Top College Basketball Picks for Friday, December 17 (2021)

Things didn’t go exactly as planned yesterday. I put a little money on IUPUI, and now I feel like I just threw money down the toilet. IUPUI looks like the worst college basketball team in the nation. I had hope and optimism against Chicago State, but now I’ve got none left.

Anyway, let’s get back on track today. I’ve got three plays for Friday’s December 17 slate, and it should be an exciting three games.

All odds via BettingPros consensus

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Liberty vs. East Carolina: East Carolina +3.5 (-118)

(1:30 PM ET tip)

Liberty is 6-4 and favorites in this game. But don’t be fooled. The Flames have defeated three teams ranked in the bottom 15 of college basketball, a non-D-1 opponent, and the worst SEC team in the nation this season. The Flames haven’t done much at all this year and have struggled to defend the three-point line.

Teams are shooting 38.1 percent from long range, while East Carolina is shooting 38.2 percent from long range. Meanwhile, East Carolina has a considerable height advantage and should get to the line more efficiently while winning the rebounding battle. The Pirates have great ball movement and assist on about 62 percent of field goals made. That’s one of the top 20 teams in the nation.

The Pirates match up well against Liberty.

South Alabama vs. Tarleton State: South Alabama -130

(8:00 PM ET tip)

Tarleton State is currently 3-8 on the year, with all three wins against non-D-1 opponents. They’ve stuck around against teams like Michigan and Gonzaga and aren’t all that bad this year. However, South Alabama and Tarleton State already played a game on Tuesday, with South Alabama winning 69-62.

I think a seven-point win makes more sense than a two-point win for South Alabama, even on the road. The only two losses for the Jaguars have been against Wichita State and Alabama. This year, they’ve knocked off San Diego, Hawaii, and Jacksonville State.

I hate to bet back-to-backs, but seeing South Alabama as a slight favorite has me too excited.

North Dakota State vs. Pacific: Pacific -130

(10:00 PM ET tip)

The Pacific Tigers are coming off a win against UC Santa Barbara after losing three straight games to UC Davis, Cal State Fullerton, and San Jose State. I’m not saying Pacific is a great team, but they match up well, at home, against North Dakota State.

North Dakota State rarely forces turnovers, earning 12.3 percent on the season. Meanwhile, Pacific is shooting 35.5 percent from long range, and although the Tigers don’t shoot many threes, they’ll take the open ones and nail them.

On the other hand, North Dakota State has a weak effective field goal percentage of 45.8 percent and has shot 30.6 percent from long range and 45.7 percent from inside the arc. I like Pacific’s chances on the boards, especially defensively. With North Dakota shooting so poorly, I’m expecting Pacific to limit second chances in a big way.

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Jason Radowitz is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive and follow him @Jason_Radowitz.