Jan 14th Games

Obviously I missed all the games this weekend due to various events and such. Since all presumed picks would be biased due to hindsight, we'll have to chalk that up to missed opportunities. Dammit.

On to tonight's Big Monday slate of games, which unfortunately I won't have a chance to catch any of on television. Actually, tonight's "slate" consists of one huge game, and one stinker (Kansas vs. Oklahoma).

Biggest game of the night is #6 Georgetown (-2) at #16 Pitt.
I would really like to watch this game, but it's just not going to happen. So what's the breakdown?
Pitt scores more and gets at least 6 more offensive rebounds than Georgetown. Something about that doesn't make sense to me. Is Pitt really that good of an offensive rebounding team? And will that matter, given that Georgetown clears almost 25 defensive rebounds?

One of the reasons Georgetown doesn't get as many offensive boards is probably because they shoot so well: their FG% is almost 52%. Their FT shooting is abysmal (61%), but they make just under 2 more 3-point shots than Pitt.

Ok, so who has done what recently? Pitt is 3-2 in their last 5, but both losses were on the road and this game is a home game. One of those losses was at Villanova, where they were 2.5 point favorites.

Georgetown is 5-0, but with no real opponents. In their last game, they squeaked by UConn to win by 3, but they were 10 point favorites at home. They shot an uncharacteristically low FG% in that game...Last year, Pitt beat GTown at home by 5 as 6 point favorites, but I think last year's Pitt team was better.

So what does that mean? I go with the Hoyas, thinking that better defense, overall rebounding, and shooting percentage makes them a decent play as 2 point favorites, even on the road.

Since I can't find an O/U line on this game, I'll also take Kansas (-15.5) at home against Oklahoma in the other Big Monday game. Oklahoma just lost at home to the Kansas State Micheal Beasley's. Kansas, on the other hand, beat Boston College by 15 at BC on the 5th. Rock. Chalk. Jayhawk.

Results
Pitt - 69, Georgetown 60
Georgetown shot 7% worse than their average, and only hit 3 of 17 3-pointers. That's not good. Rebounding was virtually equal, although Pitt did get 4 more offensive rebounds. That really doesn't make sense to me, since Georgetown outsizes Pitt.

Pitt showed guts in this game - they're down two starters, but they got production from just about everywhere EXCEPT from their leading scorer (Sam Young). When I saw them in a game earlier against Duke, they looked bewildered, flustered, and very young. But I only saw the first half, and apparently they turned it around in the second half and came back to win. This is obviously a big win for them. Not only does it demonstrate that they're talented and formidable at home (13 game home win streak, which I conveniently ignored in my pick), but it reinforces the fact that I really wish Jamie Dixon coached Cal. He's awfully good. So I lost this one.

Kansas - 85, Oklahoma - 55
No surprises here. Okalahoma lost super freshamn Blake Griffin early in the game - he only leads them in scoring, rebounds and steals. Kansas is just too good, especially if Brandon Rush is firing on all cylinders, which he was doing.

Jan 14th record: 1-1
Overall: 10-7