Friday, in honor of Veteran’s Day, men’s college basketball will make its glorious return to an aircraft carrier. Michigan State and No. 2 Gonzaga will square off on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in San Diego. This is not the first time they’ve tried having games atop a ship and out in the elements; Michigan State lost to UNC in the ESPN Carrier Classic in 2011.
After two of the four games scheduled to be played on ships were canceled in 2012 because of condensation issues stemming from the elements, the idea of playing these games was shelved. They did make for some gorgeous pictures, however.
Now, after a decade, we’re back. Speaking as a former naval aviator, let’s take a look at some of the bets you might consider making.
Gonzaga (-11.5)
I thought briefly about saying to take the points here for Michigan State for weather reasons, but the Zags don’t have to rely on the three-point shot to be successful. Gonzaga is shooting 69% from two and have a certified star down low in Drew Timme. The Zags can hit threes if they need to — Rasir Bolton went an impressive 3-for-4 from deep in the season opener — but can put up points without it.
The Spartans took 27 threes in their season-opening victory, but Joey Hauser (4-for-8) and Pierre Brooks (4-for-7) combined for an 8-for-15 mark beyond the arc. The rest of the team combined to go 1-for-12. Getting hot from outside is one of the best ways for an underdog to pull off the upset. If you’re dealing with 6-8 mph winds, that might be a little more difficult.
Under 142.5 points (-110)
You know what I just said about wind and shots? Yeah, that likely means fewer points. The last two big carrier games — MSU vs. UNC and Syracuse vs. San Diego State — totaled out to 122 points and 111 points, respectively. KenPom predicts an 82-74 Gonzaga win (156 points), but I think that’s a little high just considering [gestures at aircraft carrier] everything.
Over 3.5 Top Gun references (-1000)
I’m not what I would call a conspiracy theorist, but it’s a little convenient that the same year that Top Gun: Maverick screams into theaters and makes over a BILLION dollars in box office sales that we get the return of carrier games. That coupled with announcers loving to tie in pop culture, we are for sure getting multiple “need for speed,” “danger zone” and “don’t think, just do” references.
Sadly, we can’t get this bet at any sportsbooks.
