Larry's Picks (2 Live)
The Cougars have lost six straight road games and visit a Lions team that has covered six of its last nine at home. Washington State is a little better offensively, but Loyola Marymount has a big edge on defense, holding opponents to 41.7 percent shooting. Look for the Lions, led by senior Myron Amey Jr. (17-plus points in three straight) to get payback for a 78-76 loss at Washington State in early January.
Cam Johnson went 0 for 4 from deep and finished with nine points in Denver's loss to the Warriors on Sunday. But he started and played 38 minutes. It was the first time since Nov. 12 that the sharpshooter (41.7 percent on 3-pointers this season) failed to make a 3-pointer. The Celtics are playing their third road game in four nights. Look for Johnson to take advantage of a tired defense and clear this prop total for the third time in his last four games.
Grand Canyon is eager for revenge after losing 80-78 at UNLV, but I like the Rebels to at least keep this tight. Grand Canyon has not covered any of its last three home games, while UNLV has been outstanding on the road, winning outright at Utah State, Boise State, Stanford and Memphis. Look for UNLV's explosive offense to succeed enough against Grand Canyon's stout defense.
Sophomore guard Jeremiah Wilkinson's return from a shoulder injury has re-energized the Bulldogs, who enter Nashville off wins over Kentucky and Texas. Wilkinson has scored 17-plus in four straight games for Georgia, which averages 90.4 points and has five players averaging 9.8 points or more. Vandy, which has lost two straight, should get the win on Senior Night. But this is too many points considering the Commodores are 5-6 SU since their 16-0 start.
The Patriots have gone 1-4 SU and ATS in their last five, the exception coming when they won 60-52 at home over St. Joseph's. The Hawks only got to the free-throw line four times that night, settling for 37 3-point tries (they made just 10). Look for a more aggressive approach at home and for the Hawks to improve to 11-2 ATS in their last 13 games.
Charlotte ranks second in effective field-goal percentage in the conference, while North Texas ranks last. The 49ers have covered three straight meetings and are 7-2 at home SU versus the Mean Green. Charlotte got back on track last time out with a 68-56 home win over East Carolina. The 49ers' 7-2 center, Anton Bonke, has bounced back from a bad stretch with back-to-back solid performances (29 points, 14 rebounds last two games). Back Charlotte at home.
The Mavericks have covered four straight, and I like them to get revenge for a 68-64 loss to South Dakota on Jan. 21. In that game, Omaha made 1 of 19 from beyond the arc and shot 59 percent on free throws (13 of 22). Those are outlier performances for a team that shoots 36.8 percent from deep and 73.1 percent from the foul line. Look for the Coyotes to drop their fourth straight.
The Bruins are coming off a monumental comeback win over Illinois, while the Trojans enter off an embarrassing loss to Oregon. USC has covered four straight as a road dog, including two outright wins, a one-point loss and a seven-point loss. The Trojans are currently among the "First Four Out" in the NCAA Tournament watch, so there should be an extra sense of urgency. Back USC to keep this rivalry game close.
The Utes have lost eight of nine and face an angry Cyclones team that just lost at BYU. Utah struggles in transition defense, which should enable Iowa State to put up a big number. While the Utes have covered four of five, their last three games have not come against elite competition. This is a big step up and a bad matchup.
Colorado State has won five straight, covering the past four. The last two victories came against teams ahead of the Rams in the Mountain West standings (UNLV, San Diego State). The Bulldogs have lost four of five and are coming off a heartbreaking near-upset of New Mexico. Their last three road games have resulted in double-digit losses. Look for CSU to get payback for its Jan. 14 loss at Fresno State.
Boise State has won the past seven meetings, covering six of them. That includes an 81-65 win at Wyoming on Jan. 20. The Broncos are an explosive offensive team that has scored 80-plus in eight of their last 10 games. They are led by juniors Drew Fielder (14.3 ppg, 41.6 percent on 3-pointers) and Andrew Meadow (11.9 ppg, 53.6 percent from the floor). In conference play, the Cowboys shoot 31.3 percent from beyond the arc. That number falls to 29.6 percent on the road. Lay the points.
Morehead State needed overtime to win at Southern Indiana in the first meeting. This one should be more convincing. The Eagles have won and covered five straight and are 10-2 SU at home. The Screaming Eagles are coming off consecutive wins, but those were against two of the OVC's worst teams. Morehead State leads the conference with 46.9 percent shooting, while Southern Indiana ranks last at 38.8 percent.
Lu Dort has scored in double digits in two straight. With all of OKC's injuries, I'm expecting Dort to play about 30 minutes and get to double digits again. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell are out, while Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso are questionable. In his only previous meeting with the Raptors this season, on Jan. 25, Dort poured in 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting.