After struggling mightily down the stretch run of the regular season and then losing a stunner in the conference championship tournament, fourth-seeded Auburn needs a brand new start. The Tigers will look to do just that when they take to the court for their opener against the 13th-seeded Charleston Cougars as the College Basketball betting favorites.
If you want to know whether Auburn can avoid the big outright upset and cover the NCAAB spread, let’s find out right now!
Heron is averaging 20 points in four games since returning from illness but is shooting an uninspiring 7-of-24 over his previous two games so he’ll be looking for a big performance in this contest. The Tigers also shot a blistering 78.6 percent from the free throw line which is good for eighth-best in the nation.
Auburn will be looking to bounce back in a big way following their SEC championship game collapse against Alabama where they blew a 10-point halftime lead to lose by 18. The Tigers are solid defensively in limiting the opposition to 73.3 points per game.
Cougars vs. Tigers College Basketball Betting Preview & Prediction
“We’re not done yet. We’ve done a lot of good things this year, I agree. We’ve completed some of our goals, but we have more goals.”
🗣 » @Therealvinoo #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/TQ5o8CeqYM — Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) 15 de marzo de 2018
- When: Friday, March 16, 2018, 7:27 PM ET
- Where: Viejas Arena, San Diego, California
- TV: TruTV
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: MM Live
- College Basketball Betting Odds: Auburn Tigers -9 (Over/Under at 148 points)
Team Records
- All: Charleston Cougars 26-7 / Auburn Tigers 25-7
- Home: Charleston Cougars 17-1 / Auburn Tigers 16-2
- Away: Charleston Cougars 9-6 / Auburn Tigers 9-5
- ATS: Charleston Cougars 14-15-1 / Auburn Tigers 19-11
- Over/Under: Charleston Cougars 17-11-1 / Auburn Tigers 15-15
Virginia vs. UMBC 2018 March Madness Odds & First Round Game Info
Recent Head to Head (Last 3 Games)
- Record: Auburn Tigers lead 3-0
- Score: Charleston Cougars 58.00 / Auburn Tigers 65.67
- Field Goal Percentage: Charleston Cougars 39.62 / Auburn Tigers 40.00
- Rebounds: Charleston Cougars 31.67 / Auburn Tigers 36.00
- 3 Point Shots: Charleston Cougars 13-50 / Auburn Tigers 12-53
- Steals: Charleston Cougars 6.33 / Auburn Tigers 10.33
Why Consider Betting on Charleston at +9?
Why should you consider betting on Charleston in their opener against Auburn? Well, in addition to playing their best basketball of the season at just the right time, the Cougars are taking on an Auburn squad that is playing its worst basketball of the season at the most inopportune time. Charleston won three straight to claim the Colonial Athletic Association conference championship including their 83-76 overtime title game win against Northeastern on March 6. Overall, the Cougars have won 14 of their last 15 games to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1999. The Cougars average a respectable 75.1 points per game despite not passing the ball very well. Charleston averages just 11.4 assists per game, to rank in the bottom 50 in the country. Still, they’ve got three elite scorers in junior guard Grant Riller (18.7 ppg), junior forward Jarrell Brantley (17.0 ppg) and senior guard Joe Chealey (18.5 ppg). Riller, in particular, has been on fire lately, scoring 20 or more points in eight of his previous 10 games, while Chealey (18.5) has surpassed the 20-point plateau in four of his past five contests. Brantley averages 17 points per game and a team-best 7.1 rebounds and has been a force on the boards down the stretch, entering March Madness on a four-game double-double streak. Last but not least, Charleston is pretty damned good defensively in limiting the opposition to just 68.8 points per contest defensively.Why Consider Betting on Auburn at -9?
Why should you consider betting on Auburn? There are a handful of reasons. Until their recent funk, the Tigers were one of the best teams in the nation. In spite of losing three of four and coming into the NCAA Tournament off a crushing 81-63 loss against Alabama in the SEC championship tournament this past weekend, Auburn can score with just about any team in the nation as they put up 83.4 points per game. The Tigers also have some really good balance with four double-digit scorers and two more players that average just over 7.0 points per game. Sophomore guard Mustapha Heron (16.6 ppg), junior guard Bryce Brown (16.2 ppg), sophomore guard Jared Harper (13.7 ppg) and senior forward DeSean Murray give the Tigers plenty of scoring punch.
Heron is averaging 20 points in four games since returning from illness but is shooting an uninspiring 7-of-24 over his previous two games so he’ll be looking for a big performance in this contest. The Tigers also shot a blistering 78.6 percent from the free throw line which is good for eighth-best in the nation.
Auburn will be looking to bounce back in a big way following their SEC championship game collapse against Alabama where they blew a 10-point halftime lead to lose by 18. The Tigers are solid defensively in limiting the opposition to 73.3 points per game.
Latest College Basketball Betting Trends
- College of Charleston is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of College of Charleston’s last 9 games
- Auburn is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
- Auburn is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games
