(855) TOWSON vs. (856) ELON
FREE PICK: (856) ELON +1.5
On paper, there’s not a whole lot to choose between Towson and Elon as those two schools get things rolling in the Colonial Athletic Association tourney. But current form is another story and that’s my focus here.
Elon was laboring badly with a 3-12 league record, and the very youthful Phoenix appeared to be about to wave the white flag on this season. But sometimes all it takes is one short stretch of good basketball to turn things around, and that appears to be what has taken place for Elon.
The Phoenix got out of the gate in terrible fashion in a 2/21 matchup at Delaware. But Elon fought back and managed to then put together five great minutes in OT as they got a desperately needed win over the Blue Hens.
Elon has subsequently gotten hot, and they’re now on a three-game win streak as they take the court today. They got sweet upset against Northeastern and concluded the regular season with a sharp win over a decent UNC-Wilmington entry.
Towson is going the other way right now. The Tigers have dropped four in a row and seven of their last eight. That’s not exactly the ideal form heading into the tournament, although I’m sure they’re approaching this like they’re 0-0.
Two factors worth noting here. Towson cannot shoot a lick but they’re very adept at grabbing offensive boards and getting second chances. Elon has had a big issue keeping the opposition off the glass, and they cannot give up too many extra opportunities if they want to win this game.
The other aspect that might come into play is the site for this game. It’s not a home game for Towson, but it’s definitely what ought to be home/neutral. But there also appears to have been some adjustment made for this in the number, as Towson has been made the small favorite here.
The bottom line is that I have Elon as the slightly better team and they’re in what can only be called much better present form. The Phoenix players seem genuinely confident about their chances in this tournament and I expect a good effort today. Elon as the underdog looks playable to me.
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