5. North Dakota State- The team’s that do it with defense are the most dangerous, and North Dakota State is one of those teams. The Bison have slowed down the tempo on offense this year, and they are absolutely clamping down on the defensive end. Opponents are shooting only 37.7% against them. North Dakota State is 11-4 ATS.
4. Belmont- The Bruins are always one of the better mid-major teams, and this year is no different. Belmont now plays in the Ohio Valley Conference, which is a significant step up from the Atlantic Sun that they played in last year. This should help the team quite a bit if they are able to get in the NCAA Tournament, because they will be far more battle tested. Their road win at Stanford was a real eye-opener earlier this year.
3. Indiana State- The Sycamores got a big boost when Manny Arop transferred over from Gonzaga. With Arop and Jake Odum, the Sycamores have two stars who can really fill it up on any given night. Indiana State has really committed to playing good defense so far this year, and it is making a big difference. Indiana State has covered spread in eight straight games!
2. Santa Clara- Santa Clara finished last season without a win in the West Coast Conference. Last year’s team had injuries and suspensions that really slowed them down, but now that they are at full strength this squad is really dangerous. Kevin Foster and Evan Roquemore are tremendous in the back court for the Broncos. The oddsmakers are still lining their games as if it was last season.
1. Bucknell- Bucknell really flies under the radar, since most of their games aren’t even lined. Bucknell has a terrific team and they are absolutely capable of pulling off a big upset in March. Bucknell has already beaten Purdue and LaSalle. They narrowly lost to Missouri on the road. A huge matchup with Lehigh in the Patriot League Conference is setting up.
You’ll notice there is no Gonzaga or no Creighton on this list. It isn’t because I don’t think these teams are good enough (they certainly are), but those teams have been discovered by the public a long time ago. Always stay on the lookout for under the radar teams who can do some ATS damage.
