ALLEN EASTMAN
3-Unit Play. Take #660 Pepperdine (+2)
over BYU
(8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 23)
I love the home underdog in this one. BYU is a terrible road team and is just 3-5 away from home this year. Pepperdine has won back-to-back games by blowout and this team beat St. Mary’s at home and St. Mary’s is the best team in the league. Pepperdine has won five of six games and they are a team on the rise. BYU lost on the road at Portland as a double-digit favorite. They are going to lose this one to. Pepperdine swept the series last year, winning both games. They have just about all the same players back and will do it again here. Pepperdine is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings and the home team is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings in this series. Pepperdine is 7-3 ATS against the Cougars since 2007. I’m taking the points and calling for the upset.
2-Unit Play. Take #534 Indiana (-8.5)
over Northwestern
(Noon, Saturday, Jan. 23)
Indiana has been underrated and undervalued. Most people gave up on the Hoosiers when they lost Robert Blackmon. But they have not lost since falling to Duke on Dec. 2. That is 11 straight wins and I think they will keep it going today against Northwestern. The Wildcats have lost two straight games and are coming off a really tough loss in overtime at Maryland. Northwestern has lost four of its last six games and they have not been good on the road. Indiana has gone 6-2 ATS in its last eight home games and I expect another big effort here today.
2-Unit Play. Take #545 West Virginia (-3.5)
over Texas Tech
(1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 23)
The Mountaineers are coming off a shocking home loss. They lost this week to Texas as double-digit favorites for their second loss in a row. Now the are going on the road and I think that they will bounce right back with a win. This is one of the best teams in the conference and they are going up against one of the youngest. I had this spread at 6.5 so there is a lot of value here. WVU won by 19 and by 11 last year and they are 3-1 ATS in their last four games against Texas Tech. They have won seven of the eight meetings since they have been in the same conference. Tech has played hard. But they are just 1-4 in their last five games and I dn’t see them winning this one.
2-Unit Play. Take #564 Old Dominion (-6.5)
over Marshall
(2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 23)
Old Dominion is a big favorite for a reason. Marshall is 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games. But they are coming off a road loss at Charlotte where they lost by eight points and gave up 103 points! Old Dominion is 0-4 ATS in its last four games. But they were the top team in the league last year and I expect a really strong effort here. Marshall is 5-1 in league play versus 3-3 for the Monarchs. But Marshall has played the weakest schedule of 14 CUSA teams and Old Dominion has played one of the toughest. ODU won this matchup by 17 points last March at home and they won by 19 points on the road last season. Marshall is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings and they have won the last five meetings. Lay the points.
2-Unit Play. Take #603 Detroit (+6.5)
over UW-Milwaukee
(4 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 23)
I will take the points in this matchup. Detroit is always a strong underdog in league play and I think they have a chance to win this game. The Titans are 3-3 in league play and Milwaukee is just 4-2 so this is a big game for both teams. I expect a close game, just like last year’s 78-74 game here in Milwaukee. The underdog has been great in this series and is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings. Detroit is coming off two tough losses to Oakland and Wright State. But both games were very close. Detroit has played three straight games against the top teams in the league and I think they are ready for the upset here. Milwaukee is just 2-4 ATS in its last six games. I’ll take the points.
Allen Eastman