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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 includes several Power Five conference showdowns, bubble teams, and under-the-radar mid-major conference races.
On Saturday, a 2-3 record was a bit of a letdown, with Oregon squandering a significant halftime lead, and the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles playing with an offense so poor that they should have had their red blood cells checked for anemia. Nevertheless, today is an opportunity to bounce back with a juicy slate of basketball games.
Here are some of the top college basketball expert betting picks for Wednesday, February 5. Let me know your thoughts, and follow me on Twitter @fredetterline. All game times below are Eastern Standard Time.
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Clemson @ Virginia - 7:00 pm
Coach Brad Brownell's Clemson Tigers are a mixed bag and are a good reflection of just how disappointing the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has been this season. Replacing four of five starters, expectations were low for the Tigers and yet they found a way to take down the extremely talented Duke Blue Devils, but have lost ten games and looked dreadful their last time out against Wake Forest. Sophomore guard John Newman and graduate transfer Tevin Mack, who arrived in Clemson, South Carolina, after previous stops at Alabama and Texas, are the players to watch for the Tigers as they seek to push the pace against a Virginia team that seeks to limit possessions.
Virginia is the top defensive unit in the country, by a longshot. Coach Tony Bennett, long considered a defensive mastermind, has his team competing fiercely on defense and allowing only 50.7 points per game (ppg). Early in the year, it seemed like Virginia would never hit an over. Now, it appears Vegas may have over-adjusted as the Cavaliers have gone over the total in seven of their past ten games.
Pick: Over 107
Hartford @ Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) - 7:00 pm
The Hartford Hawks enter tonight's game on a three-game win streak and in a two-way tie for 2nd place in the America East conference. Coach John Gallagher has done a fantastic job this season with a team that had low expectations and only returned 4 scholarship players from a year ago. Graduate transfer Malik Ellison, who is the son of former NBA star Pervis Ellison, has thrived as the go-to player for the Hawks after previous stops at St. John's and Pitt. Helping Ellison out this year is a pair of star freshmen in guard Moses Flowers and Czech forward Miroslav Stafl. Presently, the Hawks and Stony Brook Seawolves look like the best two bets to take down Vermont from on top of the conference to represent the conference in the NCAA tournament.
UMBC enters the game in quite an opposite position. The Retrievers, who were the first 16-seed in an NCAA tournament to take down a 1-seed when they took down Virginia in March 2018, were picked to finish 3rd in the conference in the preseason poll but find themselves in a tie for last with a 2-6 conference record. Coach Ryan Odom's team has struggled largely due to its inability to rebound effectively, ranking 296th in rebounding. Luckily for the Retrievers, Hartford ranks 325th in the nation and plays large stretches of its games with the 6-foot-6 guard Ellison playing at power forward.
Pick: UMBC -3
George Washington University, named after our nation's first president, is in a transition year with new coach Jamion Christian at the helm. Christian, who comes to the District of Columbia after six years in charge of Mount Saint Mary's and one year in charge of Siena, is widely considered a rising star in the coaching stratosphere and quickly found his way to a well-regarded Atlantic 10 (A-10) program. The Colonials are going to be a team to watch in the future, with young freshmen forward Jamison Battle and guard Jameer Nelson Jr, son of the former Orlando Magic and St. Joseph's star of the same name, have emerged as the team's leaders. While these freshmen have endured their share of bumps and bruises, the immense potential they have shown should excite Colonials fans for the years to come.
Saint Bonaventure has been an example of consistency for years in the A-10, with coach Mark Schmidt at the helm since the 2007-2008 season. The Bonnies are in somewhat unfamiliar territory, having lost stars Courtney Stockard and LaDarien Griffin to graduation with seemingly no well-planned replacement. Sophomore guard Kyle Lofton was the heir apparent but due to inconsistent three-point shooting and increased turnovers, the expected star-turn may need to wait a year.
Pick: George Washington +9.5
Sam Houston State @ Incarnate Word - 8:00 pm
Sam Houston State University, named after one of the iconic heroes of the Alamo, is the third oldest public college or university in Texas. The basketball program has experienced similar lengthy success with 19 of 20 seasons in the 21st century having winning records above .500. Coach Jason Hooten, in his tenth season at the helm of the Bearkats, has built a winning culture in Huntsville, Texas, and a passionate fanbase. Senior forward Kai Mitchell is the team's scoring and rebounding leader, but the team uses a deep rotation to tire out opponents.
Incarnate Word, a private Catholic university in San Antonio, was founded in 1881 by an order of Catholic nuns in 1881. The Cardinals have probably started prayer chains for an expedited end to what will go down possibly as their worst men's basketball season of all-time. Aside from a narrow win over lowly Houston Baptist, which we were on the wrong side on, the Cardinals have shown game-in and game-out that they would be better served playing in Division II or III this year. In a few years, coach Carson Cunningham's team may be competing, but for now, a team led by a band of lightly-recruited freshmen will continue to struggle in the Southland conference gauntlet.
Pick: Sam Houston 1st Half -7.5
Temple @ Memphis - 8:00 pm
This year marks a new beginning for Temple basketball. Fran Dunphy was a Division I basketball coach in Philadelphia for 30 years, split between Temple and Penn, and his absence this season has been felt. Dunphy's top assistant, and former Philadelphia 76er and Temple Owl, Aaron McKie has stepped in to replace his old retired boss. McKie is well-respected and well-known in Philadelphia basketball circles, already making his presence known by bringing in New Jersey freshman guard Josh Pierre-Louis, whose brother Nate is the team's best perimeter defender.
The Memphis Tigers have been an unmitigated letdown this season. Coach Penny Hardaway's team has all the talent in the world but cannot seem to play with any sense of urgency or consistency. The Tigers, who had the consensus #1 recruiting class in the nation and brought in five top-100 players, were dealt a blow with the loss of James Wiseman when he decided to depart school early to prepare for the NBA draft. The team is a top-10 team in terms of talent but is playing like a bubble team at the moment.
Pick: Temple +7.5
Thanks for reading, and remember to gamble responsibly.
