Sports Picks & Predictions

I like UConn to cover this spread in the Championship game tonight against Purdue. Theirs no doubt that these are the two best teams in College Basketball from start to finish this season. UConn is ranked 1st in offensive efficiency shooting an eFG of 57% and are lethal from all areas on the court with the ball in their hands. Purdue's biggest weakness is from the 2PT area where they are conceding more than half of their points from this area, and UConn shoots 59% from here. Defensively, UConn ranks 4th in defensive efficiency holding teams to an eFG of 44% and are blocking 14% of their opponents shots. UConn has a very balanced and difficult defense to figure out that will give Purdue problems early. Offense wins games and defense wins championships - UConn covers and wins back to back tonight. Lay the points with UConn here. -Joey Tron 

I like UConn to cover this spread against Alabama and move on to the Championship game. Since losing to Creighton, UConn has now gone on to win 11 straight and covering in 10 of those. Offensively, UConn is ranked 1st in adjusted efficiency and are shooting an eFG of 57%. In addition to this, the Huskies are shooting 59% from 2 PT which can be a huge mismatch for the Tide - as they are letting teams shoot 50.7% from here. Defensively, UConn is ranked 1st in defensive efficiency and will be the best defense Alabama has faced so far. UConn is holding teams to an eFG of 44% and is arguably one of the best 3PT defenses which is where Alabama strives. No team has scored over 60 points against the Huskies in the Tournament yet, and this will be an uphill battle for the Tide. Lay the points with UConn here. -Joey Tron

I like Indiana State to cover this small spread and win the NIT Championship - I have been on the Sycamores every game this tournament and I will not stop now. The Sycamores offense ranks 12th in offensive efficiency and is shooting an eFG of 59.9%. They are lethal from all areas on the court offensively, but especially from 3PT. Their 3 ball is accounting for 38% of all of ISUs points and this is a weak spot for Seton Hall, as more than 1/3 of points against them, come from the 3PT area. Defensively, Indiana State is grabbing 23% of their opponents rebounds and they have a decent 2PT defense holding teams to just 48.8%. Seton Hall thrives in front of the 3PT line, and Indiana State can give them issues here. Indiana State has been battle tested this tourney numerous times and have come out victorious. The Sycamores speed and shooting will prove to be much for Seton Hall. Lay the points with Indiana State. -Joey Tron

I like Indiana State to cover this spread and advance to the NIT Championship. The Sycamores have been dominant all tourney and I don't see Utah stopping them - in essentially a home game for Indiana State as Hinkle Fieldhouse is just 90 min away. Indiana State is ranked 16th in offensive efficiency and shoot 62% from 2PT and 38% from 3PT. 3PT shots make up 38% of their point scored and Utah defense is letting teams shoot 33% from here. Defensively, the Sycamores rank 109th in defensive efficiency and have a good perimeter defense. In addition to this, Indiana State has been battle tested this tourney numerous times and have come out victorious. The Sycamores speed and shooting will prove to be much for Utah. Lay the points with Indiana State. -Joey Tron

I like Purdue to cover this spread against Tennessee and advance to the Final Four. Purdue has been dominant all tournament and have destroyed every team they have played thus far. Purdue ranks 19th in defensive efficiency and is holding teams to an eFG of just 47%. More than a 1/3 of Tennessee's points come from behind the 3PT line however the Purdue defense is ranked 40th overall in 3PT defense which will make this for the Vols. Offensively, Purdue ranks 2nd in offensive efficiency and is shooting an eFG of 56%. Purdue is a very well balanced offense that can score anywhere on the court giving them a huge advantage on this end of the floor, along with their size. The Boilermakers are on a mission and they will make this a long day for the Vols. Lay the points with Purdue here. -Joey Tron 

I like Alabama to cover this spread against Clemson in the Elite 8 and move on to the Final Four. Alabama has one of the most efficient offenses ranking 4th in efficiency and are shooting 57% from 2PT and 36.8% from 3PT. Alabama realies heavily on 3PT shooting as this makes up nearly 36% of their accumulated points - and this is where Clemson struggles, allowing more than 1/3 of points against them from this area. The Alabama defense is ranked 102nd in defensive efficiency and have one of the best 3PT defenses in the country, which is going to test Clemson who is a heavy 3PT shooting team. Clemson may have won earlier in the season, however this is a different Alabama team that is hungry for a Final Four. Alabama's pace and strength will prove to much for Clemson. Lay the points with Alabama here. -Joey Tron

I like Houston to cover this spread against Duke and advance to the Elite 8. Duke has played against two teams that are ranked outside of KenPoms top 50 defensive efficiency and are now tasked with a beast in Houston. Houston is ranked 2nd in defensive efficiency holding teams to a 43% eFG and is forcing turnovers on 24% of possessions. Dukes realies heavily on their 2PT shooting as they makes up 50% of their points accumulated while Houston is ranked one of the best in this range. Theirs no denying the Duke offense is loaded with talent, but their fundamental playing they used against JMU and Vermont will not work against the Cougars. Defense matters down the stretch, and I look for Houston to rebound in a statement way after their OT win against the Aggies. Lay the points with Houston here. -Joey Tron 

I like Illinois to win this game tonight against Iowa State and advance to the Elite 8. This is the top offense in the country (Illinois) against the best defense (Iowa St). The Illinois offense is shooting 35% from 3PT and the Iowa State defense is allowing just under 36% of points against them from this area, their highest total. In addition to this, Illinois is great at the FT line shooting 74%. Defensively, Illinois is ranked 91st in defensive efficiency and has one of the best 2PT defenses in the nation, which is going to make Iowa St struggle, as they are scoring 54% of points from 2PT range. Terrence Shannon Jr has the capability to control the game on both sides of the court, and Iowa State lacks that type of player. Iowa State ranks 347th in Non-Conf schedule, and that will haunt them tonight. Take Illinois ML here. -Joey Tron

I like this game between Utah and VCU to stay UNDER 145.5 totals points in this Round of 8 match up. I can see why the public is flocking to the over however I prefer the under. Both VCU and Utah are ranked within the Top 46 in defensive efficiency and both play at two totally different paces of play - Utah is one of the fastest in pace and VCU is one of the slowest. Utah is holding teams to 34% from 3PT and 47% from 2 PT and VCU is holding teams to 31% and 46% respectively. Their strength's on offense - is their opponents strength's on defense making this a great matchup on both sides of the ball. Both teams may be trending to overs, however this game will be defensive, Take the UNDER 145.5 here. -Joey Tron

I like Indiana State to cover this spread and advance to the Round of 4 in the NIT. Indiana State has been dominating offensively throughout this tournament and I look for that today as well. They are ranked 18th inoffensive efficiency and are shooting 38% from 3PT and 62% from 2PT. The Cincinnati defense struggles from 2PT as teams are scoring 52% of points against them from this area. In addition to this, the Sycamores are great from the FT line, shooting 80%. Defensively, Indiana State is ranked 103rd in efficiency and is strong defensively both from 2PT and 3PT. In addition to this, they are more experienced and play MUCH better at home. The Sycamores dual threat offense will prove to be too much for the Bearcats. Lay the points with Indiana State. -Joey Tron

I like SDSU to cover this spread against Yale in the R32. Yale had a fierce come back against a sloppy Auburn team and are now tasked with an elite defense in the Aztecs. SDSU ranks 10th in defensive efficiency and has one of the best 2PT defenses in the country. They are holding teams to just 48% from here where Yale scores more than half their points from this range and SDSU is allowing just 48% of points against teams from 2PT range. Offensively, they are ranked 62nd in offensive efficiency and are led by one of the best forwards in the nation, Jaedon LeDee. SDSU is shooting 73% at the FT line and 51% from 2PT making this a great match up for them against an Ivy League school who had 19 personal fouls last game and does not force many turnovers, only on 16% of possessions. Lay the points with SDSU here. -Joey Tron

I like James Madison to cover this spread against Duke in the R32. JMU’s win against Wisconsin was no fluke and they can compete with Duke here, who struggled to score against Vermont last game. James Madison is ranked 65th in offensive efficiency and are a threat from multiple areas on the court. They are shooting 36% from 3PT and 54% from 2 PT - Duke allows 54% of points against them from 2PT and JMU must work the ball down low periodically. Defensively, JMU is ranked 55th in defensive efficiency and plays TOUGH defense. They are stealing it on 12% of possessions, while forcing turnovers on 20%. They have the 2nd best 3PT defense holding teams to just 28% from here - and 3PTs only make up 25% of points against them, one of the lowest in CBB which is where Duke thrives. JMU plays at a much faster pace and will be able to keep up with Duke. Take the points with JMU here. -Joey Tron

I like Indiana State to cover this spread against Minnesota in the R16 in the NIT. Indiana State had a great 2nd half comeback against SMU and the Gophers squeaked out a win on the road against Butler. Indiana State has one of the best offenses in CBB ranking 16th in offensive efficiency and are shooting 38% from 2PT and 62% from 2PT. More specifically, they are shooting 66% in the paint, and can dominate down low with their fast pace of play. Defensively, the Sycamores are ranked 110 in defensive efficiency and hold teams below the NCAA average in both 2PT% and 3PT%. They are far from elite on defense however they are one of the fastest pace of play teams and will make this game a track meet behind their home court fans. The Gophers are just 3-5 SU / ATS their L8 games and have been slowly regressing. Lay the points with the Sycamores here. -Joey Tron

I like NC State to cover this spread against Oakland in the R32. NC State is on the run off a lifetime and I do not see it stopping today. NC State is ranked 43rd in offensive efficiency and excellent at maintaining possession and turn it over on just 13% of their possessions. They are strong from 2PT shooting 50% and this is where they accumulate 53% of their points - also one of Oakland’s weakest links is their 2PT defense. On the defensive side, NC State is ranked 77th in defensive efficiency and are great at stealing and forcing turnovers, at a combined 25%. They have a slight height advantage that must be utilized in containing the 3PT line where NC State struggles at times. NC State players have more playing experience and play at a much faster pace. Lay the points with NC State. -Joey Tron

I like Gonzaga to cover this spread against Kansas in the R32. Gonzaga won handedly against McNeese State and Kansas struggled against Samford down the stretch. Gonzaga ranks 8th in offensive efficiency and has a very dual threat offense. They are 36% from 3PT and 58% from 2PT range. The Kansas defense is one of the worst 3PT defending teams in the nation and the Zags must take advantage of this. On the defensive end, Gonzaga ranks 42nd in defensive efficiency and is one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country grabbing them at 27%. The Kansas offense loves to play downlow where Gonzaga is the strongest - holding teams to only 44%. This is going to be a phenomenal game where I see Gonzaga pulling away down the stretch, where they are 73% at the FT line. Lay the points with Gonzaga here. -Joey Tron

I like Bradley to cover this spread against Cincinnati in the 2nd round of the NIT Tourney. Bradley won comfortably in their first game - and should be able to compete strongly against an inconsistent Cincinnati team. Bradley ranks 74th in offensive efficiency and rely heavily on their 3 PT shooting. They are converting 37% and the Cincinnati defense struggles from 3PT defensively as teams are shooting 33% from here. On the defensive end, Bradley ranks 57th in defensive efficiency and hold teams to an eFG of 47%. The Cincinnati offense is dependent on the 2 ball as this makes up 54% of their total points - however the Bradley defense allows one of the lowest amount of points in this area, at 47%. Bradley has the offense and defense to keep this one close. Take the points with Bradley. -Joey Tron

I like JMU to cover this spread against Wisiconsin. JMU had a great season starting off with a road win against Big Ten team MSU and are battle tested for this one. JMU is ranked 84th in offensive efficiency and thrives from the 3PT range, where they are shooting 36%. Wisconsin’s weakest link on defense is their 3PT defense ranking 345th in nation. Defensively, JMU sits ranked 80th in defensive efficiency and has a great 3PT defense, ranking 2nd over in 3PT%. They are forcing TOs on 19% of possessions and stealing it on 12%. JMU is going to shoot 3s all game and can even win outright. Take the points with JMU here. -Joey Tron

I like this game between Houston and Longwood to stay UNDER 128 total points. Houston has arguably one of the best defenses in college basketball and is ranked 1st in defensive efficiency. In addition to this, they are holding teams to just 43% from 2PT and are forcing turnovers on 24% of their opponents possessions.The Longwood defense is far from good however Houston is built around their defense. The Houston offense is only shooting an eFG of 49% and is horrid at the FT Line shooting 69%. Houston has scored 60 points or less in their 2 of their L3 games and Longwood can give them a fight early on. Play the UNDER 128 here. -Joey Tron

I like Colorado to win this game against Florida in the R64 in March Madness. Colorado has gotten a lot better down the stretch and riding with a lot more momentum than Florida. Colorado is ranked 27th in offensive efficiency and is shooting 53% from 2PT - where they are scoring 54% of their points. Colorado is 78% from the FT line and are grabbing 32% of their offensive rebounds. On the defensive end, Colorado ranks 35th in defensive efficiency and has one of the best 3PT defenses in the country. Florida will face a lot of contested shots from the mid range and near proximity which is setting up for a difficult game for this Florida offense. Colorado will control the pace and prevent Florida from taking the volume of shots they are used to.Defense matters in March,and the Buffs have this advantage. Take Colorado ML here. -Joey Tron

I like Drake to win this game against Washington State. Drake is riding high after winning the MVC and have won 10 of their L11 games. Washington State had an early exit in the PAC12 Tourney and lost 2 of 3 coming into this one. Drake has a two dimensional offense being able to shoot from 3PT (36%) and or from 2PT (55%) and are ranked 41th in offensive efficiency. They display great ball control and are shooting 76% from the FT line. The Drake defense is sitting 74th in defensive efficiency and are one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country which lead to plenty of scoring chances. Drake is led by guard Tucker DeVries who can make a huge impact at the switch of a light. Take Drake ML here. -Joey Tron

I like Nevada to win this game against Dayton - Dayton has been inconsistent all season and they are getting a tough draw with Nevada here. Nevada is a well balanced team on both sides of the ball and will be a difficult opponent for Dayton. Nevada ranks 36th in defensive efficiency and are holding teams to just 31% from 3PT. Dayton lives and dies by the 3 and will be tested here. On the offensive side, Nevada is ranked 37th in offensive efficiency and are shooting 52% from 2PT. Dayton struggles with their 2PT defense and Nevada is led by seniors who can get the job done. Nevada rarely turns the ball over and will give us plenty of chances to score, while limiting Daytons chances. Take Nevada ML here. -Joey Tron

I like Oregon to win  this game against South Carolina in a tough matchup for the Gamecocks. Oregon got hot at the right time and are hungry for more after winning the PAC12 tournament. Oregon is ranked 51st in offensive efficiency and displays great ball control turning it over on just 14% of their possessions. Oregon thrives from the 2PT range shooting 52% and SC is allowing 54% of their points against them from this range. On the defensive end, Oregon ranks 70th in defensive efficiency and are great at forcing turnovers, doing it on 17% of their opponents possessions. Oregon’s perimeter defense may force South Carolina to shoot 3s a good chunk of the game - where they are just 33%. Take Oregon ML. -Joey Tron

I like Colorado to cover this spread in the final Play-In game and move on to the Round of 64. Colorado ended their season on a great run and I see that momentum carrying over into the big dance. Colorado is loaded with weapons including Cody Williams, who returned for Colorado in the Pac-12 tourney. Colorado has one of the best shooting offenses in the country with an eFG of 55% and are 39% from 3PT and 53% from 2PT. The Boise State defense has one of the worst 2PT defenses making this a big advantage for Colorado. Defensively, the Buffs are ranked 39th in defensive efficiency and display great athleticism grabbing 24% of their opponents rebounds. This has the making to be a long night for Boise State. Lay the points with Colorado. -Joey Tron

I like Princeton to cover this small spread at home against UNLV in the R of 16 in the NIT. Princeton has one of the best offenses in college basketball ranking 28th on offensive efficiency and show great ball control turning it over on just 12% of their possessions. Princeton has a balanced tempo of shooting from 2 or 3, and are shooting well above the NCAA average in both. Defensively, Princeton is is grabbing 24% of their opponents offensive rebounds and have a solid 3PT defense, holding teams to just 32%. The Princeton defense may struggle at times, however their offense carries the load and UNLV will not be able to keep up. Lay the points with Princeton here. -Joey Tron

I like Indiana State to cover this spread at home in the NIT Round of 16. Indiana State was snubbed of March Madness and they will take their anger out here on SMU. Indiana State has a great offense ranking 20th in offensive efficiency and are shooting 60% from 2PT. The SMU defense is going to have their hands full with a dual threat offense like the Sycamores do. Defensively, Indiana State will give SMU problems down low in the paint and around the 3PT line as the Sycamores rank 97th in defensive efficiency an are grabbing their opponents offensive rebounds on 23% of their possessions. Indiana State is hungry for more basketball and they will show it tonight. Lay the points with Indiana State. -Joey Tron

I like Colorado State to cover this spread against Virginia and move on to the Round of 64 in March Madness. Colorado State has a great defense ranking 38th in adj efficiency and are holding teams to an overall eFG of just 49%. The Virginia offense has struggled a lot this season ranking 194th in adj efficiency and are horrid from the FT line at just 63%. The Colorado State offense is lethal shooting an eFG of 54% and 57% from 2PT. CSU has one of the best Point Guard's in the country in Isiah Stevens, which will make this an interesting game for UVA. Look for the CSU defense to shine and create chances for their offense. UVA is 1-6 ATS as a dog and CSU is 13-11 ATS as a fav. Lay the points with Colorado State. -Joey Tron

I like Richmond to cover this spread in the first game of the NIT Tournament. Richmond has a great defense that will push VT to their limits on offense. Richmond is ranked 32nd in defensive efficiency and are holding teams to just a 46% eFG. In addition to this, they are forcing turnovers on 17% of opponents possessions and are ranked 35th in 2PT%. Offensively, Richmond is going to give VT issues on this side of the ball as well. They have an eFG of 53% and display great ball control, turning it over on less than 13% of their possessions. Their biggest strength is scoring from 2PT range as this makes up more than half of Richmond's accumulated points - and this is where VT allows most of their points. VT struggles to cover against good teams winning 65% or more of games going just 5-10 ATS against them this season. Take the points with Richmond here. -Joey Tron

I like Illinois to cover this spread and win the Big Ten title against Wisconsin this afternoon. Illinois is shooting 35% from 3PT and Wisconsin has one of the worst 3PT defenses in College Basketball, as teams are shooting 37% against them from here. On the defensive side Illinois is is ranked 81st in adjusted defensive efficiency and are holding teams to a 47% overall eFG. Wisconsin's biggest weakness is their 3PT defense and it can haunt them in transition. Illinois is averaging 8 more rebounds per game and that will be the difference maker here. Lay the points with Illinois. -Joey Tron

I like Western Kentucky to cover this spread and win the CUSA Final in this match up against UTEP. The UTEP offense is ranked 305th in offensive efficiency and will not be able to withstand the force of WKU's defense. They are ranked 105 in the nation in defensive efficiency and are holding teams to just a 48% overall eFG. Offensively, WKU will have a few turnovers here and there however they are shooting 52% from the field and are shooting 34.8% from 3PT. WKU has played strong throughout the entire CUSA Tourney and they should be able to close it out today. Lay the points with WKU. -Joey Tron

I like Duquesne to win this game against St. Bonaventure and advance to the A10 Finals. Duquesne has a really solid defense ranking 34th in defensive efficiency and are holding teams to just a 48% overall eFG. They are forcing turnovers on 19% of opponents possessions and guard the 3PT line well. Offensively, Duquesne has a overall eFG of 50% and is shooting 33% from 3PT where they are getting almost 1/3 of their total points. Take Duquesne ML here. -Joey Tron