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We’ve entered the fourth season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.
Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. Ray Brewer won back-to-back titles in the 2015-2016 and 2016-17 seasons, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015.
Houston plus-4.5 vs. Cincinnati: $440 to win $400
The marquee matchup on Selection Sunday comes in the American Athletic Conference Championship in Orlando, Fla.
Houston and Cincinnati split their regular season series 1-1, with each team protecting its home court. In the most recent matchup, Houston knocked Cincinnati from its top-five ranking with a 67-62 win on Feb. 15.
Since that win the Cougars have found their stride, winning six-of-seven including yesterday’s 77-74 win over No. 11 Wichita State in the semifinals.
Led by senior guard Rob Gray, Houston has racked up an impressive resume with seven wins over RPI top-50 teams, and I think they add one more with a conference championship today. Cincinnati has cruised through this tournament with an easy road through SMU and Memphis, but today it finally faces tough competition.
Even if Houston can’t pull the outright upset, I think they’ll keep it close down the stretch so I’ll take the Cougars plus-4.5 points.
Current Standings: Granger (16-12, $12,679), Keefer (26-23-1, $9,846), Brewer (23-23, $8,570), Grimala (11-18, $5,115)