Saturday, March 4, 2023 Since the odds-feed somehow doesn't have this 1st game on the board, it is still a solid selection @ the sportsbooks whom all should easily carry this game. We'll go to American East Conference & look into HC John Becker's (in his12th season with Vermont) Green & Gold 20-10 SU Catamounts. These 2 teams have played twice with Vermont winning handily @ Patrick Gym in Burlington 85-69 before holding on in OT getting on the good side of a 82-80 decision versus the 7-22 SU NJIT Highlanders @ the Wellness & Events Center in Newark. I love Vermont's 3-guard system that excellent balance from Bellarmine transfer Dylan Penn (12.5 PPG), tremendous defender & 5th-year player Finn Sullivan (12.4 PPG) & last season's American East Sixth Man of the Year Aaron Deloney (11.5 PPG). Expect them to pull away & eventually advance again for a repeat entry into March Madness with an automatic bid. Let's roll into Patrick Gym & exercise some homecourt advantage as we grab the VERMONT CATAMOUNTS as my 9 Star American East Return Visitor Play! (WON) Saturday, March 04, 2023 Mercer vs. Furman (NCAAB) 12:00 PM EST Furman Premium Pick YouWager Play Title: Southern Conference Qualifier Play Selected: Point Spread: -9.5/-110 Rating: 9* (WON) Analysis: These 2 already met twice earlier with the 24-7 SU Paladins winning 84-66 @ Hawkins Arena in Macon, GA then getting a scare @ Timmins Arena in Greenville squeaking out a 70-67 nail-biter. HC Bob Ritchey's charges are 11th in the country in scoring @ 82.2 PPG & have an impressive FG % ranking 14th (out of 363) chiming in @ 48.6%. Guard Mike Bothwell will have laser focus & dominate here after losing the SoCon Championship game to Tennessee-Chattanooga on a buzzer-beater 3-pointer last season. Furman has also beaten the Mercer Bears 10 straight in this series. With a team out to get their 1st NCAA Tournament bid since 1980, we'll go to Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville to lay the juice on the ML with the FURMAN PALADINS to advance as my 9 Star Southern Conference Qualifier! North Dakota vs. Oral Roberts (NCAAB) 3:30 PM EST Oral Roberts Premium Pick YouWager Play Title: Mike's Summit Conference Perennial Play Selected: Point Spread: -16.5/-110 Rating: 9* (WON) Analysis: Oral Roberts are no strangers to the post-season as HC Paul Mills returns 4 starters (plus his top 6 scorers) this season. His Vegas Gold, navy & white squad has repaid him with an excellent 27-4 SU record into this one. These 2 have met twice with ORU winning 84-72 @ the Sioux Center in Grand Forks before HC Paul Sathers' Fighting Hawks gave them quite a scare when the Golden Eagles squeaked out a 73-70 triumph @ the Mabee Center in Tulsa. Don't look for that same nail-biter again. Do look for ORU guard & floor general Max Abmas to control the game & complement backcourt ace Isaac McBride well as OSU takes command of this in the 2nd half. Remember, this was a Sweet 16 team just a few years back. Let's go to the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD to lay the lumber on the ML with the ORAL ROBERTS GOLDEN EAGLES as my 9 Star Summit Conference Perennial! Minnesota Wild vs. Calgary Flames (NHL) 10:05 PM EST Calgary Flames Premium Pick GamblersPalace Play Title: Mike's NHL Late-Night Bailout Selection Play Selected: Money Line: -130 Rating: 9* (LOST) Analysis: If you missed Mike's earlier plays, be sure to grab this late-night NHL selection. HC Darryl Sutter's Flames aren't ripping up the Pacific Division this season like last year. However, they still remain in the hunt for a playoff berth sitting 9 points behind Seattle & Edmonton. At the trade deadline, GM Brad Treliving made some moves acquiring offensive defenseman Troy Stecher and hulking forward Nick Ritchie from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Connor Mackey and forward Brett Ritchie. The Flames also made a minor league swap by acquiring oft-traveled forward Dryden Hunt from Toronto for forward Radim Zohorna. Hunt will probably play for their AHL affiliate Calgary Wranglers. On the flip side, the Wild on Friday acquired offensive defenseman John Klingberg from the Anaheim Ducks and forward Oskar Sundqvist from the Detroit Red Wings. A few days before, they also traded for a pair of forwards in Marcus Johansson -- who played his first game for them in Vancouver on Thursday -- and the injured Gustav Nyquist. It seems like Minnesota's on a roll & should blitz the home ice Flames. I'm not buying as the Wild are just 2-6 their last 8 travelers & match up with a Calgary squad that's consistently risen to the occasion on Saturdays going a stellar 21-7. Calgary is 2nd in the NHL The Wild are just 3 points behind Central-Division-leading Dallas & take on a desperate Flames' squad who are trying to make up ground in the remaining 20+ games of the regular season. Looking for a repeat of their earlier 5-3 win in December versus Minny. Banking on 1st liners RW Tyler Toffoli, C Elias Lindholm & LW Jonathan Huberdeau to rose to the occasion as we're going to the Scotiabank Saddledome in Alberta to play the home ice CALGARY FLAMES as my 9 Star NHL Late-Night Bailout Selection! Mike Handzelek's 2022-23 CBB Overall Record: 9-0 for 100% Mike's 2022-23 NHL Overall Record: 0-2 for 0%