Larry's Picks (2 Live)
Larry's Past Picks
Georgia is 2-6 in its last eight after a heartbreaking 76-75 home loss to Mississippi State. But I like the Bulldogs to be competitive i College Station, Tex. The Aggies live off offensive rebounds (nation-best 13.4 per game), but Georgia is strong on the glass too, with a plus 5.4 rebounding margin. This figures to be one of the lower-scoring SEC games Tuesday, which makes the points more valuable. Texas A&M routinely plays close games; its last five games have been decided by a total of 16 points.
The defensive-minded Patriots have won nine straight, 17 of 19, and are coming off a game in which they shot 58.2 percent. They are 4-1 SU on the road in Atlantic 10 play. George Mason holds opponents to 36.9 percent from the field, the third-best mark in the nation. The Billikens have dropped three of their last five and could be without Gibson Jimerson (17.4 ppg), who is dealing with an ankle injury.
Mississippi Valley State shoots 38.7 percent from the field, worst in the SWAC, and is coming off a 92-44 loss at Jackson State. Now the Delta Devils, playing their third straight road game, visit an Alcorn State team that played a brutal non-conference schedule but is 6-4 in SWAC play. Lay the big number.
The Spartans have won five of seven and are shooting 39.4 percent from deep in conference play, best in the Mountain West. Eleven of San Jose State's 12 conference games have been decided by 11 or fewer points. Look for Boise State to win its fourth straight game, but this is too many points.
The Cardinal have been excellent at home in conference play, going 5-0. They are 12-1 overall in Maples Pavilion. This is a long trip for the Demon Deacons, who snapped a two-game skid last time out with a two-point win over Pitt. Look for Maxime Raynaud (20.4 ppg, 11.8 rpg) to lead Stanford to a win and cover.
Tulane rolled to a 92-63 win over the Roadrunners on Jan. 4 in the AAC opener. So why are the Green Wave only slight favorites Wednesday? It might have to do with Tulane's conference schedule. The Green Wave have not beaten a team with a winning conference record and haven't faced North Texas yet. UTSA, meanwhile, comes off one of the biggest wins in program history, 54-50 at North Texas. Look for the Roadrunners to build off that in front an "Orange Out" crowd in San Antonio.
East Tennessee State has won six straight meetings, including 84-69 on Jan. 1 in Johnson City, Tenn. But this is a much-improved Keydets team. They're coming off a 2-0 road trip and have won five of their past six conference games, the loss coming by three to UNC Greensboro. Ricky Bradley Jr. (15.6 ppg, 3.3 apg), Augustinas Kiudulas (15.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 41 percent on 3-pointers) and TJ Johnson (13.0 ppg, 38.2 percent from deep) give VMI a dangerous trio that can keep the Keydets competitive in this payback spot.
I agree with the market move toward BYU. Arizona is more talented but enters off an emotional rivalry win and will have to deal with a raucous atmosphere in Provo, Utah. Cougars stud defender Mawot Mag, the Rutgers transfer, is finally contributing offensively, scoring 19’points in BYU’s latest win at Central Florida. The Cougars have won 18 of their last 19 home games.
The Zips have won nine straight, seven by double digits. They're 10-0 at home and lead the MAC in scoring margin. They make a conference-high 11.5 3-pointers and convert at the second-best rate in the MAC (36.3 percent). Akron plays at a fast pace, uses a deep bench, and should take advantage of a suspect Ball State defense. Look for the Zips to cover while scoring 90-plus for the fifth time in eight games.
Alcorn State is 4-17, but all four wins came in conference following a mostly brutal non-conference schedule. And the Braves have been a covering machine. They enter this one on a 10-2 ATS tear, with the two misses coming by a combined five points. Grambling shouldn't be laying this big of a number.
UAB blew an 18-point lead in the first meeting in Denton, Tex., as North Texas guard Atin Wright nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer in a 78-75 Mean Green win. North Texas made 10 of 18 from deep in the game. That is striking because over the past three games, the Mean Green are hitting 29.5 percent from deep (36.1 percent for the season). It will be a White Out in Birmingham, Ala. Look for Yaxel Lendeborg and the Blazers to even up the season series at home.
Both teams have one conference win. The Pirates got theirs in an 85-80 overtime victory over DePaul. In that game, Seton Hall sophomore guard Isaiah Coleman scored 24 points on 6-for-12 shooting, adding six rebounds and five assists. He made all eight of his free throws. But the Pirates' leading scorer enters this game after missing a blowout loss to Creighton with a back injury, then going 0 for 10 from the field in Tuesday's home loss to Providence. Look for the Blue Demons to get their revenge on home court.
The Gaels own the WCC’s best defense and I like them to slow down the league’s top offense. This will be a tight game but I don’t think St. Mary’s should be a home dog given the Gaels’ pedigree. Grab the points.