This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
On Wednesday, it was a Meatloaf night. In other words, going back to the 1977 hit song, "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad". If you flexed your plays on Wednesday, you were plus-money, but if you rolled with a power play you were out of luck. In the past four columns, we're 10-1-1 on the 12 picks, but so far that's still just two plus-money nights. Personally, I prefer to go with the power play for a much bigger payout, but if one player misses his projections, it's a losing day. Anyway, we've had success keeping it simple, and looking to the points projections, and/or points + rebounds. The other categories are a lot more uncertain it seems.
If you're unfamiliar how to play, you must simply choose at least two players from any sport and pick more or less on their projected statistics to win. We'll obviously be exclusively selecting college hoops players, but you can mix and match from various other sports. You can also go with a flex play, meaning you still can have a winning night even if you have one losing selection. Or, you can go big and choose the power play, which pays out higher. However, you must hit all ends to win. Let's get started.
Dominique Daniels Jr., G, Cal Baptist
Normally, I wouldn't play the 5 p.m. ET tip-off on ESPN+, but the matchup between Cal Baptist and Texas-Arlington is too tough to pass up.
The Mavericks of UTA allow 74.2 points per game (PPG), which ranks 253rd in the nation. The Mavs are allowing teams to hit 42.7 percent from the field, which isn't terrible. However, UTA is awful defending the three, as teams are hitting 36.8 percent from downtown, which ranks 341st in the country.
Daniels has gone for 18 or more points in two of his past three games, and he has two or more 3-pointers in three of the past five outings. That's a big part of his game, and it is why Daniels will get 'more' on his points projection. He is averaging 19.7 PPG on the season, and against an abysmal defense, he doesn't even need to hit his season average to cash. That's too tough to pass on.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Dominique Daniels Jr., Over 17.5 Points
Gavin Walsh, F, Binghamton
For our second player, let's go with a little American East Conference basketball. Binghamton and UMBC hook up in Charm City at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena at 6 p.m. ET. The game can be viewed or streamed on ESPN+ and AETV.
Everyone remembers the Retrievers as the very first 16-seed to win an NCAA Tournament game, upending Virginia in the first round in 2018. However, this season's Retrievers team is 11-14 overall, and defense is going to be a huge reason there isn't a deep tournament run in the AEC or NCAA this season.
UMBC allows 77.3 PPG (318th) and 45.1 percent from the field (269th). These teams combined for 169 total points in the first meeting in Binghamton back on Jan. 4. Walsh went for 18 points and 17 rebounds in the first meeting, hitting 5-of-12 from the field, and 2-of-2 from downtown. We'll simply look to points for Walsh.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Gavin Walsh, Over 11.5 Points
Michael Rataj, F, Oregon State
At 10 p.m. ET, Oregon State and Portland hook up in a West Coast Conference (WCC) battle at the Chiles Center in the Rose City. That game can also be viewed on ESPN+.
These teams met in Corvallis right before the new year, with the Beavers picking up an 89-79 victory over the Pilots. Oregon State was a very efficient 61.0 percent from the floor as a team, led by Rataj with 28 points on 12-of-15 from the field, and 2-of-3 from downtown. Ironically, in the least stressful spot, he was 2-of-4 from the free-throw line.
Portland's defense has been terrible this season, allowing 81.5 PPG (353rd), 46.2 percent from the field (313th) and 38.5 percent from behind the 3-point line (360th). The Pilots have given up at least 81 points in 11 of the past 12 games, including the Oregon State game Dec. 30.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Michael Rataj, Over 18.5 Points
Thursday's College Basketball PrizePicks Selections
Here's a recap of my best college basketball selections for Thursday:
- Dominique Daniels Jr., Cal Baptist, Over 17.5 Points
- Gavin Walsh, Binghamton, Over 11.5 Points
- Michael Rataj, Oregon State, Over 18.5 Points
For additional recommendations for PrizePicks and other similar sites, check out our College Basketball Picks page.
For more fantasy college hoops content, be sure to check out features like our college basketball injury report, college basketball depth charts and latest college basketball news.
