Coppin State +6.5 vs. Mt St Mary’s: O/U 127.5
It’s not every year that we see an NCAA Tournament first, but this year will be the first time that a 20 loss team will be a part of the festivities. Coppin State went through a 21 game stretch where they lost 20, but they bounced back to win twelve of their final 13 and take their conference title. Mt St Mary’s (15-14) was not overly impressive this year, but they used a great stretch in the NEC Tournament to earn themselves an invite to March Madness 2008.
The Mountaineers do most of their damage on the defensive end where they rank in the top 50 nationally in FG% defense. Jeremy Good (5-9, guard) leads the team in steals at over 2 per contest while Sam Atupem (6-7, Forward) has 44 blocks on the season. The Mount hasn’t allowed over 70 points in any of their last nine contests and they managed to hold Sacred Heart to under 30% from the field in the NEC finals.
On a bit of a run, the Coppin State Eagles appear to be flying high, but consider this, their most favorable matchup statistic is their FT% defense. Why anyone lists such a stat I don’t know, but the numbers don’t lie. On the offensive side of the ball the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions rank outside of the top 315 in shooting percentage and points per game. Tywain McKee is the one outstanding talent on the Eagles and he’ll have to do it all for them to be awarded the chance to face the No.1 overall seed North Carolina Tarheels. McKee played 39 minutes against Morgan State and lit up the scoreboard for 33 points in carrying his team to this stage.
With both teams playing in an unfamiliar setting, on such a large stage, with so much at stake, I expect them to come out a bit tight. Mount St Mary’s is known for their defense while Coppin States hallmark is their ineptitude on offense. The Mount covers the six and a half while this game stays under the total.
My plays: Mt St Mary’s -6.5 & Under 127.5
It’s not every year that we see an NCAA Tournament first, but this year will be the first time that a 20 loss team will be a part of the festivities. Coppin State went through a 21 game stretch where they lost 20, but they bounced back to win twelve of their final 13 and take their conference title. Mt St Mary’s (15-14) was not overly impressive this year, but they used a great stretch in the NEC Tournament to earn themselves an invite to March Madness 2008.
The Mountaineers do most of their damage on the defensive end where they rank in the top 50 nationally in FG% defense. Jeremy Good (5-9, guard) leads the team in steals at over 2 per contest while Sam Atupem (6-7, Forward) has 44 blocks on the season. The Mount hasn’t allowed over 70 points in any of their last nine contests and they managed to hold Sacred Heart to under 30% from the field in the NEC finals.
On a bit of a run, the Coppin State Eagles appear to be flying high, but consider this, their most favorable matchup statistic is their FT% defense. Why anyone lists such a stat I don’t know, but the numbers don’t lie. On the offensive side of the ball the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions rank outside of the top 315 in shooting percentage and points per game. Tywain McKee is the one outstanding talent on the Eagles and he’ll have to do it all for them to be awarded the chance to face the No.1 overall seed North Carolina Tarheels. McKee played 39 minutes against Morgan State and lit up the scoreboard for 33 points in carrying his team to this stage.
With both teams playing in an unfamiliar setting, on such a large stage, with so much at stake, I expect them to come out a bit tight. Mount St Mary’s is known for their defense while Coppin States hallmark is their ineptitude on offense. The Mount covers the six and a half while this game stays under the total.
My plays: Mt St Mary’s -6.5 & Under 127.5
