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In a year unlike any other, the Pac-12 has become a Man of the People. Bettors have been clamoring for a college basketball game following the Super Bowl for years and they’ve got the chase game that they’ve always wanted. Cal and Stanford will take the floor at 10 p.m. ET in Palo Alto for some #Pac12AfterDark action.

Stanford is -10.5 with a total of 132 at <a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/bovada"><strong>Bovada Sportsbook</strong></a>. With customers either riding the wave of the Super Bowl or looking to make a few bucks back from a bad showing in the Big Game, we’re going to see a massive handle on this game. It could very well be the most bet regular season game of the season to this point, either because people have an edge or because it exists and you can bet on it. You can also watch it on FS1.

As the spotlight game here, we’ll break it down from both sides and also tip a cap to the Pac-12 for being everybody’s favorite conference for at least a day.
<h3><strong><u>Cal Golden Bears</u></strong></h3>
Cal is off to a 2-11 start in conference play. Nobody said this was going to be a good game, but it’s going to be a post-Super Bowl game, damnit, and that will get some attention. Opponents are firing away at 39.8% from distance against Cal, which is a primary factor as to why the team has played so poorly in conference action. It doesn’t help that Cal is shooting 33.6% on three-point attempts themselves and that they’re taking a three-pointer over 42% of the time.

If we look specifically at the numbers in the 13 Pac-12 games, Cal is 11th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 11th in adjusted defensive efficiency. The success rate on threes is a touch higher at 33.8%, but opponents have made 40.9% of their triple tries against Cal. Of course, they’ve also had great success on two-point shots as well with 52.7% of those going in the cylinder.

There are a myriad of problems with this Cal team. They don’t take care of the basketball relative to other teams in the conference. They are the conference’s worst free throw shooting team. It’s just pretty much all been bad for Mark Fox. This is only Fox’s second season in Berkeley, but things are off to a rather inauspicious start. Top recruit Monty Bowser has barely played and juniors Matt Bradley and Andre Kelly have been the only reliable scoring threats.

Bradley is the team’s top three-point shooter and Kelly is the team’s best finisher inside the arc. Cal has only topped 70 points in two conference games and won both of those. Otherwise, they’ve been held in check on the offensive side and don’t play nearly good enough defense to win low-scoring games.
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<h3><strong><u>Stanford Cardinal</u></strong></h3>
Stanford has a very solid defense under head coach Jerod Haase, but the team has left some wins out there on the floor. The Cardinal rank 18th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, but only sit at 11-7 and just 7-5 in Pac-12 play. Stanford, like Cal, struggles to take care of the basketball, putting a lot of pressure on the defense to get stops. Fortunately, the defense has gotten a lot of those stops, but Stanford doesn’t shoot many three-pointers and it sure seems like teams that are bombing away are the teams having the most offensive success this season.

Stanford is 313th in 3P Rate in the nation, which is probably for the best because the Cardinal have only made 31.3% of their three-point attempts. They are shooting 53% inside the arc, though, and have gotten to the free throw line a ton throughout the course of the season. They’ve also made the most of those free points by shooting 73.7% at the charity stripe.

Two-point defense has been the star of the show without the basketball for Stanford. Opponents are only shooting 45.1% on two-point attempts. That number does go up to 47% on two-pointers in conference play, but is still the third-best mark in league action. It is hard to fathom how Stanford is second in eFG% defense and third in eFG% offense in conference play, but just 7-5.

Basically, what has happened is that Stanford has won the games that they are supposed to win and lost the games they are supposed to lose. Stanford’s five losses are at Oregon, at Utah, at Colorado, at Arizona State, and at home to USC. The only semi-shocking wins have come in a sweep over Arizona.
<h3><strong><u>Pick &amp; Analysis</u></strong></h3>
These two teams just played in Berkeley on Thursday and Stanford won 70-55 in a game played to 67 possessions. Stanford’s two-point defense was on full display and Cal’s mostly inept offense was as well. I don’t see any reason to expect this game to be a whole lot different.

It is scary to play an under with a team like Stanford that gets to the free throw line a lot, but they are a deliberate team on offense and should get margin in this game again, which will allow them to hold the ball longer on second-half possessions.

I’ll look under 132 in this late game, but this isn’t a strong play. Just action because this is a seminal sports betting moment to have a game after the Super Bowl.
<h4><strong>Pick: Under 132</strong></h4>
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Cal at Stanford College Basketball Free Pick & Prediction 2/7/21

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<p>Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Razorbacks versus the Fighting Illini? Tip off is at at 4:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on CBS. The game will be played at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 154.5 points, with Illinois being favored by -2.5 over Arkansas.</p><h3>ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS VS ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Illinois Fighting Illini -2.5</p><p>This game will be played at T-Mobile Center at 4:00 ET on Thursday, November 28th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 80-67 in favor of the Fighting Illini.</li><li>Not only will Illinois pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.5.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 154.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.</li></ul><h3>Do the Razorbacks Stand a Chance in Kansas City?</h3><h3>Arkansas Razorbacks Recent Game/Games</h3> 

<p>Arkansas dominated Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday, November 25th, with a 109-35 win at home. The Razorbacks, who were -35 point favorites, covered the spread, while the game’s total points of 144 narrowly missed the over/under line of 145.5.</p> 

<p>Leading 60-15 at halftime, Arkansas continued their strong play in the 2nd half, scoring 49 points and allowing just 20.</p><p>Arkansas put up 109 points in their latest game, shooting 55.6% from the field and 44.1% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 66.7%, with 15 made threes on 34 attempts.</p> <p>They were also strong inside, hitting 65.8% of their two-point shots, and connected on 82.4% of their free throws. The Razorbacks dished out 23 assists, with Boogie Fland contributing 6 to go along with his 16 points.</p><p>Despite Arkansas allowing 35 points in their last game, they struggled defensively, giving up 55% shooting from the field. The opposing team was particularly effective inside, hitting 65% of their two-point attempts, going 25/38.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, Arkansas allowed the other team to shoot 44%, with 15 made threes on 34 attempts. They also sent the opponent to the free-throw line 17 times, where they converted 14 free throws at an 82% rate. Arkansas gave up 9 offensive rebounds.</p><h3>Can the Fighting Illini Pull Out the Win as Home Favorites?</h3><h3>Illinois Fighting Illini Recent Game/Games</h3> 

<p>Illinois cruised to a 92-34 victory over Little Rock on Monday, November 25th. Playing at home, the Illini were -23 favorites and covered the spread. The total points for the game were 126, well under the O/U line of 152.5.</p> 

<p>Illinois dominated from start to finish, leading 51-19 at halftime and holding Little Rock to just 15 points in the 2nd half while scoring 41 themselves.</p><p>Illinois put up 92 points in their last game, shooting 44.1% from the field and 32.3% from beyond the arc, hitting 10 threes. Their effective field goal percentage was 51.5%, and they dominated the offensive glass with 19 rebounds, leading to 20 assists as a team.</p> <p>Kasparas Jakucionis led the way with 21 points, shooting 55.6% overall and 75.0% from three, adding 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Tomislav Ivisic contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 70.0% from the field.</p><p>Illinois gave up 34 points while allowing the opposition to shoot 44% from the field, including 54% on two-point attempts. They also allowed 10 threes on 31 attempts, a 32% shooting rate from beyond the arc.</p> <p>At the free-throw line, Illinois sent the other team to the stripe 26 times, where they converted 22 free throws, shooting 84%. Illinois also gave up 19 offensive rebounds in the game.</p>

Arkansas Razorbacks vs Illinois Fighting Illini NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/28/24

If you had the foresight to play the under in every game last week, congratulations on your easy 4-0 week. Weather and great defense were the common themes in the quarterfinals, as the highest scoring game had just 34 points. There was an average of just 22.5 PPG scored in each game.

My plays went 1-3 ATS as I only took the one under and was wrong on all three sides. James Madison and Northern Iowa never had a chance to go over for my one win. Unfortunately, Illinois State put the clamps on North Dakota State’s offense, and Montana State came through while Montana failed to advance to make me 0-3 ATS in my other three picks.

<strong>Week 1 Plays – 2-2 ATS</strong>
<strong>Week 2 Plays – 2-1 ATS</strong>
<strong>Week 3 Plays – 1-2 ATS</strong>
<strong>Week 4 Plays – 2-1 ATS</strong>
<strong>Week 5 Plays – 3-0 ATS</strong>
<strong>Week 6 Plays – 2-1 ATS</strong>
<strong>Week 7 Plays – 1-2 ATS</strong>
<strong>Week 8 Plays – 1-2 ATS</strong>
<strong>Week 9 Plays – 0-3 ATS</strong>
<strong>Week 10 Plays – 1-1-1 ATS</strong>
<strong>Week 11 Plays – 1-2 ATS</strong>
<strong>Week 12 Plays – 1-2 ATS</strong>
<strong>Week 13 Plays – 1-2 ATS</strong>
<strong>First Round Plays – 2-1 ATS</strong>
<strong>Second Round Plays – 2-1 ATS</strong>
<strong>Quarterfinals Plays -1-3 ATS</strong>
<strong>Overall – 23-26-1 ATS</strong>

As we’ve believed all year, James Madison and North Dakota State are on a collision course to meet in the FCS Championship. The Dukes and Bison are both heavy favorites on the FCS betting line this week, and the two most recent national champions are expected to win by more than two scores.

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>2019 FCS Playoffs Semifinals Betting Odds</strong></span>

<strong>North Dakota State -17.5 vs. Montana State, O/U 47</strong>

The Bison have the second-best defense in the FCS, and that defense came up big to stave off Illinois State’s upset bid last week. North Dakota State failed to score a touchdown in a 9-3 victory, but the defense held the Redbirds to under 200 total yards. This unit is allowing just 267.9 YPG on the year and 4.5 yards per play.

North Dakota State’s defensive backs are the best in the country. The Bison are allowing opponents to average just 5.6 YPA, and that is 0.3 YPA better than any other team in the FCS. That’s not good news for Montana State quarterback Tucker Rovig. Rovig is a decent quarterback, but he is averaging just 151.6 YPG through the air. Montana State’s offense is run heavy, and that allows Rovig to find open receivers, but he doesn’t have the arm talent to beat defensive backs on his own.

The Bobcats are going to have a hard time running on North Dakota State like they have on other teams. The Bison are the best defense the Bobcats have faced, and Montana State didn’t face the top defense in the Big Sky in Weber State. This is the furthest that Montana State has ever advanced in the FCS playoffs, and the Bobcats’ draw contributed greatly to them making it to the semifinals.

Trey Lance has had a phenomenal freshman season. Lance has completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 2,491 yards with 25 touchdowns and no interceptions, and he is averaging 6.8 YPC to boot. The young quarterback has dazzled, but he is coming off the worst game of his career. Fortunately, Illinois State’s defense is much tougher than Montana State’s defense, and he should shine against the worst defense left in the playoffs.

<strong>Play: Under 47</strong>

<strong>James Madison -16.5 vs. Weber State, O/U 47</strong>

The Dukes completely stonewalled Northern Iowa’s offense last week. James Madison didn’t allow the Panthers to have any success, holding them to five first downs before their final drive of the game. That sent a message to everyone that this was the best defense in the nation, and it’s hard to see Weber State having success considering the struggles this offense has faced.

Weber State doesn’t have a quarterback. Jake Constantine and Kaden Jenks have shared the role this season, but neither player has performed particularly well. That’s a major red flag with James Madison on deck.

James Madison saw four defenders named FCS All-Americans earlier this week, and this team wears you down with a punishing ground game that complements the best defense in the country very well. Weber State’s defense is not as stout as it was in 2018, and that could lead to a blowout.

<strong>Play: JMU -16.5</strong>

FCS College Football Betting Picks & Predictions Semifinals Playoffs

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