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2023 The Basketball Tournament (TBT) Odds & Picks: Friday (7/21)

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The 2023 NBA Summer League just wrapped up, but there is plenty of summer basketball yet to be played. The Big3 rolls on, and now fans get to enjoy TBT, The Basketball Tournament. Games will be featured on ESPN throughout the tournament, and we’ll have you covered with picks and predictions for each matchup. TBT believes “high stakes competition is the most powerful force in sports.” They’ll offer an open tournament and games of consequence daily which should result in some electrifying competition. Let’s take a look at our top picks for today’s TBT action.

Today’s 2023 The Basketball Tournament (TBT) Bets

Here are our top picks for today’s 2023 TBT action.

Program For Autism vs. Team DRC

The Program For Autism is back for another shot at the Championship this season. They finished as runner-up in 2022 and will be back looking to make a similar run this year. They’ve gone 7-2 in The Basketball Tournament all-time. Meanwhile, Team DRC has won four games in The Basketball Tournament too. They advanced in the first two rounds in 2018 and 2019 but were bounced from the 2021 tournament in the first round. Don’t expect them to knock Program for Autism out of the Tournament in this one.

Pick: Program For Autism -11.5 (-115)

Bucketneers vs. Fort Wayne Champs

The Bucketeers are the Eastern Tennessee State alumni. They’ve gone 6-2 in The Basketball Tournament throughout the years. The Bucketneers will feature Joe Hughley and look to make another cinderella run in the tournament. On the other hand, the Fort Wayne Champs have 11 games in the tournament’s history. Tayler Parsons should still be one of the best guards in this Tournament and will look to dominate competition again this year. I’m going to roll with the Fort Wayne Champs here and take the points in an expected close matchup.

Pick: Fort Wayne Champs +4 (-115)

The Money Team vs. Nasty Nati

The Money Team is 5-3 in The Basketball Tournament. They won’t have Jimmer Fredette anymore, but Trevor Booker, Jordan Crawford and Corey Davis should be major contributors for this group. They’ll face the Cincinnati alumni team, Nasty Nati. Nasty Nati lost their lone game in The Basketball Tournament. They’ll have Kevin Johnson back and a couple new additions. But ultimately, the roster isn’t nearly as appealing at The Money Team’s.

Pick: The Money Team -4.5 (-115)

Zip Em Up vs. Georgia Kingz

Xavier’s alumni team, Zip Em Up, has gone 3-2 in The Basketball Tournament’s history. They’ve got recognizable names like JP Macura, Semaj Christon, and Kaiser Gates. They made it to the third round last year and have potential to do that again this year. Meanwhile, Georgia Kingz earned a spot in the TBT with a buy-in. This shouldn’t be close. Take Zip Em Up.

Pick: Zip Em Up -12.5 (-115)

Bleed Green vs. In The Lab

Bleed Green already earned a win over Rise and Grind in the first round. They’ll compete in the second round against In The Lab, who also won their first hame over HBCUnited, 88-58. Bleed Green is the North Texas alumni. Brandon Jefferson and Jordan Stevens each added at least 25 points in the win. Meanwhile, James Reese and Zach Simmons didn’t produce much on the offensive end, but both did a great job with pace of play and helping Bleed Green win their game. On the other hand, In The Lab had five scores in double-figures in their first game. They’ve got a bit more depth heading into this one. D’Vontay Griga played 16.4 minutes and had a +24. Shannon Fowler played 12.5 minutes and had a +21. The bench will be the different in Round 2. Take In The Lab.

Pick: In The Lab +4.5 (-115)

Air Raiders vs. The Enchantment

The Air Raiders will take on The Enchantment in the second round of The Basketball Tournament. The Air Raiders defeated Purple Hearts, 83-64 while The Enchantment escaped Austin’s Own, 77-66. The Enchantment earned 17 offensive rebounds and 48 total rebounds in their win. They’ll likely win the glass in this game. However, turnovers were also a problem for The Enchantment in their first matchup. The Air Raiders will likely score more points off turnovers and add more blocks and steals. I’ll rock with the Air Raiders. As long as they shoot at a reasonable percentage, they’ll escape with a win.

Pick: Air Raiders -3.5 (-115)

Team Arkansas vs. Purple & Black

Team Arkansas earned a win over Ram Up yesterday. Now they’ll face Purple & Black in the second round of The Basketball Tournament. Brandon Wood scored 16 points with Hunter Mickelson, Dustin Thomas, and Adrio Bailey adding double-figures. They’ll take on Purple & Black, who just knocked off Da Guys STL, 72-59. D.J. Johnson led the team with 11 points and five rebounds. Neither team has much offense, but Team Arkansas certainly has more reliable scorers in its starting lineup. Let’s rock with Team Arkansas to make it into the third round.

Pick: Team Arkansas +3.5 (-115)

Beale Street Boys vs. Arftershocks

The Beale Street Boys escaped the Broad Street Birds, 73-67 in an exciting opening round matchup. Adonis Thomas led the team with 19 points while Ty Gordon chipped in with 15 points. They’ve got a seven-man rotation and played each guy at least 13 minutes in the first game. Only Eric Frederick really shined in his minutes, as he added eight points and five rebounds in nearly 19 minutes. On the other hand, the Aftershocks struggled early against the B1 Ballers. But they went on a ridiculous run in the second half and pushed away as the No. 1 seed. That’s what No. 1 seeds do. They find ways to win. The Aftershocks have won plenty of games in The Basketball Tournament and their journey likely won’t end here.

Pick: Aftershocks -2.5 (-115)

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Friday:

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