Best College Basketball Bets Today (Arizona State and Mississippi State will Face-Off in Defensive Battle)
We've had two-straight profitable days to start the college basketball season, so let's see if we can keep that momentum going tonight with a much smaller slate.
The highlight of tonight's action is the Barstool Sports Invitational which will feature intriguing matchups between FAU and Loyola-Chciago along with Arizona State vs. Mississippi State. I have a bet locked in for one of those two matchups.
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Best NCAAB Picks Tonight
- Western Illinois +18.5 (-110) vs. SMU
- Lipscomb +15.5 (-115) vs. Drake
- Arizona State vs. Mississippi State UNDER 130.5 (-110)
Western Illinois vs. SMU prediction
I have no interest in laying 18.5 points on an SMU team that had an average point differential of -5.3 last season. The Mustangs will see some turnover on their roster and are hoping that's enough to see significant improvement this season, but this team was 313th in effective field goal percentage last season and 232nd in defensive efficiency so I'll only believe there's been improvement when I see it.
SMU's first game of the season was against Southwestern Assemblies of God, and they were only able to beat them by 19 points, turning the ball over 10 times and allowing its opponent to shoot 41.9% from the field. Not a good look for what should've been a complete blowout.
I'll take the points with the Leathernecks and try to fade this SMU squad.
Lipscomb vs. Drake prediction
Lipscomb was one of the best shooting teams in the country last season, ranking 37th in effective field goal percentage, there are some new faces on this team, but its second-leading scorer from last season, Derrin Boyd, returns to the lineup and AJ McGinnis has seemingly taken significant steps forward.
The Bisons stumbled in their first game against Wichita State, but this will be Drake's season debut so you have to think already have one game under their belt will give them a slight advantage on the Bulldogs.
I think this is too many points to give a feisty Lipscomb team that played up to its competition several times last season.
Arizona State vs. Mississippi State prediction
These two teams both play an extremely defensive style of basketball, so I expect the UNDER to cash when they face-off in the Barstool Invitational in Chicago.
They ranked 288th and 328th in effective field goal percentage last season, but 8th and 48th in defensive efficiency. While there's some turnover on both rosters, you have to expect a similar style of play in the new season so I'm going to back on this being a defensive slugfest and take the UNDER.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
You can check out all of Iain's bets here!