Nova Report
Pretty much everyone knows the Cats got destroyed by Baylor in Waco last Sunday: 58-37. Yes, Nova shot 22% but credit the Baylor defense who was beyond incredible. Now Nova gets to begin Conference play in a hostile environment: Omaha, Nebraska. Yes, they take on the 8-3 Creighton BlueJays at 8:00 pm eastern on FS1. The line is Nova-6.5/134
Creighton is led by transfer Ryan Hawkins (13.7 ppg) and 7?1? Sophomore Ryan Kalkbrenner (12.7 ppg). Given that they lost their entire starting 5 from last year, they have fared far better than most predicted. Last out, they spit the bit vs. ASU and lost by 1 as they literally choked on the foul line. They are characterized by lapses on defense and inconsistent scoring. They CAN put it together on occasion as they pummeled BYU on a neutral court.
As for my beloved Wildcats, can they shake off the Baylor game? Maybe since they were taking Finals last week it helped them focus on something else. At any rate, they have not been shooting up to their capabilities over the last two weeks. They WILL break out eventually and beat someone by 40. I don?t think it?s tonight.
What will happen: for sure, Creighton will go inside to Kalkbrenner as there is a mismatch vs. 6?9? Eric Dixon. If he gets doubled, he?ll pitch it to Hawkins who is a legitimate scorer. The BlueJays have not played verses a club with the defensive prowess of the Cats and I can see quite a few turnovers. I can also see a defensive battle as both clubs have struggled scoring lately. As for Nova, they?ll be hoisting it up from beyond the arc for sure. They?ll test Kalkbrenner inside to see if they can get him in foul trouble. In the end, Nova will get the win by 5-10 points in a game played around 130 points or so.
My bet: (and I have been terrible) 5 point teaser Nova-1.5/Under 139
Nova Pick Record: 3-7