The calendar is deep into February which means the countdown to the Madness begins. College basketball gets to the latter part of conference play and tournaments will begin soon enough. We still have a few weeks until conference tournaments start, but there is still a ton to break down as the season ends. There are a handful of ranked teams on Thursday’s docket and there is a DFS slate for this batch of games as well.
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This article is going to cover a lot of different aspects of the upcoming slate of games. It will highlight a college basketball DFS play that stands out and a potential game I like for the upcoming night of action.
Biggest game on the slate
Ohio State at Iowa -2.5 , O/U 143.5
The Big Ten is incredibly deep and two ranked teams will face off with the 25th-ranked Buckeyes going to 20th-ranked Iowa. Ohio State is 17-8 on the year and are one of many teams from this conference who will be in the big dance. They do not have any glaring weakness as they are top-25 in both offensive and defensive efficiency on the season, per KenPom. Ohio State comes in having won two straight and five of six, so they are looking to get on a run to boost the seed come March.
Iowa has taken some losses on the road, but inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, they are as dangerous a team as any in the conference. They have only lost one game at home and that was back in November to DePaul. This Iowa team relies on their offense to outscore opponents as they average 77 points per game and over 81 points per game at home.
Iowa has multiple scorers and are led by big man Luka Garza, who is going to be a handful inside. Garza comes into the game averaging 23.7 points and 9.7 boards on the season and opens up the rest of the Hawkeyes offense with the attention he demands. Iowa has to outgun opponents as their defense is weak compared to the rest of the top-end teams and that is going to be something to monitor once they get into the tournament.
Both of these teams have impressive resumes and can make a run in March, but the goal now is to up that seed and get an easier path. It is no surprise to see Iowa a favorite in their gym in a game with a healthy total of 143.5, as both teams like to get up and down and Iowa especially won’t mind pushing the pace.
DFS Target
Nate Pierre-Louis, Temple – $7,600 DraftKings
On the DFS side, there are plenty of options with a 10-game slate. Most of the games are from the Pac-12, as their conference is loaded up on this Thursday, but we still have a few other key matchups from across the country. In the American Conference, UConn goes to Temple where the Owls are a one-point favorite with the total set at 133.5.
Neither team has made much noise on a national stage, but both teams have talent and a few play makers that we need to take notice of. For Temple, Nate Pierre-Louis has stepped up lately and has some appeal in this spot. He isn’t their leading scorer — Quinton Rose is the go-to guy on offense — but Pierre-Louis contributes in every category. On the season, he’s averaging 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals a game, giving him a massive DFS ceiling.
This game isn’t expected to be up and down, but that isn’t a concern for me with Pierre-Louis considering he isn’t reliant on points to return value. Temple is a quality defensive team who should cause UConn problems and Pierre-Louis will be in line for a well-rounded stat line once again tonight. I wouldn’t be shocked to see another double-double coming off a 16-point, 11-rebound game, and that production puts him firmly in play on this slate.
Also considering: Andre Wesson
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CBB Game Against the Spread
Hofstra -4 at Drexel
We head to the CAA Conference tonight in the betting market with Hofstra hitting the road to take on Drexel. These aren’t teams that get a lot of attention, but Hofstra could be in your brackets next month as they currently lead the conference with an 11-3 record (20-7 overall). The Pride have five players averaging north of 10 points on the season and lean on that balanced offense to do most of their damage. Desure Blue leads the backcourt and the team with 18.1. points per game and Drexel will have their hands full slowing him down.
Drexel is having an average season at 13-14 and 6-8 in conference play. The Dragons don’t do much that jumps off the page, but they are top-50 in 3-point percentage, so they have shown an ability to get hot behind the arc. They will need that tonight as Hofstra’s game translates away from home and they come into Drexel having won six straight. These teams already met earlier in the season with Hofstra winning 72-59 at home.
Backing road favorites can always be dangerous as home court is a massive advantage in college basketball. However, as we are late in the season, all these teams have plenty of experience away from home and we see teams like Hofstra seemingly unaffected when they are in road gyms. The balance they possess on offense allows them to be a matchup nightmare and it is why they find themselves on top of what is an underrated CAA conference. This team could be a bracket buster come March and with the firepower they possess, I think they will complete the season sweep of Drexel in easy fashion tonight.
My Pick: Hofstra -4
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