Two top-15 teams face stout non-conference opponents Tuesday night. So who do our experts like to cover the spread?
It’s great to have real games and results to react to after an exciting Week 1 of college hoops. The slate of great non-conference games to begin the season continues Tuesday night with four teams who won each of their first two games—two of which remain in the top 25.
Last week’s picks went well—three out of four picks in the Champions Classic were correct with only preseason projections to go off. This week, I welcome my colleague Kevin Sweeney, our resident college hoops expert, as a guest picker.
Season record: 3-1
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Seton Hall Pirates (2-0) vs. No. 4 Michigan Wolverines (2-0)
Time: 9 p.m. ET, FS1
Spread: Seton Hall +8.5 (-110) | Michigan -8.5 (-110)
Over/Under: Under 138 (-110) | Over 138 (-110)
Moneyline: Seton Hall (+310) | Michigan (-400)
Seton Hall easily handled two lesser opponents at home in Newark, New Jersey to begin the season. The Pirates held Fairleigh Dickerson and Yale below 50 points and they're tied for the fifth-best scoring defense in the nation. The stifling defense was the most impressive part of those two 30-plus-point wins, but Seton Hall also scored at least 80 in both games thanks to stellar shooting from three-point range. Led by guard Marcus Cale and forward Tyrese Samuel, who both average 13 points per game (PPG), the Pirates have eight players averaging eight or more points.
Michigan held off a good Buffalo team (No. 86 in KenPom) at home in its season opener 88-76. The next time the Wolverines played was a get-right game against Prairie View A&M on a neutral court. Michigan dominated, holding the Panthers under 50 points while four starters scored in double figures. Sophomore center Hunter Dickinson led the Wolverines in both victories. The 7-foot-1 big man went for 27 points against Buffalo and followed that up with a double-double in 23 minutes against Prairie View A&M. Three other UM players average at least 10 PPG—Eli Brooks, Caleb Houstan and Terrance Williams II—all of whom shoot better than 40% from outside.
Moneyline or Spread Pick: Seton Hall +8.5
Michigan is a great team and will win this game, but not by nine or more points. They failed to cover against Buffalo in the opener before rebounding with a convincing win. Seton Hall is more than capable of hanging around and making things tough for a top-10 team, even on the road.
Over/Under Pick: Over 138.5
Both of these teams average more than 80 PPG. Granted, each of their first two games came against lesser competition, but good offense is good offense. Both teams can shoot the ball from deep, which bodes well for this game going over. Michigan and Seton Hall have the defensive prowess to hold capable opponents under 60 points, but I expect these offenses to keep pace with one another.
SI Writer Kevin Sweeney’s Take:
Moneyline or Spread Pick: Seton Hall +8.5
Michigan should win this game, but the Pirates feel undervalued in this spot. This Seton Hall defense is elite, with great positional size at every spot (key against Michigan), ballhawks who can force turnovers and a rim protector in Ike Obiagu who can help slow down Hunter Dickinson. If SHU’s new backcourt can get hot from deep, they might have a chance to win outright.
Over/Under Pick: Over 138.5
Yes, both of these defenses are very good. But I still think this game winds up being played in the 70s. Neither team is overly timid pushing the ball in transition and have plenty of weapons who can heat up from beyond the arc. Michigan is a top-5 KenPom offense for a reason—they’ll find a way to put up points.
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BYU Cougars (2-0) vs. No. 12 Oregon Ducks (2-0)
Time: 10 p.m. ET, ESPN
Spread: BYU +4 (-110) | Oregon -4 (-110)
Over/Under: Under 141.5 (-110) | Over 141.5 (-110)
Moneyline: BYU (+155) | Oregon (-188)
BYU outlasted Cleveland State at home in its season opener and followed that up with a quality win against San Diego State. The Cougars relied heavily on veteran guard Alex Barcello in both games. He scored 24 in the first game of the season, aided by 13 three throws, and went for 17 against the visiting Aztecs. BYU held both of its opponents under 40% shooting but the team had its own shooting problems outside of Barcello.
Oregon welcomed two teams from Texas to Eugene last week and sent both home with double-digit losses. The Ducks beat Texas Southern 83-66 before stomping a good SMU team (No. 65 in KenPom) 86-63. Sharpshooting senior Will Richardson hit four threes in each win and leads the team in scoring with 19 per game. Four other Ducks average 10-plus PPG and many are capable shooters—Oregon is top-50 in the nation in three-pointers made per game.
Moneyline or Spread Pick: Oregon -4.5
The Ducks know what they need to do to beat BYU: Limit Alex Barcello. It’s a defensive task much easier said than done, and it’s one both of the Cougars’ opponents failed to do in the first two games of the season. But that’s what it will take. Oregon can score in a hurry to keep pace with Barcello if he is able to punish the Ducks, though. I like the Ducks to cover relatively comfortably at home.
Over/Under Pick: Over 141.5
Oregon is plenty capable of putting up enough points to ensure this game goes over. And the Ducks weren’t playing shutdown defense against their first two opponents—they simply outscored them. I think that’s what will happen Tuesday night. Oregon can get into the high 70s and if BYU sneaks into the 70s that pushes this game to the over.
SI Writer Kevin Sweeney’s Take:
Moneyline or Spread Pick: Oregon -4.5
Mark Pope is one of my favorite coaches to bet on in the sport, but Oregon feels like the bet here. The Ducks have had some early-season struggles over the years but looked dominant Friday against a talented SMU team. This Oregon backcourt is one of the deepest and most talented in the sport, and they have a number of athletes they can send at BYU star guard Alex Barcello to slow him down.
Over/Under: Under 141.5
Both these offenses have some firepower, but both Pope and Dana Altman want to play this game in the halfcourt. If Oregon’s guards have similar success guarding Barcello to what they did to SMU’s Kendric Davis last week. BYU will really struggle to get into its halfcourt offense and will be kept in the low 60s.
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