Feeling alone on Valentine’s Day? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Thursday is a day for the little guys in college basketball. Most of the major conferences eschew the day in order to focus on their weekend games, and that gives the smaller schools the spotlight. So if you’re feeling a little lonely and looking for something to love, check out some of these schools. Darlings like Wofford and Belmont could make some serious noise in the NCAA Tournament, and you can say that you were in on those schools from the beginning.
Houston Cougars at Connecticut Huskies
Date and Time: Thursday, February 14, 2019, 7 p.m. ET
Location: XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut
CBB Betting Line: Houston -8.5, O/U 140
The Cougars climbed into this week’s Top Ten after a win over Cincinnati over the weekend brought them to 23-1 on the year. Houston’s lone loss this season came on the road to Temple, and their win over LSU looks better and better as the Tigers continue to look great. They have already punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament given their strong record, and now the Cougars are looking for one of the top seeds.
Meanwhile, Connecticut continues to flounder. The Huskies continue to be one of the most disappointing teams in college basketball, and they are set to miss out on the NCAA Tournament once again. They are just 4-7 in conference play, and they have yet to beat a quality team in conference either.
UConn has been much different at home compared to on the road. The Huskies are 4-1 in American play at home, with the one loss coming to a good UCF team. They will battle Houston, but they won’t be able to knock off the Cougars when it’s all said and done.
VMI Cadets at Wofford Terriers
Date and Time: Thursday, February 14, 2019, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, Spartanburg, South Carolina
CBB Betting Line: Wofford -23.5, O/U 152
The Terriers are the best small conference team in the country. Teams like Gonzaga, Nevada, and Houston are in large conferences that lead to plenty of attention, but Wofford plays in the Southern Conference and rarely makes any buzz outside of the Carolinas. However, this year’s Wofford team is one of the best, and they should grab a spot in the NCAA Tournament even if they don’t win their conference’s automatic bid.
Wofford is one of the top 30 teams in the country according to Ken Pomeroy’s ratings, and the school is currently a sterling 13-0 in conference play. Their four losses were all against teams that have been ranked at one time or another this year, and they should have no problem beating a bad VMI team. Wofford has had some trouble covering large spreads though, so I’ll take the Cadets and the points here.
Belmont Bruins at Tennessee State Tigers
Date and Time: Thursday, February 14, 2019, 8 p.m. ET
Location: Gentry Center, Nashville, Tennessee
CBB Betting Line: Belmont -12.5, O/U 156
The Bruins may be another small conference school that can grab an at-large spot if they stumble in the conference tournament. Belmont is 19-4 on the year, and the Bruins have two wins over fellow small school darling Lipscomb and a nice win over UCLA too. They are one of the highest scoring teams in the country and play an exciting brand of basketball that could give their resume a boost too.
Belmont hammered Tennessee State when the two schools met last month, and the Bruins are expecting more of the same with double-double machine Dylan Windler leading the way.
Gonzaga Bulldogs at Loyola Marymount Lions
Date and Time: Thursday, February 14, 2019, 11 p.m. ET
Location: Gersten Pavilion, Los Angeles, California
CBB Betting Line: Gonzaga -20, O/U 139.5
At this point, Gonzaga is a household name. The Zags have been a force for the last two decades, and they are a serious national title contender this year. They are the one team that knocked off Duke when the Blue Devils were at full strength, and they are head and shoulders better than the rest of their conference.
That being said, I think Loyola Marymount will get the cover here. The Lions have a very good home court advantage, and their combination of good defense and a slow pace will keep them within the number.
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