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 Sweet 16 game.
Quick Pick — SGP: Marquette -2.5, Tyler Kolek 5+ assists, Kam Jones 15+ points (+100, MGM)
North Carolina State’s DJ Burns may sport a Grimace-like frame, but his game is no Ronald McDonald. His amazingly quick feet and deft touch off the glass make the wide body one of the toughest players to defend in the college game. For a Marquette team lacking interior beef, the supposed 270-pound forward will be a handful, literally and figuratively, in Friday’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 showdown.
Kevin Keatts’ Wolfpack are the only double-digit seed still standing. This month, they’re No. 30 in the country, per BartTorvik’s overall analytics, ranking an appreciable No. 21 in adjusted offensive efficiency. Burns may hoard the attention, but cohorts DJ Horne, Ben Middlebrooks, Casey Morsell and Mohamed Diarra have equally shined. That luster, however, is likely to wear off against Marquette.
The Golden Eagles, this dunderhead’s pick to represent the South Region in Glendale, are back and firing at full-strength. PG magician Tyler Kolek has showed no ill-effects after missing three weeks due to an oblique injury, dishing out 22 total assists in victories over Western Kentucky and Colorado. Meanwhile, his tag-team partner Kam Jones scored 28 points in Round 1 and 18 points in Round 2. The duo’s efforts explain why Marquette has recorded a superb 1.204 points per possession this month.
Yes, Shaka Smart’s squad is glass-hindered. Oso Ighodaro is its only interior force. Still, Milwaukee’s finest have shot close to 38% from distance over their last eight games, so the Golden Eagles should earn their suds against a NC State defense that ranks No. 157 in eFG in March.
Tack on very doable thresholds from Marquette stars Kolek and Jones, and we creatively weave a path to plus money.
Season record: 29-31, +3.45 units