2020 Atlantic Sun Tournament Opening Odds
- The 2020 Atlantic Sun Tournament takes place at conference sites on March 3rd, 5th and the championship game on the 8th
- Liberty, who won the ASUN Conference Tournament last year, went 13-3 in conference play to finish in a first place tie with North Florida
- Which team is the best bet to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament?
It’s been smooth sailing for Liberty in the Atlantic Sun. They joined the conference last season and won the tournament title, and entered this year as the team to beat and haven’t disappointed.
At 27-4 overall and 13-3 in conference play, they look like the team to beat in the ASUN – although North Florida finished tied atop the conference standings with the Flames.
Liberty is a heavy -400 favorite to advance to the NCAA Tournament, can any team steal the bid from them?
2020 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Liberty | -400 |
| North Florida | +350 |
| Lipscomb | +1700 |
| Stetson | +4200 |
| North Alabama | +4200 |
| Florida Gulf Coast | +6500 |
| NJIT | +7500 |
Odds taken Mar. 2nd
Atlantic Sun Tournament Bracket
Liberty the Overwhelming Favorites
There’s no question that Liberty is the team to beat in the ASUN but there is cause for concern. They should have won the regular season title but they flopped at Lipscomb on Saturday.
They closed as a nine-point favorite on the road, but lost outright and instead earned a share of the ASUN title.
I’d still have a tough time seeing anyone else beat them out, because they not only won last year but proved their quality with a win over Mississippi State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. This year, they’ll play the ASUN tournament games at home, so that’s an edge for them.
North Florida, Lipscomb Worth a Look
If it’s not Liberty, a lot of bettors will be looking at North Florida. After all, they finished with the same 13-3 conference record as Liberty, earning a share of the regular season title.
The difference, of course, is that Liberty was 27-4 overall while North Florida was just 20-11.
LET’S GOOOOOO!! ?#TheDriscollReport pic.twitter.com/mJRfoIifqn
— ospreysmbb (@OspreysMBB) March 2, 2020
This team plays at a fast pace and that can sometimes cause problems for Liberty. The two teams split their two meetings, although oddly enough, the Ospreys won the 71-70, slow-paced game while Liberty won the 82-77 fast-paced contest.
North Florida scores 78.1 points per game while shooting 38% from three, both of which lead the ASUM. They’re going to be a factor here.
Lipscomb, meanwhile, is just 14-15 team that usually wouldn’t merit much of a look – especially since they were just 9-7 in conference play – but they might be worth a flier. They won six of their last seven games, including Liberty. They have topped every team in the conference, so they’re capable.
What’s the Best Bet?
None of these teams are a real factor for the 2020 National Championship odds but if I had to bet one team to win this tournament, it would be Liberty. This is a team that won the title last year, won a game in the NCAA Tournament and save for their final regular season game (the loss to Lipscomb) haven’t disappointed much this season.
Beyond that, this is an experienced team as all of the key players like Caleb Homesley, Scottie James and Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz are all seniors. With home court advantage to boot, they should win this tournament.
SBD’s NCAA conference tournament coverage:
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
