Saturday, February 26, 2022 NC Wilmington vs. Delaware (NCAAB) - 4:00 PM EST Premium Pick Pick: Point Spread: 5/-110 NC Wilmington Rating: 8* Saturday CBB Barking Out Loud Dog Zinger (WIN) As far as CBB selections are concerned, we continue to exercise that coined phrase "discretion is the better part of valor". This matchup is a rematch of the December 29th contest where UNC Wilmington came out on top 70-68 @ Trask Coliseum. 2nd year-HC Takao Siddle's squad finished in last place (1-6) in the Colonial Athletic Association last season & weren't picked to bump up the ladder too high this campaign. The problem is the Teal, Gold & Navy didn't pay too much attention as they currently find themselves 20-8 SU overall & in 1st place in the conference @ 14-3. Who is responsible for the turn-around? Siddle has successfully assembled a combination of tested veterans, experienced transfers & a mix of talented freshman to his squad. The BIG reason for this pick has to be the backcourt. It's comprised of senior G's Jaylen Sims out of Charlotte United Christian Academy (16 PPG & was the 4th-leading scorer in the CAA last year), Florida transfer Mike Okauru (13 PPG) & sophomore PG Shykeim Phillips (11 PPG & shoots a team-leading 39% from beyond the arc) whose also an excellent on-ball defender. On the flip side, 6th-year HC Martin Inglesby has his own Big 3. He has the 6'10" Hershey HS & Villanova transfer Dylan Painter (13 PPG & had a game-high 22 versus the Seahawks in meeting 1) @ PF. Complimenting him, Delaware has G's Jameer Nelson (14 PPG) & Ryan Allen (13 PPG) to round out a good backcourt. However, my bottom line points directly @ the analytics where we find advantage--visitor. The Blue Hens are currently @ 19-10 SU (10-6 conference). Those records are a bit misleading since they've situationally posted a weak 1-6 ATS record @ home when pitted against a team with a +.600 or better road record. Here's the triple dagger! The Seahawks have been very stellar as pups with a 7-0 spread record as road dogs L7 & a near-perfect 10-1 versus the number as a dog anywhere. Sealing the deal we find their perfect 5-0 ATS status as a roadie versus teams with a +.600 home record. Let's put the heavy pressure on the home squad to win this by double-digits! Let's jaunt over to the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark to play the UNC WILMINGTON SEAHAWKS (buying to +9) as my 8* Saturday CBB Barking Out Loud Dog Zinger! NOTES: Starting to gauge whose playing with a sense of urgency & whose not is a key essential in successfully handicapping CBB in the pre-March Madness stage of the season. UNC-Wilmington was one of those teams that's EAGER to get rid of the bad taste in their mouths from last campaign. Getting +9, we cruised most of the way in this game despite the Seahawks dreadful 2-for-15 shooting (top 3 guards went 0-for-9) from 3-pt. land. However they controlled the game where it counts. The Seahawks ruled the boards 32-24, forced 15 turnovers & shot 40% overall from the field to give us a comfortable 69-62 OUTRIGHT win. PG Shykeim Phillips led the way with 16 points as UNC-Wilmington (15-3 conference) opened up a slim 1/2 game lead in the win column over the Pat Skerry's Towson Tigers (winners of 6 in a row & 23-7 overall) from the Baltimore area. Towson is similar to UNC-Wilmington as they went 4-14 last year & are over-eager to succeed after a COVID-ravaged season. Skerry has done that with 4 impact transfers. Stay tuned in as we look to play both of these teams when under-valued ATS or on the ML. Mike Handzelek's 2021-22 CBB Overall Record: 3-2 for 60% Mike's L29 plays (all sports): 25-4 for a surreal 86%
 

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