There isn’t an NCAA tournament game on Wednesday, but two quarterfinal matchups in the NIT headline the slate. The UC Irvine Anteaters face the UAB Blazers at 9:00 p.m. ET, with a spot in the Semifinals on the line. UC Irvine has won eight of its previous nine games, while UAB is 4-1 in its last five.
Here is my pick for Thursday’s NIT matchup between the Blazers and the Anteaters.
Want to approach your March Madness Bracket with the same precision as the top 1% of bracket pool winners? Check out what the PoolGenius optimizer has to offer!
UAB vs. UC Irvine (9:00 p.m. ET)
This is a matchup of offense vs. defense. UAB averages seven more points per game than UC Irvine. But UC Irvine has the biggest advantage in this contest on the defensive end. The Anteaters have an elite defense, and they are tied for allowing the 21st fewest points (66.2) in the country. UC Irvine only allows 66.2 points, which is 10 fewer points than UAB does.
UC Irvine is a -4.5 favorite against UAB for tonight’s game on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Anteaters’ last nine victories have come by more than 4.5 points. UC Irvine’s third leading scorer, Justin Hohn, is averaging 12.3 points per contest, but he is coming off a 22-point performance against Jacksonville State.
UAB will have the best player in this matchup with Yaxel Lendeborg. He averages 17.8 points and 11.2 rebounds per game this season. If UC Irvine can hold Lenderborg under 20 points, the Anteaters will be in a good position to win this game and cover the spread. If UC Irvine can get past UAB, they would play the winner of Oklahoma State vs. North Texas.
College Basketball Pick: UC Irvine -4.5
Want to approach your March Madness Bracket with the same precision as the top 1% of bracket pool winners? Check out what the PoolGenius optimize has to offer!
