It’s Valentine’s Day and our staff is celebrating with some bets we LOVE.
And with today’s slate being thin on NBA and NHL, we are turning to college. Basketball AND baseball, that is, so it is truly an exciting day with spring right around the corner.
Dan Karpuc: Vanderbilt Baseball -1.5 Runs at Grand Canyon (-130, BetMGM)
College baseball season is back and I’m going to celebrate by backing one of the most storied programs in the country on the road. The No. 16 Commodores will take on a Grand Canyon squad that made the NCAA Tournament last season, but Vandy is loaded with talent yet again, led by RJ Austin, who was named to the preseason Golden Spikes watch list, and shortstop Jonathan Vastine, who was recently named the top senior in college baseball by Perfect Game. Vandy’s roster features 21 newcomers, including seven transfers and will have talent advantages all over the field, including on the bump. Junior LHP JD Thompson will start this game after going 5-2 with a 4.15 ERA with 74 strikeouts and 18 walks in 52.0 innings last season. He’s just one of four returning SEC pitchers to record a strikeout rate of over 30% and walk rate below 8% in at least 50 innings last year, per The Tennessean. His platoon advantage against a very left-handed heavy lineup should be an important factor. RHP Isaac Lyon (6-1, 3.97 ERA) is a quality arm for GCU and the team as a whole has veteran talent, but I think the clear value is on Vandy’s side.
Lucy Burdge: Cornell -6 vs. Harvard
Cornell has covered the spread in their last six games and Harvard has failed to cover in their last two games and they did not cover in their last game at home. Cornell is also averaging 85 points scored per game and Harvard is averaging 67 points per game, so I think Cornell can cover this spread tonight!
Matt Horner: Siena -2 vs. Marist
Quite a terrible CBB slate we have today, but there is still a little bit of value on the board, including this game between Marist and Siena. Marist is 16-5 on the season, while Siena is 11-13, and yet the Saints are laying points here. I would imagine anyone who is brave enough to bet this slate of games will be taking the better team getting points, but I think there is a reason that Siena is a favorite here. The oddsmakers are basically begging for some action on Marist with this line, so I’ll take Siena -2.
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