Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Vegas Play of the Day: Milwaukee at Auburn

I suppose I’m committed to picking a college basketball game in the South Point-lined Play of the Day, with the season starting tonight.

It can’t be any worse than everything else I’ve selected in this space recently, as the destruction of my $10,000 starting bankroll reaches new lows every time out.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee plus-11 at Auburn: $330 to win $300

New coach Bruce Pearl has invigorated the Auburn basketball program before his team ever steps on the court. Now he gets to start to show off his Tigers at home against an overmatched mid-major that helped launch his career.

If it sounds too good to be true, that’s because it’s too good to be true. Although Pearl has already worked some of his magic in landing impactful transfers, it’s going to take a while for the Tigers to mesh. It’s going to take a while for a school that hasn’t posted a winning record in six years to turn around.

Not to mention, Milwaukee might be just as strong of a team. The Panthers were a profitable 20-13 against the spread last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

They lost their two leading scorers but return point guard Steve McWhorter and top big man Matt Tiby. Northern Illinois transfer Akeem Springs will replace some of the departed scoring production.

Who knows what to expect in game 1 of the Pearl era? Coach Rob Jeter’s Panthers are more of a proven commodity in his ninth year — they’re at least going to play tough and in sync.

Standings: Bern (54-47-1, $11,726), Keefer (45-56-1, $6,431), Brewer (45-54-3, $3,155)

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy