Only one team remains undefeated in men’s college basketball, and there is still uncertainty about whether it will reach the NCAA Tournament.
Miami (Ohio) is 26-0 and ranked in the polls, but many believe the RedHawks still need to win their conference tournament in order to go dancing. Plus, they also seem to have skeptics in the betting market.
The RedHawks are 17-8 against the spread (ATS) despite being favored in all but four games and playing the last month with a bull’s-eye. Opponents are doing everything they can to be the first team to hand them a defeat, yet they are 7-3 ATS in their last 10.
Miami hosts Bowling Green on Friday as a 8.5-point favorite with a total of 152.5 points.
The Falcons lost their December meeting at home 93-83, and I think we see a high-scoring game again. Miami has an effective field goal percentage of 60.0, which ranks third in the country.
Bowling Green has a good defense by MAC standards, but defending Miami is a unique animal.
The RedHawks shoot 38.3 percent from 3-point land and 62.1 percent from inside the arc. Their offensive sets are efficient and involve several off-ball cuts. Combining that with four starters and a sixth man who all shoot 40 percent or better from downtown puts enormous pressure on defenses.
Betting on College Basketball?
Miami holds its own defensively, but on offense is where it shines. The Falcons likely will run with them, and that is why I anticipate another high-scoring game. However, Bowling Green is fairly shaky, so I do feel isolating Miami’s team total makes the most sense.
I have a 97-83-2 ATS record in this Post sports section. My next play is Miami to score over 80.5 points.
The Play: Miami (Ohio) Team Total Over 80.5 points (-118, BetMGM Sportsbook)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Doug Kezirian is a New York Post contributor who has over two decades of experience in the betting space, including spending 11 years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He’s also the rare personality who has documented success – 14th place in 2023 Circa Million and Las Vegas SuperContest ($37K), two top-10 finishes in 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58K) and also grabbed headlines with a $297K win on the 2021 NFL Draft.
