NCAA Hoops Betting for December 22nd comes your way from the Rainmaker!
There are a few reasons I feel like doing this, one being that I have no Champions League, Europa League or World Cup qualifying to write about right now. Also, let me throw in that if there is one sport that so many people have taken my betting advice about over the years, NCAA Hoops is it.
I have posted at a handful of sites about needing a writer for NCAA basketball, and the door is still open for anyone who feels they can handle the grind. Email me at sportsdirector(at)getmoresports.com if you feel your skills in writing and picking the games is up your alley!
Let’s get into the slate, and here we go again right!?
Games upon games, and we still haven’t even gotten to Conference play yet, although there have been a few in-conference meetings with all the tournaments around the country.
What a season so far and, if you like totals, OVERS have been flying in, and I can only assume you know why. The rules changes on the defensive end, and the shot clock at 30 sure is helping plenty of teams just go go go! Being the totals guy that I am, oh trust me, I am aware!
If you caught our final segment of the Throwdown Podcast, you heard me and Erik discuss my college hoops prowess. For those who know me, I will just say ThinkDog, and you know I ran a sports forum for 10 years named just that.
Moving on to why we are here, now that I got that jibberish out of the way, is the slate for Thursday. Games much?
It all starts early too. You can basically get up on the west coast at 9 a.m, and watch college hoops from your waking moment until you hit the hay! Talking all day baby, so let’s find some winners for everyone!
Of the early games we see, there really aren’t any realistic options until 3 p.m east coast time, because the games and the lines on the early outings are either not out, or just ugly encounters.
The Towson / Iona game could be interesting and, again for those who know me back in the days, the MAAC is certainly my conference. I grew up two miles from Iona College in Larchmont, as the campus is essentially right on the New Rochelle / Larchmont border. As soon as you pass the Dunkin Donuts and the CVS pharmacy on Post Road Rt US1, you just entered Larchmont.
If that total comes out, bang it, and I don’t care what line you get. Should be a 86 – 82 type game, so if you see this post before 3 p.m ET, try to search for that total, and grab that Over.
Tulsa is taking on Stephen F. Austin, and those days when SF Austin was going 27 – 4 and all that are done. This is nowhere close to a team that will be winning 6, 8, 10 straight games at a time like they were two years ago.
Tulsa 1st half is -1, or -1.5 depending on your book and when you see this thread, so why wait 40 minutes to get paid? Cash a ticket in 20 minutes, and you only need a bucket to do it!
Play:
Tulsa 1st Half -1 / 1.5 vs SF Austin
Getting back to the MAAC, Rider is getting +9 in Umass. I know Rider has historically struggled with the A-10 Conference, but this game should be tighter that that, IMO.
Rider has three losses to decent squads, and neither of those losses were by double digits. UMass always seems to play to their opponents, so Rider will actually be the team that determines this pace. I see nine points as a decent opportunity to make some dough, so throw it on the board.
Play:
Rider +9 vs UMass
Cincinnati is hosting Marshall at Fifth Third Arena, and who the hell set the line? Have you ever heard me do my ‘Drunk Pick of the Week’ on the Throwdown podcast where I mock the line setters for coming to work drunk and setting a line that makes no sense?
This line? Makes no sense!
No further analysis needed…..
Play:
Marshall +19.5 vs Cincinnati
If you don’t mind going back to the MAAC quick, the Canisius / St Bonnies total is 163, and I hope you don’t see that line and run from it. 95 – 93 and a game in the 180’s is coming our way, so don’t even think about leaving that Over off your board.
Play:
Canisius vs St Bonaventure Over 163
Of course this somehow turned in to the MAAC show, and again I say there is no irony behind that in the least, although I had no intention of that when I started this.
All right, so let’s move to a game that also intrigues me. E. Tenn State is -4.5 over Tennessee?
Hold on now, am I reading this correctly, or did Christmas come a few days early?
What the fuck is Eastern Tennessee State doing favored over the Vols? I don’t care if they are 9 – 2, or if they were 11 – 0 with that schedule. Tennessee has lost three games to actual teams who play basketball. ETST has beaten?
Oh, and when was the last time they beat Tennessee? Ahhh right, they never have, so this is the magic night?
Sorry, not convinced!
Play:
Tennessee +4.5 vs E. Tenn State
Move that to ML in the 1st half too, because you should be seeing +110 or so on the Vols to be leading going to the locker room.
Jumping out west, Long Beach State has the respect of so many pundits, and this guy is not one of them.
To see the 49ers laying -3 against Colorado State is absolutely hysterical. I get that their schedule has not been filled with cupcakes, and there are some solid teams in their profile, but I still do not think that they are going to win this game by 8-10 points or more to cover that so…
Play:
Colorado State +3 vs Long Beach State
The last game I will talk about here today will be that awesome game we will likely be seeing in Utah.
The Dons are getting +9 and that total is 150…. Um, here, let me say it again for you.
The Dons are getting +9 and that total is 150!!
Play them both, because this is a 82 – 80 game waiting to happen!
2 Plays:
San Francisco +9 & the Over 150 vs Utah
Okay, so there is your action for Thursday, December 22 around the landscape of NCAA Hoops, so enjoy the day! We’ll see you next time here at GMS, and be sure to get your hoops betting action in HERE!
