College Basketball Betting Odds & Picks: The Small-Conference Matchup We’re Targeting (Feb. 29, 2020)

A handful of conferences are wrapping up their regular season this weekend. This has created must-win games for multiple teams across the country. The Big South is one of those conferences, and its regular season crown is still up for grabs.

Will the added motivation help Radford close out a potentially undermanned Gardner-Webb squad or will pressure burst pipes down in Virginia?

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Gardner-Webb at Radford

• Spread: Radford -6
• Over/Under: 135.5
• Time: 4 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN+

The Big South has turned into a two-horse race between Radford and Winthrop. The Highlanders and Eagles split their regular season meetings, with each team scoring a road victory in the two-game series. But Radford has really turned on the jets for the stretch run.

Winners of 10 straight, the Highlanders have emerged as a mid-major to fear next month. Aside from their bracket busting potential, they’ve also proven to be friendly to gamblers cashing against the spread in five of their past seven games.

Radford has become lethal with the basketball, ranking 29th nationally in offensive efficiency. It all starts with Carlik Jones, a dynamic point guard averaging close to 20-5-5 a night. The junior floor general is truly the straw that stirs the drink.

Radford is unique in that 10 separate players average 11 minutes or more per game. They share the ball well and get everyone other than the student manager involved. Gardner-Webb, in a similar fashion, relies heavily on the playmaking ability of their own point guard to make their offense go.

Jose Perez returned from a three week absence on Monday, but missed GW’s following game on Thursday against Charleston Southern. Information is limited as it appears that this is a personal issue for Perez. If he suits up, a moneyline play on Radford is preferable to the point spread play.

One final note. In the event that Perez does start this game, Radford has a good track record at stifling the talented sophomore. In his three career games against the Highlanders he’s shooting just 25.7% from the field and averaging nine points.

Whether they continue the trend of bottling Perez up or face off against an undermanned Gardner-Webb team without their starting point guard, this should be a memorable game for Radford en route to their second consecutive regular season title.

The Pick: Radford -6

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