NCAA Basketball Monday Picks venture into a bit of a strange time. Christmas week brings about a strange sort of schedule. This drives those who wager often crazy. Monday night features teams not ranked in the top 25 and mostly “mid-major” types of games. VegasBetting asks. Is it a Rider and Hofstra kind of night? We have the odds from all the top-tier online bookmakers listed below:
NCAA College Monday Odds | ||
---|---|---|
Delaware | -110 | -110 |
Rider (-5.5) | -110 | -110 |
Hofstra (+1.5) | -110 | -110 |
South Florida | -110 | -110 |
NCAA Basketball Monday Picks are a different beast this night regarding Rider. Can Rider be a team we can trust tonight against a game Delaware squad? The reality is Alumni Gymnasium often is an intimidating place to play. These “small barns” create their raucous atmosphere. Think of the essence of college fandom. A fan stands for fanatic, after all.
Honestly, the expectations are not too high. Rider started this up-and-down 2022-23 campaign with more down than up. The Broncs lost four of five games and doubted Kevin Baggett could get the job done. These last three games went much better as Rider started to establish their pace and tempo. That becomes key in these mid-tier clashes.
The possible run to an NCAA Tournament berth remains. There is little doubt that Rider can compete in the MAAC. It becomes more about putting the games together. Delaware represents a far from the easy opponent. For a reason, they are 7-4, have lost to some upper-echelon teams, and have some quality wins. Despite this, Rider is a 1.5-point favorite. That shocks some pundits, and yet the Broncs possess more potential.
Therefore, NCAA Basketball Monday Picks takes on these picks from the perspective of letting things ride. How do we bet on the Broncs? Bluntly, that spread is reasonable. Dwight Murray Jr. is scary enough. His Pebblebrook partner-in-crime is Mervin James. Murray has the power to slash and shoot from three-point range. Also, Delaware may not have a player to truly guard, either. Bet Rider is laying a mere 1.5 points!
What about the Rider over in the NCAA Basketball Monday Picks? Early in the season, teams often can play at an unexpectedly higher tempo this week. Rider and Delaware utilize players that might be able to exceed even their scoring averages (both in the lower 70s). Again, both teams allow around 70 points a contest. Therefore, this is not a stretch.
Jameer Nelson and Jvere Davis pose different problems for the Rider defense. For one, the Delaware duo play even bigger than they look. They possess a bit more speed than it appears to. Again, the same can be said for Rider’s top two. Expect a lot of ebbs and flows in this game as it goes back and forth. There may be some bouts of extremely hot shooting too. Dwight Murray Jr. shoots 44% from the three-point range, for example.
Now, teams will have to match the pace and intensity of Rider at home. So, their two home wins were against lesser competition but by 20+ points in each case. Rider plays differently at Alumni Gymnasium. Small and intimate barns bring about the crazy, the intense, and often yes, the offense. The duel between Murray and Nelson alone would be must-watch television if these were top-flight programs.
Some betting experts attempted to decrease the number. That offers more hope tonight for the over. It will not rise above 143. This is the good news. The bad news boils down to Delaware. Do they go ice cold as they did in tough venues earlier in the month? That answer looks now to be no. Bet the over!
The NCAA Basketball Monday Picks welcome another game with a slightly smaller college feel. Hofstra is a better team than South Florida, and that is known. The Pride played one of the tougher schedules in the NCAA (30th among all colleges). It is why their point-per-game margin rides in the negative despite a 6-5 record. Three straight losses take bettors off a team quickly this time of year.
So, Hofstra has the juice currently in a game where the Pride should not have much. On the other hand, Senior Aaron Estrada could be one of the top players in the CAA this season. Speedy Clayton could not gush enough about Estrada’s speed, along with his ability to break any defense down. Two of the games he missed were quite noticeable and obvious. Estrada has not played since November 30th.
Yes, the spread feels deceptive. That is because South Florida can be a tough place to come out with a win. This team has won five out of six games after an 0-5 beginning. Again, sometimes taking a risk is better than not attempting one at all. The best shots are the ones taken.
For the NCAA Basketball Monday Picks, picking Hofstra at +1.5 points is a great pick on a night when a team like the Pride can employ a rested Estrada against a slightly slower team. South Florida gains more traction if Estrada suffers any setback. Based on the news, Hofstra expects to bounce back tonight as their star is raring to go.
NCAA Basketball Betting Sites and Bonuses can add Christmas green. Here are more NCAAB betting sites. and Betting Site Online Bonuses. Good luck, and Merry Christmas!
Summary
Chris Wassel AA, AAS CURRENTLY Sports Writer and Journalist RESIDES IN Rahway, NJ EDUCATION Union County College, Montclair State University EXPERTISE Business, Writing, Sports, Food, Grilling, Olympics, Injuries, Politics, and more Summary Member of FSWA, FSGA, and a variety of Sports Betting Groups. Works on injuries for a variety of sites. Edits articles from NASCAR to football and beyond. Occasionally runs sites like mynhltraderumor.com and Full Press Hockey/Bets. Does a podcast for Full Press Hockey and a few other sports too. Experience Chris Wassel has 20+ years of sports journalistic experience in various disciplines. His ability to play sports is well documented. Most people in the business just write. However, Chris will race cars and even a super Moto bike from time to time. There is that fitness and hiking/cycling aspect too. Chris has climbed mountains from Mount Washington to Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California. For those that do not know. Chris also dabbles in food eating contests and challenges. Having a unique background with friends including Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has the ability to eat a whole 16-pound turkey or a 32 inch meat lover's pizza. Since 2013, Chris does focus on things like fitness, fishing, and sports. One would be surprised that Chris runs, hikes, and rock climbs. There are even those occasional mini-triathlons. One truly can pack a lot in a small package. Chris can lift things over his body weight with ease. Also, if there is a NASCAR rain prop, Chris can tell you if there will be a Monday race. Throughout his career, Chris has worked at a wide range of places from Amazon to USA Today to a variety of rumors and fantasy sports sites. Finally, Chris has been nominated for quite a few awards from the Fantasy Sports Writers Association for Hockey Writer Of The Year. Also, there have been a number of high-stakes fantasy trophies and rings that Chris sports in his house. Education Chris received an Associates from Union Country College for business and accounting. Chris did sports journalism work at Montclair State University covering the hockey, baseball, and football teams. Quote from Chris Wassel "Shut up and play.”
Education
1999 Graduate of Union County College
1993 Graduate of Rahway High School
Professional Achievements
Media credentialed member of the New Jersey Devils since 2010
Covered several NHL Drafts including the one day event in Newark in 2013
Been on countless podcasts, TV shows, and more including Sportsnet and even NHL Network