NCAAB · 1 year ago

5 Best Bets for College Basketball Saturday: Fade City!

David Connelly

Host · Writer

North Dakota (-7) vs. UMKC
There is no debate that North Dakota is the hottest team in the country right now. Per Haslametrics.com, the Fighting Hawks rank tops in the nation in "Momentum," a measure of a team's previous four to eight performances compared to its entire body of work. They enter Saturday on a seven-game win streak and currently sit atop the Summit League standings. We're not sure what Paul Sather has done to get his team playing so well down the stretch, but it's a train we're willing to hop on. Lay the points here.
Cornell (+7.5) @ Yale
Yale proved what the John J. Lee Amphitheater truly means as a home court last week in their win over Princeton, but the disrespect for Cornell for here has gotten a bit out of control. The two are meeting in a battle of the two remaining undefeateds in the Ivy League. Yet, the Big Red are seeing a spread 2.5 points higher than KenPom has projected without any notable injuries to either side. Cornell feels slightly underestimated on the road here and could give the Bulldogs a tighter game than expected. Grab the points with the feisty away team.
Maryland (+2.5) @ Ohio State
This is our typical weekly fade spot. While Maryland has been playing a bit better in recent weeks, it's impossible to expect anything from this Ohio State team right now. The roster construction is a mess, and it's easy to believe head coach Chris Holtmann lost the locker room in a disastrous season in Columbus. The Buckeyes have one win in the Big Ten in 2024 and have been dreadful on the defensive end, ranking worst in the entire conference. Back the Terrapins to get it done on the road here.
Manhattan (-4.5) vs. Siena
It's another fade spot with a Siena team that continues to reach new lows. It's been historically the worst season in the college's history as they currently have the third-worst offense in the country, according to KenPom with just three wins on the season. And they aren't just losing; they are getting boatraced every night. The Saints have lost by double-digits in four of their previous five games, and we don't see that changing with a trip to Draddy Gymnasium. Consider alternate lining this one all the way up to -9.5.
Florida (+2.5) vs. Auburn
Despite being in contention for a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament, Auburn's road resumé isn't much of anything at this point. Their best true away win likely came just last week in a victory over Ole Miss, who ranks nearly 30 spots lower in KenPom than this Gators team. The Tigers have struggled to show up in big spots often this season and you're sure to see a rocking atmosphere in Gainesville for a team that really needs another Quad 1 win on its resumé to help its bubble case. Back the hungrier dogs in this SEC bout.
North Dakota (-7) vs. UMKC
There is no debate that North Dakota is the hottest team in the country right now. Per Haslametrics.com, the Fighting Hawks rank tops in the nation in "Momentum," a measure of a team's previous four to eight performances compared to its entire body of work. They enter Saturday on a seven-game win streak and currently sit atop the Summit League standings. We're not sure what Paul Sather has done to get his team playing so well down the stretch, but it's a train we're willing to hop on. Lay the points here.
Cornell (+7.5) @ Yale
Yale proved what the John J. Lee Amphitheater truly means as a home court last week in their win over Princeton, but the disrespect for Cornell for here has gotten a bit out of control. The two are meeting in a battle of the two remaining undefeateds in the Ivy League. Yet, the Big Red are seeing a spread 2.5 points higher than KenPom has projected without any notable injuries to either side. Cornell feels slightly underestimated on the road here and could give the Bulldogs a tighter game than expected. Grab the points with the feisty away team.

5 Best Bets for College Basketball Saturday: Fade City!

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