Can the Conference USA final live up to one half of the semifinals? Time will tell when the UAB Blazers (26-7) meet the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (21-9), with the Blazers coming off a thrilling triple-overtime victory over the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m ET from the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas in a game that will be broadcasted on CBS Sports Network. These teams are playing for an automatic bid into the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Blazers feature a potential March Madness hero-in-the-making in Conference USA Player of the Year Jordan Walker, and he did not disappoint in their semifinals win. Walker, who led the Blazers in points and assists per game in the regular season, went off for 40 points while adding on three assists and six rebounds.
On the flip side, the Bulldogs enter this finals matchup with a little less flare after upsetting North Texas 42-36 in the C-USA Tournament semifinals. The latest UAB vs. Louisiana Tech odds from Caesars Sportsbook lists the Blazers as three-point favorites, with the over-under for total points set at 137. Before locking in any Louisiana Tech vs. UAB picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $1,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UAB vs. Louisiana Tech and revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see all of the model's college basketball picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Louisiana Tech vs. UAB:
- Louisiana Tech vs. UAB point spread: UAB -3
- Louisiana Tech vs. UAB over-under total: 137 points
- Louisiana Tech vs. UAB money line: Louisiana Tech +140, UAB -160
- LATECH: The Bulldogs are 4-1 in their last five against the spread.
- UAB: The Blazers are 7-1 in their last eight neutral site games against the spread.
Why Louisiana Tech can cover
The Bulldogs are peaking at the right time as one of the mid-range seeds in the Conference USA Tournament. Although it hasn't exactly been pretty, they've covered ATS and won four of their last five games outright. They enter this game 17-12 ATS on the season and 10-7 as an underdog or pick'em.
Louisiana Tech is led by its defense, one that ranks inside the top-100 overall at No. 81 in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom ratings. Forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. leads the team in points per game (16.5), rebounds per game (10.5), steals per game (1.2) and blocks per game (0.7) as a true do-it-all wing player.
Why UAB can cover
When these teams met just one week ago, UAB covered a 7.5-point spread easily. Although we often hear and sometimes fall back on the trope of how hard it is to defeat a team twice, UAB holds the edge in this matchup thanks to its offense -- arguably the best in Conference USA. Walker returns to the floor after putting up a 40-burger in the semifinals and he entered that game already having averaged 19.5 points per game.
The Blazers enter this game having covered seven of their last eight games ATS on a neutral site. From a matchup standpoint, UAB enters this game with a slightly more efficient defense and a considerably more efficient offense (31st overall vs. 119th overall offensive efficiency rating), per KenPom ratings.
How to make UAB vs. Louisiana Tech picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 146 points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Louisiana Tech vs. UAB? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
