NCAA basketball betting: SoCon tourney champ could be live underdog in NCAA 1st round
The Southern Conference is perhaps the most underrated league in college basketball.
It ranks 12th in KenPom's conference ratings. There are three teams in the top 107 of KenPom. The SoCon won't get a second bid for March Madness, but the conference tournament should be competitive. And whoever wins the auto bid won't be an easy out in the NCAA tournament.
The Southern Conference tournament starts Friday in Asheville, N.C., and the championship game will be Monday night. Here's what you need to know about the SoCon tourney before betting it at BetMGM:
Standings
1. Chattanooga (14-4 in conference)
2. Furman (12-6)
3. Samford (10-8)
4. Wofford (10-8)
5. VMI (9-9)
6. UNC Greensboro (9-9)
7. Mercer (8-10)
8. East Tennessee State (7-11)
9. The Citadel (6-12)
10. Western Carolina (5-13)
Favorites
Chattanooga: Chattanooga has the league's best player, 6-4 sophomore guard Malachi Smith. He led the league with 20.3 points per game while shooting 51 percent from the field. The Mocs had the best defense in conference play and the offense is good enough. They also swept Furman, the No. 2 seed.
Furman: The Paladins have four senior starters. Mike Bothwell (15.4 ppg) and Jalen Slawson (14.6 ppg) are two of the best players in the SoCon. Furman did lose four of their last seven, but it's a fine offensive team that can win a third meeting against Chattanooga if they meet again next Monday night.
A long shot worth considering
Wofford: It's not like Wofford is way down the bracket, but they're a solid bet while everyone else is focused on the top two teams. The Terriers won four of five and the only loss came by a single point at Furman. Their only other loss since the end of January was in overtime at Samford. Wofford shoots a lot of 3s and if they're falling they could win the tourney.
