College Hoops Betting – Paradise Jam Preview
The opening round of the Paradise Jam tourney tips off on Friday, giving NCAAB sports betting fans an early look at a trio of Top 25 teams in action – No. 25 Wisconsin, No. 17 Miami, and the tournament favorite, No. 2 Connecticut.
The first game on Friday’s tournament schedule is Southern Mississippi versus Miami. The Golden Eagles have started the season with a couple wins, but they came against much lesser competition than Miami – Loyola (LA) and Alabama State. Jeremy Wise averaged 24.5 points in those two games, and he’ll likely need to play the game of his life for Southern Miss to upset Miami. The Hurricanes’ only game so far this season was a 96-60 blowout against Florida Southern. Dwayne Collins was a beast in the rout with 18 points and 16 rebounds in only 25 minutes, and he’ll be difficult for the Golden Eagles to contain.
Game 2 on Friday’s tourney sked is the only game not involving a ranked team, San Diego versus Valparaiso. The Crusaders should be the favorite after jumping out to a 2-0 start with easy wins over Marian and UCF. The Toreros lost their season opener to UNLV 65-60 as a 12-point underdog on the NCAAB odds, but bounced back with a 65-51 drubbing of Nevada. San Diego was led by Rob Jones in both games, and he’ll need to be the difference-maker for the Toreros to do anything in the tourney.
If you’re looking for a big spread in the first round take a look at the next game, Connecticut versus La Salle. The Huskies are considered to be a national championship contender due to their immense depth, and a solid showing in the Paradise Jam is expected. UConn blasted Western Carolina 81-55 in their opener behind a 23-point, 17-rebound effort from Hasheem Thabeet, and they posted another rout in their next game, a 99-56 stomping of Hartford. Freshman Kemba Walker led the Huskies in that win with 21 points. The Explorers haven’t looked too good to start the season after barely getting past Morgan State 64-61 in their opener and then following up that mediocre performance with a 65-61 loss to Florida State. The only thing the Explorers are likely to find on Friday is a loss to Connecticut.
Rounding out opening night in Paradise is Iona versus Wisconsin. The Gaels dumped Hampton 59-46 in their opener behind 22 points from senior Gary Springer. The Badgers are off to a 2-0 start after they clipped Long Beach State 68-61 as a 22.5-point favorite on the BetUS Sportsbook NCAAB odds and crushed SIU Edwardsville 88-58. Marcus Landry was the Badgers’ go-to guy against Long Beach with 23 points, and he’ll be their driving force throughout the tournament.
