STRIKE POINT SPORTS (8-UNIT GAME OF YEAR INCLUDED)
3-Unit Play. #741 Take Massachusetts -4 over St. Louis (2 pm)
The one thing that makes this game pointed in the direction of the Minutemen is their scoring ability. UMass averages in the 80s, while St. Louis is not even above 60 per game. In fact, the Billikens have cracked 80 points just three times this year, twice against D-I teams. Massachusetts responded nicely with a 14-point victory over Duquesne after their home loss to Xavier last Sunday. They stay on track with a nice victory here over St. Louis.
8-Unit Game of the Year. #793 Take Cal Poly SLO -2.5 over UC Riverside (5 pm)
This Big West match-up has been long one-sided in favor of the Mustangs. Cal Poly SLO has won the last six meetings by an average of over ten points. They are 9-1 SU in the last ten meetings and 7-3 ATS in those games. Last season Cal Poly rolled to a 16-point victory in UC Riverside as a six-point favorite. That's more like what the line should have been, but this year's road match-up will yield a similiar result. The lowly Highlanders have just three D-I victories all season, and the combined record of the teams they knocked off is 13-46. I love a balanced offense, and with two players averaging nine, two with eight and three players at seven per game, this Cal Poly squad is exactly that. Off its biggest win of the season at a good Pacific team as a double digit underdog, the Mustangs will carry momentum over and cash their third consecutive victory and climb back to .500 in Big West play.
3-Unit Play. #823 Take Tennesee -2 over Mississippi State (7 pm)
Two teams that play very different brands of basketball, the Vols are more likely to dictate tempo, mainly because they are the more talented team and employ the best full court pressure in the nation. Tennessee has won the last three meetings, and they'll be fired up to redeem themselves for blowing a very winable game against Kentucky last time out on the road. As a small favorite it will be the Volunteers that cash in this SEC match-up.
3-Unit Play. #851 Take Illinois State +2 over Missouri State (8 pm)
The Bears have been a mess of late, and I am someone who does not think just because they are home that this team will automatically turn things around. Illinois State has been a strong MVC program, and the best in the league in my opinion, even over Drake. A mediocre 11-11 says plenty about this Missouri State team, and its 5-13 ATS mark is even worse. At 15-6, the Redbirds are the better team, and they will take this one outright.
