February 8, 2021 Picks:

College Basketball: (Please note these picks were made before the updated rankings came out today)

#7 Ohio State (-3.5) at Maryland - Maryland has already knocked off four ranked teams in conference play, and looks to make it five as they host the Buckeyes. The Terrapins only have four conference wins this year, but all of them have been against teams ranked in the top 25. Will they make it five today? We don’t think they will. Give us the Buckeyes, who have won four games in a row, to prevent the upset. Pick: Ohio State 72 Maryland 64

Oklahoma State at #23 Kansas (-5.5) - If we made these picks two hours later, this game might not be on it. That is because we think Kansas will drop out of the rankings when the new polls come out today. As of the time of we made these picks Kansas is still ranked, even though they have lost five out of seven. Oklahoma State will make it six out of eight as they beat the Jayhawks in Lawrence. Pick: Oklahoma State 76 Kansas 71

#1 Gonzaga (-10.5) at BYU - These two teams played last month in Spokane and it wasn’t a contest. Gonzaga jumped out to a 23-2 lead and never looked back. We don’t think that will happen as these two teams match up in Provo, but we still expect a Gonzaga double digit win. Pick: Gonzaga 87 BYU 72

NBA:

Houston (-3) at Charlotte - Christian Wood is going to miss this game, which is a huge blow to the Rockets as they try to get back in the win column against the Hornets. Charlotte is coming off a big win against the Wizards, and looks to win back to back games for the third time this season. Without Wood, this will be a tall task for the Rockets, as that means more minutes for DeMarcus Cousins. Give us the Hornets. Pick: Charlotte 114 Houston 109

Washington at Chicago (-2.5) - This is the third matchup this season already between these two teams. The Bulls won the first two and the Wizards are coming off a lackluster effort yesterday against the Hornets. We don’t see any reason why Chicago can’t make it three for three against Washington. Pick: Chicago 122 Washington 111

Toronto (-2) at Memphis - That seven game winning streak the Grizzlies had must feel like ages ago. They have dropped three straight since then, and now face a Raptors team that is desperate for a win. We still don’t know what to make of the Raptors, but we know we like this young Grizzlies team. Give us Memphis to hold serve at home and get the win. Pick: Memphis 113 Toronto 105

Minnesota at Dallas (-9.5) - We know the Timberwolves are bad, but should Dallas really be favored by almost double digits in this one? Both of these teams are 3-7 in their last ten games, so it isn’t like Dallas is lighting the world on fire right now. We expect the Mavericks to get the win, but not by double digits. Pick: Dallas 116 Minnesota 110

Golden State at San Antonio (-1.5) - This is the second matchup between the Spurs and Warriors this season. The first one was one by Golden State 121-99. We don’t think that the margin of victory will be that much, but we do think that Golden State will get the win. Pick: Golden State 114 San Antonio 109

Cleveland at Phoenix (-7) - The Cavaliers are happy to play someone other than the Bucks, after losing their last two games by a combined 43 points against Milwaukee. Phoenix seems to be learning how to play together, as they are 6-4 in their last 10 games. We like the Cavaliers to cover the spread, but don’t think they will win the game. Pick: Phoenix 110 Cleveland 105

Milwaukee (-4) at Denver - Milwaukee has won four games in a row and their average margin of victory in those four games has been 24 points. The Nuggets are coming off back to back losses, despite Nikola Jokic coming off a career high 50 points in their last game. We think Milwaukee will keep rolling and will cover the four point spread. Pick: Milwaukee 122 Denver 114

Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers (-10) - This is the second matchup between the Thunder and Lakers this season. In the first one LeBron James scored 26 points in the 128-99 win. Even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander back for the Thunder, we don’t see them covering the 10 points in this one. LeBron and the Lakers will be mad they had to go to double overtime against the Pistons in their last game, and they will take it out on the Thunder today. Pick: Los Angeles Lakers 123 Oklahoma City 107

Happy picking everyone!