Happy Friday all, and happy Valentine’s Day to all of you who celebrate the holiday! Some people are spending their Valentine’s Day with their loved ones, going out to eat, going to the movies, or doing a myriad of other things that couples do on this special day. While all of these are great ways to spend a Friday, we’re more interested in the marquee college basketball matchup between UCLA and Indiana tonight!
There’s no NBA action going down, except for the All-Star festivities, so for those of us who are starved for some great basketball content, look no further than this game. Neither team is ranked at the moment, but they both have some big-time players who should perform well on this stage. We’ve taken a deep dive into our favorite player props from Underdog, hoping to hit it big with a sweep ahead of the weekend. Let’s take a closer look at our best picks from this matchup!
Mackenzie Mgbako has been on a tear lately in games in which he plays at least 24 minutes. In those matchups, he’s achieved 15+ points in five straight games, including a 25-point performance against the No. 10-ranked Purdue. Even though Indiana lost that game, Mgbako did everything he could to keep the team on his back, and we anticipate that he’ll have another big scoring outing against UCLA tonight.
He might not hit the 25-point threshold, but 13 isn’t out of the question, which is why we’re taking the over in this spot.
Oumar Ballo is a great running mate alongside Mgbako. Mgbako takes a lot of shots, and the ones he doesn’t make often end up in Ballo’s hands, a match made in heaven. Ballo has not only achieved 8+ rebounds in three of his past five games but he’s had several games this year with double-digit boards, giving us plenty of confidence that he can hit the over on this line.
With UCLA only shooting 34.7% from beyond the arc and 46.9% from the field, he should have plenty of opportunities to add to his totals on both sides of the ball. Look for Ballo to have at least a double-digit rebounding night, hopefully cashing the over with plenty of time left to spare.
His name is Kobe, so we have to bet on him, right? While that logic might not be the most sound, we do like Kobe Johnson’s chances of having at least eight points tonight. The senior guard isn’t one to break out for 20+ point nights, necessarily, but he shouldn’t have a problem getting to the eight-rebound threshold.
Johnson has had double-digits in his past two games, and considering he’s starting to play more and more minutes in this rotation, it seems like he’s going to up that streak to three games. Look for a bit of a Valentine’s Day gift from Johnson, Ballo, and Mgbako tonight, with all three players hitting their overs!