Alcorn State v Baylor
The Alcorn State Braves are hoping to end their 4-game losing streak when they lock horns with the #2 Baylor Bears on Wednesday afternoon at the Ferrel Center.
It will be a tough task for the Braves to take down the undefeated Bears who are coming of a dominating 93-56 win against Central Arkansas on Tuesday. The Bears are entering this contest averaging 93.6 points per game on 51.8 % shooting, while on the defensive end they are giving up only 60.3 points.
On the other side, if the Braves are hoping for a miracle going into this contest, their defense will need to step up big time as they are currently allowing 95.5 points per game. Offensively, things don’t look any better, as they are averaging 57.3 PPG. Another segment the team led by coach Landon Bussie needs to improve on is definitely the rebounding and their three-point shooting (23.3%).
Alcorn State is 2-8 against the spread while their over is 23-6 in their last 29 road games. On the other side, Baylor likes to push the tempo and score poinst, which indicates that were are up for a high-scoring matchup, so go for the over on the total points.
In their four games this season, the Braves have suffered four heavy losses, and I expect the trend to continue on Wednesday night against the Bears.
College basketball pick – Baylor by 25.
Virginia vs Notre Dame
The #23 Virginia Cavaliers will take their ACC play with a tough matchup at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana. After going 4-2 through their first six contests, the Cavaliers will take on the 3-4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish who started their ACC campaign with a 75-65 loss to #21 Duke.
The Cavaliers are coming off a heavy 98-75 defeat to the mighty Gonzaga Bulldogs at the neutral site. On the other side, the Fighting Irish have beaten Bellarmine 81-70 last time out to snap a two-game skid.
Top plays from today 🎥⬇️
🔶⚔️🔷 #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/PE7CzGvYHh— Virginia Men’s Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) December 26, 2020
This should be a proper low-scoring affair, as both teams love to play half-court basketball. The Cavaliers average the fewest possessions per 40 minutes in the country (60.9), and it’s fair to say that their pace is ridiculously slow. The Fighting Irish are tallying 67.9 possessions per 40 minutes, still enough for the 293rd-slowest pace in the nation.
We suggest you take the under on the totals, though the line has been set at paltry 127 points. The Cavaliers should win this clash, but we would take the hosts to cover. Notre Dame has dropped four straight games against Virginia, but the Fighting Irish are 4-1 ATS in their previous five matchups with Virginia.
The hosts have some serious defensive issues, but they score 110.7 points per 100 possessions (26th in the country). The Fighting Irish should have enough firepower to keep it close.
College basketball pick – Virginia by 5.
Nebraska vs Ohio State
The Big Ten action goes on with the Nebraska Cornhuskers versus #25 Ohio State Buckeyes showdown at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, and if you like wagering on the totals, go grab the over.
The Buckeyes average only 67.2 possessions per 40 minutes, but their offensive rating is the eighth-best in the league (114.0). Ohio State scores 76.6 points per game which is still fewer than Nebraska’s 77.0 points per contest, but the Cornhuskers average a whopping 73.5 possessions per 40 minutes.
The hosts are not an elite defensive team. They’ve dropped two of their last four games and are coming off a 71-70 defeat at Northwestern. On the other side, the Cornhuskers are 1-4 in the last five outings. During that span, Nebraska lost to #8 Creighton 98-74, #9 Wisconsin 67-53, and #19 Michigan 80-69.
Press Conference | Dec. 29, 2020 https://t.co/QYlgLaZBlT
— Nebraska Basketball (@HuskerHoops) December 29, 2020
The Cornhuskers are winless in four straight matchups with Ohio State. Also, they are only 2-14 straight up and 6-10 ATS in their previous 16 encounters with the Buckeyes. However, Nebraska covered in three of its last five games against Ohio State, and the Buckeyes failed to beat the Cornhuskers by 13 or more points in their last seven meetings.
College basketball pick – Ohio State by 9.
Tennessee vs Missouri
Two undefeated teams face off against each other Wednesday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri, in what’s undoubtedly the most interesting matchup of the night in college basketball. The #7 Tennessee Volunteers and #12 Missouri Tigers will both search for their seventh win on the season, while the Vols will also look for their fourth straight victory over Mizzou.
Since beating the Cincinnati Bearcats 65-56 on December 12, the Volunteers have recorded four wins over some mediocre teams. They are coming off an 80-60 victory to South Carolina Upstate, failing to cover a 34.5-point spread, but the Spartans were red-hot from downtown, making nine triples out of 18 attempts.
On the other side, the Tigers have defeated some respectable teams over their previous five outings including #6 Illinois 81-78 and #21 Oregon 83-75. They’ve outlasted the Bradley Braves last time out, 54-53, so the Tigers hope for another strong performance when they welcome the seventh-best team in the country.
JEREMIAH TILMON
That is all 😤 @MizzouHoops pic.twitter.com/7FupmMd8Vq
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 23, 2020
Both Tennessee and Missouri will open their SEC season with this game, looking for a strong start. Tennessee is a fave for a reason, having the third-best defensive rating in the country (87.1). On the other side, Missouri is 27th in defensive efficiency, allowing 91.5 points per 100 possessions.
On paper, the Vols are a better offensive team than Mizzou, so we are backing them to cover. This will be a hard-fought battle, as both schools prefer to play at a slow pace while leaning on stout defenses. Still, only one of the last eight encounters between Tennessee and Missouri was decided by five or fewer points.
The Vols are 6-2 straight up and 5-3 ATS in their last eight meetings with Missouri. They are 5-1 ATS on the season, while the Tigers went 4-2 ATS through their first six games.
College basketball pick – Tennessee by 3.
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