North Carolina vs Virginia Tech Free Pick January 22, 2018 – Jesse Schule

This is a Free NCAAB play on the Villanova Wildcats.

Villanova seems to be flying under the radar heading into this year's tournament. They have won two of the last three national championships, and the Wildcats finished first in the Big East and won the conference tournament. They come into this first round game against St. Mary's as just a small favorite, despite the fact that the Gaels are the second best team from one of the weaker conferences in the country. The Wildcats are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 NCAA Tournament games, and 19-7 ATS in their last 26 neutral site games. If I was going to set a line for this game I would put it between -7.5 to -9. The bookmakers are asking me to cover just half as many points, putting the value on the favorite.

Take VILL.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the LSU Tigers.

I'm not too high on Yale coming out of the Ivy League. They did win the league and they won the conference tournament, but they cruised through a pretty soft schedule. They only faced one ranked team during the season, and they lost by 33 points to Duke. LSU was able to navigate a difficult schedule in the SEC, and weather the storm of a scandal involving former coach Will Wade. They managed to hold on and finish at the top of one of the toughest conference in the country. While they did lose a coach, there is no doubt that they come into this game with superior talent on the floor. LSU lost a close game to Florida in the SEC tourney, but the Tigers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up loss.

Take LSU.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on [email protected] to go Under the total.

The Belmont Bruins can light it up on offense, and they are coming off an 81-70 win over Temple. They face a far more formidable opponent in Maryland, and they have struggled to score in recent games as an underdog. They scored just 65 points in their conference tournament loss to Murray State, and last year they scored 51 points in a loss to Murray State in the conference tourney. The Terrapins allowed opponents to average just 62.7 points per game at neutral sites during the season, and they have allowed an average of 67.6 points per game over their last five overall. The under is 5-0 in Bruins last 5 non-conference games, and the Terrapins have failed to reach the total in six of their last seven neutral site games.

Take Under.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on [email protected] to go Under the total.

These are two of the highest scoring teams in the NHL, and neither team has been very successful keeping the puck out of their own net. The bookmakers have set the total accordingly (7), and I expect to see an increased focus on defense here in a game where one of these teams will emerge with a legitimate chance to make the playoffs. Chicago is just four points back in the West, and the Hawks have two games in hand.

Take UNDER.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on [email protected] to go Under the total.

My total of the year was a winner on under 5.5 the last time these teams met. Here is what I said prior to the game: "The Habs are barely holding on in the Wild Card race, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are hot on their heels. They can't afford to leave any points on the table, and they might be in for a battle here at the Islanders. New York has allowed fewer goals than any other team in the NHL this season. Carey Price has really stepped up his game for Montreal, winning three of his last five starts and allowing just four goals in those three games. The Islanders goaltending situation is pretty secure, with Ronin Lehner rankling in the Top 5 of the NHL in GAA and save percentage, and backup Thomas Greiss coming off a 31 save shutout. Greiss also ranks in the Top 5 in both those categories. Given that both these teams are engaged in heated battles for playoff position, we should expect scoring chances to be few and far between in tonight's game."

Take Under.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on [email protected] to go Under the total.

An empty net goal cost me in the Stars last home game, and this is what I said prior to their win over Florida: "The Dallas Stars have played themselves into a Wild Card spot, but they need to keep stringing wins together if they want to make the playoffs. They host the Florida Panthers, a team that isn't in the hunt for the playoffs. The Under is 20-4-2 in the Stars last 26 games as a favorite of -110 to -150. The under is 20-5-3 in the Stars last 28 versus teams from the Eastern Conference. Dallas ranks 2nd overall in the NHL in goals against, and Ben Bishop leads all goaltenders with a .933 save percentage. He ranks 2nd with a 2.05 GAA. He missed the last few games with a lower body injury, but is expected to return tonight to face the Panthers." I'll get right back on the under here in tonight's game versus the Avs, another team facing a must win.

Take Under.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on Columbus.

I bet on Columbus in their recent win over Carolina, and here is what I said prior to the game: "The Blue Jackets are coming off a 7-4 win over Boston, putting them in a tie with Montreal at 81 points. They have a game in hand, which allows them to occupy the final Wild Card spot in the West. They host Carolina tonight, and the Canes are just two points ahead in the standings. The Blue Jackets picked up Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel from Ottawa at the trade deadline, and after a slow start, both players scored in the win over Boston. This is a must win game for the Jackets, with a playoff spot on the line and home ice advantage versus a division rival. Sergei Bobrovsky is playing better in the second half of the season than he had prior to the All Star break. He's 11-6 with a 2.28 GAA in his last 17 starts."

Take CBJ.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on [email protected] to go Under the total.

Nobody expected Arizona to threaten for a playoff spot this year, but with just a handful of game left the Coyotes occupy the eighth seed and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Every game from here on out will be a must win for the teams battling for those final spots, and Arizona catches the Florida Panthers in their first game back from a road trip. The under is 15-5-2 in the Coyotes last 22 versus the Eastern Conference.The Coyotes are 4-0 in their last four games as a road underdog of +110 to +150.

Take Under.

GL,

Jesse Schule