February 26, 2021 Results:

What we got right:

College Basketball:

#9 Iowa at #3 Michigan - Michigan had the most impressive defensive performance we have seen this season. The Wolverines held the Hawkeyes to 35% shooting, and held presumptive player of the year Luka Garza to 6-19 from the field in the 79-57 win. It is time to put Michigan in the same breath as Gonzaga and Baylor. This team is that good.

Nebraska at #5 Illinois - Illinois won this game comfortably, as the Illini beat the Cornhuskers 86-70 in Champaign. We just can’t wait for next week, when the Illini have to face both Michigan and Ohio State. With March just around the corner, their will be a big college basketball game every night. We can’t wait.

NBA:

Dallas at Philadelphia - Joel Embiid actually didn’t have a good game against the Mavericks in this one. Yes, he scored 23 points in the 111-97 win, but he went just 5-20 from the field. Embiid did go 11-12 from the free throw line, so we were right in saying that the Mavericks didn’t have an answer for him. The 76ers also did a great job on Luka Doncic, holding him to just 19 points.

Orlando at Brooklyn - Brooklyn won its eighth straight game with a 129-92 home win over the Orlando Magic. Kyrie Irving had 27 points and James Harden added 20 for the Nets, who are doing all of this with Kevin Durant still out with an injury. What impressed us in this game is what the Nets did on the defensive end, holding the Magic to just 92 points.

Sacramento at New York - Defense was an afterthought in this game, with the Knicks scoring a season high in points in the 140-121 win over the Kings. We know Sacramento’s defense is bad, but allowing 140 points to one of the worst offenses in the NBA is next level bad. The fact that New York is in position for a playoff berth is credit to coach Tom Thibodeau. Plenty of room on the Knicks’ bandwagon for everyone.

Los Angeles Clippers at Memphis - We thought the Clippers would win and the Grizzlies would cover the spread, and boy did Memphis cover. The Grizzlies beat the Clippers 122-94, and that was with the Clippers having its full compliment of players. For one game at least this felt like the Grizzlies teams of the past, with suffocating defense not allowing their opponent to breathe.

Washington at Denver - Another game where we picked the underdog to cover and they won outright, the Wizards stole this game from the Nuggets 112-110. No one thought that the Wizards had much of a chance in this game, but they picked up their sixth win in seven contests. Bradley Beal scored 33 points in the victory for Washington.

New Orleans at Milwaukee - The tables turned on the Pelicans in terms of fast break points, as they were outscored by Milwaukee 21-5 on the run, which is the big reason why the Bucks got the 129-125 win. This game was closer than anticipated, but we nailed the outcome. This helped us get a 6-0 record in the NBA today, which was the first time we have not picked a loser this season.

What we got wrong:

College Basketball:

Santa Clara at #1 Gonzaga - Gonzaga won its 50th game in a row, but this one was anything but easy. Santa Clara raced out to a 19-9 lead on Gonzaga, and the Bulldogs had only a two point lead at halftime. They opened things up in the second half, but still only won 89-75. Gonzaga improved to 23-0 this season.

Western Kentucky at #12 Houston - It seems like every game Houston wins they have a huge run that helps them pull away. This game it was the entire second half, as they turned a one point lead at the break into a 24 point laugher at the final buzzer. A 42-19 run spanning the entire half will do that for you.

#4 Ohio State at Michigan State - It is officially time to put the Spartans back on the bubble. That is three straight quality wins for Michigan State, as they handed the Buckeyes their second consecutive defeat. This was a close game throughout, with neither team having a double digit lead the entire game. In the end, the Spartans made a couple more plays to earn the 71-67 win.

#19 USC at Colorado - The Buffalos seem to have the Trojans number. That is what we think after Colorado earned the season sweep over USC with an 80-62 win in Boulder. That loss, coupled with the UCLA win over Utah, means that the Bruins are now in first place in the Pac-12. That won’t sit will with the Trojans, who should take out their frustration in their next game against Utah.

Boise State at #22 San Diego State - Boise State came back from a 12 point halftime deficit to force overtime, and we thought we were sitting pretty by picking the Broncos to cover. The overtime period was a disaster for Boise State, as San Diego State outscored them 15-3 in the extra five minutes to earn the 78-66 win. Basketball can be frustrating.

NBA:

Nothing!