College Basketball Gambling Primer Presented By PointsBet: January 2, New Year To Keep Getting Rich
If you are in New Jersey and looking for a book to bet with this season, check out PointsBet.com. If you're in NJ, sign up with code BARSTOOL and when you deposit your first $10, get $100 in Bonus Bets.
YTD: 66-52-4 (good run to start the season, need it more this year now)
Picks
Under 179.5 Central Arkansas/Houston Baptist
Illinois +10
Oregon +1
Over 146 Saint Mary's/San Francisco
Over 69.5 1st half Saint Mary's/San Francisco
Notes: We are finally starting conference play, which really lets you know that football Is ending. It's still a bit of a weird week though with games going on during bowl games and now a Thursday, which tends to be light for college hoops. Either way there are still games going on and I'll be talking about them. This blog will go up more often now that teams are playing daily and you can find me @barstoolreags on twitter talking about it all.
I can't believe we're betting this game, but here we are. Both of these teams want to play fast, like ridiculously fast - ranking in the top-5 in fastest possessions. But you know what else these teams are? Shit on offense. Despite having a million possessions, you still need to make buckets. HBU is 35th in the country in 3pt percentage, but UCA is 203rd. Both are sub-200 in effective field goal percentage. Both teams turn the ball over a bunch of times. We're going to sweat this out, but let's bank on a game not in the high 80s/low 90s.
Pick: Under 179.5
Illinois is dangerously close to being one of the most disappointing teams in the country in regard to some expectations in the preseason. I still think they'll be a tournament team and figure it out but they could use a quality win soon. They got that over Michigan State last year in Champaign. In that game they forced Cassius Winston into 9 turnovers and 4 fouls. Is that going to happen again? Probably not. But what Illinois has is a defense that overplays everything and forces teams into ISO play and ball screens. Expect them to really blitz Winston, forcing someone else to beat them. If Illinois can stay disciplined with its bigs and force someone like Rocket Watts, Marcus Bingham, Gabe Brown, into beating them I like them to stay within the number.
Pick: Illinois +10
This line stinks. It's begging you to take Oregon, it's so square, but guess what? That's EXACTLY what we're going to do here. You think I care that Colorado is 4-0 at home vs Oregon in Pac-12 play? Nope. This is a new year and not the back to back like Oregon typically plays Colorado. I just love this Oregon team too and you could make a legit case that Payton Pritchard is the NPOY right this second. Colorado thrives on defense while Oregon is a top-4 team nationally in offense. You know what else Colorado struggles with? Turning the ball over - something Oregon is okay at defensively. That's where it's going to come down to for me. I trust Pritchard on offense and trust Altman's defense.
Pick: Oregon +1
For the first time ever this year a bonus double pick. We're going out west for a late night special. I truly think San Francisco struggles to stop Saint Mary's and Jordan Ford especially. I love Todd Golden and think he's going to be awesome at San Francisco, but this is just a bad matchup. I know Saint Mary's is also going to try and control tempo, but this team is a bit different where they are fine in transition too. San Francisco wants to push tempo and run. Saint Mary's is the best 3pt shooting team in the country, San Francisco ranks 339th in 3pt percentage defense. You get where I'm going here?
Pick: Over 146/over 69.5 1st half