Yesterday proved an unexpected day off for my picks, as a set of circumstances made it impossible for me to get any kind of slate put out. I had a noon game covering Robert Morris basketball at IUPUI, and my plan was to get to the arena by 11 a.m., do my research for games and have picks ready by noon.
However, that snowstorm that pounded Indianapolis meant my apartment complex hasn’t been cleared yet, which meant getting out of my complex took 40 minutes. Prep time gone and time to focus on the game as soon as I got set up. During halftime, I looked at the slate, but I didn’t have a good feeling about anything other than Duke-Carolina going over, which was my only play all day Saturday. I took the win there, got out and called it a day. Turned out it was a good thing, as the rest of the day was nuts. When you have Idaho State beating Montana by 23 — the Bengals’ first win over the Grizzlies since I was covering them, and that was in 2009 — it’s a day where it was best to stay away.
And that’s why you can trust the information I’m giving you: I’m never going to give you a pick unless I think I’ve done the research as best as I can. Of course I won’t win every play I make, but every play I post is because I think that’s what will happen after I’ve looked over every angle that comes to my mind. With that out of the way, here are my picks for February 6.
SAINT PETER’S -5, -110
The Peacocks have been good to me lately, as I’ve picked them three straight games and they’ve delivered for me each time. I’m a little worried about this one because their first meeting with Marist was a seven-pointer in which the Red Foxes’ leading scorer, Ricardo Wright, shot 1-for-11 from the floor. That might not be replicable, but Saint Peter’s has looked strong in Jersey City and Marist has lost six of its past seven. I’ll trust the Peacocks again.
PURDUE FORT WAYNE -10, -110
Purdue Fort Wayne has been a bettor’s dream in Horizon League play because the Mastodons are so consistent. The Mastodons are 7-6 SU and 9-4 ATS in league play, and all seven wins have been covers. The only times where they lost and covered were to league leader Cleveland State, so this is a team that covers when it should and doesn’t cover when it shouldn’t. Green Bay has been on the road since Jan. 27 and has gone from Youngstown to Pittsburgh to Cleveland and now to Fort Wayne. The Phoenix aren’t good and are likely sick of Interstate 80. Expect the Mastodons to roll.
MINNESOTA +13.5, -120
Figure this out if you can: Minnesota’s actually a much better road bet than it is in the Barn. The Gophers have covered four out of six on the road this season, with a trip to Indiana being the only time that Minnesota failed to either win or cover. Iowa’s laying too many in this spot; the Gophers should push the Hawkeyes for most of the game before succumbing.
WASHINGTON +5.5, -110
Let me get this straight: Stanford just played Washington three weeks ago, held the Huskies to 36% from the floor and managed to lose by three anyway, and the Cardinal are GIVING 5.5 points? Um…okay. Stanford did have a good second-half comeback against the Huskies in Seattle, but they’re also coming off a home loss to Washington State while Washington routed California. Something seems off with Stanford; I think Washington hangs around.
AKRON -3.5, -110
We have a rare rematch, as these teams just played on Friday. Akron won that game by locking down on Miami on defense, and the Zips do that to most MAC teams not named Toledo, so there’s a good chance they can repeat that and cover this small number. Miami has lost nine in a row ATS, and this looks like it’ll be No. 10.
CANADA WOMEN’S HOCKEY -6.5, -110
It seems absurd on the surface to give 6.5 goals in a hockey game, but Canada is just head and shoulders above every team except the United States. What’s more, the Reds are playing with a point to prove, as they lost the gold medal to the Stars and Stripes in 2018 and haven’t won a tournament outside of Canadian soil since the 2014 Winter Games. Not Russia lost 5-0 to the U.S. on Saturday morning, and it could have been worse, considering the Americans outshot the Russians 62-12. Canada already has 23 goals in two games and should be able to add another seven to the pile.
