Michael Cannon (hit last 4 top plays)
Saturday's Plays...
25 Dime ?
OHIO
Take Ohio for the home win over George Mason.
Normally I don?t look at how other teams fared against an opponent to get an opinion on a game, but I couldn?t help it in this case.
George Mason?s Will Thomas is a defensive liability in the paint and when the Patriots struggle it?s when they play teams that have strong inside games.
Ohio has just that as their two leading scorers, Leon Williams and Jerome Tillman, are both forwards.
UNC-Wilmington, a team that also boasts two double-digit scoring forwards, has beaten George Mason twice, so that?s why I?m liking Ohio so much here this afternoon.
Ohio is 10-0 on its home court this year, so they know how to get it done in front of the partisan crowd.
Take Ohio for the win.
15 Dime ?
MICHIGAN STATE
Take Michigan State as the big home chalk for the win and cover.
Huge payback game for the Spartans as they look to atone for their ugly 43-36 loss at Iowa on January 12.
That game snapped the Spartans 11-game winning streak and was their lowest scoring output since 1952.
Iowa scores only 56 points per game, which is the lowest in the Big 10, and I don?t see them scoring enough to hang within the number this afternoon.
Michigan State is holding opponents to a mere 60 ppg at East Lansing, so Iowa is going to have to work as hard as they possibly can for points today, leaving them without much energy to defend on the other end.
Take the Spartans as the big home chalk as they grab the home win and cover.
10 Dime ?
CINCINNATI
Take the points with Cincinnati this afternoon over Georgetown.
At first glance this appears to be a mismatch that heavily favors the Hoyas, but Cincinnati is no pushover and will give the Hoyas everything they got today.
Georgetown may have the lofty ranking, but they haven?t impressed me all that much in they?re not scoring any huge blowout wins. They?re just 1-5 ATS as a chalk in Big East play this year.
Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin vowed revenge against all the teams the Bearcats lost to last year, and so far it?s been paying dividends as they?ve showed steady progress. John Williamson and Deonta Vaughn form a nice inside-out scoring tandem for the Bearcats, which will keep Georgetown from doubling up on either one of them.
The Bearcats are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine road games.
Take the points with Cincinnati as they stay within the number at Georgetown.