The Texas State Bobcats are rolling through the Sun Belt conference tournament, blowing out top-seeded UT-Arlington last time out. They have positioned themselves one victory away from March Madness and have to defeat the Troy Trojans in the conference championship game.
Texas State is the higher-seeded team and beat Troy in both regular season matchups, but it is a slight one-point underdog in this matchup. The Trojans hung around in both previous meetings and are also playing well heading into this showdown, so it could be a competitive game.
The juices will be flowing big-time as this will determine the Sun Belt’s entrant into the NCAA Tournament, so expect the atmosphere to be lively.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 12, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN2.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds available for this and every game on the college basketball Sunday schedule.
College Basketball Odds
Texas State is 20-12 straight up and 15-11 against the spread. The Bobcats have played in four neutral site games with a spread this year and have been very impressive, covering in all of them. Texas State is 5-8 against the spread as the underdog.
Troy is 21-14 straight up and 19-12 against the spread. The Trojans have played in five neutral site games with a spread and have been even better, with a 5-0 mark attempting to cover. Something will have to give with both sides showing so much neutral court dominance. Troy has gone 8-6 against the spread as the favorite on the year.
Previous Meetings
Texas State is 2-0 against Troy this season, but both games were in doubt in the final minute. Texas State pulled the first one out by a score of 75-71 in January. Texas State shot 43.8 percent from three-point range and held off a late Troy rally.
Kavin Gilder-Tillbury led the way for Texas State, scoring 17 points. Devon Walker had 14 for Troy.
In the other game during the regular season, Texas State again had a late lead and had to hold on, dispatching Troy by a score of 63-59. The Trojans had the lead at halftime in that one but couldn’t hold onto it. Nijal Pearson hit the go-ahead free throws with only 19 seconds left for Texas State.
Even though the Bobcats won both of these games, they were so close that Troy should be confident it can win this third matchup, one that is the most important by far.
Player to Watch
Jordon Varnado -- Troy’s best player will need to come up huge in this meeting. He is averaging 16.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Varnado, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, is shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 40.3 percent from three-point range.
He has been a double-digit scorer each of the past two seasons since joining Troy and wants to play very well to give Troy a shot at winning this one and advance to the Big Dance.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
It’s interesting that the oddsmakers are giving Troy a small advantage in this one despite the conference and head-to-head results during the season. Texas State was fantastic last time out against UT-Arlington and will aim to keep that momentum rolling.
This one is looking like another nail-biter since the teams match up very evenly, as evidenced by the previous games. While the Bobcats are the slight underdog, don’t let that taint your thinking. Go with the higher seed to take care of business and punch their ticket to March Madness.
The moneyline makes more sense than the spread since it will pay off a little bit better if Texas State wins.
College Basketball Odds: Texas State 74, Troy 71
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu!
