NHL Picks – Lightning Host Oilers on TNT Wednesday
February 21, 2022
College Basketball Odds to Win AAC Title
February 21, 2022
It’s been six long years since Bob McKillop’s Davidson Wildcats last won the Atlantic 10 regular season title. They however look to be in great shape of ending that streak the way the current landscape looks with only two weeks remaining on the regular season docket. If they see it all the way through, it would make it six straight years that a different team took home conference bragging rights. But are the Wildcats truly the best this conference has to offer? And are they the only ones worthy of getting an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament from the selection committee? The answer to that question is a resounding no with three other teams also currently ranked within the top-70 of the most up to date Pomeroy Ratings. Regardless, FanDuel Sportsbook currently has the Wildcats installed decided favorites to seal the deal in the coming weeks. But that won’t stop other contenders from attempting to throw a wrench in their plans! Along with Davidson, here are my underdog and longshot selections to win the Atlantic 10’s regular season title leading up to the conference tournament that begins March 9 in Washington, D.C.
Atlantic 10 Title Odds at FanDuel Sportsbook
Davidson -185
VCU +280
Dayton +440
St. Bonaventure +10000
Saint Louis +35000
Richmond +50000
George Mason +50000
George Washington OTB
Fordham OTB
UMass OTB
Rhode Island OTB
Saint Joseph’s OTB
La Salle OTB
Duquesne OTB
Favorite to Bet: Davidson Wildcats -185
It’s all about offensive excellence when it comes to the 2021-22 Davidson Wildcats. The team can score with the best of them close to the rack (No. 34) and from the perimeter (No. 8). It possesses a number of different long range sharpshooters that could take down any behemoth in its path should a few of them get hot. Foster Loyer (16.5 PPG) has drained nearly 44 percent of his 3-point attempts. Hyunjung Lee (16.3 PPG) has connected on 60 of his 162 long range shots (37%). Michael Jones (12.4 PPG) has knocked ‘em down at a better than 44 percent clip! It’s ranked No. 12 in offensive efficiency per KenPom.com which is far and away the best output the conference as a whole has to offer. Having said that, it’s an entirely different story at the other end of the court with the defense serving up over 67 points per game (No. 118) while ranking out No. 190 in efficiency. It’s also allowed the opposition to convert at a near 35 percent clip from beyond the arc (No. 242). All that said, Davidson is still the team to beat in the A10, and it has an excellent opportunity in front of it to lock up the regular season title even before the season finale at Dayton with @Duquesne, Fordham, and George Mason first up on the ledger. Should it fall in any of those three games before the Flyers, it would open the door for someone else to step in and steal the championship.
Underdog to Bet: VCU Rams +280
If you’ve been religiously betting on college basketball since the days of Shaka Smart leading the Rams into the Dance, you know all too well what VCU is all about. Winners in eight of its last nine matchups (6-3 ATS), this year’s version continues to get after its opposition by forcing turnovers and getting out in transition. Only three teams possess a higher turnover percentage than the Rams with Adrian Baldwin Jr. and company forcing 17.3 turnovers per game (No. 7). It also defends the heck out of the perimeter (No. 2) which was highly evident in its split with Davidson that saw it limit the Wildcats to an average of just 65.5 points. Unfortunately, they won’t see Davidson the remainder of the regular season, and the only potential regular season title opponents remaining on the docket are George Mason, St. Bonaventure, and St. Louis whose odds of doing so are much longer than theirs. Though just a single game back, it would take a choke job of epic proportions by Davidson to relinquish the regular season title to the Rams. A share is more a possibility should the Wildcats slip and VCU gain a game. Either way, the pay-off simply just doesn’t justify the investment in my opinion.
Longshot to Bet: Dayton Flyers +440
One team likely worth a dart throw per the current Atlantic 10 futures odds is the Dayton Flyers. It too only sits a game in back of front running Davidson, but is yet to oppose the Wildcats this season. That matchup will occur in the regular season finale at University of Dayton Arena where Anthony Grant will undoubtedly have his kids ready to go should the victor ultimately become the regular season title holder. It would take a Davidson loss paired with wins over UMass, @La Salle, and @Richmond to make it a reality. Oh, VCU would also need to slip up at least once to clear the path even though it holds the tiebreaker after handing them an ugly 30-point beat down in the rematch after falling by one in early January’s first go-round. It’s currently in the midst of a four-game SU and ATS win streak and is playing its best ball at the absolute best time of the season. The only problem is that the teams ahead of them are also on prolonged win streaks of their own and locked in. Save for Davidson, Dayton is the only other team I’m currently invested in to win the A10 regular season title. The Flyers have taken home two A10 regular season titles under Anthony Grant, and they will be ready should the finale versus the Wildcats be for all the Tostitos!
