- Analysis
- Anyone else scour the Internet for a prop bet on a Mick Cronin crash out? As much as I'd love to see the UCLA Bruins win the title on the women's side, I'm rooting for their men counterparts to lose this game outright.
I think the UCF Knights are the overall best bet of the entire first round, as they scored home wins over Kansas (Jan. 3) and Texas Tech (Jan. 31) and will undoubtedly be confident in their opening round game against the inconsistent Bruins.
***BEFORE GOING ANY FURTHER: After taking several days off from hockey, I'm back in the NHL, where I'm riding an incredible 86-71-1 run for $18,120 NET$. And tonight I've got one of my biggest plays of the entire season. It's my ONE-AND-ONLY NHL DIVISION GAME OF THE YEAR.***
Since returning from an undisclosed injury, 6-foot-5 wing Riley Kugel (14.7 PPG, 40% from 3-point range) scored 15 points in UCF's 66-65 overtime victory against Cincinnati in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament, and can play a pivotal role in the Knights advancing to not only Sunday, but next weekend in the Sweet 16.
This is a Knights team that has seven wins over top-50 KenPom teams on its résumé, and with an aggressive approach, they can provide a unruly welcome back to Bruins point guard Donovan Dent and forward Tyler Bilodeau, who both left with injuries during Big Ten tournament games.
Word is that those two are healthy, but with a toxic and intolerable coach in Cronin roaming the sidelines, we can never know what to expect from this team.
We can expect them to struggle on the boards, as they rank 242nd with their negative rebounding margin, and come in ranked 323rd with 22.3 defensive rebounds per game. That factors in for me, knowing UCF ranks tied for 59th nationally with 12.3 offensive boards per game, and 78th with a plus-3.7 rebounding margin.
I also don't like the travel for the Bruins, having to go to Philadelphia, as they don't travel well, losing seven of 10 east of the Mississippi.
*FINALLY, after taking several days off from the NBA, I'm back in the NBA, where I'm on an 11-6 Run for $4,270 NET$ since Feb. 4, including 9-5 with SIDES! And amidst the madness of March, I do like a Friday night thriller in the pro ranks that rises to Game of the Year status. You hit my Non-Conference Game of the Year on the Clippers (3/4) and you hit my Atlantic Division Game of the Year on the Knicks (3/3). Tonight, do not miss another NBA DIVISION GAME OF THE YEAR.***
