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In this article every week, we'll be reviewing some of the top college basketball games and betting picks.
Last week's slate started with the unfortunate cancellation of the West Virginia-Robert Morris matchup. Nevertheless, we were left with three remaining opportunities to salvage the day, and we took advantage. With Chattanooga's smothering of Bellarmine, and Georgia Tech's road victory over Nebraska as an underdog, we notched two wins in the docket. The Texas State-Texas offenses did not combine for the firepower needed to notch the over, leaving the weekly record at 2-1.
Here are some of the top college basketball betting picks. Let me know your thoughts, and follow along the action with me on Twitter @fredetterline. All game times below are Eastern Standard Time. Season record to date: 5-2
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Samford @ Troy - 7:00 pm
The Samford Bulldogs have a long history of games with their in-state rival Troy. The 36 previous matchups are split evenly, showing the disdain that is separated by a mere 2 hours on Interstate-65. The offense has been the saving grace for Samford thus far, with a staggering 86.3 points per game. The Bulldogs are coming off a quality 13-point win at Belmont, and an impressive narrow loss as an 18-point underdog at Georgia. This exciting brand of basketball is being introduced as "Bucky Ball," with first-year head coach Bucky McMillan leading the charge. McMillan came to Samford directly from the Birmingham, Alabama high school ranks, where he won 332 games and 5 state championships in 13 seasons. Senior guard Myron Gordon, who sat out last season due to injury, and junior forward Christian Guess, a former Missouri Tiger, are pacing the high-flying, quick-scoring offense with 22.7 and 15.3 points per game, respectively.
The Oregon For as fast as Samford will push the pace, coach Scott Cross' Trojans will seek to slow things down. Troy averages only 56.7 points per game, and has yet to top 70 points in a game. Troy opened the year with a close win over a respected Western Carolina team out of the SoCon. However, the Trojans proceeded to lose their next three games and have looked lethargic on offense. Troy is 0-4-1 against the spread in their last five home games dating to last season. The contrast of Bucky Ball and Coach Cross' grind-it-out approach will be fun to watch in what should shape up as an interesting game.
Pick: Samford -1.5
California Baptist @ Arizona - 7:00 pm
Cal Baptist is off to a promising start, having battled USC to an overtime loss, and an overall 3-2 start. Despite losing star guard and WAC Player of the Year Milan Acquaah to his pursuit of a professional career, coach Rick Croy's team is scoring at a prodigious rate. Croy's team should be better considered as a squadron of elite shooters, with 51 3-balls on a 37% clip thus far. Canadian guard Ty Rowell and Aussie guard Reed Nottage lead the way with a combined 34 points per game and a barrage of deep shots. They're flanked in the starting lineup by another pair of Aussies - Tre Armstrong and the towering center Gorjok Gak. Gak is a fascinating player who played sparingly in four seasons as a Florida Gator, but is thriving as a graduate transfer star for the Lancers. The international movement is stark, with seven players coming from outside of the 50 states, including a likely future star in freshman Malik Wade, a Brazilian-Senegalese forward who spent a year of development at the NBA Academy in Mexico City and is making an immediate impact in Riverside, California.
Arizona has enjoyed a long and successful run under head coach Sean Miller. Even with looming recruiting investigations ongoing, Miller managed to have three former players picked in the 2020 NBA draft (Nico Mannion, Josh Green & Zeke Nnaji). This year's team has an impressive depth of talent, including 6 former top-100 recruits. Miller pursued the transfer market and the international talent pools over the past two years to great success. Former Georgetown guard James Akinjo is the team's closest option to a "go-to" star, averaging 13.8 points per game so far. He's aided by fellow transfers center Jordan Brown (Nevada) and diminutive guard Terrell Brown (Seattle), who have displayed the ability to score in bunches when needed alongside the second team offenses. The Wildcats have talent, but will have one of Miller's youngest teams ever, with only two scholarship seniors.
Pick: Cal Baptist +24.5
Long Island-Brooklyn @ Sacred Heart - 4:00 pm
Long Island suffered a big loss when their star forward and leading scorer Raiquan Clark graduated last season. The Sharks have not played since March 7, with their first three games postponed due to the Coronavirus. Head coach Derek Kellogg is in his fourth year at the helm with a deep slate of returning players, a few key impact transfers and NEC title aspirations. Guards Tre Wood (UMass) ad Alex Rivera (UMass-Lowell) should make immediate impacts for the Sharks to form a strong trio with returning point guard Jermaine Jackson Jr. One of the strengths that will set Long Island apart from its NEC counterparts is its size. Center Tyrn Flowers (6-foot-9), and backups Jack Ballantyne (6-foot-9) and Ousmane Ndim (7-foot-0) provide height that few conference counterparts can match up against.
Sacred Heart is led by 8th year head coach Anthony Latina. Coach Latina is coming off his only winning season with the Pioneers, but lost six key players from last year's team. In the season-opening blowout loss to Rutgers, Sacred Heart relied heavily on returning junior point guard Aaron Clarke, the only returning starter from a season ago. He's surrounded by a host of newcomers, including six freshmen and a junior college transfer center. During Coach Latina's 8 years in charge, his lowest scoring teams have typically been his worst teams. With the 2020-2021 season shaping up as a major rebuild, scoring may be hard to come by and the half-court slow-down offense will be more prevalent.
Pick: Under 151
Arkansas State @ Stephen F. Austin - 7:30 pm
For years, Jonesboro, Arkansas, has been considered a football city, with little care for basketball. This year's Arkansas State team will do little to change that perception with a dismal 1-4 start to the season. Coach Mike Balado does return two starters - guards Caleb Fields and Marquis Eaton, who each were counted on for double figures in scoring and as lead facilitators for the 2019-2020 team. The supporting cast is uninspiring, however. Coach Balado brought in 5 freshmen and 4 junior college transfers and things have taken their time to mesh so far. The 2019-2020 Red Wolves were the worst team in the Sun belt on defense, and 6-foot-7 center Antwon Jackson does not provide much of the shot-blocking rim protection that a team might desire.
Year in, year out, the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks rule the Southland Conference. Coach Kyle Keller has picked up where former coaches Danny Kaspar and Brad Underwood left off, returning the Lumberjacks to the top of the conference. Last season, SFA earned a signature win as a 27.5-point underdog at Duke in triple overtime, thanks to an up-tempo offense and a hounding defense that typically is among the nation's leader in steals. Keller's team is experienced, with five seniors dotting the starting lineup on a typical night. The leaders are guard Cameron Johnson (no relation to the NBA and former Pitt & UNC star) and forward Gavin Kensmil. Johnson is a former junior college product who makes his bread-and-butter on the perimeter as an elite shooter, while former Iona transfer Kensmil shoots at a 69% clip thanks to his traditional back-to-the-basket offense. Even when this year's senior class moves on, Keller has restocked the shelves with UTEP transfer guard Nigel Hawkins and hometown high school star forward Nana Antwi-Boasiako waiting in the wings for their opportunities to maintain the Lumberjacks' stranglehold on the Southland Conference.
Pick: Stephen F. Austin -10
Thanks for reading, and remember to gamble responsibly.
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