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Tmrw
26
Apr
5:30 PM
MIL
IND
+5
-5
222.5
8:00 PM
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+4.5
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209.5
10:30 PM
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207.5
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211
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205

Southland Tournament Odds, Picks and Predictions

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in College Basketball

Updated Mar 7, 2022 · 3:55 PM PST

Nicholls State guard Ty Gordon going for a layup
Nicholls State guard Ty Gordon (0) strips the ball away from TCU guard Micah Peavy, center rear, in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
  • After claiming a second straight regular season title, the Nicholls Colonels open the 2022 Southland Conference Tournament as betting favorites
  • New Orleans Privateers and Southeastern Louisiana Lions trail Nicholls on tournament odds
  • Read on for 2022 Southland Conference Tournament odds, which runs from March 9th to 12th at  Merrell Center in Katy, Texas

The road to March Madness winds through Texas this week, as the 2022 Southland Conference Tournament gets underway.

The Southland was reduced to just eight teams this season. All eight teams are participating and are seeded for the tournament based on their finish in the conference standings. The Nicholls Colonels and Southeastern Louisiana Lions enter the tourney as the top two seeds, and enjoy a bye to the semi-finals.

Odds to Win 2022 Southland Conference Tournament

Team Odds
Nicholls State Colonels +100
New Orleans Privateers +250
Southeastern Louisiana Lions +425
Texas A&M-CC Islanders +600
McNeese State Cowboys +1400
Houston Baptist Huskies +4000
Incarnate Word Cardinals +5000
Northwestern State Demons +5000

Odds at Barstool Sportsbook on March 7, 2022.

 

The New Orleans Privateers and Texas A&M-CC Islanders follow at No. 3 and No. 4. They await the winners of Wednesday’s first round action. No. 5 Houston Baptist gets set to battle No. 8 Incarnate Word for the right to face the Islanders in Thursday’s quarter-final action. No. 6 Northwestern State tangles with No. 7 McNeese State, with the winner meeting the Privateers.

Semi-final action continues on Friday, before the tournament championship and a berth in the 2022 NCAA Tournament are awarded in Saturday’s final. All games are scheduled to take place at Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, which has hosted the Southland Conference Tournament since 2008.

A New Champion will be Crowned

Among the teams to recently depart the Southland were conference powerhouses Abilene Christian and Stephen F. Austin. The Wildcats claimed a second straight Southland Tournament title before moving to the WAC last summer, and the Lumberjacks lifted the trophy in four of the five previous seasons.

The Nicholls Colonels finished atop the conference standings for a second straight season, and travel to Katy as strong +100 favorites to claim their first tourney title in 24 years. Winners in 10 of their final 11 regular season contests, the Colonels were also runners up in the Southland’s January tournament in Katy, and enjoy a bye to the semi-finals.

The Colonels earned a rest by clinching the regular season title in in the final date on their schedule, a 92-85 win over New Orleans. Ty Gordon has led the charge down the stretch, averaging 30 points per game over his past four outings, capped by a sensational 36-point performance in Saturday’s win over the Privateers. However, even a dominant performance in this tournament is unlikely to boost the Colonels higher than a No. 16 seed on the projected NCAA Tournament bracket, and leave them with long odds to make the Final Four.

Last Five Southland Conference Champions

Southland Champion Year
Abilene Christian 2021
Not Held 2020
Abilene Christian 2019
Stephen F. Austin 2018
New Orleans 2017
Stephen F. Austin 2016

As mentioned, Abilene Christian and Stephen F. Austin, who combined to win six of the last seven Southland Tournaments, both joined the WAC this season, opening the door for the remaining Southland teams to punch a March Madness ticket.

Can Privateers Stop Slide?

The Privateers don’t see an opponent until the quarter-finals and are a +250 bet to win their first tourney title since 2017. However, this team struggled down the stretch, losing three of four, with each of those defeats coming on the road.

Defence has been a struggle for New Orleans, with the team allowing an average of 87.7 points over those three losses. The Privateers have also lost eight of 10 to Nicholls, but split two meetings this season. Derek St. Hilaire has led the team in scoring this season in 13 of the past 18 contests, capped by a 26-point evening in last weekend’s loss to the Colonels.

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Semi-Final Berth Adds Value to Lions

The Southeastern Louisiana Lions finished out their schedule on a 6-1 SU run earning themselves a bye to the semi-finals, and their three-game win streak is currently the longest in the conference. This team also emerged victorious in three dates with Nicholls this season, and look for their first tournament title since 2005 as an attractive +425 bet. The Lions demonstrated character by coming back from a 21-point deficit in their 83-81 win over the Colonels on February 26  , and topped Nicholls in the January tournament final. One-time champions at this tournament, the Lions now look to return to the odds to win March Madness for the first time since 2005.

The best of the rest in the conference standings with a 7-7 record, the Texas A&M-CC Islanders enter the tournament as a +600 bet. Streakiness has plagued the Islanders, who endured a worrisome five-game slide in February, and sit well off the pace at No. 256 in the Kenpom ratings.

The McNeese Cowboys capped another disappointing campaign with five straight losses, and lag at +1400. The Houston Baptist Huskies are listed at +4000 ahead of their first round date with Incarnate Word Cardinals, who join the Northwestern State Demons at +5000.

The Pick: Southeastern Louisiana Lions (+425)

All Conference Tournament Previews:

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