These two teams both have fantastic defenses. Mississippi State ranks 13th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, while Rutgers ranks 14th. Despite those rankings, we believe Rutgers has a slight edge defensively due to their ability to generate turnovers at a much higher rate than Mississippi State. Despite that defensive edge, Mississippi State has the far more efficient offense. The Bulldogs rank 75th in offensive efficiency compared to 185th for Rutgers. Mississippi State shoots 55% from 2 point range. Rutgers shoots 46% from 2 point range. Rutgers is a poor three point and free throw shooting team as well. While Rutgers defense will keep them in any game, we are going to put our money behind the better offense. Our wager is a half unit on Mississippi State to win and cover the -2 spread.

Rider is 3-8 this season. They have lost to several good programs including Marquette Nebraska, and Maryland. However, they have also lost to some questionable teams such as Stony Brook, Siena, Fairfield, and Monmouth. Penn is no powerhouse by any means, but they do look to be a step up from some of those losses mentioned. The Penn Quakers run a slow tempo offense that generates points very efficiently. They rank 57th in effective field goal percentage, and shoot just under 40% from three point range (36th nationally in three point percentage). Penn’s defense is a bit concerning, but they rebound well. Rider’s offense ranks 349th nationally in effective field goal percentage, and they are a very poor shooting team. We simply can’t put our money behind Rider’s offense right now. We are betting on the more efficient offense to come out on top. Penn on the moneyline is our bet. Our stake is a half unit.

This game is being played at a neutral site in Las Vegas. Arizona is a rightful favorite in this game. The Wildcats currently hold the 6th best offensive efficiency rating, and 2nd best defensive efficiency rating in the nation. They have two of the best guards in the country in Kylan Boswell and Caleb Love. Arizona plays at a rapid tempo that their opponents tend to struggle with. This will be an exciting test for Arizona against an FAU team who looks to match up well. FAU brought back all 5 starters from last year's Final Four team. FAU has two fantastic guards of their own. They rank 12th offensively, and just outside the top 30 defensively. FAU is 7-1 in their last 8 games with wins over Butler, Texas A&M, and Virginia Tech. Their only loss during this stretch was against a very good Illinois team. FAU looks to have all the ingredients to keep this game within 7 points. Our stake is a half unit on FAU +7.

A lot of bettors may not be comfortable laying 11 points with UConn coming off of their 15 point loss to Seton Hall. It’s important to note that the Seton Hall game was a really tough scheduling spot for UConn. They had just played Kansas, North Carolina, and Gonzaga on the road during the two weeks prior. UConn has not had a single home game or neutral site game this season be decided by less than 10 points. UConn beat Indiana by 20 (neutral site), Texas by 10 (neutral site), North Carolina by 11 (neutral site), and Gonzaga by 13 (semi away). Their only two slip ups have been true road games (Kansas & Seton Hall). Dan Hurley’s Huskies rank 4th offensively, and inside the top 20 defensively. St. Johns ranks outside the top 40 both offensively and defensively. This will be only the 2nd true road game for St. John’s this season. This is a big test for Rick Pitinio’s team. Our wager is a half unit on UConn to win this game by north of 11 points.