College Hoops Predictions - February 17, 2009

We hit with one college hoops pick last night, but couldn't connect on the other as UConn gave up the lead late. Today we are back with another pair of picks from a light CBB schedule.

Today's NCAA Basketball Picks:

Game: Eastern Carolina at Southern Mississippi (8:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on Southern Mississippi -370 (moneyline) (risk 4 to win 1.1)

While Eastern Carolina has played tough at home, the road has not been their friend. They have managed just a 3-7 mark on the road, but when you look at the three wins, none have come against anything but pushovers. They knocked off conference bottom-dweller SMU, who has managed just one conference win all season. They also topped a lowly 7-18 Winthrop team, and a terrible NC Wilmington team that sits at the bottom of the Colonial and just 6-21 on the season. Otherwise, the closest they have come on the road has been six points at Rice. Southern Miss is not losing to anyone mediocre at home, with home losses against South Alabama, Tulsa, Memphis, and UAB. They have played good in their other games and every other one has gone into the win column, and I certainly don't expect a surprise here. I'll take Southern Miss on the moneyline here.

The Governors have had a couple of bad breaks, but showed they can play with anyone in the conference, evidenced by their previous six-game winning streak. The recent resume suggests just 2-4, but two of those were in OT, and they already handled Jacksonville State at home. The Dolphins are regressing after their early-season cupcake fest, and they now look like a bad team with a 3-10 straight-up record in their last 13. Their top scorers both check in shooting less than 40% for the season, suggesting scoring droughts do them in. Against a superb Governors offense that likes to light up the scoreboard, I don't see the Dolphins keeping pace here. Austin Peay gets the call in this one.

NCAA Basketball Picks Resources:

• Take a look at our 2008 college basketball betting preivew here.
• Don't forget to read our NCAA basketball sportsbook reviews here.
• View our updated 2008 college basketball prior pick results.
• Take a look at our how to bet college basketball here.
• View our updated NCAA basketball Game-of-Day Analysis.
• Don't forget to visit our blog college basketball.
• View our NCAA basketball handicapping here.
• View our updated NCAA basketball odds lines and spreads.
• Don't forget to visit our ncaa march madness brackets.
• Don't forget to visit our college basketball ATS recrds.
• Don't forget to visit our march madness pick.
• Read our NCAA basketball previous picks here.

Check out the last five NCAA Basketball Picks Newsletters:

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-February-16-2009
A huge heavyweight battle between the Pitt Panthers and the UConn Huskies takes shape tonight in Connecticut. This game definitely has No. 1 seeding ramifications for the NCAA Tournament attached to i...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-February-15-2009
Number 22 Illinois squares off vs. Indiana on CBS in this early game. I like the road team to win big. The Illini have covered five of the last six games played against Indiana including a 76-45 drubb...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-February-14-2009
There comes a time when the value on a team is extended beyond the reasonable, and such is the case here. The last time Fordham was posted as a 20+ dog they almost won outright at Dayton, losing by on...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-February-13-2009
If you haven't been paying attention, Villanova may be playing better than anyone in the country right now. They have four losses, but a closer look is quite revealing. They lost to Texas when the...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-February-12-2009
The Bulls may have tipped their hand when they took UConn to the wire before losing a four-point decision. They have now won eight straight, and are playing even better. The Eagles appear to have quit...