NCAA Basketball Picks Underdogs of the Day: Tuesday, February 12th

Disclaimer: I hate betting favorites and love finding value in the underdogs for my NBA and NCAA basketball picks, so this series is dedicated to finding the best underdog Moneyline value plays for the day.

We’re back in action with another edition of NCAA Underdog Picks of the Day. After a relatively quiet Monday in terms of the sheer volume of games, Tuesday offers a considerably larger slate to choose from.

Our last installment of the NCAA Underdog Picks series saw Santa Clara pulling through at +250 to turn a profit for the day (with yours truly sitting about 3 feet behind their bench).

With that said, let’s take a look at what we have in store for tonight:

Underdog NCAA Basketball Picks

GEORGIA BULLDOGS VS TEXAS A&M AGGIES – 7:00pm ET

Georgia is embroiled in a bit of turmoil right now, with head coach Tom Crean issuing a public apology to his team after some harsh words following a loss to Ole Miss. With only one win in SEC play so far, the Bulldogs have had a rough go at things since Crean took over despite having a loaded recruiting class on the horizon.

Considering the athletic talent on Georgia’s roster, they have struggled to play cohesive team defense and don’t have a go-to scoring option they can constantly rely on. However, they have at least looked competitive in most games before they fall apart late.

They rely heavily on playing through their big men and Nicolas Claxton is a body you’ll likely see all over the court for the Bulldogs. Leading Georgia in every major statistical category except points (where he is second), Claxton is a supremely athletic and long big with a natural knack for protecting the rim.

Rayshaun Hammonds is the Bulldogs’ leaders scorer and gives them a nice combination of size and 3 point shooting. Unfortunately, they don’t offer much of a threat elsewhere in terms of play-making or scoring ability and instead rely on trying to slow down the game while playing intense and physical defense.

For all of Georgia’s struggles, Texas A&M hasn’t looked much better. Picking up their first road win in SEC play against Missouri the last time out, the Aggies have only mustered two total wins in SEC play themselves. Losing big man Robert Williams to the NBA has hurt the Aggies greatly as they have yet to find a reliable big body in his absence.

Instead, this version of the Aggies relies heavily on their experienced guard trio of Wendell Mitchell, TJ Starks, and Savion Flagg. While none of the three are standout scorers, they all do a good job at distributing the basketball and creating pressure on the opposing perimeter.

The Aggies do have surprisingly solid wins over Alabama and Kansas State, but simply find themselves too over-matched down low on most nights.

Despite the turmoil surrounding Georgia, the team is hungry for a win and that shows in their recent interviews. The Aggies don’t have anyone on the roster that should be able to slow down Nicolas Claxton so look for the Bulldogs to set him up for a lot of looks and get him going early.

Claxton is at his best with a full head of steam rolling to the rim, so look for a heavy dose of pick and roll sets out of the Bulldogs as the bully their way to their first road win in SEC play.

Underdog NCAA Basketball Picks: Georgia Bulldogs (TBA)

BUFFALO BULLS VS AKRON ZIPS – 7:00pm ET

Buffalo has had a ton of success behind one of the most high-powered offenses in the nation this season. However, for all the fanfare surrounding their dynamic offense, the Bulls’ improved defense has had a major impact on their success as well.

After relying on their offense to lead them to a fantastic 27-9 season last year, the Bulls have improved their point differential from +8.9 to a whopping +13.9 en route to an even better season this time around.

C.J. Massinburg continues to be the driving force of the offense and has only built on the major step forward he took last season. Massinburg has been incredibly efficient from deep while chucking away at a high volume, forcing defenses to always account for his position and often creating easy open looks for his teammates.

Nick Perkins has taken a slight step back in scoring, but brings a majorly improved defensive game to the table. Strong enough to guard opposing bigs while athletic enough to give opposing guards trouble, Perkins’ play on the defensive end has been a major factor in the major strides that the Bulls have made.

Although they sit at just 13-9, Akron is a team that seems to have finally found their footing in the MAAC. After struggling to start the season, the Zips have rattled off 4 wins in their last 5 games behind strong defensive performances.

They don’t generate a ton of turnovers, but instead play solid team defense and do a great job at contesting just about every shot their opponent takes.

Deng Riak is an insanely raw talent that has made major strides with regards to rebounding and rim protection on the year. A stringy big with a ton of natural bounce, when Deng is at his best he is an unstoppable force around the rim.

However, consistency has been an issue and you don’t know what level of production you’re going to get on any given night.

While not their leading scorer, Jimond Ivey is probably the most talented player on the Zips roster and provides a true two-way presence on the court. Leading the team in steals and field goal percentage (for players with more than 10 minutes per game), Ivey has the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways without needing the ball in his hands.

Buffalo is undoubtedly the better team here (and are one of the best in the nation), but Akron has been hot as of late and the Bulls have stumbled on the road in 2 of their previous 3 away games. If Akron can force the Bulls into long offensive possessions rather than letting them get out in transition and run like they prefer, the Zips have a very good shot at the upset in this match-up.

Underdog NCAA Basketball Picks: Akron Zips (TBA)

DRAKE BULLDOGS VS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS – 8:00pm ET

Drake has had a quietly great season so far, going 18-7 so far. The Bulldogs have a well-rounded and diverse offensive attack featuring multiple knockdown 3 point shooters to go along with versatile (albeit slightly undersized) bigs down low.

They aren’t necessarily known for their defense, but do a good job at making a big stop when they need one. That said, they are usually able to rely on their offensive output to keep them in the clear.

Despite the loss of breakout senior Nick Morton, transfer Brady Ellington and freshman D.J. Wilkins have done a great job at stepping in to fill the void. While neither offers Morton’s efficiency from deep, Wilkins has shown the ability to be a lead guard and an absolute pest on the defensive end.

They still have their leading scorer in big man Nick McGlynn and have relied on his scoring immensely in the absence of Morton. The swarming defense of Loyola Chicago gave him a bit of trouble, but outside of that, he has looked stellar against anything else the MVC throws his way.

Southern Illinois is a team that has more recently righted the ship on the year. Their recent surge of success has primarily come due to the fact that the Salukis added back star senior Armond Fletcher to the lineup. Without Fletcher in the lineup, Southern Illinois played solid defense but struggled to break the 70 point threshold without his scoring.

Drake handled the first match-up between the two teams easily, however, it was Fletcher’s first game back in the lineup after injury. That said, Fletcher didn’t look off as he went for a monster 21 point outing on 66% shooting from the field.

Although this match-up comes on the road for Drake, they are a team loaded up with Seniors who have a ton of experience playing in conference road games. Look for the more experienced Bulldogs to simply outclass the Salukis.

Underdog NCAA Basketball Picks: Drake Bulldogs (TBA)