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On the opening day of March, we’ll see 3 SEC matchups between top-20 teams. But all throughout the conference, the action should be hot. We only get 1 more week of regular-season basketball after Saturday, and a number of SEC teams are still looking to lock up bids for the NCAA Tournament or strengthen their position in the SEC Tournament.
Below are 4 picks for Saturday’s game that can be found on Underdog Fantasy. If you haven’t signed up with Underdog yet, be sure to use our exclusive Underdog Fantasy promo code SDS to earn up to $1,000 in bonus cash when you join!
South Carolina F Collin Murray-Boyles higher than 23.5 points + rebounds
While Arkansas has been finding its groove of late, winning back-to-back over Mizzou and Texas, I expect South Carolina to be competitive in this spot. Murray-Boyles, the Gamecocks’ leading scorer on the year at 16.1 points per game, should be leading the charge. The last few notable bigs to face Arkansas have had modest games. Auburn’s Johni Broome posting a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double. Mizzou’s Mark Mitchell had 17 points and 7 boards. Texas’s Arthur Kaluma had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Murray-Boyles is coming off a 27-point performance against Mizzou, and before that, he posted consecutive double-doubles. He has taken at least at least 11 shots in 8 of his last 9 appearances, and he has grabbed 9 offensive rebounds in his last 3 games. That’s where I believe the value lies. Arkansas is a mediocre rebounding team, ranking 215th nationally in total rebounding rate. A big part of that is keeping opponents off the offensive glass. Teams are averaging 10.5 offensive rebounds per game against the Razorbacks. Murray-Boyles stands a good chance to notch his eighth double-double of the year.
Tennessee G Zakai Zeigler higher than 1.5 steals
The marquee matchup of the day takes place at 4 p.m. ET in Knoxville, when one of the slowest teams in college basketball hosts the fastest. Alabama is going to want to push the tempo and try to get after Tennessee before the nation’s best defense (per KenPom) can set itself. Alabama’s turnover issue might come into play in a major way here. The Crimson Tide have double-digit turnovers in 9 of their last 10 games. And the bulk of the giveaways this season have been live-ball turnovers. Alabama ranks 266th nationally in steal rate allowed, per KenPom. Tennessee’s defense ranks 78th nationally in steal rate forced. Zeigler leads the team and ranks third among all SEC players with 2.0 swipes per game. He’ll get the Mark Sears assignment (assuming Sears plays) and Sears has the ball a ton.
Kentucky G Otega Oweh higher than 17.5 points
When Kentucky lost by 13 points to Alabama last Saturday, Oweh was limited to just 2 points on 1-of-9 shooting. In the Wildcats’ next game out, Oweh exploded for 28 points on 12-of-21 shooting. Against his former team, Oweh scored the game-winning bucket with 6.1 seconds remaining to beat Oklahoma. He was booed every time he touched the ball, but left with the last laugh, scoring each of Kentucky’s final 18 points. It ended as his third 20-point game in his last 4 appearances. If Kentucky is going to have a chance against Auburn, Oweh has to be that kind of scorer once again. Fortunately, this is a fairly decent matchup for Oweh, who will have opportunities to do what he does best — slash and get to the bucket. Oweh should feel right at home in an uber-physical game, and with Jaxson Robinson out again, the scoring burden is squarely on his shoulders.
Mizzou F Mark Mitchell higher than 13.5 points
Mitchell was held to 13 points on 11 shots against South Carolina last Tuesday. That was his lowest scoring output since Feb. 8. Over the previous 4 games, Mitchell averaged 21.8 points per game. He was simply unstoppable in the 110-98 win over Alabama, scoring 31 points, but he also went off for 25 points against Oklahoma. In a game that could reach 80-plus points for either side, there should be plenty of opportunities for Mitchell to put the ball through the hoop. This season, Vanderbilt is either forcing turnovers (20.4%, 36th nationally) or giving up baskets (52.7% effective FG rate, 271st). Mizzou is one of the better offenses in the nation when it comes to protecting the basketball, so expect points. And a porous 3-point Vandy defense should open up the floor for Mitchell to work inside.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
