The Texas Longhorns are off to a slow start but will get an easy matchup next time out when they host the Long Beach State 49ers. Texas needs to pick it up if the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and while this one won’t do anything for the strength of schedule, at least it should add a win to the ledger.
Texas is sitting at only .500 through eight games and will aim to make some hay in the rest of the non-conference schedule before Big 12 play beckons at the flip of the calendar. Long Beach State won’t gain much from this trip but some gamblers hope the 49ers can stay close enough to cover the spread.
At 6 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Saturday, December 10, 2016, at the Frank Erwin Center.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Texas is 4-4 straight up on the season and also 4-4 against the spread on the year. The Longhorns have played five home games and have covered the spread in three of those contests.
Long Beach State is just 2-9 straight up this season including a winless mark on the road. The 49ers have covered in only two of eight attempts despite being the underdog in many of their games. Long Beach State is 1-8 against the spread on the road this season as it has underwhelmed in the earlygoing.
Key Stat
Four. That’s the number of ranked teams the 49ers have played this season and they have been blown out by all of them. Long Beach State has been in a number of hostile environments so that won’t phase the players, as they have faced one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country.
The 49ers lost by 26 points to fifth-ranked North Carolina, by 32 points to 12th-ranked Louisville, by 37 to No. 14 UCLA and by 30 points to fourth-ranked Kansas. They did give Washington a game, losing by only six points, and since Texas isn’t ranked the hope is that the Longhorns are closer in quality to the Huskies rather than the four ranked teams that destroyed the 49ers.
Player to Watch
Tevin Mack -- Texas’ best player is its talented sophomore wing. Mack is averaging 14.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game this season as he has seen his role increase and his production shoot up.
Mack shot poorly from the floor as a freshman but is hitting on 47.3 percent of his shots this season and is 42.5 percent from three-point range. Mack scored 18 points and five rebounds in the team’s most recent game, a close loss to Michigan, and hopes to lead the team in scoring once again.
The Longhorns aren’t a very high-scoring team and Mack is a decent chunk of the offense. Long Beach State would be well-served to slow him down, but the 49ers have had defensive trouble this season and could allow Mack to have a big game.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
This is a classic mismatch between a high-major and a small-conference school. The Longhorns have not played very well early in the season, but they absolutely cannot afford to squander an opportunity at an easy home victory against a struggling small-school opponent.
An upset seems very unlikely unless the 49ers can get a big game from leading scorer Gabe Levin. Texas has a lot of work to do to turn it around this season and an easy win would be a nice start. Keep an eye on the spread as Long Beach State will look to remain close enough to cover.
College Basketball Odds: Texas 81, Long Beach State 66
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