The Aztecs won't have Magoon Gwath, and they're 0-2 alltime at Grand Canyon. But this San Diego State team is clearly the conference's best and has allowed 68.5 points per game during its 10-1 hot streak. (That loss came to undefeated Arizona). The Aztecs shoot 37.8 percent from deep while the Lopes shoot 30.1 percent. This is a deep and balanced team that should stay hot on the road.
Hokies senior forward Tobi Lawal returned from a foot injury four games ago. It took him some time to get back in rhythm, but Saturday everything clicked. He had 22 points and 11 rebounds in an 89-76 win over Notre Dame. Virginia Tech is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games, with those losses coming by 1, 1 and 3 points. Look for another tight one and grab the points.
Western Carolina has been very competitive in SoCon road games, losing by five at Samford and seeing the other two go to overtime. The Catamounts, who lead the SoCon in offensive rebounding, played a grueling non-conference schedule that included games against Duke, Cincinnati, Georgia and Virginia Tech. Mercer is the better team and playing at home, but this is too many points.
Short-handed Oregon put up a great fight against Michigan before losing by 10. The Ducks will be hard-pressed to repeat that performance against the Spartans’ dominant defense. Michigan State has won four straight by an average of 19.3 points. With Oregon still missing its top two players, back the Spartans to record their fifth straight double-digit win and cover.
Auburn is 0-3 in true road games. Ole Miss has won three straight, with AJ Storrs scoring 70 points in that span. Chris Beard’s team continues to jell and is live to win this outright.
Indiana is 0-5 in Quad 1 games and enters off a 17-point loss to Iowa. In that game, the Hawkeyes held the Hoosiers to 38.5 percent shooting. Michigan’s defense is at another level entirely. Lay the points as the Wolverines have put their recent stumbles behind them.
The Grizzlies are coming off consecutive tough losses but should bounce back against a Lumberjacks team they defeated by 14 less than three weeks ago. Montana holds opponents to 40.7 percent shooting from the field, lowest in the Big Sky. That will make things difficult for Northern Arizona, which definitely won’t have its leading scorer and could be missing its No. 2 scorer as well. Look for the Lumberjacks to fall to 0-7 in conference play.
Nicholls is a very good home team, coming off its first home loss. Now the Colonels host Southland leader Stephen F. Austin. The Lumberjacks have not won at Nicholls since 2016. With Nicholls having covered four straight in the series, I bet the Colonels to keep it close in this Monday. night showdown.
Princeton guard Dalen Davis returned from an ankle injury three games ago and made an immediate impact. The Tigers beat Penn and Yale and lost in OT at Harvard, with Davis scoring a total of 46 points. Princeton went 1-8 without Davis in the lineup. Grab the points.
Memphis ranks 28th nationally in defensive efficiency and should smother the Roadrunners, who are winless in conference play. At home, the Tigers have held two conference opponents to 3-of-37 shooting from deep. This is a matchup in which Memphis’ inconsistent offense should come alive, fueled by UTEP turnovers. Lay the big number.
The Ramblers lost 70-68 at home to Dayton, and I like them to be competitive in the rematch. They just hung tough in an eight-point loss to George Mason. Look for the Ramblers’ offensive rebounding to keep this respectable, despite Dayton winning its fifth in a row.
This is a long road trip for UTEP, which is 0-6 on the road. The Miners have lost each of their three road C-USA games by double digits. Delaware also is struggling at the bottom of the conference, but the Fightin' Blue Hens boast a strong duo in Christian Bliss (15.2 ppg, 6.4 apg, 5.6 rpg) and Justyn Fernandez, a Providence transfer. Look for Delaware to bounce back from its OT loss at Louisiana Tech and cover the small number.
Nevada lost last year's visit to Logan by 21 points, crumbling in the face of the Aggies' pressure. But this version of the Wolf Pack is committing far fewer turnovers and is 3-1 on the road. Look for Elijah Price, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Week, and the Wolf Pack to stay within the number.
This is a huge rivalry game in the SoCon. Western Carolina is 5-10, but it should be noted the Catamounts played Duke, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech and Georgia in non-conference play. All three of their conference losses have come by five or fewer points. The Buccaneers come in undefeated in the SoCon, but they're just 2-4 on the road. Western Carolina, which leads the conference in offensive rebounding, has won four straight home meetings and seven of the past eight. I don't expect them to win this one outright, but this is too many points.
The Orange are 6-1 with 6-9 sophomore Donnie Freeman in the lineup, the loss coming by three to Clemson. Without him, Syracuse went 5-4. Since returning from a foot injury, Freeman has scored 18, 27 and 22 points while going 7 of 15 from deep and 16 of 20 on free throws. Florida State gives up a league-high 45.3 percent shooting from the field as well as an ACC-high 81.3 points per game. Look for the Seminoles to fall to 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games.