College Hoops Conference Championship Gambling Guide: March 13 (Patriot)
It’s conference tournament time. So like I’ve done the last few years I will be making picks for every conference title game. I’ll put these in separate blogs opposed to any preview or full on blog just so it’s easier to find. After going 27-20-1 in the regular season on the blog, let’s have a week.
Reags Recommendations (Conference Championship Record: 6-5)
Colgate -3
Patriot League Final
No. 2 Bucknell at No. 1 Colgate – 7:30pm CBSSportsNetwork
Colgate -3/146.5
Previous Matchups: Bucknell 84-81 (at Bucknell), Colgate 75-64 (at Colgate)
Somewhat of a weird night for college hoops. We had five title games last night and now while we get some first round major tournaments starting, the Patriot League throws in their title game. It’s the only one tonight, so I suggest tuning in. The Patriot has thrown out some good teams with Bucknell and CJ McCollum Lehigh’s team in year’s past.
It’s not a surprise to see Bucknell here. They were picked as a top-2 team in the preseason. Colgate is a bit of a surprise. They were picked to be a top half of the Patriot League team but few thought Rapolas Ivanauskas (a real name), the transfer from Northwestern, would be this good. But, it’s part of the reason as to why Colgate has the 71st best offense in the country.
Bucknell is a bit more balanced on the offensive and defensive side of the ball – pretty much average on the national scale. Similar to what we’ve seen in other mid-major games, whoever dictates tempo here will have the advantage. Bucknell wants to play fast. Colgate has the 280th slowest pace in the country. The other key? The 3-point line. Bucknell looks to shoot a ton of threes and are an average shooting team from a percentage standpoint. Colgate doesn’t shoot a ton but is the 19th best shooting team form a percentage standpoint. If Colgate hits their threes, it really shouldn’t be all that close.
Then there’s the fact this is a home game for Colgate. They’ve lost just 1 game at home this year. Bucknell lost 5 conference games on the road. That’s huge for this one game scenario.
Pick: Colgate -3