College Basketball: Mid Major Conferences Betting Notes

Conference play is tipping off in many of the college basketball conferences this week or next week at the latest. I like to cover the mid-major conferences very closely to look for value. I firmly believe that betting the smaller name games is where you can find bigger edges. 

Let’s take a look at a few conference notes that could help you when you bet on these conference matchups.

This is a conference where very little defense is played. Over bettors have done very well in this conference. If you can find a team you believe will play good defense consistently in this league, you will likely have found the team that is going to win the conference. The over is at nearly 56% in the last decade in Big Sky games.

Eastern Washington played a very tough non-conference schedule. That is a team that I believe is far better than their record would indicate.

Marist is 9-1 ATS so far this year and their games have gone 8-2 to the under. Coach Dunne is well known for his slow it down style and strong defensive squads. 

Quinnipiac is 7-3 to the under so far this year, but I think with the pace they are trying to play at this is a team that could trend back toward the over as their numbers get lower and lower with oddsmakers and the betting market adjusting.

Indiana State is a really well coached team that is a tough matchup. They play far faster than anyone else in the MVC. Coach Schertz has this program on the rise in a big way. Indiana State is a heavy analytics team. They are going to shoot 3’s or take it to the rim and avoid the mid range jumper. This is a team that could make a run this season.

Evansville is 8-2-1 ATS on the season. The Purple Aces are one of the most improved teams in the country. Having said that, I don’t believe they’ll be able to keep covering numbers as easily as they have. This could be a sell high candidate especially when they are laying points in conference play.

Furman is 3-6-1 ATS this season. The Paladins beat Virginia in the NCAA Tournament last year, and I trust this team to improve a lot when they get healthy. Marcus Foster is arguably their best player and he should be coming back in the next couple weeks. Look for Furman to become a good bet on team in conference play.

VMI has decided to run and gun this year and it isn’t working at all. They are the least talented team in the league, and they are getting run off the court in most of their games. VMI will be a big underdog in quite a few games, but with their style of play they risk being blown out over and over. Will they slow things down at some point? 

Wofford played a very tough non-conference schedule. They also picked up some decent road wins. I think the Terriers offense will put up a lot of points in SoCon action. I’ll be on the watch for some overs or chances to bet on Wofford.