NCAAB: Rematch favors Yale over Brown; we like Buffalo to rebound
Brown +7 @ YALE, 7pm
Pick: Yale -7
It was only about a week ago we saw a clash between two of the best teams in the Ivy League and the Bulldogs took the W at Brown by a score of 70-67.
Yale (11-3) is riding a seven-game winning streak behind the stat-sheet stuffing Miye Oni. Forward Jordan Bruner has been the heart of the defense and the main playmaker for the Bulldogs averaging 4 APG and 9 RPG. Coach James Jones speaks highly of the Bulldog offense which is averaging 83 PPG good enough for 23rd in the nation.
The Bears, meanwhile, are off to their best start since ’08- ‘09 season under Coach Mike Martin. Brown is led by two sophomores, scoring machine Desmond Cambridge and tough, undersized inside player Tamenang Choh, who’s been averaging a near double-double with 12 PPG and nearly 9 RPG. The Bears were on a six-game winning streak till their loss to Yale.
The Bears have been 5-2-0 ATS as the away team this season and figure to be a contender in the Ivy. The Bulldogs have been 3-1-0 ATS when favored at home and are considered to be the favorites to win the title.
This is one of the most intriguing matchups on Friday night. The real question is how Brown will respond after a tight loss on their home turf. Will they return the favor with an upset? Not tonight. The Bulldogs haven’t lost at home this season and have scored 88 or more in four of their five home wins. The Bears have improved on defense, but it will be a big ask for them to shut down Yale and score themselves.
14 Buffalo -8.5 @ KENT ST. at 6:30 pm
Pick: Buffalo -8.5
The Buffalo Bulls made history in the rankings this week as they’re the highest ranked team to ever come out of the MAC. Tonight, they’ll face a good challenge on the road versus a good Kent St. team after a minor setback against Northern Illinois.
The Bulls (17-2) are having their best season since entering the MAC in 1994. CJ Massinburg leads the team in scoring averaging 18.1 PPG and has been shooting 41% beyond the arc. Jeremy Harris and Nick Perkins have been dependable leaders doing their fair share work on the boards averaging a combined 14 RPG. Coach Nate Oats is deemed as one of the great young minds of college basketball as the Bull’s offense is averaging 84.6 PPG which is 2nd best in the MAC.
The Kent St. Golden Flashes (15-4), under Rob Senderoff have had a very underrated season. Jaylin Walker has been an electrifying scorer averaging 23.4 PPG and is shooting an impressive 46% beyond the arc. However, despite Walker’s success the Golden Flashes have been very inconsistent on both ends of the floor.
The Golden Flashes have been 6-4-0 ATS when they’re playing at home. The Bulls are 4-2-0 as an away favorite and look to be a lock for the NCAA Tournament.
Buffalo has had a fantastic season to this point minus the losses to Marquette and Northern Illinois. It should be a better game than what most expect it to be. However, I trust the veteran leadership of the Bulls as opposed to Kent St.