Mid-Money Madness: Nov. 12 picks

Mid-Money Madness is back. I will be writing a weekly column to give you picks during the week while Jared Kolter will take care of you guys for the weekend slate. We are hoping to build off of going 20-12 during the NCAA Tournament last year.

We will give you at least four picks against the spread every single week. Tuesday’s college basketball slate features plenty of fun matchups to watch and bet.

Here are my favorite picks. All spreads are from www.oddshark.com.

William & Mary @ Wofford (-10)
Total: 145

This matchup features two teams that love to shoot the three-ball and neither team does a great job of playing defense. The Terriers no longer have NCAA career three-point leader Fletcher Magee, but through two games, the Terriers lead NCAA in three-point attempts per game and seem to be more explosive than ever. The public seems to bet on Wofford being less dangerous without their all-time leading scorer. The total opened at 149 and has been bet down to 145 by the public.

What the casual bettor fails to realize is the Terriers’ offense may be more explosive this year than last yar. Senior guard Nathan Hoover has filled the role of their leading scorer quite well. Under near coach Jay McAuley the Terriers are playing at a much faster tempo averaging just 15 seconds per possessions; they rank 17th nationally in effective field goal percentage. This means more possessions and more buckets. The Terriers have shot an astounding 43% on threes this year on 65 attempts over the course of two games.

They are facing off against a Tribe team that was 302nd in the country in three-point defense last year. Wofford has allowed High Point and Division 2 Erskine to shoot 40% from three this year. The talented William & Mary shooters will have a chance to take their jabs back. The Wofford offense goes off, but William & Mary put up their share of points to make it competitive. The safe play is the over. Final score Wofford 88-72.

My pick: over 145 (1 unit)

Chicago State @ Eastern Illinois (-18.5)
Total: 148.5

This a game that is going to feature terrible basketball, but these are the types of games that have significant market value. Chicago State may be one of the most improved teams in the entire country. Lance Irvin has done a pretty good job based on the resources he has. The Cougars have a legit scorer in Xavier Johnson, who is averaging 28 PPG to start the season. Cougars had a strong second half against Loyola MD, where they cut deep into a 20-point deficit.

The Cougars beat Eastern Illinois last year as their lone D1 win. Eastern Illinois is coming off a competitive physical game against Wisconsin. The public will rush to the window to bet revenge-seeking Panthers, but they have to give too many points. Take the value on the Cougars +18.5.

My pick Chicago State +18.5 (1 unit)

Northeastern (-1.5) @ Massachusetts
Total: 139

The one thing we learned over the first week of the college basketball season is that Jordan Roland can ball. Northeastern’s leading scorer is coming off two ridiculous performances: scoring 42 against Harvard on Friday night right after a 39-point performance against Boston University on Tuesday. Northeastern is the hottest team in the country right now, and they are squaring off against a rebuilding UMass team who lost four of their top five scorers last year. The Minutemen have played two bottom-250 teams, so they haven’t been tested this far. Take the scorching hot Northeastern team to complete the Massachusetts Mid-Major sweep.

My pick: Northeastern -2 (1 unit)

New Mexico State (-3.5) @ UTEP

This game is one of the more underrated rivalries in college hoops. The schools are separated by 46 miles down the I-10 freeway. The Aggies have dominated the rivalry lately and are going for their 10th straight victory over the Miners.

Both teams have one basketball game under their belts facing off against non-D1 opponents. NMSU dominated winning 92-46 against Western New Mexico while UTEP beat New Mexico Highlands 93-70. The Aggies are returning all major contributors from an NCAA Tournament team that took Final Four participants Auburn down to the final seconds. The Aggies have the experience, talent, and depth that will overwhelm a talented but young Utep squad. The Aggies fans on Twitter will be chirping loudly after this one. New Mexico State rolls to an easy win.

My pick NMSU -3.5: 2 units

Bonus picks (all 0.5 units)

Pepperdine @CSUN: Over 156

UNLV (+3.5) @ California

American vs. George Washington: under 135.5

UT Arlington (+5.5) @ Nevada