The Flyers’ problem with the Rangers goes back much further than Tortorella’s arrival in Philadelphia. New York has won eight of nine from the Flyers, with more than half of the wins coming by more than one goal. And the Rangers enter this game on fire, having won nine in a row and coming off a 5-1 rout of New Jersey.
Unlike a lot of teams, Washington State has held its own on the road. Since dropping their first two league games, the Cougars are 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS in Pac-12 play away from Pullman. The one loss wasn’t great considering it came at California, but it was in overtime. The Cougars have also depended on their defense as of late, holding four straight opponents to 65 points or less.
Florida Atlantic went 4-1 in those games, which more than offset its pratfalls against Florida Gulf Coast and Bryant. And that has the Owls on the right side of the bubble and the Mustangs needing to run the table to have a chance. SMU at least has an opportunity to get a Quad 1 win here (and potentially another one at South Florida on Sunday), but most people aren’t thinking about them as a bubble squad.
The basketball version of the Egg Bowl held a little more juice before Ole Miss dropped three of its past four games. The Rebels are still holding hope of sneaking into the NCAA tournament, but they’re running out of chances.
One of the best phrases to any baseball fan is this: “Pitchers and catchers reporting”. Once that happens, the new baseball season is just over a month away, and that makes February the time to jump in on futures bets.
But the Hoosiers have won seven of the past eight meetings with Nebraska. And that’s why Indiana is still giving points; the books don’t buy that the balance of power has completely swung. And that makes this a true opportunity for Nebraska: tournament teams don’t lose this type of game.
The Cougars have settled into life in the Big 12 just fine, and they’re now right on track to qualify for the NCAA tournament for just the second time in nine years. Their road showings have left a little to be desired, but they’ve been outstanding at the Marriott Center, having only lost to Cincinnati and Houston. Of the old-line Big 12 teams, three have come into Provo this season, and none have come closer than Kansas State’s six-point defeat.
It’s starting to look like Connecticut has once again gone to another level. Dan Hurley’s team did this a season ago, going 15-2 down the stretch and brutalizing one opponent after another on its way to the national title. They’ve won 14 straight and haven’t been scratched in February, winning their past seven games by an average of 23 points.
The first matchup between these teams wasn’t close, as Xavier earned a 20-point win three days after Seton Hall upset Connecticut. The Pirates should be more focused this time around, but if they can’t start making shots again, it might not matter.