TOM STRYKER’S FREE BASKETBALL SELECTION WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20TH
#714 BRADLEY (-3′) over Loyola Chicago at 7 PM EST
Highly motivated off their five-point loss to the Bulldogs in the semifinals of the MVC Tournament, the Braves will return home to the friendly confines of Carver Arena and slam the visiting Ramblers. Loyola enters this Little Dance battle off a 75-74 double overtime loss to St. Bonaventure in the A-10 Conference Tournament and this trip to Peoria will be a tough one for head coach Drew Valentine and his boys.
If you plan on fading Bradley in its own backyard, you better have a darn good reason. Since November 16th, 2021, the Braves have assembled a profitable 40-5 SU and 30-12 ATS record at home including a phenomenal 27-2 SU and 23-6 ATS provided their opponent does not storm the floor with confidence off two or more straight up wins. With those two parameters cranking away and head coach Brian Wardle and his troops priced as an underdog or a short favorite of -8 or less, this angle tightens up to a nearly perfect 12-1 SU and ATS. Also, in the First Round of the NIT Tournament, MVC hosts that take the floor off a straight up loss own a golden 7-0 SU and ATS tally provided their opponent holds a team won/loss percentage of .710 or better.
This isn’t the best wagering spot for the Ramblers either. Since 1995, teams from the A-10 Conference hold a feeble 22-34-4 ATS record when participating in the First Round of the NIT Tournament. If our “play against” side is facing an opponent that owns a team won/loss percentage less than .750, this technical situation falls to a rough 16-30-4 ATS including a hideous 10-29-1 ATS provided their foe was not on the road in their last battle. Even worse, when coming off a SU and ATS loss and priced as a short underdog of +5.5 or less, Loyola holds a poor 13-26-1 ATS tally provided they are lined up against a foe that enters off a straight up loss.
In what will likely be a competitive battle early, the Braves will use the strength of their tough homecourt to pull away late. Take Bradley. Thanks and best of luck, Tom.
TOM’S 29-4 ATS 4* NIT FIRST ROUND GAME OF THE YEAR
Stryker got out the broom last night (2-0 ATS and on a 10-3 ATS run) popping with Iowa and Utah in the Little Dance and he’s back with a strong 4* Best Bet that will swipe the cash. A phenomenal 29-4 ATS technical situation backs this investment along with an outstanding 24-4 ATS trend that comes with a 12-1 ATS tightener. Grab Tom’s 4* NIT First Round Game of the Year for $30.