YTD 15-14-1 +2.0 units
Good day to everyone. Let's all have a great day. I am starting the day off with this game .
Wichita State -2 over Utah
Fred Vanfleet is back. [FONT=verb_regularregular]WSU now owns the nation's second-longest home court winning streak at 35 games, trailing only Arizona (43). NC Central's 71-69 loss to Howard on Monday ended the Eagles' 38-game streak.
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WSU will play in front of a capacity crowd downtown for the second-straight year. The 2014 game reached sellout status just over 24 hours before tipoff. By contrast, this year's game sold out nearly two months in advance. Shocker fans scooped up all 15,004 seats in just 22 days.
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[/FONT][FONT=verb_regularregular]VanVleet's impact may be just as pronounced on the defensive end. In his time on the bench, WSU's three Division I opponents averaged 73.3 points and shot 47 percent from the field. In VanVleet's first two games back, WSU has allowed just 51.5 points
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In home games against AP nationally-ranked teams, WSU is 5-1 under Coach Marshall.
[/FONT][FONT=verb_regularregular]The Utes are back in the Top-25 after falling out two weeks ago. They opened the year at No. 16 in both polls. [/FONT][FONT=verb_regularregular]NBA draft pick Delon Wright is gone, but Utah returns most of the cast from last year's Sweet 16 crew that finished 26-9 and was runner-up in the PAC-12 race.[/FONT]
[FONT=verb_regularregular, sans-serif]Senior guard Brandon Taylor (7.1 pts, 3.9 assists), senior forward Jordan Loveridge (15.8 pts) and sophomore center Jacob Poeltl is 7'1 and a force (21.3 pts, 9.9 reb) are all preseason awards candidates. Utah has an experienced team with good players . I will take nothing away from them and their talent.[/FONT]
My take.......I have multiple factors working min my favor. Unranked team favored over a ranked team. Wichita state playing at their cities bigger arena in front of a sold out arena that been sold out for over 2 months. The arena will be electric, the crowd will pull them up once UTAH makes its runs. Basketball is a game of runs and Wichita State will be able to withstand Utah's run's. Fred Van fleet is a premier guard and it will show late in this game.
Coach Marshall is the better coach on the floor.
Utah has played only one true road game and won and covered -9 over Texas Tech 73-63. I do not feel that they can pull off a victory today in this arena against THIS team.
Overall I just like this spot and this game at this time of year.
My pick
Wichita State -2 for 3 units
GLTA ........... I'll be back with my other plays later
