Max's Past Picks
The Tommies are rolling as they are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games. The Tommies dismantled North Dakota in their first meeting winning by 25 on the road. The Tommies are much better at home than on the road so there is no reason to believe the Tommies won't win this game by double-digits. Lay the points.
Quick disclaimer: I went to Indiana but this pick is (hopefully) unbias. Ranked teams are just 40-47 straight up on the road this season. The Hoosiers are 25-3 SU at home in the last two seasons, including a win over then #1 Purdue. The Hoosiers have been great against Purdue in the last three seasons going 3-1 SU & 4-0 ATS. Purdue is just 1-2 SU on the road this season with losses at unranked Northwestern and unranked Nebraska. This spread is way too big for a rivalry of this magnitude. Take the Hoosiers.
The Golden Eagles haven't lost three straight games in two years and that streak won't end today. The Wildcats are way overperforming this season. Nobody expected them to be sitting at 4-1 in conference play after the start they had to this season. The Golden Eagles have owned the Wildcats in the last couple seasons as they are 4-0 SU & ATS in their last four meetings. Take the Golden Eagles to get right and win this game easy.
Who needs the points? Michigan beat Alabama by getting pressure on Jalen Milroe. Even with the pressure they were able to make a fourth quarter comeback and win in overtime. However, the Huskies have the best offensive line in the country and it showed as Penix went untouched in the Sugar Bowl against a really good Texas defensive line. Michael Penix Jr made every throw necessary and looked perfect in the Sugar Bowl. Michigan hasn't faced a quarterback at this level. Even if star running back Dillon Johnson can't go, expect Penix to carry the Huskies the glory. Take Washington on the money line.
This spread is so crazy. Yes, Illinois is without Terrance Shannon but that hasn't effected them at all yet. Their defense is still locked in as they are coming of a 30-point win over Northwestern, a team Purdue lost to. Illinois hold opponents to 41% on 2-pt field goals, 2nd-best in the country. Most of the Boilermakers damage comes from Zach Edey in the paint. If the Illini can slow him down, Illinois is live to win outright. Take the double-digit points with Illinois.
No trends are telling you to take Michigan, but sometimes it's not about the trends. The Wolverines are the best team in the country with the best team in the country. The Crimson Tide haven't had to play a low-scoring, grind-it-out kind of game this season. The Wolverines defense will make the stops that Georgia wasn't able to in the SEC Championship. Expect Blake Corum to run wild as Michigan moves on to the Championship.
Iowa has hit the Under in eight straight games, even at historically low totals. The Volunteers have only scored a total of 17 points in their last two games vs ranked opponents. This game will be a slow paced, defensive battle. Take the Under.
This spread is way too low. The Wildcats are the only team in the country with a top 10 offense and defense according to Kenpom. The Golden Bears are the worst team in the Pac-12. The Wildcats are coming off of a depressing 2OT loss vs FAU. They should be ready for the start of conference play. Lay the points.
The Arizona Wildcats are the best three-loss team I've ever seen. Since Freshman Noah Fifta took over, the Wildcats are 7-1 ATS and have won six straight games. The Wildcats have covered seven straight games vs ranked opponents, the longest active streak in FBS. The Sooners have struggled since their win over the Longhorns. With Dillon Gabriel's status for this game up in the air with him in the transfer portal, great time to hop on this.
Creighton is one of the best shooting teams in the country and are going up against a terrible perimeter defense. They should be able to get hot and run up the score. Villanova’s offense is terrible and will get run out of the building.
Oklahoma’s defense should be the difference in this game. Both teams are great offensively but Oklahoma should be able to get stop when they are needed. The Sooners hold opponents to 26% from downtown, 4th-best in D-I. Take the Sooners.
UConn 6-1 ATS in last 7 regular season conference games. UConn controls the paint on both ends of the court. Seton Hall won’t be able to slow them down or score inside. Pirates struggle from 3 and won’t be able to keep up.
Baylor and Duke both have dominant offenses. Baylor is coming off of a game where they didn’t show up vs Michigan State so they will be ready for this game. Kyle Filipowski should be able to have his way inside against a weak interior defense. Expect points.
The Wildcats are not only the best team in the nation, they are also the best ATS team in the country. They are 8-0 ATS this season as they are covering the spread by an average of 11.6 PPG. The Wildcats don't allow offensive rebounds as they are 1st in the nation in opponent offensive rebound percentage. If they can keep Zach Edey off the offensive glass, Arizona should win this game with no problems.
In last season's Elite Eight, the Huskies gave Gonzaga the business beating them by 28 on their way to a National Championship. The Huskies have won 15 of their last 16 games with their only loss coming at Allen Fieldhouse. All 15 of their wins have been by double-digits. This Gonzaga team is not like their team in recent years. They don't have a superstar as they have five different players averaging double-digits this season. The Bulldogs do most of their scoring inside the 3-point line but the Huskies have are sixth in the nation at opponent 2-pt FG PCT. The Huskies do get burned from beyond the arc, but the Bulldogs are terrible from three. This is a great matchup for the Huskies.