CAA Conference Tournament Odds, Picks, and Predictions

• The Colonial Athletic Association tournament tips off on Saturday, with a March madness berth on the line in Washington, DC
• After finishing atop the CAA conference standings, the Towson Tigers have emerged as favorites to also claim their first ever tournament championship
• Read on for the 2022 CAA Tournament odds and trends 

A berth in the 2022 NCAA Tournament will be for up for grabs when the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) conference tournament gets underway this weekend at St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington DC.

Nine teams will compete in this season’s tourney, with the James Madison Dukes not taking part after announcing they would be departing conference for the Sun Belt Conference later this year.

Odds to Win 2022 CAA Tournament

Odds at Barstool Sportsbook on March 3, 2022.

The action tips off on Saturday, when No. 8 William & Mary take on No. 9 Northeastern in a battle for the right to take on the top-seeded Towson Tigers in Sunday’s quarter-final action. The Towson claimed a share of the CAA regular season title for the first time, finishing alongside UNC-Wilmington with a 15-3 SU record. However, the Seahawks are forced to settle for the No. 2 seed and a quarter-final clash with No. 7 Elon.

The Drexel Dragons begin the defence of their tournament title as the No. 4 seed, and will face No. 5 Delaware, while Sunday night’s clash between No. 3 Hofstra and No. 6 Charleston rounds out the quarter-final schedule. Semi-final action continues on Monday, and a tournament champion will be crowned in Tuesday night’s scheduled final.

Towson Close Out Schedule on Torrid Pace

The Towson Tigers closed out their regular season schedule that not only lifted them to the top of the CAA standings for the first time, but has also vaulted them to the top of the CAA tournament odds as +125 favorites. The Tigers impressive performance marks a dramatic turnaround after the squad mustered just three wins on their way to a ninth-place finish a year ago.

What a moment.@TowsonU x @CAABasketball pic.twitter.com/1k1Fa7aSxN

— Towson Men's Basketball (@Towson_MBB) March 1, 2022

The Tigers have dominated opponents, with six of their seven recent victories coming by double-digit margins. Currently pegged at No. 65 overall in the Kenpom ratings, and 34th in adjusted offensive efficiency, the Tigers are also pencilled in as a No. 13 seed in SBD’s projected March madness bracket. While Towson have yet to make an appearance on the odds to win the NCAA Tournament or Final Four odds, an at-large invitation to March Madness is not out of the question even if they fail to win this tournament.

🗳 7⃣ threes in a 25-point night earned @Towson_MBB's Nicolas Timberlake the fan vote and #CAAHoops Player of the Night honors! pic.twitter.com/4lP1fBonrS

— CAA Basketball (@CAABasketball) February 27, 2022

Nicolas Timberlake has been sparking the Tigers attack. The junior guard leads the squad in scoring, and has averaged 17.9 points per game over his past five outings. Cameron Holden has been a strong presence under the basket, averaging 12 boards to go along with 12.3 points while tallying three straight double-doubles.

Seahawks Sag, Hofstra Soars

The UNC-Wilmington Seahawks enjoyed a season-long perch atop the conference standings, and enter the tournament on a 3-0 SU run. However, they lag as a distant +1000 bet in the CAA tournament futures. The Seahawks stormed to a 9-0 start, but saw their fist defeat come against the Elon Phoenix, whom they now must face in quarter-final action.

Towson tops UNCW 79-55 as the Seahawks shoot 25.9 percent from the field in the second half.

Hawks kept fighting, but the offense just never found any rhythm. Tigers dominated the boards 42-24. pic.twitter.com/mcKFHIO9lQ

— The Seahawk Perch (@TheSeahawkPerch) February 18, 2022

Overall, the Seahawks failed to dominate down the stretch. Their final five wins came by a an average margin of just 5.4 points, and the squad wilted in the face of stiff competition. In addition to their lopsided 78-65 loss to Eton, the Seahawks also dropped a 73-71 decision to Hofstra, and were blown out 79-55 in a February 17 home date with the Tigers. Considering their recent struggles, the Seahawks likely must win this tourney to claim a march Madness berth.

Probably an unpopular opinion but I think Aaron Estrada is the clear-cut CAA POY.

1st in scoring, 1st in assists, 2nd in ast%, 1st in minutes, 2nd in FG%, 2nd in FT%, 2nd in 3FG%, 7th in rebounding. 4 30+ point games.

Kid is by far the best player in the conference.

— Sidelines – UNCW (@SSN_UNCW) February 24, 2022

Conversely, the Pride earned their position as +250 second favourites by winning eight of their final nine to finish third with a 13-5 record. Hofstra twice defeated Charleston this season, whom they face in the quarter-finals, including last week’s 89-84 win on home court. The Pride lineup is anchored by Aaron Estrada, who has enjoyed a breakthrough junior campaign. The talented guard has recorded 20 or more points in seven of his past 10 appearances, capped by a 28-performance in last week’s win over Charleston.

The CAA Tournament bracket is set. The fifth-seeded #BlueHens will take on fourth-seeded Drexel in Sunday's quarterfinals at 2:30 p.m. at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C.

🎟️ https://t.co/LSjWHyCP8W pic.twitter.com/laF0Q9OeLs

— Delaware Men’s Basketball (@DelawareMBB) March 1, 2022

Further down the CAA tournament odds, the defending champion Dragons sit deadlocked at +800, with the Delaware Blue Hens, whom they face in quarter-final action. Drexel emerged as a surprising champion in last year’s tournament, which featured several upsets. However, consistency has emerged as a problem for the Dragons, who posted consecutive wins just once during a schedule-closing 4-3 run.

The Pick: Hofstra Pride (+250)