Two Plays For Thursday's NCAA Card

I always love when people share an article that I wrote for Outkick. Exposure is half of the battle in this world, and while my goal isn't to be an influencer or anything like that, with a platform like this, it somewhat comes with the space. I am lucky that I get the opportunity to do this. However, what I always think is funny is when someone shares a loser but ignores that I won the other play that I shared. That was the case last night as I predicted Wisconsin to win/cover over the Michigan Wolverines. It was Michigan's second win in the past twelve games, and I even acknowledged that there was a spread that was short. Anyway, I was able to take a win in the other play that I provided, so it was a 1-1 night. I have another couple of plays for tonight's slate.

Memphis vs. Temple, 7:00 ET

Tonight's schedule is a bit lacking in comparison to the past couple of days, but I do like this game. Memphis is the better team in this game, but neither of these two teams is in great form at this point. Memphis went into a game on Thursday, January 18th, with a record of 15-2 and a 4-0 conference record. Since that game, they've lost four of their past five, including three coin flips. The first loss was at home against South Florida and they dropped the game by one point. Then they went on the road and played Tulane and lost that game by two points. Another road loss, this time by nine points, followed, and then a home loss to Rice by three points. They did win their last game, a 65-63 victory over Wichita State. This is probably what will happen most of this season for Memphis. They've had 10 games that were decided by four points or fewer. They also had two that have been decided by six points as well, one of which was an overtime victory. Temple, on the other hand, sucks. They haven't been good all season and currently sit at 8-14, and are just 1-8 in conference play. They are on a seven game losing streak right now. Their only win in their past nine games was a home victory over Wichita State. They have played in close games, but can't seem to close the door. They dropped two overtime games in a row on the road - one of them was by 12 points. To their credit, they have lost three of their past seven games by just six points. Injuries have been an issue for the team and that impacts their continuity and effectiveness. They have a decent balance of scoring but most of it comes from the back court. I think they may struggle to match up with Memphis's front court. I'll take Memphis to cover this game at the -6.5. I'll be honest, don't be surprised if this is a close game as it is a bit of a coinflip, but Memphis is the significantly better team. 

TEMPE, AZ - NOVEMBER 30:  The Arizona Wildcats logo during the college football game between the Arizona Wildcats and the Arizona State Sun Devils on November 30, 2019 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Arizona vs. Utah, 8:00 ET

This might be the matchup of the night. We have Arizona, one of the top teams in the nation (in fact, at one point they were the #1 ranked team in the nation), taking on Utah, a team that was also ranked at one point in the year. Arizona is an offensive juggernaut. They are averaging almost 90 points per game on the season and are led by a talented back court as well as a strong center. The Wildcats are 4-1 over their past five games with their only loss coming at Oregon State. It was at least close, ending as a three-point loss. In fact all five of their losses have either come on the road or on a neutral court. Only two of those five losses haven't been close. The other three were one-possession games. Caleb Love is one of the better scoring guards in college hoops and is the engine that makes the Wildcats go. He does a bit of everything, averaging five rebounds per game and three assists as well. They have four other guys that also average over 9.5 points per game. Three of them are solid outside shooters which helps open up the lane for Oumar Ballo. Utah was really good, at least until they started playing conference games. They opened up the conference play with two wins over Washington State and Washington, but then lost to Arizona State and Arizona. They also dropped games on the road to Stanford, Washington State, and Washington. So, essentially, Utah is good at home and really struggles on the road. Will home court advantage be enough in this one to get past Arizona? They do have a stud center that should at lead neutralize, and potentially outplay, Ballo. The back court of Utah is solid, but not great. I am guessing that Gabe Madsen tries to force turnovers against Love or make someone else on Arizona beat them. I like Arizona in this game because they are the better team. However, I think the best play is to take the over 160 in this matchup. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on Twitter: @futureprez2024