Rampaging Ramblers Seek Conference Lead
Missouri Valley Conference Heavyweights
The lead for the Missouri Valley Conference is up for grabs on Sunday as the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers visit the Missouri State Bears.
NCAA basketball odds have framed an even betting market, but the Ramblers have the slight edge at -1½.
It’s an important game as the winner could earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
- Game: Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (17-4) at Missouri State Bears (17-7)
- Location: JQH Arena
- Day/Time: Sunday, 2 p.m. ET
Loyola-Chicago Ramblers at Missouri State Bears
Ramblers Defense Holding
The Loyola-Chicago Ramblers have the 25th best defense in points allowed in the country, which is the hallmark of their game.
Allowing just 62 points per game, the Ramblers are always tough to beat. They allowed just 39 points against Southern Illinois last month, but there are concerns with their lack of ability to cover spreads.
They are 6-10-4 against the spread, which isn’t pretty to look at. Despite being 10-1 at home and 5-1 away from home, they have struggled to impress bettors.
Coming off five consecutive spread losses, the Ramblers are overdue a winning turn. They have been the sportsbook favorites to win their last 10 games, which hasn’t made it easy. They’re favored again, but the -1½ line is generous.
The Ramblers scored a 78-64 win over Illinois State, which saw Lucas Willamson explode with a career-high 27 points. He averages just 13 points per game, so it was a mammoth performance from the guard.
Bears Are Scrappy
There is little doubting the scrappiness of the Missouri State Bears, who are only a half-game away from the conference lead.
They respond to losses with excellent basketball, which was the case following their loss to Indiana State. The 76-72 loss was disheartening as a five-point favorite, but we love the way they responded.
The Bears defeated Evansville with a 72-58 victory before beating Southern Illinois 69-54, so they were comfortable victories.
“I’m very proud of how we defended and how we were consistently assignment-correct throughout the game,” head coach Dana Ford told the Springfield News Leader. “No matter what was going on — whether we were making shots, missing shots, whether we felt like we got a tough call or whatever the case was and no matter who we went to on the bench, I thought we were pretty assignment-correct and consistent.”
They’re not easy to get past, which is why betting online markets have them close with the Ramblers. They are 1-2 when playing as the underdog and the Ramblers are 3-2-1 when favored by less than seven points.
Ramblers to Rise
The Ramblers’ defense could make the difference in this game, so we’re going for the road side to win.
Bettors get a favorable line for the Ramblers, and as March Madness approaches, this is when they play their best basketball.
If Williamson can have another big scoring night, there shouldn’t be any stopping the Ramblers from securing their 18th win.
Pick: Loyola-Chicago Ramblers -1½
