the bed against a hungrier team in the Golden Knights.
- VCU -6.5 *
- VCU is a team built with fortitude and it’s all because of their defensive ability. One area of big time concern for their opponent tonight, George Mason, who VCU beat by 15 points less than 2 weeks ago – GM relies heavily on perimeter shooting, an area where the VCU defense thrives. Unless Mason gets a ton of good shots off from the perimeter, which is unlikely, VCU should cover this line with ease at home. My only cautionary statement: this could be a sleepy spot for VCU since they expect to win and they’ve now won 5 in a row.
- Colgate -12.5 *
- Okay if you thought my last two picks were ugly, how about this shit-show eh? I used to think Colgate was only a toothpaste, so when I had a go-to-school to make fun of in CBB, it was Colgate. Apologies if you’re an alum and congrats on your degree… Anyway, Colgate happens to be extremely good on the offensive side of the ball. They’re the class of the Patriot League for a reason, and unfortunately for Holy Cross, I don’t see much changing in this contest. Holy Cross is, simply, one of the least efficient offensive teams in the country. Again, as long as Colgate doesn’t sleep at the wheel, I expect another favorite to cruise.
- Syracuse +5 *
- The Orangemen have played against tougher defenses than Notre Dame in the ACC, and tonight they’ll have a chance to prove they can overcome one of the better teams in their conference. The Irish have been consistently good on both sides of the court this year, particularly on defense, but the pace and efficiency of the Syracuse offense should keep them in this game. These two teams aren’t as disparate as some of the stats and rankings suggest. I have this at Notre Dame -3.
NBA Tomorrow:
- Celtics -3.5 *
- I’d take this up to -5. Simmons shouldn’t return, and If Durant is back (I don’t think he will be), this is still an advantageous line b/c he’ll be cold – coming back from an MCL tear is no joke. Boston looked sensational before the break – the only reason why they wouldn’t cover this line is if they stumbled over their own two feet. The vaunted Celtics defense will lead the way and cause a less-than-healthy Nets team a ton of trouble on offense. And for what it’s worth (perhaps the quintessential cherry on top), Tatum has been lights out as of late. If that continues, Brooklyn has little chance of covering Thursday.
- Hawks +4 *
- The Hawks needed the All-Star break. The Bulls, on the other hand, already bested their conference rival twice this season; I love that in this spot for Atlanta. The Hawks have significantly more size and moderately better perimeter ability than Chicago. Both should equate to easy points against a Chicago defense that’s been regressing for over a month. The Hawks are due for positive regression on defense and they have the manpower and length to make it happen. Hawks at least keep this close; a sprinkle on the ML might be worth it here.
- Grizzlies/Wolves over 229.5 **
- For obvious reasons, the pace and output of these two teams should feed into each other following the break. This line is WAY too low. I would take it up to 234, albeit for less units. Judge accordingly by what you can handle.
- Warriors -6.5 **
- Any questions? Steph is coming off that sensational All Star performance, the Warriors needed the break to get back to their old selves, and they’re not exactly facing a juggernaut Thursday. I don’t care that Portland is at home – this is a bad team that needs young A. Simons to play exceptionally well to merely have a chance at winning. All Warriors for me.
If you ever have any questions, message me here, on Twitter, or on Instagram. I will make myself available from 9am to 5pm every day, but please don’t expect an answer outside of those hours. I gotta shut it down sometimes. All picks are 1-5 stars based on unit size and confidence. 3 star picks are rare, 4-5 star picks are VERY rare. -Chris
