Clemson Tigers at Louisville Cardinals -4.5, Under 131.5
Louisville enter this game on the wrong side of one of the biggest and most televised come backs of the season. The Cardinals came out on fire against the highly rated Blue Devils but were unable to handle the late pressure and dynamic offensive weapons. They face a different challenge on Saturday with the Clemson Tigers in need of a marquee victory to put themselves back in contention for the NCAA tournament.
Like Louisville, Clemson is coming off a weekday loss to the Miami Hurricanes. The loss brought an end to the Tigers four game win streak which saw them reemerge as a potential contender in the top heavy ACC.
Chris Mack has proven his toughness as a coach and his team will back him up on Saturday. Clemson, despite being 21st in scoring defense, has their struggles with perimeter teams as they rank a dismal 279th in three-point field goal percentage defense (35.9 percent) this season. This will be a slow-paced game that will be controlled by the superior strength of Louisville’s Dwayne Sutton and Jordan Nwora. I like the Cardinals to cover and the under
Maryland Terrapins at Michigan Wolverines -6
First instinct says that the Michigan Wolverines are getting to many points against a Maryland team that has taken two straight from Nebraska and the red-hot Purdue Boilermakers. The difference for Maryland will be the defensive juggernaut Michigan. John Teske and company will look to force the ball out of the hands of Bruno Fernando and Jalen Smith, packing the defense on the interior and force the guards to make plays.
Michigan is 15-0 at home, Maryland has while Maryland is 0-18 on the road against top 25 teams. Michigan is 9-1 ATS after a straight up loss. I see Maryland struggling on the road against causing a double-digit loss.
Tennessee Volunteers +3 at Kentucky Wildcats
Despite Tennessee’s record their still seems to be some debate about whether they are at the top of the SEC pecking order. Entering this game as a 3-point dog seems like a bit of a surprise. The Volunteers will bring their veterans into a hostile environment that they have seen before.
On the season, the Volunteers are fifth in the nation with 85.4 point per game, while also just allowing 68.5 points per contest. They are also efficient with their shots, making them even more dangerous. Tennessee is seventh nationally with a high 57.0 effective field goal percentage.
The Wildcats have made big improvements since their beatdown on opening night. They will be a force to reckon with in March but for now this Tennessee team is on a mission to dominate the SEC. Grant Williams will be the player to watch, Kentucky will have no answer for him on Saturday. Bet the Volunteers, consider the moneyline.
Other games:
Auburn -9.5
Drake -5
Virginia Tech/ Pittsburgh over 133
UCF/ Memphis under 150
Indiana Hoosiers +28
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