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In the closing game of the MAC for both of these teams, Kent State will visit Buffalo for the battle of second place in the conference. Kent State is 12-5 in conference play while Buffalo is 11-5. Buffalo has won four straight games, including a pivotal win over Akron while Kent State has won five of their last six.

Fight for Second Place
Many probably thought Kent State's season was over when they lost Michael Nuga for the season due to injury. However, this team is 6-2 without him. The one thing you could criticize in this scenario is that Kent State hasn't faced stiff competition, and when they have they lost to Akron at home and Ball State on the road. Nonetheless, with a win here Kent State can finish second in the conference.
The Golden Flashes have the 97th ranked offense on KenPom. They are 104th in field goal percentage, 17th in offensive rebounding, 106th in two-point percentage, and 17th in free-throw percentage. Defensively, this is the 99th ranked unit. They are 119th in field goal percentage and 54th in two-point defense.

Danny Pippen leads this team with 19.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. Tervell Beck contributes 11 points with 5.1 rebounds and Malique Jacobs adds 9.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.

Dominant Play
Buffalo has won four straight games as well as seven of their last eight. They recently blew out a red-hot Ohio team and they were also able to come away with a tough win at home against Akron. Outside of its early conference slide where Buffalo was 4-4 in conference play, this team is on fire and the offense is clicking on all cylinders. During this four-game win streak, the offense is averaging 88.25 points per game while the defense is allowing just 72.75.
Buffalo comes in with the 88th ranked offense. They are 114th in field goal percentage, seventh in rebounding, 77th in two-point percentage, and 28th in not allowing blocks. On defense, this is the 64th ranked unit. They are 24th in field goal percentage, sixth in three-point defense, and 40th in steal rate.

Jeenathan Williams leads the Bulls with 17.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Josh Mballa contributes 15.2 points with 10 rebounds and Jayvon Graves adds 14.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.

BETTING ODDS TRENDS
Buffalo Bulls
Buffalo is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Buffalo is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Buffalo's last 6 games at home
Buffalo is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Kent State
Buffalo is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Kent State
Buffalo is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Kent State
Buffalo is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Kent State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Buffalo's last 5 games when playing at home against Kent State

Kent State Golden Flashes
Kent State is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Kent State is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Kent State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Buffalo
Kent State is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Buffalo
Kent State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
Kent State is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kent State's last 5 games when playing on the road against Buffalo

FAIRFIELD STAGS VS. MANHATTAN JASPERS
The Fairfield Stags and the Manhattan Jaspers will both be trying to pick up a win on Friday when they battle at Draddy Gymnasium.

Manhattan was a 69-59 winner in their most recent outing at home against Stags. They covered the -4-point spread as favorites.

Last time out for Fairfield, they were a 69-59 loser as they battled Jaspers on the road. They failed to cover in the match as a +4-point underdog.

Fairfield:
Team record: 6-16 SU,8-14 ATS
Fairfield is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Fairfield is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Fairfield's last 24 games on the road

Manhattan:
Team record: 7-11 SU,9-9 ATS
Manhattan is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Fairfield
Manhattan is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Fairfield
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Manhattan's last 10 games when playing Fairfield

BETTING ODDS TRENDS
Manhattan Jaspers
Manhattan is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Manhattan is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Fairfield
Manhattan is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Fairfield
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Manhattan's last 10 games when playing Fairfield
Manhattan is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Fairfield
Manhattan is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Fairfield
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Manhattan's last 5 games when playing at home against Fairfield

Fairfield Stags
Fairfield is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Fairfield is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Fairfield's last 24 games on the road
Fairfield is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Manhattan
Fairfield is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Manhattan
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Fairfield's last 10 games when playing Manhattan
Fairfield is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Manhattan
Fairfield is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Manhattan
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Fairfield's last 5 games when playing on the road against Manhattan

BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES VS. MIAMI HURRICANES
The Boston College Eagles and the Miami Hurricanes will both be gunning for a victory on Friday when they meet at Watsco Center.

Oddsmakers opened the Hurricanes as -2.5-point favorites versus the Eagles, while the game's total opened at 143.5.

Miami lost its last outing, a 62-51 result against Cavaliers on March 01. They covered in that game as a +15-point underdog.

Boston College was a 93-64 loser in its last match on the road against Seminoles. They failed to cover the +18.5-point spread as underdogs.

Boston College:
Team record: 4-14 SU,8-10 ATS
Boston College is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Boston College is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston College's last 7 games on the road

Miami:
Team record: 7-16 SU,11-12 ATS
Current Streak: lost 6 straight games.
Miami is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Boston College
Miami is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games when playing Boston College
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games when playing Boston College

We have a matchup of the two bottomfeeders in the ACC to close out conference play. Boston College has lost five of its last six after beating Miami by 22 on the road. The Eagles are 8-10 ATS and 5-7 ATS in conference play. Miami has lost 10 of its last 11 games, eight of which have come by double-digit figures. The Hurricanes are 11-12 ATS and 9-9 ATS in conference play.

Roster Changeover
The Boston College Eagles lost 46% of its scoring with injuries to Rich Kelly and Steffon Mitchell, as well as the departure of Wynston Tabbs. In fact, the Eagles have played 18 games this season and not one player on this roster has played in all 18 games. While Boston College has played to the 25th-hardest schedule in the country, they have just two wins over KenPom top 100 teams. However, being underdogs in nearly every game they've played this season, they've been decent ATS. The one thing that does stick out here is Boston College has not come away with a road win this season.
The Eagles rely on three-point shooting to get their offense going. They are shooting 34% from behind the arc in conference play and they score the 19th-highest percentage of points from this area. Jay Heath is the leading scorer of this team with 15.4 points per game. CJ Felder adds 10.1 points with 6.2 rebounds and Makai Ashton-Langford contributes 9.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.

Pour One Out for Miami
I mentioned Boston College's injury/transfer issues above, now I'll raise you one with Miami. They have lost six players due to injury and the transfer portal and the Hurricanes are essentially running a six-man rotation right now. The team is absolutely exhausted and they are both literally and figuratively limping their way to the conference tournament.
According to KenPom, the Hurricanes' offense ranks outside the top 200 in nearly every offensive category. The defense has been a bit better where they rank 106th overall and block shots at the 64th-best block rate.

Isaiah Wong is the leader of this team with 17.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. Kameron McGusty adds 11.6 points with 3.6 rebounds and Elijah Olaniyi contributes 11.4 points with 4.9 rebounds.

BETTING ODDS TRENDS
Miami Hurricanes
Miami is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games at home
Miami is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Boston College
Miami is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games when playing Boston College
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games when playing Boston College
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston College

Boston College Eagles
Boston College is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Boston College is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston College's last 7 games on the road
Boston College is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Miami
Boston College is 3-14 SU in its last 17 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston College's last 6 games when playing Miami
Boston College is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami

MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and the Florida Atlantic Owls will both be trying to pick up a win on Friday when they battle at FAU Arena.

Last time out for Florida Atlantic, they were a 80-50 winner as they battled Blue Raiders at home. They covered in the match as a -8-point favorite.

In their last action, Middle Tennessee was a 80-50 loser on the road against Owls. They failed to cover the +8-point spread as underdogs.

Middle Tennessee:
Team record: 5-16 SU,7-13 ATS
Current Streak: lost 5 straight games.
Middle Tennessee is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Middle Tennessee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Middle Tennessee's last 11 games on the road

Florida Atlantic:
Team record: 11-9 SU,8-7-1 ATS
Current Streak: won 3 straight games.
Florida Atlantic is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games when playing Middle Tennessee
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Florida Atlantic's last 12 games when playing Middle Tennessee
Florida Atlantic is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Middle Tennessee

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders will match up against Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton for their second of two games against the Owls. These two teams played last night, ending in an 80-50 win for FAU.

Middle Tennessee Trying to Stay Out of Last Place
This has been a less-than-ideal season for Middle Tennessee, which finds itself in second to last place in Group B of Conference USA, and with the worst overall record in the conference at 5-16. After last night's pounding against FAU, they have now lost five straight games.
Last night's loss was an all-around miserable showing. The Blue Raiders shot 29.3% from the field, 18.2% from three, and only made 12 of 20 free throws. They managed merely five assists on the night and lost by 30 points. DeAndre Dishman led the team in points with 10, and was the only scorer in double digits. Eli Lawrence added nine points in the blowout loss. Jordan Davis leads the team in scoring on the year with 11.4 points per game, but scored just three points in the loss.

Ken Pomeroy ranks Middle Tennessee at 303 out of 357 ranked teams in the country. Their adjusted offensive efficiency of 91.9 points per 100 possessions is 329th overall, and adjusted defense of 103.4 points allowed per 100 possessions is 199th.

FAU Looking to End the Season Strong
Florida Atlantic is 6-5 in conference play and 11-9 overall, and stand at fourth place in Conference USA's Group B standings. At that record, they more than likely won't be breaking into the NCAA tourney, but are looking for a strong end to the season. Last night's 30-point win over Middle Tennessee is a good sign looking ahead to part two of the series.
The Owls had an overall outstanding showing in the win. They shot 47.5% from the field, hit 34.8% of their threes, and shot 82.4% from the line. They also forced 17 turnovers and pulled in seven more rebounds than their opponents. Karlis Silins led the Owls with 15 points, Michael Forrest had 14, and Kenan Blackshear added 11 of his own in the win.

Ken Pomeroy ranks the Owls at 186 out of 357 teams. Their adjusted offense of 101.4 points per 100 possessions is 196th in the rankings, and their adjusted defense of 103.0 points allowed per 100 is 192nd.

BETTING ODDS TRENDS
Florida Atlantic Owls
Florida Atlantic is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
Florida Atlantic is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games when playing Middle Tennessee
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Florida Atlantic's last 12 games when playing Middle Tennessee
Florida Atlantic is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Middle Tennessee
Florida Atlantic is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Middle Tennessee

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Middle Tennessee is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Middle Tennessee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Middle Tennessee's last 11 games on the road
Middle Tennessee is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games when playing Florida Atlantic
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Middle Tennessee's last 12 games when playing Florida Atlantic
Middle Tennessee is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Florida Atlantic
Middle Tennessee is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Florida Atlantic

GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES VS. ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLVES
The Georgia Southern Eagles and the Arkansas State Red Wolves will both be trying to pick up a win on Friday when they battle at Hartsell Arena.

Oddsmakers opened the Red Wolves as -2-point favorites versus the Eagles, while the game's total opened at 136.5.

Arkansas State was a 64-56 loser in their most recent outing on the road against Mavericks. They failed to cover the +4-point spread as underdogs.

Last time out for Georgia Southern, they were a 65-57 winner as they battled Mountaineers at home. They covered in the match as a -2.5-point favorite.

Georgia Southern:
Team record: 13-12 SU,9-12 ATS
Georgia Southern is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing Arkansas State

Arkansas State:
Team record: 10-12 SU,9-9-1 ATS
Current Streak: lost 3 straight games.
Arkansas State is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Georgia Southern

The 2021 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament begins today in Pensacola, FL with four matchups at two different venues. At Hartsell Arena on the Pensacola College campus, the Arkansas State Red Wolves (10-12, 7-8 SBC) will take on the Georgia Southern Eagles (13-12, 7-9 SBC).

This season, the Sun Belt Conference divided into an east and west division, and teams only played their divisional opponents. That means that the opening round features teams playing each other for the first time this season. Arkansas State finished the regular season as the #4 seed from the west, while Georgia Southern finished as the #5 seed from the east. The winner will play tomorrow Georgia State, the top seed from the east.

Arkansas State finished their regular season on a three game losing streak. In the final weekend series, the Red Wolves were swept by UT-Arlington. Arkansas State dropped the first game 73-71, then lost 64-56 in the finale. In that finale, Marquis Eaton scored 15 points and added eight assists, while Norchad Omier added nine points and 11 rebounds. The Arkansas State bench was outscored 18-9 in the game.

Georgia Southern fared slightly better in late season action, earning a split with Appalachian State. The Mountaineers won the first game 84-78 in double overtime before the Eagles won their regular season finale 65-57. In that win, Elijah McCadden scored 18 points and added nine rebounds, while Gedi Juozapaitis added 16 points. Zach Bryant chipped in 12 for the Eagles.

The Sun Belt Conference is likely to send just one team to the NCAA tournament in two weeks. That team will be the winner of the conference tournament. Will either of these teams make a historic run into the Big Dance? It will start with a win today.

Arkansas State Hopes Regular Season Experience Pays Off
The Arkansas State Red Wolves never quite established a normal 8-9 player rotation. Instead, 11 players have averaged double digit minutes for the Red Wolves this season. While the experience has been valuable, it has taken longer for the team to establish the chemistry necessary to make a deep postseason run. Oftentimes, when teams play deep rotations, either the top players failed to separate themselves, or the team is building toward a future season.
This year’s Red Wolves averaged 72.0 ppg, fourth best in the Sun Belt Conference. Arkansas State shot 44.3% from the field (4th), 47.1% inside the arc (8th) and 37.5% from beyond the arc (3rd). The Red Wolves averaged 18.8 trips to the free throw line per game, second most in the conference.

Marquis Eaton, a 6’2 guard, led the squad with 14.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, and 5.1 apg. Teammates Norchand Ormier (6’2) and Caleb Fields (6’0) joined Eaton in double figures. Ormier averaged 12.5 ppg and 11.7 rpg, while Fields averaged 11.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, and 3.5 apg while hitting 34.0% of his three point attempts.

Defensively, the Red Wolves were 11th in the league in scoring defense, allowing 71.5 ppg. Arkansas State was 10th in field goal percent defense (44.0%), seventh in two point field goal percent defense (47.3%), and 12th in three point field goal percent defense (37.6%). The Red Wolves allowed opponents 16.2 trips to the free throw line per game (5th), and averaged a +4 rebounding margin in conference games this season.

Georgia Southern Tries to Grind Out Another Win
The Georgia Southern Eagles preferred to play at a slower pace this season, which allowed their defense to keep them in games. While the Eagles were solid defensively, they struggled in perimeter scoring on offense. This allowed teams to pack the paint, forcing the Eagles to make difficult shots, which hurt their offensive efficiency.
This year’s Eagles averaged 65.5 ppg, 10th in the Sun Belt Conference. Georgia Southern shot 41.5% from the field (9th), 47.9% inside the arc (6th) and 34.0% from beyond the arc (8th). The Eagles averaged just 14.1 trips to the free throw line per game, eleventh most in the conference.

Zack Bryant, a 6’2 guard, led the squad with 13.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, and 2.7 apg. Backcourt mates Eric Boone (6’2) and Elijah McCadden (6’4) joined Bryant in double figures. Boone averaged 11.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 3.1 apg while hitting 36.5% of his three point shots. McCadden averaged 10.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 2.1 apg this season.

Defensively, the Eagles were fifth in the league in scoring defense, allowing 68.2 ppg. Georgia Southern was fourth in field goal percent defense (42.5%), ninth in two point field goal percent defense (48.4%), and third in three point field goal percent defense (32.1%). The Eagles allowed opponents 17.9 trips to the free throw line per game (8th), and averaged a -3 rebounding margin in conference games this season. Georgia Southern also finished the season second in the league in blocked shots per game (4.3)

BETTING ODDS TRENDS
Arkansas State Red Wolves
Arkansas State is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Georgia Southern

Georgia Southern Eagles
Georgia Southern is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing Arkansas State

NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS VS. DRAKE BULLDOGS
The Northern Iowa Panthers and the Drake Bulldogs will both be trying to pick up a win on Friday when they battle at Enterprise Center.

Oddsmakers opened the Bulldogs as -7.5-point favorites versus the Panthers, while the game's total opened at 145.5.

Drake was a 67-61 loser in its last match on the road against Braves. They failed to cover the -7.5-point spread as favorites.

Last time out for Northern Iowa, they were a 65-60 winner as they battled Redbirds at home. They failed to cover in the match as a -5.5-point favorite.

Northern Iowa:
Team record: 10-15 SU,6-15-2 ATS
Current Streak: won 3 straight games.
Northern Iowa is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Drake
Northern Iowa is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games when playing Drake

Drake:
Team record: 24-3 SU,20-5 ATS
Drake is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Northern Iowa
Drake is 7-13-2 ATS in its last 22 games when playing Northern Iowa
Drake is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games when playing Northern Iowa

Northern Iowa won their opening round game in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and in the quarterfinals face a Drake team they lost to twice this season.

Northern Iowa has won three in a row with all three wins coming against Illinois State. They have won four of their last five games with the lone 77-69 loss at home to Drake while they were crushed by the Bulldogs on the road earlier in the season. The Panthers are 10-15, overall, and finished the season 7-11 in MVC play.

Drake finished the season with 24 wins but since they did not win the MVC regular season tittle they may need to win the conference tourney to get an invite to the Big Dance. The team had won five in a row before losing their regular season finale and the Bulldogs are one of the higher scoring teams in the nation putting up an average of 78.1 ppg.

Defense Does The Trick This Time
Northern Iowa beat Illinois State in the first round of the MVC tourney 65-60 in a defensive battle while beating them in the season finale 94-87 in a double-overtime barnburner. In the last game the Panthers shot 43.3% from the floor and only 19% from 3-pt land (4-21) but held the Redbirds to 41.4% shooting and a 3-pt FG% of 17.4% (4-23). Austin Phyfe matched a season-high with 21 points in the win.
FW Phyfe (12.4 ppg 7.3 rpg) is the second leading scorer for the Panthers and leading rebounder, scored at least 18 points in three of his last four games, and grabbed nine rebounds in each of his last two games. G Trae Berhow (13 ppg) led the team on the season and he has struggled with his shot in the last few games and only had eight points in the last game. FW Noah Carter (11.2 ppg 5.7 rpg) had nine points off the bench in the last game after going for 22 points in the season finale.

In the two games facing Drake this season they lost to them 80-59 on the road and 77-69 at home.

Get Back to Scoring
Drake averaged a solid 78.1 ppg on the season but in the last game of the season their scoring was not there in a 67-61 loss to Bradley, which snapped their five-game win streak. In the loss they shot a similar FG% as the Braves (42% to 42.1%) but were ice cold from deep missing 15 of their 17 3-pointers.
Leading scorer for the season G ShanQuan Hemphill (14.1 ppg) has missed the last few games and is listed as out indefinitely with a foot injury. G Joseph Yesufu (11.6 ppg), who is the MVC 6th Man of the Year, has stepped it up in the scoring department at the end of the season, as he had 21 points in the last game against Bradley and has averaged 25 ppg over his last five games.

G Roman Penn (11.2 ppg) is out for the season with a foot injury. 6’10” FW Darnell Brodie (7.7 ppg 7 rpg) led the Bulldogs in rebounding on the season and had seven points on poor shooting and 12 boards in the last game while going for 21 points and seven boards in the previous game.

BETTING ODDS TRENDS
Drake Bulldogs
Drake is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Northern Iowa
Drake is 7-13-2 ATS in its last 22 games when playing Northern Iowa
Drake is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games when playing Northern Iowa

Northern Iowa Panthers
Northern Iowa is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Drake
Northern Iowa is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games when playing Drake

LOUISIANA-MONROE WARHAWKS VS. SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS
The fans at Pensacola Bay Center will be treated to a game between the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks and the South Alabama Jaguars when they take their seats on Friday.

Oddsmakers opened the Jaguars as -5-point favorites versus the Warhawks, while the game's total opened at 134.

South Alabama was a 82-73 loser in their most recent outing at home against Panthers. They failed to cover the +2-point spread as underdogs.

Louisiana-Monroe was a 61-57 loser in its last match on the road against Bobcats. They covered the +9.5-point spread as underdogs.

Louisiana-Monroe:
Team record: 7-18 SU,14-10-1 ATS
Louisiana-Monroe is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing South Alabama
Louisiana-Monroe is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing South Alabama
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Louisiana-Monroe's last 7 games when playing South Alabama

South Alabama:
Team record: 16-10 SU,10-12 ATS
South Alabama is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Louisiana-Monroe
South Alabama is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing Louisiana-Monroe
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of South Alabama's last 7 games when playing Louisiana-Monroe

The South Alabama Jaguars will meet the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament. Both teams will be looking to bounce back after ending their seasons dropping back-to-backs.

South Alabama leads the all-time series 12-11, and they won the previous meeting, 50-49.

ULM Looking For One Last Upset
Louisiana-Monroe (7-18, 5-13) are wrapping up their second losing season in a row, but they can end this season playing the role of spoiler. They picked up a road victory over arch rival Louisiana-Lafayette that made bettors cringe, and they nearly did the same thing again at Texas State last weekend.
ULM only averages 63.9 points per game, and they shoot 41.8% from the field. Their best player, junior swingman Russell Harrison has been cold lately, but he leads the team in scoring (12.6) and rebounding (5.8). They missed his presence late in the game against Texas State, as he got injured in the first half. He recorded a double-double in the road win over UL Lafayette.

Seton Hall transfer Koreem Ozier is second on the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game. Junior point guard Elijah Gonzales runs the offense and leads the team in assists (3.8) and three point percentage (46.3). Senior guard Josh Nicholas has come on a bit as of late, scoring in double figures in each of the past five games. 7'1 senior Chris Efretuei should get the start up front, as size matters even more in the postseason.

Jags Are Dark Horse Contenders
South Alabama (16-10, 10-7) may have been the hottest team in the Sun Belt prior to their back-to-back with Georgia State. The Jaguars had won eight straight prior to those two losses.
South Alabama averages a respectable 74.1 points per game, and they shoot 44.3% from the field. Senior guard Michael Flowers is one of the top scorers in the country. He leads the Jags in points (20.8) and assists (3.5), and he scored 32 in the loss to Georgia State.

Sophomore guard Tyreke Locure is second on the team in scoring at 13.9 points per game. Senior guard John Pettway averages 10.8 ppg, and he's coming off a 30-point outing himself. First year Jaguars Kayo Gonclaves and Jamal West make up the frontcourt. Gonclaves leads the team in rebounding (6.1) and he's hit three or more treys in six of the past eight games.

BETTING ODDS TRENDS
South Alabama Jaguars
South Alabama is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Louisiana-Monroe
South Alabama is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing Louisiana-Monroe
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of South Alabama's last 7 games when playing Louisiana-Monroe

Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks
Louisiana-Monroe is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing South Alabama
Louisiana-Monroe is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing South Alabama
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Louisiana-Monroe's last 7 games when playing South Alabama

BALL STATE CARDINALS VS. TOLEDO ROCKETS
The Ball State Cardinals and the Toledo Rockets will both be gunning for a victory on Friday when they meet at Savage Arena.

Oddsmakers opened the Rockets as -12-point favorites versus the Cardinals, while the game's total opened at 154.

In their last action, Toledo was a 81-79 loser on the road against Chippewas. They failed to cover the -17-point spread as favorites.

Ball State was a 100-65 winner in their most recent outing at home against Eagles. They covered the -8-point spread as favorites.

Ball State:
Team record: 10-11 SU,8-13 ATS
Current Streak: won 3 straight games.
Ball State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Ball State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Ball State's last 6 games on the road

Toledo:
Team record: 19-7 SU,19-7 ATS
Toledo is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Ball State
Toledo is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Ball State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toledo's last 5 games when playing Ball State