NCAA Basketball Tips for December 29th: 3.64 Friday Night College Hoops Combo

It’s time again to hit the court, as our resident college hoops expert Ej Garr brings us a pair of tips for the Friday Night Basketball Parlay. With a pair of games being played in the Golden State, Ej has a total and an underdog on his mind on Friday night, so let’s take it to the court and have a winning night.

• St. Mary’s Gaels vs Kent State Golden Flashes – Total Over 133.5
• San Diego Toreros vs Fresno State Bulldogs – Toreros +1.5 HC

NCAAB Friday Night Parlay Odds: 3.64

Odds via bet365 as of 8:00 am on December 29, 2023. Odds may now differ.

Go with our tip at bet365

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ST. MARY’S GAELS VS KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES: PLENTY OF POINTS AT THE PAVILION

All right, well let’s start the proceedings with the game between St. Mary’s and Kent State, and my choice to make this total the tip of the night was easy. As anyone can see, the Over has been the bet to make all season when it comes to the Golden Flashes.

Kent State has played 11 games this season, and although there were no lines from two of those games against D2 foes, 8 of their 9 totals have flown to the Over. The Golden Flashes are averaging 82.5 points over their last six games, and they’ve already toppled the 100-point mark on three occasions through 11 games.

Flashes Head Coach Rob Senderoff has proven that he knows how to win games, as he has earned eight 20-win seasons through his 12 years with this program. This team got to the NCAA Tournament last year with a 28 – 7 record, and depth is something he has on his side.

Senderoff has a 10-man rotation happening, and it keeps all of his guys fresh as the games get tighter and it has helped with everyone’s confidence in his program. Jalen Sullinger leads the Flashes averaging 15.2 PPG, and his 42.9% from behind the arc is one damn impressive stat. Sullinger now has 64 appearances under his belt over the last three seasons, and all he seems to do is get better and better.

Chris Payton, Jr. is a beast on the glass as his 9.1 rebounds per game can attest, and as you look up and down the Flashes’ roster the emphasis on rebounding is clearly there. Limiting second-chance opportunities and using defense to turn into offense has been the key for this Kent State program, and I expect them to have plenty of success against the Gaels.

St. Mary’s is not going to be the team fighting for a West Coast Conference title this season, and their results have been so inconsistent this season. Defensively, the Gaels have been a sound program, and the rankings surely reveal some of that story but the list of quality opponents they’ve faced is small.

I see this game as a race to 70 points, and I think our final score will look like 73 – 67 giving us 140. With a 133.5 posted on this total, the play is the Over, and now I turn my attention to another WCC team at home.

• Selection: Total Over 133.5 Points
• Best Odds: 1.91
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 4/10

Go with our tip at bet365

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SAN DIEGO TOREROS VS FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS: A HOME DOG READY TO BARK

San Diego also plays in the West Coast Conference, and you should be used to seeing me cover these games by now. I pay a lot of attention to the WCC for some reason and I can’t even explain why other than I like to start my day looking at the late games first.

It has been my approach for years now, and I just seem to find myself following these West Coast games even though I live in New York.

I am trying to figure out why Fresno State is favoured to win this game because I don’t see it that way. Both of these programs just played Portland State, and the Toreros won their meeting with the Vikings while the Bulldogs came away with a loss in their game against them. Common opponents are good to note early since we don’t get the high-profile games with these conferences yet.

When conference play gets into the thick of it come the new year, that’s when we will find out what everyone is made of. I think the Toreros are made of some good stuff this year even though aren’t a very deep squad. Head Coach Steve Lavin has a proven track record of success, and now he has an opportunity to turn this season around after a disappointing first year.

The Toreros finished the campaign with an 11 – 20 record a year ago, and a home win tonight would already give them 10 wins through the first 14 games.

That is a vast improvement, and the depth of the Toreros has helped them stay in games late. Lavin has 10 players who have played in nearly every game, and Wayne McKinney III has grown a ton in the off-season. McKinney has taken his game to the next level this season, doubling his scoring average from last year from 7 to 14 PPG.

Here is the big problem for Fresno State. EVERYTHING! Their rebounding numbers are atrocious, and you know this when you see a 330th ranking on the offensive glass. This team does nothing to get second-chance scoring, and 13.2 turnovers a game also ranks them 330th in the land.

I cannot for the life of me figure out why the Bulldogs are favoured to win this game, so make sure you don’t expect that to happen. San Diego is going to win this game at home by 7 points, so think underdog and go make your money!

I am still going to put the +1.5 on the board just in case because I like points in my pocket as a safety net in case we end up needing it.

• Selection: San Diego Toreros +1.5
• Best Odds: 1.90
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 4/10

Go with our tip at bet365

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SAFER GAMBLING

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