The Valparaiso Crusaders are on the road in college basketball action tonight, taking on the Milwaukee Panthers. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Currently the betting odds for the game have the Crusaders favored by a couple of buckets to pick up the win.
Valparaiso is once again having a pretty special season. The Crusdaers are 24-5 on the year and have a stronghold on the Horizon League standings, sitting three games ahead of Oakland and Wright State in the loss column. Valpo has been exceptional on the road this year as well, going 10-4 with an impressive win at Oregon State just before Thanksgiving. Clearly that was a while ago, but the Crusaders have been extremely sound in other gyms this season.
Milwaukee has three losses at home this season, one of those was to Oakland as the Grizzlies swept the season-series. The other team were tough defeats to South Dakota and Wright State, though Milwaukee has responded well by winning the last two games at home in impressive fashion. The Panthers knocked off Cleveland State by 34 then turned around and beat Youngstown State by 36 earlier this week.
Valpo won the first game in this series in mid-January by a dozen. The Crusaders have a strong RPI at 58, easily the highest in the Horizon with the next closest team (Oakland) sitting more than 60 spots higher. The Crusaders have been the best team in the league all season, but they will have to contest the depth of Milwaukee’s scoring as the Panthers have five guys averaging in double figures this season.
Valpo is led by Alec Peters and they should be able to rebound the basketball well in this one. The Crusaders rank fourth nationally in adjusted efficiency rankings defensively, which will cause problems for the Panthers, though Milwaukee has been pretty solid offensively this year.
The Crusaders are the favorites to win the conference tournament, plus the league regular season title is already wrapped up. Valpo can’t lose focus, though. The line on this one is short but the Crusaders have been excellent in road games this season.
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