Friday's Best Bets in College Basketball: We're Headed to the MAAC

Friday's Best Bets in College Basketball: We're Headed to the MAAC

Rider vs. Niagara Prediction

Rider has been one of my favorite teams to bet on this season because usually, they play very true to their splits. Unlike most teams, Rider is much better on the road compared to how they are at home which is very unusual. So why am I going to back Rider at home tonight? In their first matchup with Niagara, they were 7-point underdogs and were down nearly 20 points early in the 1H and into halftime. They then stormed back in the second half to win the game outright. They went on a crazy run in that game at the beginning of the second half and I believe they will start much better in the first half tonight compared to their first meeting. Rider is a team who has actually played fairly solid on the defensive side of the ball this season. They are currently ranked 103rd in defensive effective field goal percentage, 67th in defensive 2-point percentage, and are right in the middle of the pack nationally in overall adjusted defensive efficiency. Niagara has struggled on offense this year as they are currently ranked 235th in adjusted offensive efficiency, 223rd in offensive 2-point percentage, and 196th in offensive effective field goal percentage. I think Niagara is going to struggle out the gate here, so I am rolling with Rider 1H ML at -110 for one of my most confident college basketball picks of the night.

Rider vs. Niagara Pick

• PICK: Rider 1H ML @ -110 (Bet $110 to win $100)

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Penn State vs Northwestern Prediction

Penn State is a team that does not get talked about much, but they have quietly been playing really solid basketball lately, especially at home. Penn State is a team who plays at an extremely slow pace. They are 353rd in the nation in average time of possession so they really take their time on offense and try to get the best shot possible. They are very hard to speed up and I think Northwestern may struggle to find a rhythm in such a slow-paced game. Penn St has been playing very well at home lately as they are 4-1 in their last 5 home games including wins over Iowa, Michigan St, Rutgers, Minnesota, and a close 1-point loss to Michigan. I think Penn State is going to slow this game down to a snail's pace which will cause problems for Northwestern in the half court on both offense and defense. Northwestern has struggled against teams who play at a similar pace evidenced by their losses to Minnesota and Illinois. in these teams' first meeting, Penn State made a huge run in the second half to notch a solid road against Northwestern and tonight I think they will start fast on their home court. With that being said, I am rolling with Penn State 1H ML at -115 for one of my most confident college basketball picks of the night.

Penn State vs Northwestern Pick

• PICK: Penn State 1H ML @ -115 (Bet $115 to win $100)

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