The Southern Illinois Salukis battle the Drake Bulldogs in the Missouri Valley Conference quarter-finals. Can the underdogs keep the game close or will it be a blowout? Meanwhile, the Tennessee State Tigers take on the SIU Edwardsville Cougars in the Ohio Valley Conference semi-finals. Should we expect a high-scoring affair in that one? Are the Memphis Tigers destined to win big again when they face the South Florida Bulls?
Here are the best college basketball picks for Friday, March 7th.
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(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Friday’s Best College Basketball Bets
Southern Illinois vs. Drake
The Bulldogs have won 15 of their last 16 games, as they enter tonight's quarter-final game with a record of 27-3. Yet, for as good as they've been, the last couple of weeks have featured plenty of close calls for the top seed in the Missouri Valley Conference. Three of their last six wins have come in overtime and only one win during that stretch was by double digits.
The Bulldogs are favored by 9.5 today, meaning they'll have to win by at least 10 for just the second time since February 5th. While some may be concerned about the recent close calls, this game really shouldn't be close.
The Salukis enter this game as losers in five of their last seven. Though they defeated the Indiana State Sycamores last night, they needed a last-second shot to make it happen. The only time these two teams played in the regular season, the Bulldogs won by 10 at Southern Illinois. There is no reason to think the 14-18 Salukis can keep it closer than that today.
Pick: Drake -9.5 (-110)
Tennessee State vs. SIU Edwardsville
It's surprising to see this number so low considering how high-scoring the two games between these two teams were during the regular season. The first meeting saw the Cougars come away with an 87-80 double-overtime victory. Though that total is inflated by overtime, the two teams were tied at 71 at the end of regulation, which would hit this over. In the second meeting, the Cougars won 84-72.
The Cougars are the much better team in this matchup. They're allowing just 66.6 points per game this season and are scoring 72.8 points per game. Meanwhile, the Tigers like to play faster, as they're averaging 78.4 points per contest.
For as lopsided as this matchup may seem on paper, the 17-15 Tigers have been playing well of late. They were 6-12 at one point this season, but have gone 11-3 since, and they easily handled Lindenwood yesterday. Look for them to impose their will a bit early, as they will be the looser team, having already played a game in this tournament. This will be another high-scoring game between these two.
Pick: Over 141.5 Points (-110)
South Florida vs. Memphis
The Tigers are one of two ranked teams in action tonight. Oddsmakers love them to pick up their 12th win in 13 games. Though they've won their last two games by seven or fewer points, both of those contests were played away from home. The Tigers have won four of their last five home games by double figures.
The Bulls enter this game as losers of three consecutive and six of their last seven. Their only win since February 9th is a five-point victory over the lowly UTSA Roadrunners. They scored just 65 points on their way to a 15-point loss against the Tigers in mid-February.
This is a large spread, but the Tigers are the class of the AAC, and the Bulls are sputtering to the finish line. Even if the Bulls were playing better entering this game, the Tigers would still be the right play at this number.
Pick: Memphis -13.5 (-110)
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.
