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In this article every week, we'll be reviewing some of the top college basketball games of the day to see how we can beat Vegas. Today's slate of games features a handful of senior nights as we approach the end of the college basketball regular season.
A bounceback 3-2 Saturday was just what the doctor ordered. In this time of year, it is especially important to stay focused on injuries, as well as another metric that can be difficult to measure - team motivation.
Here are some of the top college basketball expert betting picks for Wednesday, February 26. Let me know your thoughts, and follow me on Twitter @fredetterline. All game times below are Eastern Standard Time.
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The 2019-2020 Loyola-Maryland Greyhounds' season has been a tale of two seasons. The first half of the season was marred by a difficult beginning stretch, opening Patriot League conference play with a miserable 1-7 record. Then, freshman Santiago "Santi" Aldama, a Spaniard big man who became the highest-ranked recruit in Greyhounds basketball history, made his season debut in January. Aldama's absence, due to knee surgery, left the team relying on senior guard Andrew Kostecka as the only double-digit scorer on a one-dimensional team. Since Aldama's entrance to the lineup in the February 1 matchup between these teams, the Greyhounds have won six of their past seven. The 6-foot-11 Aldama paired with fellow Spaniard freshman Golden Dike make a fearsome frontline that will be a force in the Patriot League for years to come.
Coach Ed DeChellis's Midshipmen are in the midst of a slide in conference play, having lost six of their past seven. Evan Wieck, an ocean engineering major and the team captain, will be playing the final home game of his Navy career on the Midshipmen's senior night. Wieck had a strong performance in the first game between these teams, scoring 21 points but only acquiring 2 rebounds. According to Ken Pomeroy's "KenPom" ratings, Navy is a slightly worse team than Loyola-Maryland, further encouraging the decision to side with the Greyhounds.
Pick: Loyola-Maryland +3.5
Rutgers @ Penn State - 7:00 pm
Rutgers is looking likely to reach its first NCAA Tournament since losing in the first round of the 1991 Tournament. The Scarlet Knights, led by fourth year coach Steve Pikiell, entered the Associated Press' Top 25 rankings for the first time since the 1978-1979 season this year. This banner year has been made possible by a startling 17-1 home record. When the Scarlet Knights have to travel from Piscataway though, they are a dismal 1-7. Rutgers did win the early January match between these teams at home. Guard Ron Harper Jr., the son of a former NBA champion guard, has been one of the key performers and will need a big game to help his team to a rare road win.
The Penn State Nittany Lions are also seeking to end a long NCAA Tournament drought this season. Penn State is seeking its first NCAA Tournament since the 2011 Tournament and entered the Associated Press' Top 25 rankings for the first time since the 1995-1996 season. Coach Pat Chambers is in his ninth season in charge in Happy Valley and this is only his second 20-win season. Penn State has covered the spread in seven of their last ten games.
Pick: Penn State -6
Syracuse @ Pittsburgh - 7:00 pm
Coach Jim Boeheim's signature 2-3 zone defense usually keeps it relevant despite significant talent deficiencies, but this year's Orange team has spiraled out of NCAA Tournament contention. A well-orchestrated 2-3 zone defense forces the opposition to hoist more 3-point shots, which should bode well against a Pitt team that ranks 335th in the nation with a 29.2% team 3-point field goal percentage.
Coach Jeff Capel took the Pitt job in the spring of 2017 with the Panthers coming off a 0-18 year in ACC play under former coach Kevin Stallings. Recent NCAA sanctions placed on the Pitt basketball program for recruiting violations and allowing non-coaching staff to conduct coaching during practices during Stallings' tenure shed light on just how impressive Capel's ability to get his team in contention for the NIT in year two has been. With a 15-13 record, but on a four-game slide, the Panthers will need to stretch a few wins together to ensure an NIT bid and may also need a couple wins in Greensboro at the ACC tournament. The Panthers will be honoring three seldom-used big men on Pitt's senior night, and much more should be expected of the team next season.
Pick: Syracuse -1.5
Maryland @ Minnesota - 9:00 pm
The Maryland Terrapins have emerged as the most trustworthy and highest-ranked team in a deep Big Ten Conference. Despite a recent loss at Ohio State, Maryland finds itself being projected on the 2-seed line in most mock brackets and will be looking for a strong finish down the stretch to cement a strong seeding position. Senior point guard Anthony Cowan, who will make his record-breaking 127th consecutive start tonight, decided to return after flirting with the NBA draft a season ago and despite his struggles with shooting accuracy at times has been an effective floor general. His teammate, sophomore forward Jalen Smith emerged this season giving NBA general managers plenty of reason to target him as a potential first-round pick in this year's draft. Maryland has not lost a game to an opponent outside of Quad-1 opponents.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers only returned 32.8% of minutes played from last year, and with only one senior on the roster, expectations were tempered entering the year. The Golden Gophers' 13-13 record is misleading as they have had to play the 2nd most difficult schedule in the nation. Young sophomore center Daniel Oturu has emerged as a strong force and should be an All-Big Ten performer next year. Minnesota is 2-9 in its last 11 games against Maryland.
Pick: Maryland +1
Utah @ Stanford - 10:00 pm
Coach Larry Krystkowiak knew that this year would be a significant rebuilding project due to returning only 33.5% of the minutes played from a season ago. Sophomore forward Timmy Allen, freshman guard Rylan Jones, and sophomore guard Both Gach grew up quickly and showed that the future is bright in Salt Lake City. With the Utes only replacing reserve senior forward Marc Reininger next season, the expectations will be high for this team in the 2020-2021 season. The Utes won the first game between these teams in a February 6 overtime win at home.
Stanford is currently operating on the outer fringes of the bubble. The Cardinal will likely need to win this game, as well as the remaining three games versus Colorado, at Oregon State and at Oregon, to have a fighting chance at an at-large bid. Ten of the fifteen student-athletes on Stanford's basketball team are undecided on their majors.
Pick: Utah +7.5
Thanks for reading, and remember to gamble responsibly.
