February 8, 2021 Results:

What we got right:

College Basketball:

#4 Ohio State at Maryland - We almost nailed this score to the point. We predicted a 72-64 win for the Buckeyes and they won 73-65. We still haven’t gotten one game exactly right yet. We are hoping it comes soon. You can’t get much closer than this game. The Buckeyes moved into position for a possible 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They are a really good basketball team.

#1 Gonzaga at BYU - Boy was this game a roller coaster. Gonzaga was up 78-60 with under three minutes left in the game, then BYU scored nine straight points to get under the spread. It was a nine point game again with six seconds left when BYU fouled and Gonzaga made two free throws to end the game at 82-71 and covered the 10.5 point spread.

NBA:

Houston at Charlotte - DeMarcus Cousins did in fact start this game for Christian Wood. He played 25 minutes and scored 9 points. With the way the Hornets played in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Rockets 29-7, it may not have mattered if Wood did play. LaMelo Ball continues to prove he belongs in the starting lineup as he had 24 points and 10 assists in the 119-94 win.

Minnesota at Dallas - The Mavericks did get the win, but they were outscored 45-32 in the fourth quarter so they didn’t cover the 9.5 point spread. Dallas gave up 45 points in one quarter to a Minnesota team that is not good offensively. Even though they got the win that has to scare Dallas coach Rick Carlisle. The Mavericks ended up winning this game 127-122, but it should have been by more.

Cleveland at Phoenix - Another game where the favorite couldn’t cover the spread, Phoenix won the game 119-113 for their third consecutive win. The Suns got a season high 36 points from Devin Booker as they rallied in the fourth quarter. After three quarters they were down by two points, but the Suns made key shots down the stretch to get the win.

Milwaukee at Denver - Make it five games in a row for the Bucks. Milwaukee outpaced the Nuggets 125-112, with Giannis dropping 30 points and grabbing nine rebounds. All five starters scored in double figures for the Bucks, while Denver was led by the 35 points and 12 rebounds of Nikola Jokic. The loss was the third in a row for Denver.

What we got wrong:

College Basketball:

#23 Oklahoma State at Kansas - The Jayhawks are out of the top 25 for the first time in 12 years, and they played their best basketball game in a month in beating the Cowboys. Kansas won the game 78-66, and did most of their damage inside the paint and at the free throw line. The Jayhawks shot 16 more free throws than the Cowboys, and made 12 more. There is your 12 point margin of victory.

NBA:

Washington at Chicago - Even without Russell Westbrook, the Wizards got the win over the Bulls 105-101. Bradley Beal and Zach Lavine cancelled each other out, both scoring 35 points. The difference was the complimentary players for the Wizards, guys like Rui Hachimura and Davis Bertans, were better than the complimentary players for the Bulls.

Toronto at Memphis - Make that four straight losses for the Grizzlies, who lost to the Raptors 128-113 on Monday night. Toronto actually trailed by three points going into the fourth quarter, but outscored Memphis 34-16 in the final frame. That is what good teams do. They close games out. Toronto is a good team, even though their record doesn’t show it.

Golden State at San Antonio - Stephen Curry needs more help! The Warriors guard scored 32 points, but it wasn’t enough to lead Golden State past San Antonio. The only other Warriors player with more than 11 points was Kelly Oubre Jr., who scored 24. The Spurs had five guys in double figures, led by the 27 points of Dejounte Murray.

Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers - Another game for the Lakers that went into overtime, this one was a 119-112 win over the visiting Thunder. Anthony Davis sat out this game with an Achilles issue, but LeBron James had another triple double in leading the Lakers to victory. This is the fifth win in a row for the Lakers, but it shouldn’t have taken overtime to get it done.