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Robert Ferringo CBB
7-Unit Play. Take #805 Belmont (-6) over Cleveland State (1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 19)
Pound for pound, Belmont has played one of the most difficult schedules in the country. It is only ranked about No. 50. But considering where they are in the college hoops hierarchy they have really challenged themselves, adopting an 'anyone, anywhere' mentality. All their losses have come against Top 100 teams. And Cleveland isn't one of those. Belmont has taken care of business pretty easily against teams rated No. 150 or below. Cleveland State just snapped a five-game losing streak against a shaky Loyola-Chicago team. Loyola is dealing with a bunch of issues right now so take that game with a grain of salt. Cleveland State also shot 42 percent from 3-point range. Considering they are only shooting 31.4 percent on the season that means they are due to come back to earth a bit. Cleveland State is ranked No. 326 in both shooting percentage offense and shooting percentage defense. That is horrible. And against a talented, efficient offensive team like Belmont I think the Bruins will be able to put pressure on the Vikings at both ends. Belmont just got wrecked at Middle Tennessee State this week, losing by 21. Last year - almost to the day - they got lit up by 27 by VCU. They came back and beat a weak Fairfield team on the road that Saturday by 12. In 2013 they got smoked by 28 at Denver and then came back the next game and won easily ATS in a tough game against Kentucky. In 2012 they lost by 29 to Kansas and then came home and won by 27 against a pretty good South Dakota State team. In 2011 a 16-point loss at Memphis was followed by a 46-point win over Towson. You see a pattern here? Belmont is a really good team. They have one of the best mid-major players in the country in Craig Bradshaw, and he isn't even leading the team in scoring. Cleveland State is really young and really not good. I don't think home court is going to mean much in this game since the students are on break. Belmont has already played eight road games, traveling to Marquette, BYU, Evansville, Arizona State, and plenty of other places. They won't be rattled by going to Cleveland. I think Belmont is a vastly superior team and I think that if they win this game they are going to do so going away. I have this as a very close game in the first half, with Belmont up by 1-3 points. But they are going to pull away in the second half, getting up by as many as 11 before Cleveland State brings it back and makes it a four- or five-point game with a couple minutes left. But Belmont executes and makes it free throws. They will win this one by nine.
7-Unit Play. Take #805 Belmont (-6) over Cleveland State (1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 19)
Pound for pound, Belmont has played one of the most difficult schedules in the country. It is only ranked about No. 50. But considering where they are in the college hoops hierarchy they have really challenged themselves, adopting an 'anyone, anywhere' mentality. All their losses have come against Top 100 teams. And Cleveland isn't one of those. Belmont has taken care of business pretty easily against teams rated No. 150 or below. Cleveland State just snapped a five-game losing streak against a shaky Loyola-Chicago team. Loyola is dealing with a bunch of issues right now so take that game with a grain of salt. Cleveland State also shot 42 percent from 3-point range. Considering they are only shooting 31.4 percent on the season that means they are due to come back to earth a bit. Cleveland State is ranked No. 326 in both shooting percentage offense and shooting percentage defense. That is horrible. And against a talented, efficient offensive team like Belmont I think the Bruins will be able to put pressure on the Vikings at both ends. Belmont just got wrecked at Middle Tennessee State this week, losing by 21. Last year - almost to the day - they got lit up by 27 by VCU. They came back and beat a weak Fairfield team on the road that Saturday by 12. In 2013 they got smoked by 28 at Denver and then came back the next game and won easily ATS in a tough game against Kentucky. In 2012 they lost by 29 to Kansas and then came home and won by 27 against a pretty good South Dakota State team. In 2011 a 16-point loss at Memphis was followed by a 46-point win over Towson. You see a pattern here? Belmont is a really good team. They have one of the best mid-major players in the country in Craig Bradshaw, and he isn't even leading the team in scoring. Cleveland State is really young and really not good. I don't think home court is going to mean much in this game since the students are on break. Belmont has already played eight road games, traveling to Marquette, BYU, Evansville, Arizona State, and plenty of other places. They won't be rattled by going to Cleveland. I think Belmont is a vastly superior team and I think that if they win this game they are going to do so going away. I have this as a very close game in the first half, with Belmont up by 1-3 points. But they are going to pull away in the second half, getting up by as many as 11 before Cleveland State brings it back and makes it a four- or five-point game with a couple minutes left. But Belmont executes and makes it free throws. They will win this one by nine.
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