The top-seeded Samford Bulldogs seek their first conference tournament title in nearly 25 years when they face the No. 7 seed ETSU Buccaneers on Monday in the 2024 Southern Conference Tournament Championship Game. Samford (28-5, 15-3) last won a conference tournament crown in 2000, when it captured the Trans America Athletic Conference title for a second straight time. The Bulldogs advanced to the SoCon final this season by defeating Furman 84-77 in the semis. ETSU (19-15, 8-10) aims for its 12th conference tournament championship after rallying from a 20-point, second-half deficit against Chattanooga and posting an 85-84 overtime victory. Samford won both meetings between the teams during the regular season.
Tipoff from Harrahs' Cherokee Center in Asheville, N.C. is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Bulldogs are 9.5-point favorites in the latest Samford vs. ETSU odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 147. Before making any ETSU vs. Samford picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters 2024 conference championship week on a 145-104 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 28-18 (+820) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Samford vs. ETSU and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for ETSU vs. Samford:
- Samford vs. ETSU spread: Bulldogs -9.5
- Samford vs. ETSU over/under: 147 points
- Samford vs. ETSU money line: Bulldogs -535, Buccaneers +386
- SAM: The Bulldogs are 15-10 against the spread as favorites this season
- ETSU: The Buccaneers are 13-8 ATS as underdogs or at pick'em
- Samford vs. ETSU picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Samford can cover
The Bulldogs are just 6-16 all-time against the Buccaneers but have won the last five meetings. Samford shot 53% from the field in the two matchups this season, a 75-72 road victory on Jan. 27 and an 87-71 triumph on Feb. 24 at home. Senior guard Jaden Campbell was a major factor in both contests as he scored 12 points in the first win and led all players with a career-high 28 in the second.
Fellow senior guard Rylan Jones also reached double figures in both games, scoring 10 points in the road encounter and 19 at home. The Bulldogs also received huge performances off the bench against the Buccaneers as senior forward Nathan Johnson scored a team-high 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the January meeting while senior guard Garrett Hicks recorded 14 in last month's contest. Junior forward Achor Achor, who leads Samford in scoring (15.5 points), rebounding (6.0) and blocks (1.8), had only three points in the first game against ETSU and didn't play in the rematch. Achor was the star of the Bulldogs' triumph over Furman on Sunday, recording a game-high 28 points and a career high-tying 14 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. See which team to pick here.
Why ETSU can cover
The Buccaneers, who won their 11th conference tournament championship in 2019-20, hope to become the first team since Clemson in 1939 to register four victories in the SoCon Tournament. They are riding a five-game overall winning streak after having lost four of their previous five contests. Junior guard Quimari Peterson and senior guard Ebby Asamoah were ETSU's top performers in the semifinals as they both nailed five 3-pointers and finished with 27 and 21 points, respectively.
Asamoah leads the Buccaneers with an average of 15.6 points and has scored 20 or more in five of his last eight games. Peterson is third with a 13.4-point average but ranks first on the team with 3.8 assists per contest. Junior forward Jaden Seymour, who scored 15 points against Chattanooga, is averaging 14.9 this season. See which team to pick here.
How to make Samford vs. ETSU picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 151 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 50% of simulations. You can see the picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Samford vs. ETSU, and which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the ETSU vs. Samford spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 28-18 roll on top-ranked college basketball spread picks.
