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Welcome back! In this article every week, we'll be giving you some of the top college basketball games and betting picks for Wednesday, February 17, 2021. As we approach the month of March, keep an eye out for our extended coverage of March Madness.
Back after a one-week break, the week of February 3 brought a strong 3-1 slate. VMI and Wofford crushed their total by 15 points, Western Michigan won straight up over Bowling Green as a 13-point underdog, and James Madison dispatched of the Elon Phoenix with ease. The only blemish on the resume was caused by St. Johns' upset of Villanova. The 3-1 week improves the season-long record to 21-15.
Here are some of the top college basketball betting picks. Let me know your thoughts, and follow along with the action on Twitter @fredetterline. All game times below are Eastern Standard Time. Season record to date: 21-15.
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Boston University @ Holy Cross - 5:00 PM
The Boston University Terriers have been a model of consistency under Head Coach Joe Jones, with a conference record over .500 in nine of his ten full seasons. Senior guard Javante McCoy has been the star of the show in the Terriers' small ten-game season thus far, with 17 points per game on a sparkling 49% field goal percentage. His sidekick, fellow senior guard Walter Whyte, is also a mult-year starter who plays an interior-based game more like a post player than the shooting guard that he is. With a conference-only schedule, it is difficult to gauge the true talent on this 4-6 senior-laden team. The Terriers have only played two games since January 25, but looked sharp in their 18-point home victory over Holy Cross on February 14. This game will mark the fifth of seven scheduled games between these conference foes this season - one of the true oddities of the COVID-19 beleaguered season.
When long-time coach Bill Carmody retired at the end of the 2018-2019 season, an exodus of transfers and the hiring of former Marquette assistant Brett Nelson ushered in a significant aura of change. The rebuilding process has been slow and arduous thus far. Senior guard Austin Butler, a fourth-year starter from the Pittsburgh-suburb of Latrobe, has evolved into the top player on the team averaging 8.5 rebounds per game from the shooting guard position, along with 13.8 points per game. Butler's improved 3-point shooting (43.9% rate in 2020-2021) has led way to the Crusaders to three victories this year in a season that they entered with low expectations. Two of those victories came against this game's opponent - Boston University, with whom they've split the season series 2-2 so far.
Pick: Boston University -3
Northeastern @ North Carolina - 7:00 PM
In the past week, due to COVID cancellations, the North Carolina Tar Heels' men basketball twitter account sent a simple message: "We are looking for a home game this week (February 16-18)." The Northeastern Huskies stepped up to the plate on short notice to travel to Chapel Hill for the contest - revealed a mere nine hours and nineteen minutes after the tweet for help was sent. The Huskies have started out Colonial Athletic Association play with a strong 8-2 start in conference, after forgetful 1-5 nonconference record. This game marks Northeastern's first nonconference game in the month of February since a Bracketbusters game against Stony Brook in 2012. With a win, Northeastern coach Bill Coen would pass up former UConn great Jim Calhoun for the most wins in Northeastern basketball history.
The Tar Heels had plenty of reason to pursue an additional game with their precipitous position on the bubble this year. Sporting a 12-7 record, the Tar Heels need to notch a few more wins to get in a comfortable bubble position. A win over Northeastern would help the resume, with the Huskies sorting a solid mid-major resume that would qualify as a Quadrant 3 win for the NCAA's NET rankings. Sophomore forward Armando Bacot has emerged as one of the better offensive rebounders in the ACC, and looks like a future NBA first-round pick. Coach Roy Williams' team will need to play with a sense of emergency to avoid the surprise upset, and to bounce back from enduring losses in two of their past three games. UNC hasn't won a game by more than 11 points since a 12-point win over Kentucky on December 19.
Pick: Northeastern +16
Iona @ Quinnipiac - 4:00 PM
Rick Pitino's first foray back into college basketball has started off relatively well. Stepping into an uncertain position at Iona and replacing the legendary former coach Tim Cluess, the Gaels have darted to a 6-4 record, including a 4-2 record against MAAC opponents. The 68-year old coaching guru Pitino recently stated in an interview that he feels that he has 6-7 more years of coaching to fully realize his goal of turning Iona into a top-20 national program. Freshman 6-foot-9 forward Nelly Junior Joseph came to campus from the NBA's African Academy by way of the country of Benin. Joseph has kicked off his collegiate career with a bang, averaging 12 points per game and over 7 rebounds per game. Senior guard Isaiah Ross, a former Missouri-Kansas City University transfer, is the leading scorer hitting a barrage of three-pointers at over 43%. Pitino's team is relatively young, and full of sharpshooters that should have Iona back in charge of the MAAC in no time.
Basketball runs deep in the Dunleavy family. Quinnipiac Head Coach Baker Dunleavy is the son of former Los Angeles Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy Sr, the brother of former NBA forward Mike Dunleavy Jr, and the brother of NBA player agent James Dunleavy. Baker's in the middle of his fourth year at the Hamden, Connecticut, school, and sports a 44% winning percentage. The Bobcats' team is awfully young, with Australian senior guard Jacob Rigoni as the team's only upperclassman among the top six scorers. Freshman guard Tymu Chenery from Philadelphia overcame early struggles as he entered the starting lineup and is developing into a future MAAC star. In the Bobcat's recent loss at Fairfield, Chenery connected on six-of-seven three-point shots.
Pick: Iona -5
Sam Houston State @ Lamar - 8:00 PM
The Sam Houston State Bearkats are in the midst of a strong season in the Southland Conference. Coach Jason Hooten's team has employed a high-flying, fast-paced brand of basketball - averaging 81.1 points per game as a team (22nd in all of the NCAA). Senior guard Demarkus Lampley served as the team's sixth man last season, but has taken a huge step forward scoring 14.9 points per game and offering a secondary option to leading scorer Zach Nutall (19.1 points per game). The Bearkats have stormed through conference play, and have won not lost a game to a team in conference not named the juggernaut "Stephen F. Austin." Aside from that one conference loss to the Lumberjacks, the Bearkats have won their 13 other games dating back to a December 16 loss at Texas.
Coach Tic Price's Lamar Cardinals have one of the slowest paces in the country, a direct opposite of their Bearkat opponents. If Sam Houston State sets the tone early, it will be difficult for Lamar to keep up as they average a mere 64.2 points per game (315th of the 347 teams playing Division I basketball this year). For Lamar to field an upset chance, the team's trio of Texan guards - sophomore Anderson Kopp (Houston, TX), junior Davion Buster (Austin, TX), and freshman Kasen Harrison (Beaumont, TX), must provide an increase in both efficiency and volume if the Cardinals are to keep up with the Bearkats. Lamar los the early season matchup between these two teams by 25 points, and have lost 6 of their last 7 games.
Pick: Sam Houston State -8.5
Thanks for reading, and remember to gamble responsibly.
