UAB at Arizona

Watch the Blazers on the defensive end the other night? Wow. They pressured LSU into a 20+ turnover game. They beat Kentucky in this same game last year and give teams fits with their style. Arizona did not play all that well in their first round game and will have to hit shots in bunches to get this cover. The Wildcats (28-6, 15-3 Pac-10), off a come-from-behind win over Utah St. will have their hands full as they take on UAB (22-10, 10-6 C-USA). The Blazers, who reached the round of 16 last year after beating Washington and top-seeded Kentucky, come in with confidence after pounding LSU 82-68 in round-one. Look for the underrated Blazers to once again press the length of the floor, trap in halfcourt sets forcing Wildcats into mistakes and disrupting the flow of its offense. Still doubting the Blazers ability, the public have Wildcats as a full 7 point favorite for the game, a tad high in my humble opinion considering UAB with it's frenzied defense can cause havoc on the floor. They sport a solid 9-1 against-the-spread mark their last ten as an underdog and own a 14-3 record ATS last seventeen in the roll. Blazers may not pull off the upset but can certainly keep it within cover range. They are 5-1 ATS this season vs. top-level teams (Win Pct. > 80%). Play on UAB for three stars.