FERRINGO
2.5-Unit Play. Take #527 Wright State (+12) over Butler (9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28)
The Raiders are 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings and are matched up against a team that has struggled to cover double-digit spreads all season long. Butler is just 4-12-1 ATS in conference games and Wright State is 16-5 ATS as a dog. This one is going to be within three points of this number ? I don?t think Wright wins this game ? but I think we?re going to be on the right side of line.
5-Unit Play. Take #530 Arizona (-4.5) over USC (9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28)
Note: This is our Game of the Month.
We were on the wrong side of the injury bug earlier in the week but I am hoping we are on the right side tonight. USC point guard Daniel Hackett has a fracture in his lower back. And although he is going to try to play through it he is going to be severely limited if he is able to play at all. Without their point guard and, arguably, the club?s most valuable player it?s going to be tough for the USC to be going on the road to a place they historically don?t perform well in. They are 1-21 SU in their last 22 trips to U of A. Without Hackett I think that Arizona?s Jarred Bayless is going to run wild. Jordan Hill and Taj Gibson should cancel one another out on the inside, so the entire key ? the ENTIRE key ? is for Chase Buddinger to show up. Over their last 10 games, Arizona is 5-1 ATS when he scores 20 or more and 1-3 ATS when he doesn?t. He hit USC for 29 in the first meeting and hopefully Buds will be fired up to go against O.J. Mayo.
2.5-Unit Play. Take #545 Boise State (-3.5) over San Jose State (10 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28)
I?ll take the better team the books can take the points. The Broncos may be a bit dazed after their loss to Siena over the weekend, but they are still a veteran team and they can bounce back much more quickly than a younger team would. SJSU is just playing out the string and I don't think they have the talent to run with the Broncs tonight.
2-Unit Play. Take #507 Notre Dame (+8) over Louisville (7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28)
The question with Louisville is always whether or not they can score enough to lay double-digit numbers on people. I think it's going to be tough tonight. Notre Dame is certainly in the same stratosphere as the Cardinals and I think they can hang around in this game. Also, the Irish shoot so well from the outside that even if they are getting run down by UL they can easily bang a couple late threes to sneak into this number. Look for a two- or three-possession game tonight and a solid cover by one of the Big East's best.
2-Unit Play. Take #544 Stanford (-11) over Washington (10 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28))
Washington is 5-13 ATS as a road dog and I think they have been playing above themselves a bit during their three-game home stand. If Stanford can cut off Jon Brockman on the interior I don?t know if the Huskies can score consistently enough from the outside to keep this one close. Stanford hammered the Huskies in Washington by 14 in the first meeting and I think they can match that performance tonight in front of the home faithful.
2-Unit Play. Take #510 St. Joseph?s (-12) over St. Louis (7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28)
The Billikens have stunk on the road this year and I don?t think they can score enough to stay with the Hawks at home. Other than a head-scratching loss to LaSalle at home the Hawks have won their last three home games by 25, 22, and 15. St. Louis? last three road losses have been by 17, 11, and 27. The Hawks are hitting their stride and I think they smother STL this evening.
1-Unit Play. Take ?Under? 148 Maryland at Wake Forest (8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28)
I?m going contrarian with this pick. I don?t play many totals, but this one jumped out at me because both teams have been scoring so much lately, but I think it?s a bit uncharacteristic.