Welcome to Bet the Blue and Gray!  

Nobody knows the state of Georgetown hoops better than its most delusional fans. So, before each Georgetown contest, Armen, Jake, John, and I will be giving out our best (theoretical) bets of the game. This premium handicapping service will be provided completely free of charge to anybody crazy enough to listen. In addition, we will be tracking our records and unit progress throughout the season to allow you to make the most informed business decisions possible. Ride with us and you will undoubtedly find yourself basking in riches. Any bet relating to the Georgetown game is permitted; we are committed to winning at all costs.  

THE BOARD

Georgetown -10.5

o/u 140.5

Georgetown -620

Navy +450

Georgetown -6.0 1h

Georgetown -4.5 2h

Georgetown o/u 75.5

Navy o/u 65.5 

BEST BETS 

Bobby

Navy +10.5 1u

Navy o 65.5 0.5u

Georgetown may have a solid chance of winning the game, but the team identity still remains to be seen. I’m skeptical that the defensive performance against UMBC can be replicated against this experienced Navy squad who returns the majority of their starters. Navy is 2-1 ATS and shoots 77.1% from the stripe (39th nationally) and does a solid job taking care of the ball.  My only serious reservation here is the possibility of Chudier Bile making a statement coming off his ankle injury. Even then, I struggle to imagine the Hoyas beating the Midshipmen by double-digits, and I don’t see any value at o/u141. Feel like this game will end somewhere around 74-69.

Jake

Navy +10.5 1u

I have to agree with Bobby on this pick and back the maritime service branch of the military. Although the Hoyas pulled off the victory against UMBC, they didn’t show me anything to make me believe that they have what it takes to build and hold on to a double-digit lead until the final buzzer. In their last outing, the Hoyas gave up a number of open looks from three, but UMBC simply failed to connect. The Midshipmen bring an average offense into McDonough Arena (190th in the country). However, having already played three games, I expect less first game jitters and more made shots then we saw in the UMBC game, barring any major defensive adjustments from Georgetown. I still think Georgetown wins on talent alone, but I believe this Hoyas squad will struggle to generate consistent offense. If Navy jumps out to a hot start as they did in their win over George Washington (20-7 in six minutes), I could see Georgetown having to play from behind for most of the game and therefore not see an opportunity to take a large lead. Take the points with the Midshipmen. 

Armen

Over 140.5 1u

Listen here my disciples, I have three words to bestow upon you: Pound. The. Over. This game is yelling points, points, points and it isn’t even close. We’ve got two teams that play mediocre defense facing off today. There’s nothing on the line except for pure dignity. It’s clear that the Hoyas are not coming off their prettiest game to start the season, but even with some mediocre performances from their top players (**cough cough** Jamorko Pickett), they were still able to drop 70 points on an experienced UMBC team. Coming into today’s bout with the Midshipmen, we can expect the early season rust to come off, so an offensive explosion is not completely farfetched. If Georgetown’s big men can find a way to take advantage of Navy’s undersized bigs and Pickett remembers how to shoot a basketball, I see the Hoyas scoring an easy 80+ points. On the other side of the ball, I can’t buy the fact that this team knows how to play defense. From experience, we all know that no matter how well the Hoyas play defensively, they will always find a way to give up as many points as possible coming down the stretch. Hell, even my middle school CYO team could compete with them in the last 10 minutes of a game. With all that in mind, I have every reason to believe that points will be plentiful tonight. Remember, a wise Big Cat once said, “life is too short to bet the under.”

John

Georgetown -10.5 1u
Call this bet cautiously optimistic. While Georgetown predictably came out the gates sloppy in their 70-62 victory against UMBC last week, I’m very cautiously optimistic that the rust will start to come off, and the Hoyas begin knocking down shots. In true recent Georgetown fashion, this will be a shootout with nothing but extremely below-average defense from both sides. Chudier Bile will make an explosive debut (starting lineup or not) and Jahvon Blair should continue his solid play against the Midshipmen. Echoing what Armen said, Wahab will have a day down low, possibly even better than his double-double in the season opener (12pts, 12rebs). While the Hoyas won’t defend particularly well, I think a good old fashioned high-powered offense takes the Hoyas to a double-digit win. Give me the Hoyas, 82-68. Georgetown hangs on to their #1 national ranking in RPI and starts out scorching hot with a winning streak of two whole games.