Today the weekend begins with 24-College Basketball Conference Tournament games, many of which are of the championship variety. You can track the latest odds and betting percentages for every matchup using our VSiN Betting Splits.
In the meantime, let’s examine where smart money is leaning for a trio of big games today.
2 p.m. ET: Cornell vs Yale (-2.5, 153)
This is the Semifinal of the Ivy League tournament. It will be played at Levien Gymnasium in New York City. Cornell (22-6) is the 3-seed and Yale (20-9) is the 2-seed. Both teams are playing their first game of the tournament. This line opened with Yale listed as a 2-point neutral site favorite. Sharps seem to think this opener was a bit short and have gotten down on Yale, driving the Bulldogs up from -2 to -2.5. Yale is receiving roughly 60% of spread bets and dollars, signaling modest public support but also respected sharp action. Yale has the better defensive efficiency (103rd vs 178th), allowing 67 PPG compared to 74 PPG for Cornell. Yale also takes better care of the ball (20th in turnover percentage vs 204th). Ken Pom has Yale winning by one point (77-76). He also has Yale ranked higher (87th vs 99th). Those looking to protect themselves in a potentially tight game may prefer a Yale moneyline play at -140. Pros have also hit the over, steaming the total up from 151.5 to 153. The over is receiving 36% of bets but 69% of dollars, a sharp contrarian over bet discrepancy.
3:30 p.m. ET: Texas A&M vs Florida (-3, 151.5)
This is the Semifinal of the SEC tournament. It will be played at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Texas A&M (20-13) is the 7-seed and just upset Kentucky 97-87 in yesterday’s quarterfinal matchup. Meanwhile, Florida (23-10) is the 6-seed and just took down Alabama 102-88 in yesterday’s quarterfinal. This line opened with Florida listed as a 3.5-point neutral site favorite. The public is all over the Gators. However, despite receiving 66% of spread bets we’ve seen Florida fall from -3.5 to -3. This signals sharp reverse line movement on Texas A&M, with pros grabbing the points with the Aggies. Texas A&M is only receiving 33% of spread bets, making them one of the top contrarian plays of the day. Ken Pom has Florida winning by two points (78-76), which provides actionable value on Texas A&M at the current price. The Aggies rank first in the country in offensive rebound percentage. Texas A&M also has the better defensive efficiency (45th vs 77th) and takes better care of the ball (22nd in turnover percentage vs 98th). Sharps also seem to be expecting a high scoring game, as the total has been bet up from 150.5 to 151.5. The over is receiving 67% of bets and 86% of dollars, a sharp “low bets, higher dollars” over discrepancy.
3:30 p.m. ET: St. Bonaventure vs Duquesne (-2, 134.5)
This is the Semifinal of the Atlantic 10 tournament. It will be played at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. St. Bonaventure (20-12) is the 7-seed and just took down Loyola Chicago 75-74 in double overtime in the quarterfinals. On the other hand, Duquesne (22-11) is the 6-seed and just edged Dayton 65-57 in the quarterfinals. This line opened with Duquesne listed as a short 1-point neutral site favorite. Pros have jumped on Duquesne at a cheap chalk price, steaming the Dukes up from -1 to -2. Duquesne is receiving 62% of spread bets but 64% of spread dollars, signaling modest public support but also respected sharp action from pro bettors. Duquesne will lean on their defense, ranking 34th in defensive efficiency compared to 128th for St. Bonaventure. Duquesne ranks 66th in effective field goal percentage allowed compared to 199th for St. Bonaventure. Ken Pom has Duquesne winning by one point (69-68). He also has Duquesne ranked slightly higher (94th vs 97th). Those looking to follow the sharp move but wary of laying the points in a potential one-possession game may prefer a Duquesne moneyline play at -130. Pros have also steamed the under, dropping the total from 137 to 134.5. The under is receiving 41% of bets but 63% of dollars, a sharp contrarian bet split. Duquesne went 2-0 against St. Bonaventure during the regular season, winning 75-69 and 54-50.
