Southern Conference Betting Odds: Furman Favored to Win Title
Paladins Return Top Two Leading Scorers From Last Year
The Southern Conference betting odds have Furman solid favorites to walk away with the regular season conference title. The Paladins return plenty of talent from last year’s 22-12 squad that finished 12-6 in conference play. Furman lost in the conference tournament championship game to Chattanooga in overtime.
The Southern Conference isn’t particularly strong this season. Only Furman is in the Sagarin NCAAB rankings top 100 teams. The conference is rated No. 17 out of 32.
The Favorite
Furman Paladins (+120)
Furman PaladinsThe Southern Conference betting odds on Furman are actually a bit on the generous side at +120. The Paladins return the ‘Big Two’ of Mike Bothwell and Jalen Slawson. Bothwell led Furman in scoring last year, while Slawson led in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Both players can do a bit of everything for the Paladins.
The key for the Paladins will be finding some help for those two and Marcus Foster should benefit from more playing time. He averaged 8.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in 23 minutes a game last season. Furman had a number of other players who were getting 12 to 18 minutes a game last year. How they do when getting more than 20 minutes will determine how far the team goes.
Furman won’t catch anybody by surprise this season. The Paladins were a little underestimated at the start of the season last year. Furman started the season 8-1-1 against the college basketball point spreads before oddsmakers caught on,
The Paladins will count on their offense to get the job done this year. Furman isn’t bad defensively, but they’re much better when they have the ball. The Paladins averaged 77.6 points per game last year and hit 46.4% of field goal attempts. Furman was solid behind the arc, knocking down 38% of its 3-point attempts. If their shots are falling the Paladins will be to beat in the Southern Conference.
The Contenders
Samford Bulldogs (+380)
Samford BulldogsThe Southern Conference betting odds have the Bulldogs at +380, which makes them a solid second choice. The Bulldogs were 10-8 in Southern Conference play last season. Samford does return its top four scorers from last year’s squad, so there’s reason to be high on Samford.
Ques Glover led the team in scoring and assists last season but needs to cut back on 3-point attempts. His 2-point percentage is solid for a guard but he hit just 30.8% from long range last year. The team has better options but that’s really Glover’s only fault.
Both Jermaine Marshall and Logan Dye can score and grab rebounds, giving the team some inside presence. Guard Jaden Campbell hit 38.8% of his 3-pointers and should be the team’s first choice from long range.
The key for Samford will be defense, as the Bulldogs aren’t very good at it. The team’s shooting will win them some games in the Southern Conference. But the lack of defense will lose some if they don’t pick it up.
Chattanooga Mocs (+600)
Chattanooga MocsThe Southern Conference betting odds have the defending conference champion Mocs at +600. That’s a testament to the talent the team lost from last year’s squad which lost to Illinois 54-53 in the NCAA Tournament. The team’s top four scorers from last year are gone. Three of those players averaged more than 30 minutes of playing time.
The Mocs did snag a big player in Jake Stephens through the transfer portal. The fifth-year 7-foot senior averaged 19.6 points and 7.3 rebounds for VMI last year.
The Mocs are another Southern Conference team that is going to need the defense to play better if they want to make any noise in the conference. The offense isn’t all that bad and Stephens will help there.
UNC Greensboro Spartans (+600)
UNC Greensboro SpartansThe Southern Conference betting odds of +600 on Greensboro might be a little optimistic. The team was 9-9 in conference play last year and it’s hard to make a case they’ve improved that much. Keondre Kennedy comes over from UMBC and will help, while Keyshawn Langley is one of the team’s better returning players.
It’s hard to find an area where the Spartans excel. Greensboro is average offensively and the defense leaves a bit to be desired at times. The Spartans will have a tough time keeping up with the better teams in the conference.
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