This is a big day for bubble teams. The St. John’s Red Storm, Minnesota Golden Gophers, and Arizona State Sun Devils are all on the bubble and looking to feel better about their chances of making the NCAA Tournament with a win tonight. While St. John’s is favored to get the job done, both Minnesota and Arizona State are short road dogs and will need to overcome the odds in order to pick up a needed victory.
Xavier Musketeers at St. John’s Red Storm
Date and Time: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Carnesecca Arena, Queens, New York
CBB Betting Line: St. John’s -6, O/U 144
If the season were to end today, St. John’s would almost certainly be in the field of 68. The Red Storm have a winning record in the Big East, and they just notched their 20th win when they beat Seton Hall in Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. One more win would likely be enough to get the job done, but this will be the program’s one chance to get it done at home.
It’s been an awfully disappointing season for Xavier, but the Musketeers might put up more of a fight than you might believe. Xavier has won four straight games coming into tonight’s tilt, and they scored nice road wins over both Providence and Seton Hall before upsetting Villanova in their last game.
There is another area of concern too. St. John’s just doesn’t seem that good according to the numbers. The Red Storm are rated behind both Creighton and Butler according to Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted ratings, and that could mean a letdown. I think Xavier has a good chance of picking up the cover here.
Minnesota Golden Gophers at Northwestern Wildcats
Date and Time: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 9 p.m. ET
Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Illinois
CBB Betting Line: Northwestern -1.5, O/U 131
Northwestern is dead last in the Big Ten, but the Wildcats are still favorites coming into tonight’s game. They have lost eight in a row and waived goodbye to any postseason tournament some time ago, but their advanced numbers aren’t as bad as you might think.
Meanwhile, Minnesota is in danger of slipping off the bubble. Just a few weeks ago, it looked like the Golden Gophers were in line for a No. 8 or No. 9 seed, but they have lost six of their last seven and are currently projected to miss the tournament. They are 7-10 in conference and suffered a loss they couldn’t afford when they fell to Rutgers in their last game.
This is a must-win for Minnesota. The Golden Gophers finish out the regular season with games against Purdue and Maryland, and they will be a sizable underdog in both games. I think they gut out a win here.
Arizona State Sun Devils at Oregon Ducks
Date and Time: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 11 p.m. ET
Location: Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, Oregon
CBB Betting Line: Oregon -2, O/U 137.5
Aside from Washington, the only other PAC 12 team that can make the NCAA Tournament without winning the conference tournament is Arizona State. The Sun Devils are 10-5 in conference, and they have a resume that puts them squarely on the bubble. They have a big win over Kansas in non-conference play, but they need to keep winning to feel good about their chances.
Oregon’s season was derailed when the sensational Bol Bol suffered a season-ending foot injury. The Ducks have not played well since that time, and they have lost three straight games in conference.
Winning on the road in the PAC 12 is tougher than in other conferences because of the vast distance between schools, but I believe Arizona State will get the job done.
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