Sac Lawson's free picks
Michigan St. +2 vs Tennessee
I love Michigan State's rebounding edge this afternoon, and I love their coach Tom Izzo. This is a team that can defend anybody, and with a Tennessee team that has struggled to hit outside jumpers, they'll have to depend on getting in the lane against the Spartans, and that's simply something that is not easy to do against Tom Izzo coached teams. You've got to make your three pointers to beat MSU, and Tenn does not have one guy on their team that can consistently shoot the three.
I think MSU is getting absolutely shafted by oddsmakers and the public alike. Nobody will give this team respect being without their starting guard. Fact is, they are still a very good team, playing for a coach that has been here before. Tennessee is a bit wild with the basketball, and wild with their emotions at times... I'd much prefer to back a level-headed team that is going to crash the offensive glass, and play some very stout defense.
Michigan St. / Tennessee Under 137
I would play this down to 135, but if anything it's going up. I talked about this on the podcast yesterday with the CBB guys. This game is all about defense for both teams. Michigan St. has definitely taken on a defensive approach lately with Lucas being out. They know their floor general isn't out there, and expect that to hinder their offense, so they're combating any negative influence offensively by simply upping the intensity on defense.
Tennessee, surprisingly has done the same thing.. This is a Vols club that really doesn't have any pure shooters. If they can get to the lane and score quickly they will, but the fact that they lack consistent scoring has led them to play much slower in the tournament then normal. They're a team that knows they have to play perfect defense to keep winning, and they know that they've been a bit too turnover prone in the situations where the tempo has sped up.
Both these teams HAVE to play defense to win. This game is not about who scores the most, it's about who gets the most stops, who gets the most rebounds. It'll be a scrappy, hard-fought game. And in my mind that leads to an UNDER.
Michigan St. +2 vs Tennessee
I love Michigan State's rebounding edge this afternoon, and I love their coach Tom Izzo. This is a team that can defend anybody, and with a Tennessee team that has struggled to hit outside jumpers, they'll have to depend on getting in the lane against the Spartans, and that's simply something that is not easy to do against Tom Izzo coached teams. You've got to make your three pointers to beat MSU, and Tenn does not have one guy on their team that can consistently shoot the three.
I think MSU is getting absolutely shafted by oddsmakers and the public alike. Nobody will give this team respect being without their starting guard. Fact is, they are still a very good team, playing for a coach that has been here before. Tennessee is a bit wild with the basketball, and wild with their emotions at times... I'd much prefer to back a level-headed team that is going to crash the offensive glass, and play some very stout defense.
Michigan St. / Tennessee Under 137
I would play this down to 135, but if anything it's going up. I talked about this on the podcast yesterday with the CBB guys. This game is all about defense for both teams. Michigan St. has definitely taken on a defensive approach lately with Lucas being out. They know their floor general isn't out there, and expect that to hinder their offense, so they're combating any negative influence offensively by simply upping the intensity on defense.
Tennessee, surprisingly has done the same thing.. This is a Vols club that really doesn't have any pure shooters. If they can get to the lane and score quickly they will, but the fact that they lack consistent scoring has led them to play much slower in the tournament then normal. They're a team that knows they have to play perfect defense to keep winning, and they know that they've been a bit too turnover prone in the situations where the tempo has sped up.
Both these teams HAVE to play defense to win. This game is not about who scores the most, it's about who gets the most stops, who gets the most rebounds. It'll be a scrappy, hard-fought game. And in my mind that leads to an UNDER.
:cripwalk:
