Cappers Sports Picks

Rating: 2 Units

Arizona had reeled off five straight wins and Boston had three straight victories before each team was held to a single goal in their respective losses. Both teams are above average on the offensive end of the ice and defensively as well. Boston has a major edge in the penalty killing department and they have the experience factor in their favor over a young Coyotes squad. The Bruins are a solid 9-2-1 on home ice this season while the Coyotes are 5-5-2 on the road this year. Arizona battles as a young, scrappy team does but Boston’s experience advantage pays dividends in crunch time as they skate away with the home victory.

Rating: 2 Units

Los Angeles has played solid basketball but they have yet to run into a team like the Pacers. Indiana can slice and dice teams offensively, as we’ve seen throughout the in-season tournament, led by the explosive Haliburton. Taking down a pair of division leaders in the Celtics and Bucks is no easy feat, much less under the pressure of a knockout stage situation like Indiana has faced. The Pacers seem unflappable and the Lakers, even with their pedigree and the duo of James plus Davis, isn’t going to rattle this Indiana squad. In a game that ends up being decided late, the Pacers’ youth and depth proves critical as they earn the NBA Cup crown. Take the points here to be safe but don’t be surprised if the Pacers win outright.

Rating: 2 Units

Gonzaga, opening as a 5-point favorite against Washington, seems undervalued in the betting market, which has slightly lowered the spread. This adjustment doesn't sit right with me, considering Gonzaga's distinct edge. While Washington has faced solid competition, Gonzaga is a different caliber, particularly in their dominance over Pac-12 teams, winning their last 16 games against the conference, including 10 by five points or more. Gonzaga's ability to distribute the ball and capitalize on shooting opportunities is notable. They've been particularly strong against Washington, holding a 5-1-1 ATS record in the last seven meetings. With their knack for controlling the pace and an advantage on the offensive glass, Gonzaga is well-positioned for both stops and second-chance points. In this matchup, expect a high-scoring affair, with Gonzaga likely to push the pace before Washington sets up its defense. Their efficient ball movement and rebounding superiority on both ends should lead to another win and cover against Washington. I'm backing Gonzaga to extend their winning streak and cover the spread in this game.

Rating: 2 Units

Notre Dame has been solid defensively but their inability to shoot the ball with any kind of sustained success is going to be a problem here. The Fighting Irish lost both their road games this season, losing by 12 to South Carolina and by 14 to Miami, failing to score more than 52 points in either of those contests. That kind of production isn’t going to get it done against a Marquette team that has put up at least 85 points four times already this season. The Golden Eagles have already beaten Illinois, UCLA, Texas and Kansas while taking Purdue to the limit in a three-point loss in the Maui Invitational last month. Playing at home against an offensively challenged Notre Dame squad works in the Golden Eagles’ favor as they roll to a victory here.

Rating: 2 Units

Saint Mary’s plays tough defense, but I don’t want to stand in front of Colorado State. The Rams’ offense has been terrific since the opening night of the season. Colorado State has accounted for at least 81 points in eight of its nine outings this season. Isaiah Stevens looks like one of the best point guards in the country, and the Rams make 62.8% of their 2-pointers (3rd) and 38.8% of their triples (32nd). Colorado State turns the ball over on just 13.4% of its possessions, so I’ll lay six points with the Rams. 

NCAAB Play of the Day

Rating: 3 Units

The Cougars have won eight straight games. They are playing very well offensively, scoring more than 90 points per game while making over 49 percent of their shots. Their ball movement has been very good and they also very aggressive on the offensive glass, which will give them more scoring chances. They also don’t turn the ball over a lot and won’t give the Utes a lot of easy-scoring opportunities. The Utes have played well defensively at home, but they struggled in recent games and gave up more than 80 points in two of their last three home games, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Cougars in this game. The Utes have won three straight games. They are also playing well offensively, scoring more than 90 points per game at home. Their ball movement isn’t very good and they don’t rebound the ball as well as the Cougars, so don’t expect them to get a lot of second-chance opportunities against them. The Cougars force a lot of turnovers and they’re playing well defensively, holding opponents under 60 points per game, so expect them to keep Utah’s offense in check. Go with BYU to cover the spread.

Rating: 3 Units

The Bobcats have been a strong offensive team as they are scoring 79.9 points per game, which is 87th in the nation. However, their defense needs some work as they are 268th in the United States with 74.9 points allowed per game up to this point. The Marshall offense has been doing decently well throughout the season as they are 208th in the country with 73.8 points per game.

Rating: 2 Units

The Toledo Rockets are giving up far too much on defense at a rate of 76.8 points per game but make up for that by scoring an average of 79.3 points per game on an above average 48.3% shooting overall and 38.8% shooting from long distance. Toledo has taken 121 shots from 3-point territory and hit 47, led by Maddox who has made 18 of 47 shots from behind the line. Northern Iowa scores its share of points at 75.7 per game but is also giving up far too many at 75.0 per game. Northern Iowa has struggled against teams from the Mid-American conference, failing to cover the spread in six of the last seven. Toledo has covered the spread in 11 of its last 16 overall and the Rockets have covered the spread in six of the last seven versus a MAC team. Toledo plays a much more uptempo game than Northern Iowa as the Rockets are 105th at 70.5 while Northern Iowa is just 211th at 68.5, which means the Panthers will not keep pace with the Rockets, who will also have an advantage playing at home.

Rating: 2 Units

This one could get very ugly this afternoon. The Chippewas come in at 3-5 and struggle to put points on the board. The Creighton Bluejays are 21st in the nation in points per game and are coming off a 29-point thumping of Nebraska at home. The Bluejays are efficient with the basketball, move it well, and rarely give away possessions. In addition, they will battle with a CMU team that is just 246th in the nation in 3-point defense while ranking 22nd in 3-point shooting. Creighton is also ranked fourth in the nation in the percentage of points coming off 3-point field goals. Don't be frightened by this big line, the Bluejays will run away with this one.

Rating; 2 Units

When the ground troops marched to a 20-17 overtime win in this rivalry last year, it moved the revenge-meter to 10-2 ATS in favor of the avenger the last dozen meetings in this series. In fact, Navy is 14-7-1 ATS since 1999 when looking to avenge a military loss, including 10-1-1 ATS as a dog of 16 or fewer points. But the bottom line is neither team holds much of an edge today, and with it we’ll rely on the old military standby – revenge – as Navy proves once again that it’s a dish best served cold. In the 124th installment of this service academy showdown, we suggest you grab the points.