January 2, 2021 Results:

What we got right:

College Basketball:

#12 Missouri at Arkansas - This was the easiest game to pick of the college basketball slate. Missouri ran away from the Razorbacks in the second half, ending up with an 81-69 win.

#14 Iowa at #10 Rutgers - This game came down to free throws. Iowa went 18-23 from the line while Rutgers went 4-12. Playing a ranked team and only making four free throws is not a great recipe. The fact they only lost 77-75 is quite astounding, but the Hawkeyes prevailed in this Big Ten matchup.

#9 West Virginia at Oklahoma - Almost got the score of this one exactly right. We predicted that the Sooners would win 74-71, and they ended up winning 75-71. Oklahoma had an 18 point lead at halftime, and almost let the whole thing slip away, but they held on to get the win against a tough West Virginia team.

Purdue at #18 Illinois - This was a game where it was hovering right around the 6-10 point range the whole game. The Fighting Illini ended up taking it by 8, and since the line was 8.5, that was a Purdue cover.

College Football:

Tax Slayer Gator Bowl: #23 North Carolina State vs Kentucky - Technically a win is a win. We picked the Wolfpack to dominate this game, and while they didn’t win, they did cover the 2.5 point spread. NC State could not stop Kentucky on the ground, allowing 281 yards in a 23-21 loss. Kentucky still ends the season with a losing record, while NC State finishes a respectable 8-4.

Outback Bowl: Ole Miss vs #11 Indiana - Another one where we picked the underdog to cover and they ended up winning out right. Ole Miss had a little bit of that Kiffin magic in getting the victory. This is right about where we expected the Rebels to end up, but the surprise was Indiana’s offense only mustering up 20 points against one of the most porous defenses in the SEC.

Play Station Fiesta Bowl: #25 Oregon vs #10 Iowa State - The writing was on the wall for the Pac-12 this season. Oregon, their conference champion, finished second in their division but had to go to the conference championship game when Washington backed out. The Ducks were outcoached all day long, and played a pretty uninspiring game in losing 34-17. As an alum of a Pac-12 school, the conference needs to Fire Larry Scott and start all over. They are currently the laughingstock of the power 5.

Capital One Orange Bowl: #5 Texas A&M vs #13 North Carolina - The Aggies capped a perfect College Football day for us, winning 41-27. We were only a field goal off on our prediction, so this one feels pretty good. Texas A&M proved that they deserved the rematch with Alabama, although we still think that they would have lost. The second game would have been closer than the first though, that much everyone can guess.

NBA:

Sacramento at Houston - The Rockets were a five point favorite and ended up winning this game by eight. Christian Wood continues to surprise at the start of the season, going for 20 points and 15 rebounds. All five Kings starters scored in double figures, but they need more than the 12 points they got from their bench if they are going to win games.

Charlotte at Philadelphia - Well you can certainly call the Hornets consistent. After losing to the Grizzlies by 15 the day before, Charlotte went out and lost by 15 to the 76ers. Philadelphia improves to 5-1 with the 127-112 win, dropping Charlotte to 2-4.

What we got wrong:

College Basketball:

#8 Texas at #3 Kansas - Well that was unexpected. The Jayhawks were down 8 points at halftime and then forgot how to play defense in the second half. They allowed 47 points to the Longhorns in the second half, turning what was a competitive game into a laugher. This was the biggest loss in the history of Phog Allen Fieldhouse, which has been around for awhile, so that shows you how bad that showing was.

#11 Creighton at Providence - For a bit it looked like this game was going to be a win. With seven minutes left in the game Creighton was ahead by 13, and all the Blue Jays had to do was not fold like a cheap tent. You have to give credit to Providence for fighting all the way to the final whistle, but a basket with less than a second left was the difference as Creighton held on for the win.

#2 Baylor at Iowa State - Baylor had a ho hum day and beat a conference foe by double digits. This team is scary when they are on, as those guards are long and tenacious. That being said, they couldn’t cover the 15 points in winning 76-65. After Texas’ beat down against Kansas, the game between Baylor and Texas should be tremendous.

Oklahoma State at #13 Texas Tech - The Red Raiders dug themselves a hole, climbed out of it, then went right back in. After trailing by 9 points at halftime, they clawed back to force overtime. Then they allowed 14 points in the extra five minutes, falling to the Cowboys 82-77 in an entertaining game. These two teams looked evenly matched, which should make conference play in the Big 12 a lot of fun.

Alabama at #7 Tennessee - Maybe Tennessee was reading their press clippings too much, because they did not show up to play in this one. A double digit favorite at home should never get out matched, but that is what happened to the Volunteers here. People say that Rick Barnes is a great coach, and he has led some very good teams, but he is good for 2-3 of these what the f*** games every year. Today was an example of that.

San Francisco at #1 Gonzaga - The crazy thing here is San Francisco did not play terribly. With 1 minute left in the game they were down by three. Then Gonzaga did what Gonzaga does. They went on a 7-0 run in that final minute, outscore the Dons by 13 in the second half, and once again look like the #1 team in the country. Undefeated watch has already started for the Bulldogs, and this writer personally thinks it is going to happen.

#17 Michigan State at Nebraska - Line was 8.5. Michigan State won 84-77 in picking up their first conference win of the season. Tom Izzo still has a lot of work to do, after allowing the Cornhuskers to score 44 points in the second half. For a team that is supposed to be built on toughness, losing the rebounding battle to Nebraska 31-29 probably had Izzo up all night trying to figure something out. With how good the Big Ten is this season, he needs to figure out something quick.

Stanford at #21 Oregon - Stanford actually had a two point lead at halftime, but they ran out of gas as the Ducks pulled away to win 73-56. Scoring 24 points in a half is not going to win you a lot of ball games unless you are Virginia, and Stanford is no Virginia. Oregon improves to 8-1 and 3-0 in what should be a wide open Pac-12 this year.

College Football:

Got everything right!

NBA:

New York at Indiana - The Knicks are going to be a bothersome team this year. Every time we predict they will get blown out, they will somehow get the win, and when we think they are playing well enough to win, that is when the other shoe will drop. The Knicks played the Pacers tough and got a the win 109-106.

Oklahoma City at Orlando - You will never hear how the Thunder aren’t playing hard. They might not be the most talented team, but they are going to scrap. You better bring your lunch pail when you play these guys, or you are going to get ripped like Orlando did. The Magic coasted into this game, and it cost them a 108-99 loss.

Cleveland at Atlanta - The Hawks scored under a 100 points for the first time this season. Is it a coincidence that this is the first time they have played back to back games this season? Perhaps. Something to keep an eye on though. The Hawks actually blew a 15 point lead in the second half against the Cavaliers, eventually falling 96-91.

Toronto at New Orleans - Will the real Raptors please stand up? After being suspended by the team for a game for disciplinary reasons, Pascal Siakam only had 10 points and only took ten shots. He needs to be the focal point of the offense if they are going to succeed. Meanwhile, Zion Williamson just keeps doing Zion Williams things, scoring 21 points on only 12 shots, and leading the Pelicas to a 120-116 victory. That kid is special.