Tuesday College Basketball Betting Picks: Furman-Alabama, ETSU-Kansas

Eli Hershkovich is an Action Network contributor and produces/hosts the You Better You Bet Podcast on RADIO.COM Sports.

Only five ranked teams are in action tonight in college basketball, but there are still a pair of matchups with value — both pregame and live.

Let’s dig into Alabama-Furman and No. 4 Kansas-East Tennessee State.

Tuesday College Basketball Betting

Furman at Alabama

• Spread: Alabama -3.5
• Over/Under: 151
• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• TV: SEC Network+

I was aiming to bet Bob Richey’s Paladins before the opening line was released, but the Crimson Tide’s blowout loss at Rhode Island (22 turnovers) diminished Furman’s value in this one.

Nate Oat’s Alabama team is in a primetime bounce-back spot, and expect it to come out of the gate pushing the pace via the fourth-highest Adjusted Tempo in college basketball.

Dating back to last season, Furman’s biggest weaknesses remain its interior defense and defensive rebounding. The Tide have a sizable advantage in the frontcourt, led by 6-foot-9 freshman Javian Davis, so they should own the glass and pace in the early goings.

That’ll allow sophomore point guard Kira Lewis and Co. to have their way attacking the rim off potential Furman one-and-done trips. But once the Paladins settle in, their ball pressure (25.8% turnover rate) should begin to give a turnover-prone Alabama offense issues. Look for them to shift towards their style by slowing down the tempo as a result.

Furman has the 15th-best minutes continuity in the country, which showcases how often a teams’ personnel has played with one another. Senior point guard Jordan Lyons should be able to find cracks in an eventually-frustrated Alabama defense, as its interior unit has been its biggest liability thus far while adjusting to Oats’ first year in Tuscaloosa.

I really wanted to back Furman in this one, but the line is just too short. I'll be waiting for a good live opportunity or I'll back the Paladins in the second half.

The Pick: Furman +7 live, or Furman 2H [In New Jersey? Bet now at PointsBet]

East Tennessee State at Kansas

• Spread: Kansas -14.5
• Over/Under: 143
• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN+

Let’s stay in the Southern Conference, as the Buccaneers faced a look-ahead spot on Thursday with the Jayhawks on-deck, collecting a 61-58 win over Winthrop.

Meanwhile, Kansas (1-2 ATS) is a little overvalued after a 55-point win against Monmouth on Friday, along with it being a public team. Keep in mind, Bill Self’s team failed to cover (-15) versus UNC Greensboro — another SoCon program — on Nov. 8.

Similar to the Spartans, East Tennessee St. presents the 12th-highest minutes continuity in college hoops, guided by do-it-all guard Bo Hodges (15.3 points per game). Even if Marcus Garrett — Kansas’ defensive stopper — matches up against him, the Bucs are one of the more unselfish mid-major teams in the nation. Microwave scorer Tray Boyd III (13.6 ppg) should find success against Kansas’ inconsistent perimeter defense.

The Bucs also have the 46th-highest opponents’ turnover rate (20.2%), which stems back to their success last season. With the Jayhawks lacking backcourt depth behind sophomore point guard Devon Dotson, their ball-handling remains a concern against aggressive guards.

Steve Forbes’ bunch will be able to slow down the pace for spurts of the game in the process, hampering the Jayhawks’ typical attack. Despite playing in raucous environment at Allen Fieldhouse, look for the road dog to cover the double-digit spread.

The Pick: East Tennessee St. +14.5 [In New Jersey? Bet now at PointsBet]