Big Al McMordie Sports Picks & Handicapper Review

At 8:30 pm, our selection is on the Denver Pioneers + the points over North Dakota State.  Minus their two leading scorers, the Pioneers were competitive in defeat last night.  They were a big, double-digit underdog here, in Fargo, but managed to cover the  point spread in a 70-58 loss -- their 11th straight, overall.  I expect Denver's Jase Townsend to return from his ankle injury tonight, and his scoring will be welcome.  We'll take the Pioneers + the points, as NCAA double-digit underdogs, off 10+ losses, have gone 198-143 ATS if they were playing with revenge, and their opponent wasn't off 3 SU/ATS losses.  And Denver also falls into a 433-271 ATS system of mine which plays on certain sub-.200 teams to bounce back off losses.  Take the Pioneers + the points.  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Lipscomb Bisons minus the points over Florida Gulf Coast.  Last night, the Eagles upset the favored Bisons, 79-69, as a 6.5-point road underdog.  We'll back the home team tonight in the rematch, as NCAA home teams, with win percentages between .400 and .750 have covered 62.6% since 1990 off back to back upset losses at home.  Lay the points with Lipscomb.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4 pm, our selection is on the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks + the points over Morehead State.  These two teams are headed in opposite directions:  Morehead State has won its last six games, while the Skyhawks have dropped eight straight.  But as is often my wont, I will go against the "hot" Eagles, and take the points with the "cold" Skyhawks.  Indeed, Tennessee-Martin falls into several of my better contrarian angles, with records of 122-59 and 425-237 ATS since 1990.  Also, in this series, the underdog has covered five of six when getting 11+ points.  And Morehead has covered just 43 of 105 when favored by 6+ points.  Take Tennessee-Martin.

At 4 pm, our selection is on the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils + the points over Prairie View.  The Delta Devils are still looking for their first win this season, as they're 0-12 after getting annihilated by 41 points at Southern, on Monday.  But NCAA underdogs of 11+ points have been reliable when playing at home off a loss by more than 38 points.  Over the last 30 years, they've rebounded off such embarrassing defeats to cover 67% of the time.  Take Mississippi Valley State + the points.

At 2 pm, our selection is on the San Jose State Spartans + the points over New Mexico.  These two Mountain West teams met Thursday here in St George, and the Lobos prevailed, 67-51, as an 8-point favorite, to snap a 2-game losing streak.  Meanwhile, the Spartans' own losing streak was extended to five games.  The line is higher for this rematch, and we will happily take the points with the underdog Spartans.  Indeed, New Mexico has covered just six of 24 off a double-digit "home" win.  And San Jose falls into 82-30, 50-13 and 29-2 ATS systems of mine that play on certain teams off 3+ losses.  Take San Jose + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Cal Poly SLO Mustangs + the points over Cal Irvine.  These two teams battled here, in Irvine, last night, and the Anteaters came away with a 68-49 victory, as a 16-point home favorite.  That moved Cal Irvine's season record to 5-4 SU and 5-3 ATS.  Unfortunately, Cal Irvine is a poor 8-22 ATS when favored by more than 10 points against revenge-minded conference foes, if Irvine owned a winning ATS ledger.  And Cal Poly has cashed 60% over the last 31 years as a double-digit dog off a double-digit defeat, when matched up against foes off back to back wins.  Finally, Big West Conference home teams, off back to back ATS wins, have covered just 25.8% over the last 31 years vs. foes off 3 ATS losses.  Take Cal Poly SLO + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Creighton Bluejays minus the points over UConn.  Both teams enter this game off upset losses:  the Huskies fell at home, 74-70, as a 6.5-point favorite vs. St Johns, while Creighton was stunned here at home, by an identical 74-70 score, by Providence on Wednesday.  And that was Creighton's 2nd straight defeat, as it also lost at Butler last Saturday.  We'll take the Bluejays to bounce back today, as they're a terrific 18-0 straight-up, and 17-0-1 ATS when they were off exactly two losses, and favored by more than 3 points against conference foes.  Take the Bluejays to blow out Connecticut.  Good luck as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Golden State Warriors + the points over Utah.  The Jazz own the longest win streak in the league this season -- currently at 7 games.  And they've also covered the spread in each of those seven victories.  The knee-jerk reaction might be to play on Utah tonight against a Warriors team off a 15-point upset loss to the Knicks on Thursday.  But teams on a 5-game (or better) ATS win streak have only covered 38% over the last 31 years vs. foes off 15-point (or worse) upset losses.  That bodes well for Steve Kerr's men tonight.  As does the fact that Golden State is an awesome 16-0 ATS as a road underdog priced from +4.5 to +8.5, if it lost its previous game, and it was matched up against a winning opponent which won its previous game.  Take Golden State + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.