Lock Mamba

Pickswise Expert

My name is Robby Nardini and I have been a diehard college basketball fan my whole life. I am a former University of Illinois basketball manager and have been writing about college hoops since I moved on from the program in 2020. My gambling picks here on Pickswise are heavily calculated by using my overall college basketball knowledge, specific trends and analytical sites such as KenPom, Bart Torvik, Evan Miya and more. I write here at Pickswise as well as Illinois basketball specific outlets such as Armchair Illini and The Champaign Room. You can find me on X @robbynardini and @lockmamba, where I write a wide range of college hoops focused pieces and do my own Bracketology.

Live Picks 2

Live Parlays 0

Weekly News Articles 0

Location

Chicago, Illinois

Favorite Sports

NFL

MLB

CBB

Favorite Teams

Greatest Betting Win

My best betting memory is having a Same Game Parlay on the Buccaneers and Rams game back when Tom Brady was the quarterback. DraftKings gave me a $25 no sweat bet to use on the game so I created a same game parlay to win $3,250. The parlay was Tyler Higbee to score the first touchdown, Cooper Kupp anytime touchdown, Chris Godwin anytime touchdown and Rams money line (plus money). Tyler Higbee scored the first touchdown of the game followed by Kupp scoring the second and Godwin scoring the third. The touchdown’s all hit in the first half, so all I needed was for the Rams to get the upset win. They got the job done and I cashed the $3,250 parlay!

Greatest Achievements

+40.65 units overall as a college basketball handicapper from plays tweeted out and tracked on Lock Mamba Twitter. Featured on the Bracket Matrix Bracketology website which includes the best Bracketologist out there from ESPN, CBS, etc. Braves to win the 2021 World Series at +1000 odds. Kansas Jayhawks to win the 2022 NCAAB National Championship.

Education

Lock Mamba has his Bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Recreation, Sport & Tourism from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He also received a certification in Sports Media from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Experience

Lock Mamba has been working with Pickswise writing college basketball previews for three years and has proven to be one of the best out there. He gained interest in sports betting through playing fantasy football and participating in numerous sports pools ran by friends over the years. His official college basketball plays tweeted off his Lock Mamba twitter account have an all-time ROI of 6.49% and is +40.65 units. As of February 16th , his NCAAB plays tweeted and tracked are +21.45 units. Lock Mamba has also tapped into other sports such as NFL, NBA and MLB showing that he can provide great knowledge in every sport.

Favorite betting market / type

Point Spreads and Futures.

Favorite bookmakers

Lock's Picks

Game Totals Pick

Under 132.0(-110)

Reasoning

The Norfolk State Spartans and the Grambling State Tigers will meet in Georgia on Thursday night for a non-conference showdown. This matchup is part of the Toyota Chris Paul HBCU Classic, and it will tip off at 7:30 pm ET. Neither team has a good record, but they have challenged themselves in their non-conference slates. Grambling State is on a 5-game losing streak but played Southern Miss and Tulane tough in the last 2 matchups. Norfolk State has lost its last 3 games, but 2 of them came to Baylor and Arizona. It should be a close game — as the spread indicates — but my Norfolk State vs Grambling State pick is the under.

The total is currently set at 132 points. The under is my best bet because both teams play very slowly and do not score the basketball at a high level. According to KenPom, Norfolk State is ranked #305 nationally in adjusted tempo and #312 in average possession length, so the pace of this one should keep the total under. Norfolk State is ranked #346 in all of Division I in points per game at 62.5; Grambling State is ranked #313 at 66.8. According to KenPom, both teams are ranked in the 300s in adjusted offensive efficiency. I do not see either team having the offense to score consistently, so let’s take the under.

Norfolk State vs Grambling State prediction: Under 132 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to 131.

Bet like a Caesar with this AMAZING new customer offer from Caesars Sportsbook. If you bet just $1, you’ll receive DOUBLE YOUR WINNINGS on your next 20 bets! Become a Caesars member 👥 using the Caesars promo code PWCONTENT20X, where you can bet on our Norfolk State vs Grambling State picks.

BET u132.5 NOW WITH

Lock Mamba

Game Totals Pick

Over 159.0(-110)

Reasoning

The Vanderbilt Commodores and the Memphis Tigers will face off on Wednesday night for a non-conference showdown. The Commodores have been a great surprise to college basketball, starting the season 10-0. They are now ranked #13 in the country and will look to keep their undefeated season going with a win. Memphis is just 4-5 on the season and may struggle to get a much-needed home win against Vanderbilt. The spread is currently Vanderbilt -7.5, but my best bet of the game is the over.

Vanderbilt boasts one of the best offenses in all of college hoops. The ‘Dores are ranked #2 nationally in points per game at 95.4 and have yet to score fewer than 80 points in any game this year. According to KenPom, their offense is ranked #4 in adjusted efficiency, #4 in 2-point percentage and #7 in effective field-goal percentage. I do not see Memphis slowing them down in this one, as its defense is ranked just #51 in adjusted efficiency and outside the top 100 in 2-point percentage. The Commodores should be able to score at a high level in this one, and I expect the pace to be fast.

Vanderbilt will look to play fast, which should help drive the total over. The ‘Dores are ranked #5 in adjusted tempo and #34 in average offensive possession length, while Memphis is ranked #133 in adjusted tempo. I see a fast-paced game with no shortage of points. Let’s take the over.

Vanderbilt vs Memphis prediction: Over 159 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to 160.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook for the football season, we recommend checking out Fanatics Sportsbook. New users can get $250 in FanCash INSTANTLY when they make their first $50 wager! Join Fanatics Sportsbook, where you can bet on our Vanderbilt vs Memphis predictions.

BET o159.5 NOW WITH

Lock Mamba