Dan Jamison

College Basketball Handicapper, Dan Jamison has a big play on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. North Carolina Tar Heels game which tips off tonight, Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 9pm EST, Bookmakers opened the Tar Heels as Goliaths at -14.5.

If you think Virginia is only about defense, then you haven’t watched Virginia play in 2019. Defense remains the calling card for Tony Bennett’s men, but the Wahoos have added a strong, efficient offense to their arsenal this year, which is why Virginia’s offense ranks sixth in the nation despite playing at the slowest pace of any Division I team. Will the scoring prowess propel the Cavs to a 8.5 point cover?

Point guard Ashton Hagans is Kentucky’s leader in assists as well as steals per game. Hagans, a freshman who originally committed to his home-state school Georgia before the Bulldogs fired Mark Fox and hired Tom Crean, leading Hagans to renege on his commitment and instead go to Lexington, will likely be the focus of the Bulldogs crowd. Will the young floor general rise to the occasion or fold under pressure? DJ has your college basketball prediction.

Michigan is at its best when it denies open looks at the basket, mainly in the form of dunks, layups or 3-pointers. The Wolverines want every shot to be a contested look, and they are excellent at forcing their opponents to try to beat a defender. Does Northwestern have enough isolation talent and ability to take their man to the rim to make +12 the pick? DJ breaks down the matchup!

How good is San Francisco, really? The Dons have a glittering record to this point, but they haven’t played much of anyone either. San Francisco does have wins over both California and Stanford, both of which are usually great victories, but the Golden Bears and the Cardinal are a combined 12-18 so far this season. The Dons did play Buffalo, a game they lost. San Francisco looks like a much better team than it’s been in years but are they only 8 points worse than the powerhouse that is Gonzaga?

Wisconsin’s calling card has been defense throughout its season, and the Badgers finally got back to playing their brand of defense that has made them a threat for years in the Big Ten in their win over Penn State. Can Wisconsin D up and cover with a 5 point advantage on Purdue? DJ breaks down Wisconsin vs Purdue.

The Bulldogs are at the point of their schedule where they’re likely just competing against their own standards. Saint Mary’s will challenge the Bulldogs as usual, and San Francisco seems to have its best team in years, but otherwise, Gonzaga doesn’t look like it’s going to get tested much in the West Coast Conference. So the challenge betting Gonzaga is capping these monster spreads. Dan Jamison breaks down Pacific vs the Zags.

Illinois has faced perhaps the most difficult schedule in the entire country, and perhaps that has left Brad Underwood’s team with a deceptive 4-11 record? When you lose 7 games it does have an impact on teams mentally. Is the pride and competitiveness still there with this team? Dog bettors and our own Dan Jamison will look hard at this team getting 8.5 points versus Michigan.

The Jayhawks’ legendary home court isn’t the intimidating feature it usually is when the Frogs are the visitors. TCU hasn’t yet managed to go into Lawrence and win, but it’s played Kansas much tougher than one would expect. Does TCU’s approach to these game make them a good pick to cover the bookie’s line of +6?

To say Roy Williams isn’t pleased with his team right now is a little like saying things didn’t go well on Monday night for Alabama’s football team. North Carolina has shown an alarming tendency to turn the ball over in big games, such as its 18 turnovers against Kentucky. Can UNC take care of the rock and cover against the bookies as small dogs?