Texas Southern vs Mount St. Mary’s First Four Odds and Picks
- The No. 16 seed in the East Region will be on the line when Texas Southern battles Mount St. Mary’s in First Four action on Thursday at 5:10pm EST on truTV
- The Tigers ride a nine-game SU win streak into their first-ever matchup with the Mountaineers, who have won four straight, all on the road
- We’ve got you covered with all the odds and trends ahead of Thursday’s First Four clash at Assembly Hall in the article below
A berth in the East Region bracket as a No. 16 seed will be on the line on Thursday, when the Texas Southern Tigers take on the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers in First Four action as slim two-point favorites.
The Tigers are poised to return to March Madness after posting wins in each of their past nine outings, capped by a lopsided 80-61 victory over Prairie View A&M in this past weekend’s SWAC final. The Mountaineers ride a four-game win streak into Thursday’s clash, and will be seeking their third win in four NCAA Tournament play-in contests.
Here’s a look at all the odds and trends ahead of this First Four matchup, set for Thursday afternoon at 5:10 pm ET from Assembly hall in Bloomington.
Texas Southern vs Mount St. Mary’s Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Southern Tigers | -2 (-110) | -136 | O 132 (-110) |
| Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers | +2 (-110) | +116 | U 132 (-110) |
Odds taken at FanDuel on March 15th
Tigers Dominant Since Overcoming Battle with COVID-19
Beset by COVID-19 outbreaks that ultimately forced the postponement and cancellation of seven regular season games, the Tigers overcame a 0-2 start in conference play in dominant fashion. The team has won outright in 14 of 15 contests since, and has produced steadily improving results at the sportsbooks while extending the run.
There will not be a upset this year, but if you do want to dream on a fun 16-seed take a look at Texas Southern.
TSU is a super transfer heavy team with power conference experience. Former Okie State guard Michael Weathers headlines the roster and was the SWAC Tournament MVP. pic.twitter.com/py5FeeL45u
— Fraz 🐙 (@UncleFraz) March 15, 2021
TSU managed to cover in consecutive games just once while going 4-6-2 over the first 12 games of their current 14-1 run. However, the team found a higher gear during the SWAC Tournament, outpacing opponents by an average of 15 points per game while marching undefeated SU and ATS to their first tournament championship win since 2014.
TSU Offense in the Zone
The challenge now for the Tigers is to rewrite a losing March Madness narrative. TSU has posted just one SU win in the nine NCAA Tournament appearances in school history.
However, that victory came in their most recent First Four appearance in 2018, when they shut down North Carolina Central to claim a 64-46 win. This season’s edition of the Tigers have also excelled on defense. TSU has limited opponents to a respectable 69.7 points per game this season, and have limited opponents to 65 or fewer points on five occasions during their current nine-game win streak.
The team has also steadily gained offensive momentum, averaging just over 80 points in their past five outings.
Congratulations to Karl Nicholas for being named to the SWAC Tournament All-Tournament Team!
Nicholas averaged 18 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 1.7 bpg, 1 spg, over the three tournament games. @theswac @_fahlip_ @TexasSouthern @TXSOTigers // #GoTigers #BeLegendary pic.twitter.com/rsOm7xcDI1
— Texas Southern Basketball (@TSUMensHoops) March 14, 2021
Karl Nicholas has played a key offensive role down the stretch, tallying double-digit point totals in each of the team’s nine recent wins, and also contributed a pair of double-doubles during the SWAC Tournament.
Mountaineers Getting it Done on the Road
While the Tigers look to be peaking at just the right time, Mount St. Mary’s hits the hardwood for Thursday’s contest aiming top extend their season-high win streak to five games. It has been a streaky season for the Mountaineers, who have seen three win streaks lasting three or more games offset by four multi-game losing streaks.
However, like TSU, the Mountaineers found steady form just in time to embark on their current tear, which has featured four straight wins on the road.
🏀 Final Score 🏀
Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers 74 – 61 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights— LineStar CBB (@LineStarCBB) February 21, 2021
The team’s recent success is all the more impressive considering that three of their four recent victories came while pegged as betting underdogs. The Mountaineers have defied the oddsmakers in impressive fashion. The team’s three recent upset wins have come by an average margin of eight points, including a spectacular 74-61 comeback victory over Fairleigh-Dickinson in a contest they trailed by 10 points at halftime.
Mount St. Mary’s Can’t Afford to Fall Behind Early
The Tigers have powered their recent success with some strong performances on offense. The team has averaged over 71 points per game over their past five outings after reaching that point total just once in their previous nine outings. That has generated winnings for sports bettors taking the over in four of their past five outings, and ending a 6-1 ATS run in their past seven road games.
Don’t look now but Texas Southern just beat two teams who were previously undefeated in conference play. Should be interesting in the first four. https://t.co/U7Gda7O5Jh
— Benjamin (@been_gee) March 14, 2021
With both of these teams trending up offensively, Thursday’s contests has the potential to be a relatively high-scoring affair. However, if the Tigers can maintain the high tempo early on, which they have displayed in early outings, look for them to advance with a SU and ATS win.
- The Picks: Tigers -2 (-110); OVER 132 (-110)
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
