Sometimes you want to make a quick pitstop, empty the bladder, grab a bag of salty snacks and limber up the limbs before hitting the open road again. For the fast-minded who enjoy simple $2 scratchers hoping to uncover the jackpot winning image, here’s a quick thought and lean on a NCAA Tournament second-round game.
Quick Pick: San Diego State +3.5, Yale +15.5, OVER 119.5 (+105, MGM)
The intrigue surrounding an Ivy vs. Mountain West matchup doesn't rank up there with the presumably spicy Washington Post story about to drop on LSU’s Kim Mulkey, but, like the Tigers’ flashy women’s head coach, get out ahead, plunk down a couple bucks and raise the stakes.
For those who enjoy half-court scrums, Yales vs. San Diego State is the matchup for you. Both schools check in north of No. 270 in adjusted tempo on the season. Hello, an in-the-60s slog.
If the Bulldogs want to dismiss SDSU, they must lean on their greatest strength: controlling the glass. Over the last month, the Aztecs have grabbed another opportunity on 33.0% of their possessions. Yale, however, is No. 14 in defensive rebounding during that stretch.
Jaedon LeDee, who exhibits a linebacker build, is a downhill warrior bound to score 20 plus, but if the future hedge fund managers can stymie San Diego State’s secondary weapons, limit turnovers and nail their arc attempts (54.4% of their points come from three), they will push to the bitter end, if not take the cake outright.
Live in the middle. Remember, Yale 7-footer Danny Wolf is one of the most versatile bigs remaining in the field.
Season record: 24-23, +6.40 units