Who wants more madness? We got day two action of Degen Madness coming straight for you during these quarantined times. Hopefully, you turned in your bracket at a shot of winning thousands of dollars. If not, it’s okay. You can still bet these games with all the posted lines below at MyBookie.AG. That even includes live betting and over/under action. With action like this, I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel during this sports drought.
Ohio State Buckeyes @ Auburn Tigers (-1.5, 82)
Bruce Pearl is fresh off taking Auburn to a final four appearance just a year ago, so why can’t they do it again? Sure the Tigers may be backing into this tournament, being it they’ve lost 4 of their last seven games but make no mistake Auburn is the more skilled team here.
The Tigers are led by guards Samir Doughty and J’von McCormick, who both average in double digits for points. Forward Issac Okoro complements both guards well with an excellent 13 points per game. Big man Austin Wiley averages 11 points and nine boards game as well. Having four scoring options is something most teams don’t have. The downfall here is that only one member of their starting five shoots over 77 percent from the free-throw line.
The key to Auburn winning and moving on is two elements. Can Auburn either make their free throws or limit how many free throws they take? The other key for the Tigers is the three-point line. Auburn may struggle from the free-throw line, but from the three-point line, they are as streaky as it gets. If the Tigers get hot from behind the arc they can beat anyone in this tournament.
On the other side of things, Ohio State has had quite the up and down season and led by head coach Chris Holtmann the former Butler head coach. Back in December, the Buckeyes were a top 5 team with National Championship dreams. Then came January, where the Buckeyes dropped 6 of 7 games. Many Buckeye fans were wondering if Ohio State was even going to make the tournament after that stretch. Ohio State did close the season out, winning 4 of 5 to get into the Degen Tournament.
The Buckeyes are led by forward Kaleb Wesson, who averages 14 points and nine boards a game. The Wesson vs. Okoro matchup is the one you want to highlight during this game. Ohio State also has a pair of guards that can match Auburn with Duane Washington Jr. & D.J. Carton, both averaging over double digits.
The key for Ohio State winning this game is playing smart basketball. The Buckeyes were 24 in the nation at field goal percentage, so if they can remain poised on the road and trust the offense, I see no reason why the Buckeyes can’t be in this thing with a minute or two left. Another thing to note is Ohio State is a great defensive rebounding team. If they can limit Auburn to one shot and play their game on offense, they can win this game.
Prediction
Auburn should have lost in the first round last year against New Mexico State when their star guard Terrell Brown missed critical free throws with less than a second left. That propelled Auburn to the final four. This year the luck may not be on their side. Ohio State makes the critical free throws and key rebounds at the end of the game to steal the win outright. Give me Ohio State on the ML and give me the over as both teams should be able to score.
Washington Huskies @ Baylor Bears (-9, 83)
This game actually happened back on November 5th in 2019. Washington beat Baylor by 3 in a dandy of a game. Ever since that game, though, two teams headed in two different directions. Baylor was arguably the best team in college basketball during all of the 2019-20 seasons. The Bears had huge wins against Kansas, Texas Tech, Villanova, Arizona, Butler. Baylor went 7-3 against teams playing in the Degen Madness tournament. The Bears did struggle late in the season, though, as they dropped 3 of their final five games.
If Baylor is going to regain their magic, it will start with star guard Jared Butler who’s one of the best players in the country and averaging an excellent 16 points per game. Butler is joined by a nice three-guard lineup of MaCio Teague & Davion Mitchell, who can all light it up. Forward Freddie Gillespie is a key player for the Bears as well, averaging 10 points and nine boards a game.
Head coach Scott Drew has done a great job in tournaments past, so perhaps he dives into his experience. The Bears can score the ball with the best of them. During the regular season, Baylor finished 3rd in the nation in scoring, and some of that has to do with just how well the Bears can hit the three-ball (32nd in the nation).
Washington is a super talented team that is capable of beating Baylor as we saw in November. The Huskies are super young and have been hit with injuries and suspensions all year. Perhaps that’s the reason why Washington went 3-13 in January and February. Regardless, they are a tough 15 seed to drawl in the opening round.
The Huskies, by definition, are losers after a 15-17 season and 2-6 against the field but don’t look too far into the numbers there. This team is playing much better ball since March begun. They are led by forwards Isaiah Stewart & Jaden McDaniels, who combine to average 30 points per game. Mix with those lethal forwards is guards Nahziah Carter and Quade Green, who both average over double digits as well. Green missed several games this season during their losing streak. With Green back, Washington is an entirely different team.
Prediction
Baylor is a 9 point favorite, and I’m sure they have their eye on some revenge for that November season opener. However, 9 points are much too many points. This is my favorite play for the day. Take Washington and the points and perhaps sprinkle some on the money line. With Green back, Washington is playing at a much higher level, and with Baylor’s recent struggles, this one could be upset city.
