Bruce's Picks (3 Live)
Bruce's Past Picks
Shorter price than expected here for UCI after beating UCSD at Lion Tree Arena back on January 11. Rewind to that first meeting and note how the Anteaters took the Tritons out of their offense by completely neutralizing designated bombardier G Tyler McGhie (17.3 ppg & 40% triples), as Russell Turner box-and-one limited McGhie's looks (he only took 3 shots in 36 minutes), which threw UCSD off kilter and effectively stalled the pace for the Tritons. Meanwhile, UCI's 7-1 C Bent Leuchten (23 points & 13 rebounds) proved a load for UCSD on the blocks. Let's also not forget that it's the Anteaters, not the Tritons, who are sitting atop the Big West with a 10-1 league mark (and 20-3 overall). Play UCI.
What a difference a week makes for John Calipari, as nack-to-back road wins over Kentucky and Texas have revived Big Dance at-large hopes for the Razorbacks. In one of the strange twists of the season, the injury to star frosh PG Boogie Fland seems to have ignited Arkansas, which is undoubtedly playing better in his absence. As Kentucky transfer DJ Wagner slides back into his normal PG position, FAU transfer G Johnell Davis (20 ppg last three) is finally producing after a mostly-barren two-and-a-half months, Calipari's machine has suddenly begun to click! Bama remains lethal but the Tide get involved in close calls on the road, where its last three in the SEC have all been decided by six points or fewer. Play Arkansas.
Jimmy Butler apparently will make his Warriors debut vs. one of his old teams tonight in Chicago. No matter, Golden State hasn't been the most-reliable road favorites in the NBA, covering just one of its last six laying points away, as well as dropping five of their last six outright on the road. Fitting Butler into the mix with Steph Curry might not be an automatic thing, either, and note the Warriors are only 13-23 since Thanksgiving week. The Bulls got outscored by 26 in the second half of their 131-106 loss at Chase Center on January 23, but did show they could win minus Zach LaVine when rallying to beat the Heat on Wednesday in the first game after the trade. Play Bulls
Things are so bad for the Preds that the locals at Pancake Pantry are talking Vanderbilt football instead of the NHL. The Blackhawks, who beat Nashville 6-2 last night, are now within three points of Nashville at the bottom of the Central. Appropriate for the Preds, who have lost six straight while scoring only 10 goals in the process. Juuse Saros, worn out in goal, gats a breather tonight in favor of Justus Annunen, who has only saved 53 of the 65 shots he's faced in his last two starts. Notoriously streaky has won four straight, with GK Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (expected to be in the nets again tonight) stopping 74 of 82 shots across his last three starts (all wins). Play Sabres on Money Line
SCU has outscored UOP and Portland by a combined 81 points across the past two games, capped by a 56-19 annihilation of the Pilots in the second half on Thursday. Yet another Bronco--reserve F Camaron Tongue with 19 points--led SCU's balanced scoring attack, the seventh different leading scorer in the past month for Herb Sendek. USD kept it close in the first meeting on January 2, losing only 81-80 at home, but this looks a lot like last year for the Toreros, who actually beat SCU in the first meeting a season ago before getting blown out twice by the Broncos, including in the WCC Tourney. Steve Lavin's team has lost 11 straight since notching its only WCC win vs. UOP. Play Santa Clara.
So far a very good Western Conference road swing for the Leafs, who have won three straight into Vancouver later today. Still, Rick Tocchet has the Canucks stirring, winning five of seven as the playoff push accelerates. Mostly, however, we are inclined to start riding hot GK Thatcher Demko, who missed the first two months f the season due to injury and had his struggles upon reactivation. Lately, however, Demko has looked like the Demko of old, and has been brilliant in consecutive wins over the Avs and Sharks, stopping 58 of 59 shots in the process. Play Canucks on Money Line
Considering its recent form, how can St. Louis be laying a price like this tonight against anyone, even the Blackhawks? The Blues have lost six of seven and have scored a paltry nine goals over that entire span, putting enormous pressure on GKs Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer (Binnington likely to start tonight). Meanwhile, the Blackhawks have been playing better than their recent record suggests, facing a gauntlet of high-powered foes the past two weeks, but when stepping down a level last night vs. the Preds it was a 6-2 Chicago wipeout as Ryan Donato scored twice. Note Chicago has also very much held its own in second nights of back-to-backs (3-3 this season). Play Blackhawks
Rather quietly, the Wolverines have taken charge of the WAC race and enter Saturday with wins in 11 of their last 12, with corresponding spread numbers. They've won and covered six straight in Orem as the offense has been percolating led by PG Dominick Nelson's 15.6 ppg. At home, UVU is scoring 95 ppg its last two, runaway wins over Utah Tech and UT-Arlington. This 13.5 price looks almost a bargain. Meanwhile, no place like home for Billy Gillispie's Texans. Unfortunately, they're on the road, where they've lost and failed to cover four straight and were walloped 91-54 on Thursday at Seattle. Tarleton also ranks as one of the nation's poorest rebounding teams (29.7 ranks 348th). Play Utah Valley.
It looks like the Luka Doncic debut with the Lake Show will have to wait until Monday against the Jazz after initial reports targeted this game as his lid-lifter with LA. Even without Doncic, the Lakers have been scoring loads of points, better than 126 pg their last four (all wins), and LeBron James warming up for the Doncic debut by scoring 42 in the Thursday win over the Warriors. The Pacers, however, hit Crypto.com hot after winning five of six, scoring at a similar near 127 pg clip over those last five wins, and over again on Thursday in Inglewood in the 119-112 win vs. the Clippers. Play Pacers-Lakers Over
They're soaring! Bluejays win and cover streak is now eight after the Wednesday win at Providence, all since a January 3 loss at...Marquette. Shaka Smart's task on Saturday is to slow runaway Creighton C Ryan Kalkbreener, who scored "only" 16 in the first meeting. In his last four, Kalkbrenner is scoring at a 28 ppg clip while gobbling 10 rpg. The Bluejays also continue as the lowest fouling team in the country with just 10 whistles against them on Wednesday as the Friars only got to take six FTs all night. The Golden Eagles have also hit a bit of a speed bump with two losses on the spin, and were outrebounded a massive 50-28 in the loss to St John's on Tuesday. Play Creighton.
That was more like it for the 'Ville on Wednesday when blowing out Boston College 84-58 at Chestnut Hill. The Cards were one of the nation's hottest teams into February, winning ten in a row and 9-2 vs. the line across the preceding eleven before the shock loss to GT. Everything clicked again vs. the Eagles, as Pat Kelsey's troops hit 50% from the floor and controlled the glass by a 44-32 count. Colorado transfer F J'Vonne Hadley put in 22 as the 'Ville scored its fifth straight win by double digits. No buy signal on the Canes because of the Notre Dame win, on the heels of ten straight losses, including by margins of 35, 43, and 37 points. Play Louisville.
Not quite sure why Troy has to be favored here, The Trojans, save a recent win over South Alabama, have mostly feasted upon the bottom half of the Sun Belt, and are off of a loss at JMU Troy's long-range radar went on the blink and connected on only 27% triples. That's actually not much worse than Troy's subpar 30.1% shooting beyond the arc this season. Meanwhile, Miami-O's dominance of the MAC should be getting a bit more respect, especially as the RedHawks are the only team in the country to rank in the top ten in both FG% and 3-point accuracy. Miami-O has also won 11 of 12 with a balanced 82 ppg offense led by G Peter Suder (14.7 ppg). Play Miami-Ohio