Multiple times each week, The Gaming Juice’s resident action seeker, Brad Evans, will attempt to blast the ‘books with his favorite selections on sides, totals, props, teasers or parlays. As always, fade or follow Brad’s picks — fading is encouraged — but that’s up to you.
Sledgehammer Special — Cincinnati -1 (-110, MGM) Play it up to ... -2.5.
The injury imp is unforgiving, menacing and completely game altering. Lurking around every street corner, it sits and waits for the perfect ambush opportunity. When it springs into action, perceptions are instantly altered as warmth gives way to frigidness.
See Kansas.
With indispensable postman Hunter Dickinson out with a bum shoulder and equally irreplaceable do-it-all swingman Kevin McCullar sidelined with a bone bruise on his knee, an already thin Jayhawks squad is even more emaciated for Wednesday's Big 12 Tournament second-round game.
How valuable are the duo? Combined, they average 36.3 points per game this season or “only” 47.8% of the team’s offense. “Crippling” underserves their absence.
Cincinnati, which is barely in sniffing distance of the NCAA Tournament bubble, has a ripe opportunity to slay a wounded beast and give its sickly profile a needed jolt.
[ Bracket Big Board: Brad Evans’ NCAA Tournament projections ]
Offensively, the Bearcats are rice cake bland. Over their final 10 Big 12 games, they ranked No. 201 nationally in effective field-goal percentage offense, shooting an acceptable 52.1% from two but only 32.1% from three.
The reason for their laudable interior performance is largely due to their tremendous efforts on the offensive glass. Since Feb. 1, Cincinnati has acquired a second chance on 36.7% of its possessions. Dan Skillings and seven-footer Aziz Bandaogo really get after it on the boards.
Wes Miller’s group is more praiseworthy on defense. The Bearcats have allowed a mere 1.006 points per possession over the last month, and they have stuffed the paint, yielding a lowly 47.9% shooting inside the arc. Also, they rank No. 19 in near-proximity percentage defense, according to Haslametrics.
Kansas isn’t completely devoid of talent, but its nonexistent depth and unreliability from distance (25.5 3PT% offense in last 10) makes them extremely vulnerable.
A full-strength KU barely fended off Cincinnati 74-69 earlier this season inside The Phog. In that game, Johnny Furphy went ballistic in scoring a season-high 23 points. To compete in Kansas City, the Jayhawks need not only the Australian to earn his vegemite but also key reserves Elmarko Jackson and Parker Braun to make vital bench contributions.
In the end, I can’t fade any team with a dude named Jizzle (James) on the roster, particularly against an undermanned and underwhelming opponent desperate to get healthy.
Season record: 14-14, +0.58 units
BONUS TIME — Lehigh +7.5 (-115, DraftKings)