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NCAA BASKETBALL December MADNESS BEST BETS: SATURDAY, December 3rd
The madness of the college basketball campaign continues into December, and our resident NCAA hoops expert Ej Garr has a pair of tips lined up for Saturday’s action. And he’s picked out a game between two teams from the Horizon League, and a non-conference battle between Miami and Indiana State.
In this article:
- Miami (OH) RedHawks vs Indiana State Sycamores Preview
- Miami (OH) RedHawks vs Indiana State Sycamores Best Bet
- Cleveland State Vikings vs Detroit Mercy Titans Preview
- Cleveland State Vikings vs Detroit Mercy Titans Best Bet
Miami (OH) RedHawks vs Indiana State Sycamores Preview
December 3, 18:00 (UK time)
Hello again everyone, and welcome to another Saturday of madness. So many games are being played this weekend around the landscape of college hoops, and I will start with the matchup between Miami Ohio and Indiana State.
Out of all the games being played on Saturday, I wanted to pick a total to offer because that’s where I make my living. NCAA Hoops totals are one of my strongest angles, and if there is any game that we can expect to see some points scored, this is it!
The Sycamores are favoured by -6.5 points, and the line setters expect Indiana State to win this game handily. The total is being offered at 153.5, and don’t be the least intimidated by an inflated number. Let me tell you why points are the call of the day here, and the rankings will be helpful to convince you why we’re taking this Over.
There are officially 358 Division 1 teams in NCAA basketball, and when you see numbers like 305, 314, and 324 and the defensive end of the court, it tells you plenty in this case. You all know I don’t rely on rankings and such to come up with tips to suggest because I have been doing this for so long that it’s all about my gut feelings and instincts. Naturally, we all have to look at how teams are doing on both sides of the ball, and what is working well for them and what is not. What’s not working well for Miami is stopping a soul and being organized on defence.
Rebounding for me is a massive stat to keep your eyes on, and Miami Ohio ranks 324th in the nation on the defensive glass. When you can’t limit squads to one possession, life can become extremely difficult having to defend the hoop for what could be a minute in some cases. It may not seem like much when you think of one minute of a game, but when it happens 4 or 5 times within a handful of possessions, you feel like you’re on the defensive all night and that is frustrating.
The 75 points allowed per game doesn’t match up well with a Sycamore squad that is putting up 83.6 PPG, which ranks them 24th in the nation. The coolest name in college hoops is Courvoisier McCauley, and the dude can just ball. McCauley came over from DePaul in the portal after two seasons with the Blue Demons, and I think we all expected him to have a ton of success this year playing for Coach Josh Schertz. McCauley is averaging a team-leading 15.9 PPG, and it doesn’t stop there. He can bury a tre with consistency (33.3%), and between points, rebounds, and assists he averages 22 a night.
Schertz had a pretty rough opening campaign with the Sycamores a year ago, but year 2 with the program is going in a much different direction. If you look at what he did with Lincoln Memorial before he came to Indiana State, I think no one can question his ability to win games. Schertz accumulated a 337–69 record with the Railsplitters, which, is also an awesome name, HA!
Miami (OH) RedHawks vs Indiana State Sycamores Best Bet
We can’t feel sorry for the RedHawks, we can just expect them to get killed again on Saturday. Here it is… 88 – 74 Sycamores victory!!
- Selection: Over 154
- Best odds: 1.91 (Pinnacle)
- Stakes 4/10
Odds as of 11:00 am December 3rd, 2022. Odds may now differ.
More Miami (OH) RedHawks vs Indiana State Sycamores Tips
Cleveland State Vikings vs Detroit Mercy Titans Preview
December 3, 20:00 (UK time)
Let’s turn to the Horizon League tilt, as the Vikings will play host to the Titans on Saturday favoured by -2.5 points with a 133.5 showing on the total. I am not bothering with this total because I believe that the Vikings are rolling right now, and they are a covering machine early in the campaign. From the 7 lined games they’ve played, they are 5 – 2 ATS, and when they are favoured to win they just tend to go out and kick ass!
The Vikings already have a December win under their belts, as they wiped out Oakland on Thursday night, 80 – 64. Currently riding a 5-game winning streak, Cleveland State has relied on a sound defence and timely shooting to carry the streak into Saturday’s affair. As you will see, the Vikings rank 41st in the nation guarding the 3-ball, and they only allow 64.1 PPG, which is good enough to be ranked 81st in that category.
Again, all of that is well and good, but my gut is telling me to keep riding the Vikes until they show us a letdown, and I have said before that you need to know when to ride a team and when to fade them. Right now, we can’t fade a -2.5 line with the Vikings at home against a Detroit Mercy team that is only 4 – 4 and has not shown us much yet.
In addition, A.J. Oliver and Jayden Stone are both expected to miss this game for Detroit Mercy, and those are two big absences. Both guards will be missed, as Stone is putting up 15 PPG and 5 boards, while Oliver has come in to add 5.7 PPG and 3.4 Assists a night.
Vikings Head Coach Daniyal Robinson is enjoying his first gig as the man in charge, this being his first campaign guiding his program. Robinson relies on the depth of his squad and he will play 10 guys a night no matter what. When you have the ability to interchange players to keep the line moving, everyone wants to contribute and we are seeing just that.
Tristan Enaruna has been enjoying life in the Big 12 for the last 3 years, so when Robinson saw the opportunity to nab him from the transfer portal, he did all he could to convince him to come to Ohio. What a great move it was, as Enaruna is leading this team in scoring and just about every other category you can name. The dude is scoring 13 PPG and grabbing 7 boards a night, and with 2 more blocks, he will break his record of 14 that he accomplished last year with Iowa State.
Cleveland State Vikings vs Detroit Mercy Titans Best Bet
We’ve got the Vikings and -2.5 points is nothing to ask for them to continue the upward trend. Just stay hot, baby!
- Selection: Cleveland State -2.5
- Best odds: 1.91 (Pinnacle)
- Stakes 4/10
Odds as of 11:00 am December 3rd, 2022. Odds may now differ.
More Cleveland State Vikings vs Detroit Mercy Titans Tips
