MLB Best Bets – Free (Wednesday 7/24)
Josh Gross
Multiple times each week, FTN Bets’ resident college basketball junkie, Brad Evans, will attempt to posterize the ‘books with his favorite selections, whether sides, totals, teasers or parlays. As always, fade or follow Brad’s picks — fading is encouraged — that’s up to you.
2-leg alternative line parlay play: Ohio (+9.5), Abilene Christian (+11.5) (Tipico Sportsbook)
Odds: +153
Leg 1: Ohio +9.5 vs. Virginia
It seems like everyone and their kid sister is fading UVA, and for good reason. With only one practice under its belt all week and due to its coronavirus-influenced travel interruption, Virginia joined the bubble in Indianapolis disoriented. That disruption is ill-timed as the Cavs’ opponent, Ohio, owns the necessary ingredients to morph into a bracket wrecking ball. The Bobcats, featuring sensational guard Jason Preston, tallied 1.163 points per possession, 40.6% from three and 54.1% from two over their prior six contests. They have the shooters and confidence to win straight up. Recall, they took Illinois down to the wire during the early-season non-conference slate. Compounding matters, Virginia’s pack-line defense has unraveled, surrendering an abnormal 0.976 points per possession in its last five games. In what will likely be a game of limited possessions, Gary Trent U has a real shot of landing multiple knockout blows.
Leg 2: Abilene Christian (+11.5) vs. Texas
A swarm of angry bees hell-bent on creating chaos and injecting hundreds of hurtful stings in one fell swoop. That, my fellow bracketeers, is how Abilene Christian attacks. Featuring a full-court press defense indicative of Huggy Bear-coached teams of yore, Joe Golding is all about exhausting the opposition. His Wildcats force a turnover on over 25% of opponent possessions. Even when the competition’s guards break through the mayhem seven-footer Kolton Kohl awaits, poised to deflect shots near the rim. Texas has the backcourt and frontcourt to counteract ABCU’s greatest strength. If Matt Coleman and Courtney Ramey consistently sprint up court, they’ll be able to avoid the bear trap. Still, ABCU’s ability to drain triples (37.2%) should keep this one tight until the bitter end.
Season record: 34-38
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