We had yet another winning day in betting on the conference tournaments. We went 5-3 (+1.68u) and it puts our record to 8-3 (+5.18u) in conference tournament bets so far. That is a 72.7% success rate so far for The Don. Today, we have three new tournaments starting and with the first day of March upon us, we are bound to see some chaos.
9 Charleston Southern vs 8 High Point (-1) (O/U 155) 6:00 PM EST ESPN+
We have an 8 vs 9 matchup in the Big South conference tournament. The Charleston Southern Buccaneers are taken on the High Point Panthers. These two teams split the season series against one another so this will be a great game to see. I think one team is playing better than the other, but let’s take a look at these two teams.
The Charleston Southern Buccaneers are led by sophomore guard Claudell Harris Jr. who averages 17.5 points per game. Charleston Southern has four players that average double figures. The Buccaneers rank 166th in the country in points per game (72.9). However, one of the struggling parts for this team is their defense. Their defense gives up 74.5 points per game which is the second most in the Big South. If the Buccaneers want to win, they need their defense to play their best game all season.
High Point’s defense is also not very good. They give up the most points per game in the Big South (77.3), but they are second in the conference in points per game (74.7). The Panthers are led by junior guard Jaden House who averages 17 points per game. One thing that works for High Point is their ability to control the glass. The Panthers are in the top 60 in the country in rebounds per game. High Point needs to control the glass in order to win this one.
The Don’s Pick
My pick in this one is High Point -120. Charleston Southern’s leading rebounder only averages 5.4 rebounds per game. The Panthers are going to win the glass battle and control the pace of this one. Love High Point moneyline.
5 Wagner vs 4 Sacred Heart (-2) (O/U 130.5) 7:00 PM EST NEC FRONT ROW
The NEC tournament kicks off today and we got a good quarterfinal matchup between the 5 seed Wagner and the 4 seed Sacred Heart. This matchup will take place at Sacred Heart where the Pioneers are 8-6, while Wagner is 7-8 on the road. There is no clear cut advantage, so it is time to look at both teams here to get a better idea of what side I want to play.
The Wagner Seahawks are a team that has done well in the NEC. They give up the fewest points per game in the conference, but they score the second fewest points per game in the conference as well. The Seahawks rank 401st in the country in points per game. Wagner wins with their tenacious defense and they will need that defense to win this game against Sacred Heart. Two names to look out for from this Wagner team are guards DeLonnie Hunt and Brandon Brown. This is a guard-heavy team that will not let up on the defensive end.
The Sacred Heart Pioneers are led by junior forward Nico Galette. Galette averages 15.5 points per game to go along with 6.7 rebounds per game. This 6’6 forward could have a field day against this guard-heavy lineup. Sacred Heart averages 71.1 points per game and allows 71.8 points per game, which is the fourth most in the conference. The Pioneers need their defense to be huge in this home conference tournament game for them.
The Don’s Pick
I’m riding with Wagner +2. They are good defensively and they are going to create havoc for Sacred Heart. Look for the Seahawks to not only cover this number, but they have a good chance to win this game outright.
Those are my two favorite plays of the day, here is the full card …. for now.
The Don’s Full Card
High Point -120
Central Connecticut St +3 -110
Wagner +2 -110
Over 127 (Presbyterian Campbell) -112
SIUE -2 -110
Conference Tournament Record 8-3 (+5.18u) 72.7%