NCAAB · 1 year ago

5 Best Bets for College Basketball Wednesday: Epic Big South Meet

David Connelly

Host · Writer

Creighton (-2) @ Providence
Providence has put together some gutsy performances since losing star Bryce Hopkins to an ACL tear back on January 3, but it's safe to say they look much worse without him out there. They looked their season's worst in a pitiful road showing at Villanova on Sunday night. On the flip side, we get a Creighton team coming off a crushing loss to Butler on Friday, with two days of extra rest on their side. It's a tight spread, but we trust the Bluejays to get it done in a bounce-back effort.
Bradley (-8.5) @ Evansville
We've been riding the Bradley train for a bit now, and we're not looking to stop any time soon. The Braves rank 13th nationally in Bart Torvik's T-Rank since the New Year, proving they are one of the hottest teams in the nation over the past handful of weeks. As for Evansville, it's been a different story. A historic 10-2 start to the season had the Purple Aces faithful hoping for a return to their time of success nearly a decade ago, but it's gone downhill since. They've gone 4-7 since that exciting start and have really struggled to get going in MVC play. Back the Braves as the better team here, even on the road.
UNC Asheville (+2.5) vs. High Point
This just might be the matchup of the night on Wednesday. The Bulldogs have been as good as last season's NCAA Tournament team, but they lag slightly behind the league's dominant force in High Point. The Panthers are on the nation's longest active win streak at 12 games and sit atop the Big South at 9-0. They beat Asheville in their home gym four weeks ago but face a completely different task in Kimmel Arena. The Bulldogs have won each of their previous nine home games and are being slightly disrespected with the points here. Back Drew Pember and Co. to get it done.
Lafayette (-7.5) vs. Holy Cross
Lafayette's season results are quite the sight. After starting the season 1-12 with their only win coming at home against non-Division I opponent Wilkes, the Leopards have dominated Patriot League play with an 8-2 record, including handing Colgate its only loss in conference play this season and their first home league loss since 2020. Holy Cross has been a total punching bag all season at 7-16 and has the second-worst defense in college hoops. Lay the points here with the Leopards at home.
Appalachian State (-8) @ Texas State
App State's system travels so damn well. As a team that refuses to rely on a single player while playing some cutthroat defense, they often look just as good on the road as they do at home. They are coming off a pair of wins on a road trip last weekend and have a 6-3 record away from home this season. Texas State sits in their sights next, a team that really struggles to score with the third-worst offense in the Sun Belt. This should be closer to double-digits, and we'll gladly lay the eight points with a Mountaineers team that looks like it cannot be stopped.
Creighton (-2) @ Providence
Providence has put together some gutsy performances since losing star Bryce Hopkins to an ACL tear back on January 3, but it's safe to say they look much worse without him out there. They looked their season's worst in a pitiful road showing at Villanova on Sunday night. On the flip side, we get a Creighton team coming off a crushing loss to Butler on Friday, with two days of extra rest on their side. It's a tight spread, but we trust the Bluejays to get it done in a bounce-back effort.
Bradley (-8.5) @ Evansville
We've been riding the Bradley train for a bit now, and we're not looking to stop any time soon. The Braves rank 13th nationally in Bart Torvik's T-Rank since the New Year, proving they are one of the hottest teams in the nation over the past handful of weeks. As for Evansville, it's been a different story. A historic 10-2 start to the season had the Purple Aces faithful hoping for a return to their time of success nearly a decade ago, but it's gone downhill since. They've gone 4-7 since that exciting start and have really struggled to get going in MVC play. Back the Braves as the better team here, even on the road.