February 6,2021 Results:

What we got right:

College basketball:

Iowa State at #9 Oklahoma - Iowa State lost its seventh straight game, and is still winless in the Big 12 Conference. They gave Oklahoma a tough game but they couldn’t come up with key plays down the stretch for the 79-72 loss. The fact that the Cyclones were even in this game despite getting out rebounded by 10 and shooting just 38% from the field, but they were right there at the end.

#23 Kansas at#17 West Virginia - On Monday we are going to see something we haven’t seen a very long time. A men’s College Basketball ranking that won’t feature the University of Kansas. Kansas has lost five of their last seven games, culminating with this 91-79 loss to the Mountaineers. We still think the Jayhawks are in the NCAA Tournament, but they need to win a few more games to solidify their position.

#19 Wisconsin at #12 Illinois - We were correct in that it was Illinois who imposed their offensive will in this game. They shot 53% from the field in the 75-60 win, but the stat that stood out to us the most was that Illinois outrebounded Wisconsin 46-19. Illinois put their foot on the gas from the very first possession, and looks to jump in the top ten with this win.

Pittsburgh at #14 Virginia - Even though Pittsburgh lost, Vegas better start giving them some credit. This was a hard fought win for the Cavaliers. Virginia won the game 73-66 behind 53% shooting, but Pittsburgh still fared better than most teams who face the Cavaliers.

#15 Creighton at Marquette - We were wrong in saying Marquette would get the upset win, but they covered the spread so that is a win for us. The 71-68 win for the Blue Jays, avenging a loss from earlier in the season, will go a long way to ensure some confidence. We still are unsure about Creighton, but they did show a lot of heart in the win.

#11 Tennessee at Kentucky - Well, we would have doubled our money if gambling were legal in our state. We said we would have put every penny on Tennessee covering, and they did in winning 82-71. Kentucky had the lead at the half, but Tennessee came out with a 48 point second half to erase the deficit and cover the spread.

NBA:

Chicago at Orlando - Chicago bounced back to earn a split in back to back games against Orlando, winning the second game 118-92. Zach LaVine scored 39 points in the victory for the Bulls, who held Nikola Vucevic to 17 points a night after he scored a career high 43.

Brooklyn at Philadelphia - The Nets were without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and their bench players couldn’t get the job done in the 124-108 loss to the 76ers. Brooklyn once again allowed over 120 points, and even without two of the big three, their defense has to be a major concern. Considering the injury history of Irving and Durant, they need to learn how to play without them. They didn’t play well in this one.

Milwaukee at Cleveland - Another night and another ho-hum 25 point win for the Bucks. Milwaukee is going to miss playing Cleveland, as they dominated the Cavaliers the last two nights. In the 124-99 win, Giannis had 24 points and 11 rebounds, while the Bucks held the Cavaliers’ leading scorer to just 17 points. That would be Colin Sexton, who shot just 6-18 from the field.

Minnesota at Oklahoma City - The Thunder were another team who earned a split after back to back games against the same opponents, holding on for the 120-118 win over the Timberwolves. At halftime, Oklahoma City led 83-62, then only scored 37 points in the second half. It was enough to get the win, but just barely.

Golden State at Dallas - Luca Doncic and Stephen Curry had a dual for the ages in the 134-132 win for the Mavericks. Doncic tied a career high with 42 points while Curry had 57 points for the Warriors, but in the end it was Dallas who had the edge. This was a much needed win for the Mavericks, who now sit at 10-14 and in 14th place in the Western Conference. They need more games like that from Doncic to climb up the rankings.

What we got wrong:

College Basketball:

#10 Alabama at #18 Missouri - Missouri did prove a lot to us in this game. They had a 22 point lead in the second half, before a rally by the Crimson Tide fell just short. Missouri won this game despite shooting 3-20 from long range, as they did all their damage from inside the paint. The 68-65 loss was the first conference loss for Alabama, while Missouri got the statement win they were looking for.

#16 Virginia Tech at Miami - Virginia Tech needed overtime to beat Miami 80-76. In the extra period, the Hokies held the Hurricanes to just two points, as Miami was gassed. Miami only played seven players, and all of their starters played at least 38 minutes. The extra five minutes proved too much for the Hurricanes, as the Hokies got the win.

#25 Drake at Valparaiso - At halftime Drake was losing 43-35. They came alive in the second half, but that deficit was too much for them to cover the spread. Drake stayed undefeated in the 80-77 win, and these two teams run it back on Sunday. The line should be interesting in that game.

#6 Texas at Oklahoma State - This game couldn’t be decided in the first 45 minutes as Oklahoma State and Texas went to double overtime. In the second extra period, Cade Cunningham hit a couple of big shots to lead the Cowboys past the Longhorns. Cunningham is projected to be the #1 pick in the 2021 NBA draft, and this game proved that he is worthy of that lofty status.

#13 Texas Tech at Kansas State - Kansas State is still winless in the Big 12 and have now lost ten games in a row, but they did enough to cover the 16 point spread in the 73-62 loss. Texas Tech let their foot off the gas in this one and let the Wildcats hang around. They can’t do that come tournament time, or they will be heading for an early exit.

Northwestern at #24 Purdue - Make that nine straight losses for Northwestern. This game was closer than we anticipated, with the Boilermakers getting the 75-70 win. Purdue won this game at the free throw line, making 23-24 free throws while Northwestern was just 8-11.

#21 UCLA at USC - The picture in the Pac 12 gets a little bit muddier, as the Trojans and Bruins are now tied atop the conference at 9-2. This was a statement game for USC, as the 66-48 win proved they are the best team in Los Angeles. USC dominated from the opening tip, and they led for the last 35 minutes of this game.

NBA:

Portland at New York - Damian Lillard did play in this game, and have 29 points, but he had no help from his teammates in the 110-99 loss to the Knicks. Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton both scored 22 points in this game, as the Knicks held another opponent under 100 points. New York has the best defense in the NBA, and it showed against the Blazers.

Denver at Sacramento - Nikola Jokic scored a career high 50 points, but that wasn’t enough for the Nuggets to get the win. Nobody else scored more than 14 for Denver, while Sacramento had four players score over 21 points. The win got the Kings back to .500 at 11-11, and earned them a season sweep of the Nuggets.

Toronto at Atlanta - Toronto was just starting to get us to buy back in, and then their defense completely disappeared in the 132-121 loss at the hands of the Hawks. Every time we think the Raptors have turned a corner they have a game like this. They are the most frustrating team in the NBA right now, as they should be much better than their 10-13 record suggests they are.

San Antonio at Houston - Christian Wood didn’t play in this one, and that hurt the Rockets on the inside. DeMarcus Cousins played 30 minutes as his replacement, and while he did have a double double, he doesn’t inspire the fear that he used to. That allowed DeMar DeRozan to attack the basket at will, and his 30 points is the biggest reason why the Spurs got the 111-106 win.

Memphis at New Orleans - The first thing we do when a Pelicans game is over is look at the fast break points. New Orleans had 18 fast break points, which is above their average and a big reason why they got the win. Zion Williamson led the way with 29 points in the 118-109 win, while Ja Morant had an off night with only 16 points on 5-12 shooting.

Detroit at Los Angeles Lakers - This game went into double overtime. The Lakers should never have gone to double overtime with the Pistons, especially at full strength, but Detroit played possible its best game of the season. Los Angeles will be happy they don’t have to play the Pistons anymore, as Detroit also beat them earlier this year. LeBron James scored eight of his 33 points in the second overtime in the 135-129 win.