*CBB(1u): Saint Louis +3(-110) vs Davidson–Noon PM CT
Saint Louis won an extremely intense game against St Bonaventure yesterday, and they will arguably get a more favorable matchup here. I know that Davidson is 26-5 and the #1 seed in this tournament, but the Wildcats have their flaws. Davidson ranks just 167th in defensive efficiency, which bodes horribly facing a Saint Louis offense that shoots the 3 ball well and can win down low. Saint Louis also averages 4.5 more rebounds/game than Davidson, a clear sign that the Billikens are the more physical team. Davidson is very efficiency offensively themselves, but their slow pace makes them a lot less dangerous than you would think. The Billikens have given up just 107 points over the 1st 2 games in this tournament and aren’t going to be thrown any curveballs by this Davidson offense. I really think this is the spot Davidson’s poor defense comes back to bite them; we’re staying on the SLU train today!
*CBB(1u): Tulane +13(-110) vs Houston–2 PM CT
I understand that it is hard to play against a team like Houston, but on a neutral floor in the postseason, this is just far too many points. Tulane is a well-coached team that does everything you’re looking for when backing a ‘dog like this; the Green Wave shoot 36.7% from 3-point range, 76% from the free-throw line, and average just 10.5 turnovers/game. Houston is a well-oiled machine, but given their slow pace, they aren’t inherently built to blow teams out. The one thing that worries me in this game is the rebounding disparity, as Houston averages over 7 more rebounds/game than Tulane. However, that matchup is baked into the line. I can trust Tulane to not beat themselves and hang around on the offensive end, so I’ll grab the 13 points in what will be no cake walk for Houston.
